One Fine Acre - 2023 4H Steer Project Update

[OneFineAcre]

So, we got gutters and downspouts on the left side up Saturday. I've got the material for the right side but we didn't get them up yet. Not too worried about that in that is not the problem, it falls off pretty good away from the building on the right side.

But, it rained pretty good Saturday night and the gutters did not solve the problem. It was still raining Sunday morning and I had a chance to observe. The gutters are doing what they are supposed to do, but that isn't the problem. The problem is the water shedding off of the garage.

Very slight grade from there to the barn.

So, talked to my next door neighbor who is a concrete contractor. Knock on wood, it supposed to be dry this week. He is going to come Friday with his Bobcat and laser and cut some down by the fence to make to make the grade to the building a little higher. He will also give it some fall from where you are looking to the back of the barn and around the back to channel the water in that direction.

And I'm getting 20 tons of screening to build up the floor in the barn, and build a walkway on the high traffic area around the side of the garage.

@Southern by choice you mentioned something called "rock dust". I asked and was told that some people call screening that. It's basically rock, the largest pieces about the size of a match head down to the size of a grain of sand. Didn't you say you saw that on the barn floors of one of the dairies you and @babsbag visited?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Dang, sure hope you get your drainage issues solved! But, sounds like you're 'on it'.

 

[Southern by choice]

Yes. It was called rock dust... someone here told me Chapel Hill grit was the same... but I saw it and it didn't look like the rockdust I have seen... I was going to ask @SheepGirl to get a close up pic and what they called it when they ordered theirs.

For the drainage... would a french drain be better?
When we lived in another region we had a creek that would crest and we were always flooding... so were our neighbors... the slope was there already and he put in the french drains... our land was sopping wet for weeks and his was bone dry in a day or two. It was amazing! Simple to put in and not very expensive.

It looks great by the way! I know you will be so happy to be kidding in luxury!

 

[Mike CHS]

Water can be a pain and it never seems to quite run like we think it should.

We had issues with runoff coming down the 500 foot grade directly above us and running under our house. We tried all kinds of bandaids but wound up taking out 6' of dirt/limestone directly in front of and a little wider than our house and putting in a 4' retaining wall and about 20 yards of convrete for a raised drive to divert everthing away.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Water can be a pain and it never seems to quite run like we think it should.

We had issues with runoff coming down the 500 foot grade directly above us and running under our house. We tried all kinds of bandaids but wound up taking out 6' of dirt/limestone directly in front of and a little wider than our house and putting in a 4' retaining wall and about 20 yards of convrete for a raised drive to divert everthing away.

Sure hope I don't have to do all that. If so, the goats gonna have wet feet.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Yes. It was called rock dust... someone here told me Chapel Hill grit was the same... but I saw it and it didn't look like the rockdust I have seen... I was going to ask @SheepGirl to get a close up pic and what they called it when they ordered theirs.

For the drainage... would a french drain be better?
When we lived in another region we had a creek that would crest and we were always flooding... so were our neighbors... the slope was there already and he put in the french drains... our land was sopping wet for weeks and his was bone dry in a day or two. It was amazing! Simple to put in and not very expensive.

It looks great by the way! I know you will be so happy to be kidding in luxury!

Gave some thought to doing some type of french drain. But, I believe and my contractor believe that grading would be the best option.

He said it would only take about two hours to do the grading and use the bobcat to put the screening in the building. He's just going to charge me for the actual two hours, most would say 4 hour minimum.

He's also saving me a lot on the screening.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Looks nice, hope you get the drainage all fixed!

 

[Southern by choice]

Gave some thought to doing some type of french drain. But, I believe and my contractor believe that grading would be the best option.

He said it would only take about two hours to do the grading and use the bobcat to put the screening in the building. He's just going to charge me for the actual two hours, most would say 4 hour minimum.

He's also saving me a lot on the screening.

We are doing the same here OFA. French drains would be great here BUT one only knows what is under the land. We would have a maze of drains... it would be crazy! We are fixin to get alot of dirt brought in to repair. We are doing just a makeshift shelter to move the goats so we can fix everything. Then when it is all done of course that is when we will end up moving

 

[OneFineAcre]

We are doing the same here OFA. French drains would be great here BUT one only knows what is under the land. We would have a maze of drains... it would be crazy! We are fixin to get alot of dirt brought in to repair. We are doing just a makeshift shelter to move the goats so we can fix everything. Then when it is all done of course that is when we will end up moving

Hey
There's 200 acres for sale near me. $1,695,000
Pretty good price for Wake County

 

[Southern by choice]

My friend just sent me a property 65 acres already has barns, all pastures fenced, hay fields ready to go... with house. $260,000.

one really BIG problem... house is way to small.
Dh said we could just live in the barns... may as well with goats and puppies in our house probably wouldn't be much different.


That 200 acres... good investment for YOU though