Homesteading and Hobby Farm/Ranch

BrutulTM said:

Anyone ever tried hugelkultur? I'm planting a raspberry patch this spring and I think I might give it a try.

The Very Best Way to Plant Raspberries - The Patchy Lawn

The best way to plant raspberries using hugelkultur and permaculture principals, for drought tolerant, low maintenance and abundantly producing plants

thepatchylawn.com

Click to expand...

Nope. It’s talked a lot about in the permaculture community. Seems to be a lot of trial and error. Successes and failures. Dive into permaculture, maybe give it a try and report back.

Blazin said:

Started seeding yesterday, our weather has been in the 70s which is well above average for March. Normally want ground temps in the mid 50s , we have been very wet for weeks we finally had some drying out and so I'm taking the gamble. Early not usually a problem unless it starts to come up then we get hit below average temps.

I always have an appreciation for what real farmers go through with the money that is on the line on these particular days you decide to take action, each time I'm dumping a 50lb bag into the hopper at $200 a pop you can't help but think of the guy down the street putting down $20k in seed that day.

I'm seeding Orchard grass for the first time and man the seeds are small making getting seeding rate set a little more difficult but at least the big boys are just punching it in on a screen. Orchard grass is a premium, seeding it into aging alfalfa stand. Our excess alfalfa hay is sold to horse farmers so I'm trying to do the right thing there but it wouldn't be my first choice.

View attachment 519907View attachment 519908

Puppy is really growing fast, she is with me pretty much all day everyday. Doing well with the goats, forgot how hard a puppy can be when you haven't done it in so long but it's getting easier.
View attachment 519909

Click to expand...

Bota lookin great B!

Blazin said:

That's a great trailer,, I would love to have this. I keep thinking about wanting material bunkers, but a really good trailer would reduce the need for them. I'm always paranoid about tri axels on my asphalt. It's a really firm driveway but a triaxle loaded with stone on a summer day can be a recipe for expensive damage. Just add it to the list I guess.

Grats on the new toy.

Click to expand...

What’s wrong with triple axle trailers on asphalt?

Blazin said:

View attachment 520866

This is a triaxle. Looking at near 40 tons fully loaded

Click to expand...

Oooooo. Yeah. I brought in about 40 truckloads of fill dirt early last year to remediate hurricane damage from 2022. Neighbors thought I was building a highway. Thankfully my driveway was dirt so nothing harmed..

My 16x32 tuff shed premier pro tall barn is almost done with initial permitting approval. Next I will need to do the site prep as the place it’s going is about an 8 degree decline with a total of 11” drop across 16’ side (I need to recheck these numbers, going from memory).

Did a bunch of research and I think using 6x6 GC PT wood, using deadmen, and making total frame 18x34’ is the way to go. Will use weed mat and compacted gravel. Similar to these guys How to Build a Gravel Shed Foundation - The Complete Guide.

Unfortunately the guys I just linked aren’t in Florida. I can’t find anyone in Florida that does work like this or at least advertises it. I’m sure they exist but I just can’t find them. I’m thinking I’ll have to do the work myself… Hopefully the tractor should help with grade.

The door and 6’ wide ramp to the shed will not be on the uphill or downhill side but instead perpendicular to the slope, yes I know this isn’t ideal..

I’m debating which approach to take here for the wood perimeter - build up, dig out or mix. 11” drop over 16’ makes me think build up and use deadmen to stabilize. Any thoughts?


build up

Dig out

Mix

Blazin said:

Not being coy but you should do it yourself, especially if it intimidates you. I know we are all too manly to admit that some projects seem out of our wheelhouse but you have a tractor it's just work and part of the 'lifestyle' is getting out of your comfort zone and learning new skills. A lot of pride in a project you do the work on, even if its not perfect. Though it sounds like you are buying this building, you should have built that to. I realize not everyone has the time but you seem to want to pursue homesteading then it's time to get dirty and stop thinking like a rich person.

As far as the grading half and half is always going to be least work but does this have a larger door on the narrow side? This question should always be answered by how you are using the building and how you are approaching (ingress/egress) the building. You want to the approach to the building to be as level as possible. If the first pic is the only door to the right then a build up is how I personally would do it because I want keep it dry as possible and elevated is better for that purpose. THis building isn't big enough that it is goig to make any dramatic difference in the amount of stone. If you are running electric to the building don't forget to get this stubbed in early so you can have a conduit coming up inside the building.

This is exact size and type of project where maybe renting a skid steer for a week is the correct way to get it done, again especially if you havent run a skid steer. Perfect opportunity for a new experience where again there isn't much way to fuck it up. Skid steer makes the ground work easy, the fill easy, and you can move the timbers with it chaining off bucket. Plenty of resources out there to show the appropriate way to build up a retaining wall. I would drill and pound rebar through the timbers.

Plus when it's done you can convince yourself its totally justified to buy a new Kubota SVL 75 (which is the appropriate way to flex your wealth, not on contractors)

Click to expand...

Yeah I know I should have built it myself. I’m just absolutely exhausted. Working 10-12 hour days for work the past 3-4 months. Constantly pushing back my vacations around work schedule, etc. Will have a new job later this year so that should change.

I agree I should do this myself. I really wish I had friends in the homesteading lifestyle that could help me and I them.. My land just isn’t in a rural area for that type of community unfortunately . My only hesitation is the aforementioned absolute exhaustion I have from my job.. I’m taking a vacation in two weeks and hoping that will give some reprieve. Over the vacation I think I will draw out the design and begin site prep..

The larger door will be on the narrow side which is perpendicular to the slope - I know not ideal but I’m thinking just grade out in front of it and do the same kinda thing - use 6x6s to create a level area up to ramp..

Yes! Thank you for mentioning electrical because that is currently my biggest open question in my planning… I will be running 2” conduit to it with 220v and a panel on the outside. How should I plan for this if I need to compact the gravel prior to tuff shed showing up and doing the onsite build? Like you said, I can stub it - I’m just concerned about tolerance and getting it exactly aligned with the building before the building is actually up. I guess just stub it the best I can calculating exactly where the wall will be?

I’ve ran skid steers before. I hate the local ones I can rent, old, beat up and barely work.. I know a guy who runs a company that goes into subdivisions and does all the plumbing and piping of sewage, electric, etc so he owns an SVL 65 and 97. I’ve used him in the past to pick up side projects for me before I had the tractor. I was thinking of maybe bringing in his dad (guy loves doing these sorts of projects) as a second hand in helping me do this which would also give me access to his skid steers. His dad does amazing woodwork, real good ole boy, the kind that harvested and milled his own wood to build his house…

edit - building for reference

Foler said:

Yeah I know I should have built it myself. I’m just absolutely exhausted. Working 10-12 hour days for work the past 3-4 months. Constantly pushing back my vacations around work schedule, etc. Will have a new job later this year so that should change.

I agree I should do this myself. I really wish I had friends in the homesteading lifestyle that could help me and I them.. My land just isn’t in a rural area for that type of community unfortunately . My only hesitation is the aforementioned absolute exhaustion I have from my job.. I’m taking a vacation in two weeks and hoping that will give some reprieve. Over the vacation I think I will draw out the design and begin site prep..

The larger door will be on the narrow side which is perpendicular to the slope - I know not ideal but I’m thinking just grade out in front of it and do the same kinda thing - use 6x6s to create a level area up to ramp..

Yes! Thank you for mentioning electrical because that is currently my biggest open question in my planning… I will be running 2” conduit to it with 220v and a panel on the outside. How should I plan for this if I need to compact the gravel prior to tuff shed showing up and doing the onsite build? Like you said, I can stub it - I’m just concerned about tolerance and getting it exactly aligned with the building before the building is actually up. I guess just stub it the best I can calculating exactly where the wall will be?

I’ve ran skid steers before. I hate the local ones I can rent, old, beat up and barely work.. I know a guy who runs a company that goes into subdivisions and does all the plumbing and piping of sewage, electric, etc so he owns an SVL 65 and 97. I’ve used him in the past to pick up side projects for me before I had the tractor. I was thinking of maybe bringing in his dad (guy loves doing these sorts of projects) as a second hand in helping me do this which would also give me access to his skid steers. His dad does amazing woodwork, real good ole boy, the kind that harvested and milled his own wood to build his house…

Click to expand...

Blazin what if I stubbed where the electrical conduit would be with corruagated drain pipe with 2” conduit inside. This way once build is done I have more tolerance to move the conduit 10-18” to adjust to align with building. Once it’s aligned just fill the corrugated drain pipe with rock?

edit - I think the drain pipe would need holes in it so when it rains it doesn’t fill up with water and back up. Wondering if there’s a more “skeletonized” pipe to use here.