Learning experience this Saturday

Learning experience this weekend... I need to band a little bull and fix some baby pigs... where your mucking boots and work clothes...let me know if anyone wants to come... I would like to get started after lunchtime.

Come on people, really?

Ok, let me just say that I do not endorse Glenn Beck...however, this is where the story is, so here you go:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/we-will-not-comply-catholic-leaders-distribute-letter-slamming-obama-admin-contraceptive-mandate/

Why is the Catholic church the first to take a stand?  I mean, come on people, really?  We, the church of our reigning savior, Christ Jesus, are doing what?  NOTHING!!  Let's get it together people.  LET'S TAKE A STAND!!!

Alright, people...here we go.  Let's get started with our bartering venture.  Do you have a skill? Resources you could share?  How about a few extra things sitting around you could part with?  And if none of those fit the bill and you are stumped, how about time?  If nothing else, we all have time to barter with, and we know how precious this is.  Now, what do you need?  What are you looking for?  For some, these things will be small or large, some will be obscure or seemingly practical.  Submit your wants or available services as comments and I will post them anonymously or perhaps connect the two people directly if a match is instantly available.
I'll start.
Moore Bottom Farms has available the following at this time:
dairy products and by-products
various vegetable seeds
a fully functional meat processing barn with cooler
chicken processing equipment (plucker and scalder)
time
beeswax
honey
extra vegetables as the good Lord blesses
I know where to get 20# wheels of cheese (chedder only) for about $3.50/lb.
      packaged in a nice wooden box
More to come if we can brainstorm up some more ideas

Now, here are some wishes:
sewing for me or my girls
help in my garden!!!
plants for the garden or flower beds
    (for those who have a green house)
help with spring cleaning or reorganizing children's seasonal items
help with major house projects (ie - adding on a new suite!)
extra veggies from your garden the Lord has blessed you with

Well, I think you get the idea.  This is just a starter.  Hopefully it will grow over time and we can begin to rebuild that which was lost over the last 100 years or so.  My new favorite verse I think applies quite nicely here:

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap a harvest if we do not loose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."   Gal. 6:9-10

    Thank you to all who could make it to yesterday's seed party.  I think that it was a great success based on what I have heard so far.  We discussed our trepidation about this coming growing season and our very mild winter, traded heirloom seeds as well as extras people had on hand, answered a lot of questions about fencing, pests, irrigation, unusual veggies and their challenges, and started at the very end setting up cooperative growing among a few of the people present.  I think that a least a few of us felt that we could have chatted all afternoon about seeds and growing methods, but I believe 2 1/2 hours is our limit due to the travel time of some and little people of others.  

     Which brings me to the second part of this email...we will have to do this again soon!  March will be the month of the next seed party with the date to be announced.  We will placing a cooperative seed order for late Spring and Summer veggies and flowers.  Please be looking at your catalogs and marking your wishes so we are as prepared as possible in order to maximize our time.  Also, it was brought up that another possible outcome of these meetings could be a sort of "plant adoption fair".  To explain, I think there are more than a few of us that tend to overzealous in seeding our seed trays or perhaps some experience the blessing of God and we have exceptional germination.  What do we do with all these plant babies?  We have tended to and loved these babies for so long and can't possibly throw them away!  Well, bring them with you and give them away or trade with someone who has something you want!  Someone will take them, and if they don't, I will find SOMEWHERE to put them :)  Let us have our questions or topics of discussion written down ahead of time.  Perhaps meeting every two to three months will be more helpful for those who might have left yesterday with questions still unanswered.  For those of you who were not here yesterday, please know that there were gardeners of ALL walks of experience - from a Master Gardener all the way to an information gatherer who is unable to establish a garden at this time.  So please feel free to come and know that you will be welcome and will fit in somewhere!

     If anyone has any feedback they would like to share with me, please do.  You may email or call me, whichever you prefer.  I am looking forward to hearing from everyone or seeing you at the next meeting!

Moore Bottom Farms is starting a bartering store!!  This section of the blog may change the way it appears on this site over time due to operator learning curve, but I felt this was the best place to put it.  Perhaps a brief description is in order.  A few of our friends and ourselves have started bartering our farm goods and time.  This concept emerged out of frustration we experienced as we all struggled to do the same things on our own farms.  We were working ourselves to death!!  What were we doing and why?  We are God's people, a community-based people, not islands unto ourselves!  So, we started trying to figure out how to be more efficient.  Certainly, there are things we must all do ourselves on our own farm, but there are a HUGE list of things we don't have to do all by ourselves, and to be honest, I do not believe we were meant to.  As God's people, we live in a time of reclaiming ground.  We fight on many fronts, the church has deteriorated due to inaccurate teaching, and this is an area we are reclaiming.  COMMUNITY.  How do we live as God's people in this time and age?  We live in community.  We help each other.  We build root cellars, work on cars, plant gardens, make food for those in need, build church buildings, the list is limitless.  We need to keep our money in God's community whenever possible.  We SAY we want to see God's kingdom advance and conquer, but we go to Wal-mart to buy milk, Lowe's to buy plants for our gardens, Jiffy Lube for an oil change.  What would our community look like if we actually tried to depend on each other and supported one another financially when we could?  I have a guess, God's people?  The light on a hill?  Perhaps.  I know what will happen.  We will grow closer.  We will build relationship.  We will have to love each other.  So, who's ready to build a Christian community and start taking dominion of this planet one community at a time?  LET'S GET TO BARTERING!!!