Neighbors With Resources

I went for a drive with Mike today, and I noticed how many of my rural neighbors have acquired goats, sheep, geese, cows and HOGS. That last one was a first for me. A guy near-by has a herd of those HUGE pigs that are the size of a cow, only heavier! Several of our neighbors had real farms of course, but I can’t help but notice that more people are starting to quietly shift their land use from just grass and trees to hobby farms.

Cat is moving forward with her Emu idea. She’s volunteering at a place down in Olympia once a month to get hands-on training with emus. She’s already learned about using gates and shoots to move emus from one pasture to another or into or out of a barn area.

Of course, getting our mobile home situation figured out is #1 priority! Before my sister takes it over, we can rent to Reese and Sleep for a year or so while they find the land to share with Rhonda and her kids. Then, we can AirBnB it if we have to until it’s time for my sister to move in.

While we passed all these neighbors, I wondered if there was a local co-op for trading goods (especially MEAT!) and if there wasn’t, when would be a good time to start one? Not now. Maybe in a year… year and a half?

I was thinking I could make some leaflets to maybe pass around to those I notice have large gardens and/or pastures with herds of various animals and ask if anyone was interested in a meeting to discuss helping one another out, trading, etc.?? I don’t mind starting things like that. I already know we’ll have to take politics off the table and make it all about being good neighbors and mutual benefits. But– yeah. I live in a really good spot for that type of thing to be started.

HOGS. Huge, pink, pigs! Just in a pasture tucked between copses of woods! I mean… yeah.

I have a feeling we’re not the only ones feeling a “tick tick tick” of a clock hanging over our heads like the sword of Damocles.