A working farm for workshops
Donation protected
What I am trying to accomplish is to make my farm a destination for tours and workshops in all kinds of traditional farm skills.
I have been living on my farm since 1986 and during that time I have practiced most of the traditional skills of the past. These include raising and butchering animals, gardening, sewing, crochet, soapmaking, wild plant harvesting, herbal tinctures, and cheesemaking. I also know many people who have skills that I would love to learn and also incorporate into workshops. Since my divorce I had to abandon the farm to make a living. As a homemaker of many years I am having trouble keeping up with the bills much less doing the building and cleaning that needs done to be a success.
My daughter has put animals on the farm again and we are starting to make that profitable. We are doing free farm tours at this point, but can see where those could make some money too. I am making and beginning to sell goat milk soaps. I can see making the garden a CSA and feeding other families.
My house needs some repair and remodel so I can live in it again and have it acceptable for inside workshops. I need to fill an area and gravel it for a parking lot. I would like to put a shelter up for outside workshops. There is a good amount of grounds maintenance that I cannot get to because of my work schedule. I would like to build an ourdoor oven and smokehouse as workshop themes and then have a friend teach how to use them. And remake my garden.
If I could stay home to build this, I could make my living doing what I love. The money would go mostly toward building, repair and promotion. And maybe hiring someone to help on projects too big for my daughter and I alone. Some would go to paying bills while I limit my work schedule to make this dream a reality.
I have been living on my farm since 1986 and during that time I have practiced most of the traditional skills of the past. These include raising and butchering animals, gardening, sewing, crochet, soapmaking, wild plant harvesting, herbal tinctures, and cheesemaking. I also know many people who have skills that I would love to learn and also incorporate into workshops. Since my divorce I had to abandon the farm to make a living. As a homemaker of many years I am having trouble keeping up with the bills much less doing the building and cleaning that needs done to be a success.
My daughter has put animals on the farm again and we are starting to make that profitable. We are doing free farm tours at this point, but can see where those could make some money too. I am making and beginning to sell goat milk soaps. I can see making the garden a CSA and feeding other families.
My house needs some repair and remodel so I can live in it again and have it acceptable for inside workshops. I need to fill an area and gravel it for a parking lot. I would like to put a shelter up for outside workshops. There is a good amount of grounds maintenance that I cannot get to because of my work schedule. I would like to build an ourdoor oven and smokehouse as workshop themes and then have a friend teach how to use them. And remake my garden.
If I could stay home to build this, I could make my living doing what I love. The money would go mostly toward building, repair and promotion. And maybe hiring someone to help on projects too big for my daughter and I alone. Some would go to paying bills while I limit my work schedule to make this dream a reality.
Organizer
Janolyn Keller
Organizer
Quilcene, WA
