This week Ron and John started working on a BIG project. Well, its not really a huge project, but it is taking a lot of time and care. They are turning the “old garage” into a Bunkhouse. So far this is the list of potential uses for the garage-turned-bunkhouse:

“It will be a place where we can keep our dirty clothes. I’m going to put an old dryer in there. Then, we don’t have to drag our wet, muddy stuff into the house all the time.” 

“I’m going to put my meat saw in there. We can cut up deer and stuff.”

“We should bring one of the old couches in. Maybe a TV.” 

“We are going to put another refrigerator out there.” 

“Look, we installed an air conditioner!” 

By the time these two get done, they are practically going to turn this little building into a Holiday Inn. I don’t quite understand how a meat saw, TV, refrigerator, air conditioner AND couch are going to fit inside the bunkhouse. But, I am eager to see.

Originally, John started scrapping the side of the building so that it could be painted. Then…things escalated….what should have been a two-day project turned into…….cutting off the eaves, cutting a hole in the wall for a new window, ordering brand new white and green tin, putting the tin up, installing an air conditioner, framing up the east wall to cover the doors, installing a walk in door, adding insulation AND pouring concrete!!!After a few mornings of effort…the little ol’ garage is looking pretty sharp. Can you believe what a difference tin can make?

Plus, that new sliding window is nicer that every window in our house! (For starters, it opens…we only have two windows that were not painted shut four decades ago.) Can you believe that John can actually sit up there and work in that position? ouch!!!

Initially, I thought they were CRAZY to try turning this little building into a Bunkhouse. But, old as she is, this building is straight and true. And, she still has a good foundation. In Dakota terms, that means it ain’t time to tear her down yet. After they get done, she’s still got another 40 or 50 years of life left!

Here is a picture of the ol’ garage before COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY CAME OUT! (Check out how happy the dog is in this photo!) There will be more updates to come on the bunkhouse. Very soon, the inside won’t look like an old garage anymore! 

STATE FAIR

The next highlight of the week was going to the state fair. In South Dakota, they have a five day state fair in Huron. Naturally, the highlight is the food. We also stopped to check out some brand spanking new John Deere equipment. I wanted to share these photos because they have prices. At risk of causing some of you to choke on your lunch and pass out here are some machinery price tags. Prepare yourself.  Are you shocked? Surprised?

It is probably a little risky to share these photos. I don’t want to cause confusion; first, let me clear things up. It absolutely NOT true that every tractor costs as much as these ones. The John Deere brand is the Louis Vuitton-BMW-Apple-top shelf liquor of tractors, so they get a little extra for having a premium product. Second, some farmers go their entire lives without purchasing a tractor of the size and price of these models. Instead, they buy used machinery – just like some people purchase a used car.

I just wanted to share the photos because they are interesting. I think sometimes the American public believes that corn is still raised with tractors that look like this. (Photo from jcbwalsh Flikr)

That’s why I try to share LOTS of photos through this blog (Plus, I just love taking them). This is a modern farm. It may not look and function exactly like you expect! Today’s farms are filled with people who ponder purchasing expensive tractors and fix up old buildings that some people might tear down.

Why Farmin’ Friday? Recent statistics show that just 1% of the U.S. population considers farming their primary occupation. Since our family falls into that 1% group, I believe it is important to share about our work in food production. Since 100% of American’s eat, every Friday I write to those who may wonder: Where does my steak come from? What does a farm look like? Who are the farmers and ranchers? What do they do?