Jason closes his journal... Thanks!! I love you!!

[2dream]

The best part of living in this country is that we don't all have to pretend to think alike, we don't (yet) live in the novel 1984. We are all different, we have different economic, political, nutritional, emotional & sustainable views. And thats just fine. Imagine how boring it would be if we didn't have anything to argue about

or how boring it would be if we did not have anything to learn from each other. We would all be typing the same things at the same time with nothing whatsoever to think about, or consider trying.

Individuality Makes The World Go Round.

 

[modern_pioneer]

Its been a while since a true update on supplies I have been putting up.

Corns in, carrots in, peas in, green beans are done, Thanks to ladies stockings, the onions are good to go.

I made a fresh sandbox for the carrots to winter store them.

I have dry packed shrooms, bells, and onions, for winter soups and food. This year I also made some fruit leather, it was rather sticky when chewed.

I did harvest a small batch of cukes, so I only canned 7 pints of pickles this year.

Its time for me to harvest my taters, well what I was able to save after the blight hit.

I still have some more canning to get done, and it will be a few more weeks before I will be happy enough to share with you folks some photos.

The weather has been cool, its been a strange year. All my brambles are doing great, with such a cool/wet summer, I fear a very cold winter is coming. So I am going to cut and stack two extra cords of wood just in case.

Hope your all doing well...

 

[TanksHill]

Glad to hear all your canning is going well. You sure managed a nice variety between the canned and dried foods. Please be sure to take pics of the sand box. I would love to see how the carrots hold up through winter. Do you plan to keep them in a cellar?

Our weather is off as well. I know a bit of heat is normal for us this time of year. But... The jet stream is way north and we have had several days of record heat. I wonder if we will have any rain this year?

Tanks care, g

 

[modern_pioneer]

I did my best to treat my taters from the blight, the fungus spread quicker than any one expected. I have 100 pounds this year from all four baskets.

And it is what it is, a sad state for crops.

I am just about to give up on my pumpkins, but holding out to let the plants die.

My onions are smaller due to all the wet weather and lack of hot days this year, and I just finished canning blackberry jam.

One freezer is filled with green beans, corn, wax beans, carrots I didn't think would store well, squash, egg plant, peppers, and bell peppers. They bells I didn't stuff, I dried for soups and put into my cellar. I am pleased with the amount of berries I was able to freeze this year.

I have cleaned my generator and its ready to use if needed. I have 5 of 16 cords of wood split and stacked on pallets, I'll get hot and heavy on it when the weather is more cool.

The pool only got used a dozen or so times this year, due to the cool weather, I'll winterize it next week.

 

[lorihadams]

Your pumpkins died too??? I thought it was just me. They have big beautiful blooms and then just shrivel up and start dying from the first stalk progressively to the end of the vine. I have no pumpkins at all.

Thankfully my other plants did okay but I did lose my spinach and broccoli, every last bit of it just died. I don't know.

Sorry about all your losses Jay, seems like it has been a tough gardening year for all of us.

 

[modern_pioneer]

WHOOO HOOOO

Last weekends show was a slam dunk!!!

Wednesday on the way out, the truck traveling with me lost its water pump, that delayed the trip by 3 hours. So we arrived, set up well into the night. Happy I purchased that Honda generator in the end.

Thursday was pleasant and folks were buying stuff, and coming in the tent to mosey around to look at my stuff I had on offer to sell. My sales were average for the day, as I was watching the storm that was moving in I was worried about Fridays weather.

Friday, it rained, down poured almost all day. Out of 400 vendors, I was about 1 of 25 vendors that stayed open. Folks were there to buy stuff, regardless of the weather. I had a above average day in sales. I thought, or my thinking was, these folks are farmers so whats a little rain?

Saturday started rough, cleared up and folks were were buying stuff. Lots of nice folks to talk with as I was bagging up their new products they just bought from me. It was non-stop bagging and restocking items all morning. DW arrived just in time to help me as did the kids. I was so busy checking folks out, I couldn't restock quick enough. My sales were triple above a average day, I started to run out of some stock.

Sunday was wonderful, and sales were again through the roof even though I was running out of stock of stuff to sell. The cost of my items were $8-$25 dollars with a average sale of $15.00. I sold 11 fire pit rings at a cost of $100 each, so they moved slower than I thought they would. Another store owner that owns a camp ground purchased 20 round signs in one transaction, I cut the cost by $5 each to sweeten' the deal. Than there was Mr Jerk.....

I know that from time to time some folks are just looking for a deal, even if its a dollar. They will purchase the item only if they can have a discount. Some folks (rare) will keep hammering away at you for a lower price. As a professional I tend to deal with these folks pretty well. Sometimes I say my workers won't work for a less wage or my kids need close. Sometimes I will mention that I have bills that need to be paid as well.

But then theres that one customer that will hammer away at the price, start finding flaws with a product, and start preaching to you about what there willing to spend. IE; Mr Jerk

I was approached by a guy who wanted a fire pit ring, he started to hammer at the price, so I took $25 off and explained that was my lowest price I was willing to take. He said that my product wasn't good enough for his needs and demanded a lower price. I thanked him for interest in my products, but I wasn't willing to lower the price to suit his budget. This was at 0900 hrs. So at 1400 hrs Mr Jerk shows up again with the same routine, this time he was stating how it hadn't sold and how his offer was a good one. I told him that I would take it home with me rather than make a loss. He got nasty/rude and started to down talk the quality of my products, I had other customers in my tent. I told him that was my price and if he wanted it he would have to pay for it. He stormed off, returned, this time directed a comment to my DS, I cut him off and approached his direction and told him not to address my son ( in a loud rude way ) I don't play that stupid game, adult bad mouthing a parent to their child. Another vendor (ran) over and smacked the mans hand down he was shouting at me by this time. I kept my mouth shut and let the man rant. The vendor, Augie, told the man to leave or he was going to call security. The man left, I was angry and decided to cool off real quick as not to look like a jerk myself.

An hour or so later I sold that fire pit ring for the full amount and I made a good profit from it, so there MR Jerk :bun LOL......

On a SS note, working for yourself, selling your products can be tough to do when you have people that don't understand that your selling your goods to make a living, some folks are clueless when they purchase stuff from folks like me that are trying to make a living at it.

 

[freemotion]

Good for you, standing your ground!!!

 

[justusnak]

Glad you stood your ground, and kept your cool! I am also glad the other vendor stepped up...what a nasty mean person to have to deal with! UGH!

 

[punkin]

Glad you stood up for yourself. I'll bet "Mr. Jerk" (too nice a name for him, IMO) is one unhappy man who enjoys making others unhappy, too. Good for you not letting him ruin your day.

 

[modern_pioneer]

In my drive to be SS I have a few things that seem to haunt me. Bread being the number one, and what to do with the pumpkins? Would be second......

I can grow them, great for carving, but I don't have a clue how to make homemade pumpkin pie?

Last year I harvested 17 small pumpkins, this year I have three HUGE pumpkins, 60 plus pounds each.

Instead of wasting them, I need some help in using them.

Ideas?