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Post by shadowwalker on May 12, 2007 22:38:37 GMT -5
I had a tough time with the frost and then with neighbor not mowing his yard and such. I had mice and rats eat the rest of my seedling in about four nights. I caught 18 mice and rats. But they did a number on my plants. I even put the cats in there. They tore a hole in the plastic and left. I spent a night in there and I didn't see but two mice. I shot them with the bb gun. And again holes in my greenhouse from pellets. Anyhooo, with this. All the seeds and plants I could salvage were growing. Along came several and I mean 20 or more easy. People that were at my plant give away last year. I had given away over 3500 plants in july because I didn't want to keep watering them. Well these "customers" didn't want to buy anything. They wanted to know when my giveaway was. I talked it over with my wife and just planted our garden, gave what was left to friends and I'll get a job in town and we'll pay off the house and land sooner. And we can sell it and get moved back to Wyoming. Maybe sooner if I can win lottery or sell this place sooner. I learned alot about the greenhouse business and propagating and orchards, and gardening for sales. I can take it back to there.
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Post by lavandulagirl on May 13, 2007 5:40:01 GMT -5
That sounds like a really drastic change in plans, Shadowwalker... I hope you're okay with it. I know mid-stream changes in direction can take a toll emotionally! My husband and I were just 4 months ago talking about buying me a mini farm here in the Shenandoah Valley, and now he's already out in Sacramento, and it looks like if I'm lucky I'll have a 6000 sq ft lot, with a house in the middle of it. So much for chickens and a cow, huh? And acres of lavender! Oh well. Whatever you decide to do, you sound like the kind of people who will make it wonderful. Sorry to here about the problems this year. Good luck!
Oh, and PS re: those people asking for giveaways - I've found that everyone seems to have a garage sale mentality anymore. Even when I'm selling jewelry or art pieces, not plants or veggies - they always want to haggle, and they're almost never willing to see the hours of time you've put into the thing, or the resources you paid for to get it finished. I think it comes from so many folks being so removed from the production side of the things they consume.
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Post by Alan on May 13, 2007 9:18:00 GMT -5
Sorry to hear of your probems shadowwalker but things will get better in time and you have your infinite knowledge to fall back on in the future (plus it's in your blood now, so you will come back to it). Such is the nature of our business, that pests, bad customers and crappy neighbors put us in bad situations, sometimes we just need a break. -Alan
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LoreD
gardener
Posts: 226
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Post by LoreD on May 13, 2007 20:00:27 GMT -5
Shadow,
I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I can't believe that people behaved like that. I'm glad that you'll be able to tell them that there will be no "freebies" this year.
I hope that it will be better back in Wyoming. Don't give up the dream.
LoreD
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Post by flowerpower on May 14, 2007 6:30:59 GMT -5
Shadowwalker, That is just terrible. I am really sorry. I hope things will get better for you soon.
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Post by shadowwalker on May 15, 2007 21:29:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words. I left out that after the giveaway last year. I had someone one night later. Cut a slit almost 20 feet along the back of my greenhouse and steal between 450 and 500 plants that were going to be my future stock. They got some I only had one or two of. Stufff I was growing for propagation and from propagation. And as a afterthought the broke into the front of the greenhouse storage. And stole between 8,000 and 11,000 seeds. Again my stock, I had traded for for years,grew and just bought too. A man come into my produce building last summer and told me "It's real hard to move into a place where there's sellers. And try to sell the same stuff." I didn't get what he meant. I do now. In wyoming I can have a greenhouse and make money at it. Most of the state dosn't have access to fresh produce from locals. They do have some markerts for it in the last of the summer at places. We had a man that traveled the state selling, for years. But the whiskey bottle finally got him the year before I left. Unless someone has took it up. I don't know. I have a buddy along the canadian border that has made a greenhouse inside a greenhouse. He ended up with three of them each 30 x 90 feet. And in the style of a hoophouse. He claims he has a growing season from april to october. And he's about 31 miles from the border! We email and trade ideas when he is online at the library. He dosn't have much at his place except necessities. His newest endevor is vermiculture I told him about here. I better git for now. Thanks again.
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Post by downinmyback on May 16, 2007 0:01:10 GMT -5
I am sorry for your bad luck and i hope this does not spoil living in Tennessee. I live in West Tennessee in a rural area and i hope my neighbors would act better toward you and help you grow your business. I hope you van find a good job if that is your way of playing your bills. Again i am sorry that my fellow Tennessee have cause so much trouble..
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Post by shadowwalker on May 24, 2007 8:09:57 GMT -5
Oh, no problem on that. I just wasn't ready for the crash of a dream. I guess the real reason I am going back. Is that the things I really like doing, are very hard to do here. I don't like the fight to have my business and recreate in Tennessee. It seems here, if you want to have fun, first you get alot of money from your wallet. I have made good friends here, but I have lived alot of places, some I liked. Some were like a nightmare. I realise I need to get out to be happy. I got used to rights and privilages. That aren't even allowed here.
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