Junk Mail Reckoning

TWO DAYS worth of junk mail. Wonder what a month would look like?

We didn't always get so much junk mail. Maybe one or two letters per day, usually credit card offers, airline clubs or something small. Rarely was it catalogs that we didn't want. Recently, however, it's been a ceaseless barrage of catalogs. Someone must have gotten a hold of our address because now it's three or four per day, sometimes more. I'm not sure what other people do, but I was just in the habit of tossing the offers and catalogs in the recycling bin and not really thinking about it. Then earlier this week I got really annoyed with throwing all that paper out every day. Sure, I'd put it in the recycling bin, but still, what a waste.

So I decided the junk mail had met its fate. It was the day of reckoning. I save each one, look up the company on gethuman.com and call and remove us from their distribution lists. I'm not sure if it will help, but I hope it does. Who needs catalogs these days anyway? Isn't that what the interwebs is for?

 

 

 

Editor's Note: I still find the colorful and informative seed catalogs useful, so they will not be removed. Everything else is on the chopping block though. 

The Next Charcuterie Adventure - Guanciale

Our guanciale covered in cure.Charcuterie - it's up there at the top of my list with cheese and chocolate. I'd love to have a steady supply of the stuff (made from good, pastured pork) at the ready for a tasty snack or sandwich! Unfortunately, here in BK, well-made artisanal charcuterie is EEEKSpensive and we rarely indulge. 

And then, we made duck prosciutto. An epiphany! Finally, the pleasure of having some prociutto or bresaola on hand any time I opened the fridge was mine. It was awesome, but as soon as it was gone I realized that I had neglected to get another batch going! This week I finally found the time to try another easy home curing project and the dream lives on.

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Leasing vs. Owning for the Small Farmstead - Personal Considerations

 

One of our readers asked if we’d considered leasing land instead of owning it. I posted some thoughts about the financial considerations last week. Here's some thoughts on the personal considerations we're taking into account.

Personal Considerations

 

Flexibility

It’s amazing how much land out there is being farmed on a hand-shake lease agreement. We know of a couple that had to move after a year because the landlord up and decided to sell the property after he had sat on that land his whole life! I'm sure them getting on it and turning it around had nothing to do with it... yeah. Other people have had great outcomes though, so it's really hit or miss, but it's a real risk. 
 
How flexible can you be with your business?
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