The ground has been broken and work is under way to construct a large 5000 square foot building on my farm. I will store my tractor, skid steer and all the attachments in the building. Along with it being work shop for repairs and anything else construction wise for the property. I am really looking forward to having a large workshop. The biggest garage in the past I have had was only 20x20 feet. So going with something so big it a huge step up for me.
Plans of this building has been in the works for months now. But the first of the prep is being done to get a foundation in place and then construct a building. Though the area I picked needs a little work before any structures can be setup.
There are two very large oak trees right by where I want to have my garage. And those two trees have problems, one is leaning over quite a bit with a large hole in the trunk and the other has a fence growing into it. Both being a risk to falling over and crushing my building.
Hiring a tree trimming company they bring a bucket truck, skid steer and mulcher along with their chainsaws to do the work.
The grapple attachment on their skid steer made me quite envious, something I want to get once I have that garage constructed. Along with a tree puller, auger bit, and some other goodies.
Skid steers are very powerful pieces of machinery, weighing in anywhere from 8000 to 10000 pounds they can move tree branches like they are nothing. It was nice seeing them in action, wanting to get one for myself soon.
Eventually they get down to the core of the trees, and it was time to pull down the trunks. Glad I hired someone to do this, quite the risky job and not something to try to do yourself without prior experience. When those trees feel, the thump in the ground was real. Glad they dropped those before they fell on my brand new building.
A second crew was on site as well excavating the pad for where the building foundation will be poured. I am going with 5 inch concrete, so I can bring my farm machines inside without cracking the floor. And so I can put a truck lift inside when I am ready.
While the tree trimmers and excavators were working, I drove into town and bought a little under 4000 pounds of marble rock. We laid the open shed with it and placed our seasoned firewood there.. We are about to have lots more!
Since most of my land is hilly, some dirt had to be moved. They cleared a spot that would be a good gardening plot. So now I have a whole section to fence up and start growing in the next few months.
They use the really big tractor to flatten out the corners, that thing was quite impressive.. a huge tractor. Just looks small from a few hundred feet away where I was sitting...lol
With all the wood produced by these tree cuttings it will produce lots of heat when I get my outdoor wood furnance.
Some of the logs will need to be cut up and chopped, but good to have a lot of hard wood.
We can see how growing into a fence can hurt a tree. This coloring is due to the wire reacting with the tree.
Barbed wire can be seen in the left corner of the image above. That was growing right through that tree.
The second oak was much worse off. And the bigger of the two risks.
A large hole was formed into the stump and going into the trunk of three. I am guessing squirrels were using that as a tunnel.. Amazing a tree could live through that.
Looks like termites are doing the eating away of it, and animals using it as a passage way.
I have a total of three piles of wood logs we need to cut up now. Should give us many cords of firewood.
Another pile, each should make enough for a few months of heat I am thinking.
The scrub trees were just pushed out of the way for the building.
Where they took dirt and placed it on the buildings surface is where I think I will fence in the area with eight foot high chain link. Keeping the deer out is key to a garden around here from what I have been told. And with all that tree mulch they provided I can get a great start of forming some quality soil.
Not sure how many acres, looks like one or two. Will be a good start. Its perfect as they cleared off the top layer leaving me just fresh dirt.. No need to dig through grass.
The pad is now ready for pouring, since it is still winter we need to find good days to get that done. And once its cured for around thirty days its ready for construction on top.
Walking around while taking pictures I saw a few plants and trees waking up. Here we have some Yellow Daffodils.
A Red Maple tree is flowering as well.
Quinace bushes are forming buds as well.
Forsythia flowers are coming up, soon that bush will be covered in yellow blooms.
We have had some warmer days but I do not think winter is over yet. Hopefully when the frosts come back it wont knock them out.
As for my old garage, it got a light upgrade. Now it has a super bright LED.
So next up is to wait for warmer days, so the concrete can be poured. During that time I have lots to do with setting up solar panel mounts, trenching wire between buildings for the transfer switches. And working with my buddy on forming the forest road to the back side of my property.
Lots to do, as my buddy says. Running a farm day to day you have ten things you need to do, but your only going to get seven done. And then do it all over the next day. Always lots to do, but with only so much time every day its a long term project getting it all done.