Day: September 19, 2012

Work continued on three fronts today at the New Bedlam Farm. Ben finished the barn, Todd is finishing the sheep pasture fence and the workers from Common Sense Farm are digging out the old barn foundation. A very different landscape. They are saving every scrap of wood that can be reused and we are burning the rest. Hard, gritty work amidst broken glass, garbage, nails and rotting wood. We are getting there, just some more cleaning up of old hay and manure and I think I will turn the area into an animal feeding area. We can just shovel the manure right over the wall. Have to put up some railing, though for Rocky.

Todd Mason is nearly done with the sheep pasture, he just has to put a gate in. All day he tightened the wires on the fence until his knuckles were swollen and red. It is brutal and precise work, but I can see he loves it. The fence will be done tomorrow. Sheep going in next week.

Todd Mason, the craftsman who is building our fences at the new farm  is in constant motion and Red didn’t really get to meet him until today. I think at the core, these two have the same ferocious work drive and love of their lives. The look that passed between them communicated something special I think, the working dog and the working man making a connection. There are not many people as competent and hard-working as Todd, or as helpful. Red saw it.

We found an old horseshoe in the ruins of the collapsed barn and Ben nailed it up on the side of the barn, along with the last strip of overhang he put in to keep the snow off the barn. The barn is done. We’re going to paint the sides barn red, of course.

It was a landmark day for the new farm. Ben finished the Pole Barn, filling in the two sides and adding a sheet of corrugated plastic on the South side to let some light in during the winter. Todd Mason got the pasture fence up (photos to come) and the team from Common Sense barn continued to clear out the collapsed out barn (more photos there too.) We had another fire going. We are lucky to have such good people working on our farm. Todd Mason is the best – honest, hard-working and very skilled. We are moving our sheep into the new pasture next week – Red will be very pleased. They have footrot and they are in the barn getting treated and we want to move them before they get out into the pasture and spread it or pick it up again.

I can’t say enough about Ben and the incredible job he did putting this barn up on four days. It is perfect, it will offer a great shelter for the animals and an easy place for us to reach and maintain. I am thinking of turning the old barn foundation into a feeding area with a feeder and some rails around the edges. Ben is the best. We are calling the barn Ben’s Barn in his honor. Onto the Studio Barn and a million other things.