several weeks ago my boss's boss sent me an email praising me for saving the state of missouri over twenty thousand dollars. during the past three months i have spent over half my time in training classes for required certifications for our facility. i have been preparing for a long and healthy working relationship--even committing to retiring out of division of youth services, state of missouri.
the main problem is that i am only halftime. in fact, i remained the final half time employee in DYS. until now that is.
yes, i got laid off as of upcoming february first. the real explosion hasn't happened, so the dust can't really settle yet. i am optimistic, my department of natural resources certification has come through just in the nick of time. i wrote a letter and my boss signed it stating that i did indeed have the experience necessary to qualify for the the "C" license.
ultimately we have plenty of food, a roof over our head, plenty of wood to heat with, and big car payment--our only scary expense. the kids health insurance will change but they'll remain covered. i plan to apply for unemployment and look for work. i also hope to get some sorely needed things done around here. we plan to make many upgrades to our garden. i hope to build the kids a play structure out of cedar logs that will double as a garden shed. the feed barn needs to be redone, exterior and roof. i have most of the materials for this.
more importantly i need to get the milking barn done. we'll use a bit from our tax return to buy the few needed materials and we will make a family project out of it. a cob barn with a slip-form foundation. i'll make a blog label and accompanying series of posts. this might afford me the time to really flush out this blog with sustainably minded projects.
my brain is percolating with ideas to make extra money around here. i might attempt to fill some niche markets that would have served our needs and i assume that others would benefit from them too. to be announced..
we will be selling seedlings this spring, tomato, pepper, sweet potatoes and several flower varieties. we have the green house and will need to start ours so we'll start all extras and sell them too. this could actually be a real boon to our spring finances.
i'll post further about this as the dust settles.
19 comments:
Oh crappity-crap. That stinks. So sorry to hear this. You seem to be in a good space about it anyway but I know the worry can come in the wee hours.
In the state of Maine ,the cooperative extension offers a sheep shearing class ,really cheap, and allows you to be certified after one day. It is something my husband did a couple of years ago and can pay off during the spring when small flocks need shearing.
Farm sitting for other folks in your area might work as well; especially with your experience.
Pumpkins are cheap to grow and a good crop for selling.
Sorry to hear the news Karl. I hope a heaping dose of good luck will come your way soon.
Oh, that sucks! I'm so sorry to hear about the lay-off, but it's good that you seem to be dealing with it with a positive attitude.
If you're interested, you might be able to pick up a few extra dollars per month doing some freelance writing. Check out the ProBloggers job board for some opportunities. I've worked for Demand Studios, and they do pay. I've had a few articles published on eHow ;). Tabitha might be interested, too. I think there are some topics in which she has some degree of expertise ;).
My thoughts are still with you guys. Ugh. We were laid off last springish, and hubby just found a job (a state away) a few months ago. It's definitely a challenge figuring out what to do. But hey, at least you got a heads up, right? :D
Dang it! Sorry to hear that Karl.
I would be interested in buying tomato seedlings, if you guys are willing to ship. Your plants last year we just plain gorgeous and much more prolific than mine!
Definitely thinking of you guys, and looking forward to the sustainable blogs.
Sorry to hear that!!
Maybe you could check into subbing at the PO....the rural routes often need a sub and it's a foot in the door. It might be enough to get one or two days a week and supplement with other things.
Chuck
Out of bad things Good things come. I don't know about anybody else but I felt excited and optimistic about your future plans and besides you are a very creative and resourceful guy, All the best to you and your family :)
That sucks Karl! I hope that soon your circumstances change for the better. We'll keep ya'll in our prayers for a clearer path.
Peace
I'm crossing my fingers for you. I tried a number of times to get on with the Dept. of Natural Resources but never did. I hope you have better luck than I, with that or with whatever secretive ventures you're planning. Let me know if a couple of round rocks would make a difference.
Well...what a way to start off the New Year? I will be praying for you and your family.
I like all of the ideas that you shared..will you be selling at Baker Creek? We came up for that a few years ago I think in May? We bought as much as our van could hold:) I wish we could come again...it is 15 hours away:(
I am excited that you will be able to blog more about how you live your life on your farm:)
Renee
So sorry, Karl! DH is self employed, and has had very little work since spring, and almost none this winter. It's been a scramble, and scary, too. I hope something turns up soon for you.
See if you can get a hold of the Missouri Rural Water District Magazine and/or Missouri Association of Sewer District Magazine. There are always positions open for operators with C and D DNR licenses. Also, a lot of engineering firms contract to operate private sewer facilities and hire people with DNR licenses.
Best of luck.
Karl,
I love your optimism. You are really looking at this on the bright side and for that I would be willing to bet that you will be successful at your plans.
Oh man, that bites! But maybe a blessing in disguise though, as it sounds as if you will handle this well, and perhaps there is something even better in the works for you! :) You are optomistic and your brain is percolating...two good signs!! :) Looking forward to hearing the ups and downs through this change in your lives! Hang in there O'Melays! :)
Never fun having to balance the finances and believe me, we are in the same boat. I like your positive thinking, sometimes that's all there is to go on. Hoping and wishing for the best for you all and that something good comes your way.
I am sorry to hear about the lay off. At least you got a notice about it. I like your way of thinking and your frugality. I bet you and your family will be ok. Who knows...maybe there will be something that'll come up to sustain your family from home. I would love to work from home. Good luck to you. I look forward to your posts. ~jen :)
I know this is hard to go through, my husband is worried it will happen to him. I don't know about Mo. but in Ark. if your kids have Ar Kids insurance than the local community
collage has 2yr programs you can attend for free. You might look into seeing if that is available in your area.I wish you good luck.
So sorry to hear that! As I was reading the post I realized, though, how the life you have chosen - growing and putting up food, chickens, cow, frugality, etc. - buffers you from the immediate pain of unemployment. Thanks to your efforts and farsightedness, you can at least go on eating like you did before. That is something truly to be commended!
I was planning on ordering my sweet potato starts online... But if you are selling them I'd love to order thru your family instead.
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