20 years... Things are a changing. Not for the better.

 

The girls lounging in the sunlight in grass/weed/mint that they can't eat.
It blew in from neighboring yards that use landscape services that
don't realize that what is on their blades from

another location is bringing these weed seeds in. 

I thought i better update on all things farming. 

I have been living here in S. FLorida in Loxahatchee for over 20 years now. I remember when i started this blog over 15 years ago and never thought i would still be here... doing what i love. But here I am. 

But things change. The more I stay the same, the more everything around me doesn't. And there is no amount of trying to keep it - as it was. I've tried... on the environment. On the land. On the rural nature of us. On the customer and client. On the livestock. Things just change. And for someone that doesn't like change much, it does add a layer of frustration in every day life. 

I don't know if I don't like change or is it the learning curve to keep adjusting. And that is with everything. Farming yes, but even daily life and design things. Keeping up is timely. And it seems like things change faster then in past. Just as i'm learning more about some software and a new update comes in- with more changes to learn about. 

I'm still here. Still a staple in the community for all things rural. It just gets more and more difficult. 

Friends i've known for 15-20 years are moving out. Leaving any equity they've created in the area. It's too expensive. Too crowded. Too.... urban. and those moving in are nothing like what is leaving. Expectations of urban life they left, keep slipping in... They don't even realize the damage they do. 

The area is becoming more urban/ suburban... People moving out here haven't a clue what this area is meant to be. What is should be. What is only a very few areas left in Florida like this... 

The road is now paved (milled). All the empty lots are now homes. Many of which are filled with urban dwellers that don't care how to keep us rural. They want their services. And this area is not meant for them. They complain about taxes vs. services. but forget they are paying for premium of an acre of land. 

We are AR /RSA- Rural service area. and i loved that. But that meant dirt roads. 10 miles to the nearest shopping plaza. 5 miles to the nearest gas station. Dirt roads and goats and pigs as neighbors. And crowing roosters. lots of them. Street lights are going up at every turn. Roads widening. Even the night sky is changing. Light pollution. These types don't like the dark! Why is that? How rare to be able to see the stars at night. That's now changing as well. 

The cost of living has increased so much that the Property appraiser, it seems doesn't even want to give (and seem to be pulling) AG classifications on less then 2-4 acres. why? I'm not quite sure. The math doesn't add up? more hobbyist then commercial?  For me, living here so long, does make it worthwhile, because i'm locked into that 3% cap every year. But the minute i want to improve on the property? that will change. The AG classification also helps. That could change. Improving the property here is not going to happen because it will increase taxes. And right now, mine are looking pretty good comparatively to newly purchased homes. Ridiculous in differences. 

The cost of feed and hay is becoming burdensome. The cost is 4 times even 5 times when i first started. $9-10 for a bag of layer feed 20 years back. Cheapest i find now is $22-29 and that isn't even the designer feeds. Hay was around $12-20 for a 50-100# bale. Now its $25-$50 so thats $25 per 50# of hay. and the prices keep  going up. Peanut hay is around $20 bale for 40lbs of it. small flakes. so, i still need to feed double i used to. 

Bonzai out in the middle of the day to do his patrolling. They both are
in the house now more then ever because of the lack of knowledge
of neighbors and what an LGD is supposed to do. 

Anything delivered South of Lake Okeechobee and we get slammed with increased fuel costs. Time it takes to travel to S. Florida.

What prompted me to write this today.. Some lady on FB was complaining on the cost of raw dairy - goat or cow -  This isn't a state where land isn't a premium. Where the footprint of the state isn't like traveling 3-4 states. Where the economy is not high. home values might have skyrocketed around the country. But is it $250,000 for an acre of land ? as that is the going price in my county for ONE undisturbed acre out here. Of course price increases closer to the Ocean.

Staying put... essentially has saved me in some ways. Thinking of starting over in another part of the state? or in another state is daunting. I'll be turning 60 this year. Things are supposed to get easier. Not where i am always (it seems) chasing my tail to keep up. 

Essentially, we lost this fight. The fight to keep the area RURAL. The last 5 years we've been fighting to keep us unincorporated. There is unending traffic out here. Arden/ Westlake/ Avenir... They are all filling up with homes. Urban stack'em and pack'em homes. HOA's and the people that love to live in them. Sometimes that population is trickling into our area... why? well when you see a home for $700k even if it is new, and then you see something cheaper with an acre of land surrounding... what would you do ? 

Even the statutes are starting to block us in. If this area ever incorporated? There is a new Statute that essentially blocks incorporated areas from the ability to use the 'Right to Farm' act. and a few other statutes become null after incorporating. 

Back to that lady complaining. Yikes. Cost of milk - the real cost of milk isn't just in the bag of feed you feed. or hay you feed. Its EVERYTHING> the cost of gas. The taxes we pay. Vet bills. Increases in utility bills. Cost and value of services we need. I remember an entire acre of fencing was no more then $1-2k... People are getting quotes minimum $10k for an acre of fenced land. Last year someone estimated 90ft for $1500 and that didn't include the posts. i already have them. of course, he was trying to add ft to the estimate as well. Not honest. Not having it. 

so am I - In it for the long haul? Until I can't haul any more. Or i get pushed out. Which it seems is beneficial for the county. Why have an acre or more of land paying only 1/10 of what they can get in today's home value. 

It's been awhile since i posted something on this blog, because it seemed i had said everything useful.. I guess i have a new topic. 

I'm still here... For now... 

Sweet Pea meandering around the yard.