Today was a serious power session laying more pavers. We’re about 70% finished with the concrete work. I’ll be cleaning up the dining room tomorrow (its an absolute wreck with seed packets and junk piling up), and then starting seeds. It’ll be okay for up to a week on the dining room table and floor.
After all the pavers are laid, if there’s any variation in color from the old mix we used and this new mix, we’ll paint the pavers with masonry paint and then the sand gets compacted into all the cracks and grooves. We could mortar everything but then the water wouldn’t be able to escape.
On Saturday night we planted two fruit trees that came on Thursday. Below is a photo I took of them this morning. As they get larger, they will become a wind break for the greenhouse. The trees were planted west of the greenhouse.
Wow everything is really coming along. I’m so excited for you! š I can’t believe how determined you guys are when you make your minds up. A couple weeks and BAM, now you’re going to have your own business baking goodies and making homemade soaps and etc. Bravo. I wish you all the luck! I can relate to Dom on the 1hr commute to work each way. Mine is about 40mins and it wears on you. Can’t wait to hear more stories as they come. š
Thanks Meagan,
I wish it were easy as announcing something and then making it happen. It may take up to a year or more to be in business. I think planning is at least 95% of the work and if planned correctly, that other 5% is cake (pun intended). š
Dom and I have played with the idea of home based businesses for many years. We ran our own raw food catering business which expanded to all parts of the country through mail order, and Dom has taught classes on raw foods which was really what made us most happy.
The bakery will only be one part of our plan…the first phase. There will be many more facets to create multiple streams of income.
that looks soooo awesome!!!
Thanks Baby!
Where are you! I thought you and Hannah were going to come down to get some seeds. Call me.
I still find it so admirable that you come up with an idea and make it happen. Starting my own business has always been a dream as well, but the risk of investing all that time and money and failing terrifies me. I realize how much time it will get you to be up and running, but the simple fact you can make up your mind and start working towards the end goal is awesome. I guess your past experience running a business makes it that much easier though. š
Thanks Meagan,
Raw foods is different a breed of bird all together in that no baking equipment would be necessary. More refrigeration, dehydrators, lots of heavy duty blenders and running ourselves into the ground because it was just the two of us working and we had a lot of customers, not to mention the business side of everything, ordering what was needed, deliveries, etc.
It could be that way again, but we’re starting very small. Right now we’re trying to decide whether we want a walk in refrigerator since the space has a back door (there are three points of entry in the space). Going commercial will be critical to us making our own butter and other things Cottage Food Laws don’t allow…like jalapeno cheese cake.
Before all that happens however, we’ll be calling in the health department to find out if it is even possible and ask them to come and visit the space. If its not acceptable to have a commercial kitchen, then a cottage kitchen will be the alternative. Either way, we’ll be in business. š
If you’d like to start a business, being scared is important. LOL Well it is to me. I don’t have all the answers, and when I get scared I know I haven’t done enough research, or need to think more about what I want in that business. Here is a link to a program you can do online to start a business plan. I’ll be writing a business plan for our bakery to help us clarify what we really want through Live Plan.
http://www.liveplan.com/
Hi there, I’m a new reader. I love the blog, I’m a 30-something kid from a homestead upbringing, and though I am now a sububanite, I still cling to the fundamentals. On an unrelated note, I’ve been considering using this same concrete paver technique for our fire pit area, and wondered how well the pavers would hold up, vs using the pre-made ones. Can you share your materials/site prep, etc and how you like them so far? Thanks!
Hi Amelia,
The pavers held up well through the major windstorm we had. There is one area that was damaged by greenhouse being ripped out of the ground by the wind, and it pulled up the pavers around the edge. Other than that, they are stable, even without the sand between the cracks, which further stabilizes the pavers. Since we needed to move the greenhouse, we’ll be removing the pavers and adding them to the new location.
Using the paver mold was very easy.
1. Make sure the area is level. Don’t worry about it being bumpy since the concrete will mold right to any imperfections in the ground.
2. Follow the direction on the paver mold package to get the right consistency. (We have a concrete mixer which keeps the concrete moist and moving)
3. Place the mold on the ground and pour the concrete in. Using a trowel, work the concrete into all the corners.
4. Wait a few minutes for the concrete to set, and pull the mold off carefully. (setting times vary with humidity or dry climates)
5. Set mold up right against set concrete and keep going.
We’ll definitely be using the mold to make a walking path through the garden.
I found a great video made by HSN about pouring pavers. I’m not sure if they still have the molds, but the video shows the process.