In Countrysiders has much luck trading veggie for fresh milk, or meat for wood, or similar services?

Here at home we have 7 fruit trees, and a home and market garden. I've though about trying to find cow or goat milkers, and trading value for value or something similar. Would be interested in any similar experiences you may have had.

-- Marty in KS (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 05, 2001

Answers

well Marty I have had some experiance with bartering, I guess really it just depends on how many people you get out and know. The more people you get to know the more chance with bartering. We have some really great neighbors and when they found out that we didnt have any luck with our cucumbers this year(Must have planted them in the wrong moon) they brought us up sackfulls of them. Well i made pickle relish and took some down when they had a cook out. Well they loved my pickle relish and wanted to buy some to give as gifts . I told them no but I would trade them for something.They are both bow hunters and had shown us a pictture of the deer that they had just got, so I said what about deer meat. Well they brought me up a whole package of that. Wow made my day, now I owe them something. Once I met a lady who gave me a massage in exchange for some of the horehound tinkture that I make. Farmer Shaw brings me a bucket of his popcorn everyyear just because I smile and wave at him when he drives by. I could go on and on with little intences like this> Ive really been wondering if I could entice someone to help me with the harvesting, gardening and preserving in the summer in exchange for organic produce.

-- Trendle Ellwood (trendlespin@msn.com), January 05, 2001.

We have done a lot of bartering over the years. We have a guy in our neighborhood that has an endloader that has been keeping our driveway cleared of snow for fresh eggs. I have bartered eggs, milk, cheese etc. for various services. Trading is another way to get what you need without money changing hands.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), January 05, 2001.

I have had some success with bartering but it has been limited to people on this forum. I don't really know how to go about doing it with the general public but I sure would like to do more of it. I've often thought of starting a bartering newsletter and website for my local area but I'm not sure where to target my audience. I guess an ad in the local newspaper would be a start. I would like to be a catalyst to put people together who are willing to barter goods and services. This thread has got me to thinking about just that again. Maybe it will get me off my duff to go do it instead of thinking about it.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), January 05, 2001.

My husband is a beekeeper, and almost every year he trades honey for maple syrup (then tells everybody that we have bees that make maple syrup!!). He also traded a started hive to a lady for the extracter she'd gotten at an estate auction but would never need. Traded help cleaning up a property for a bunch of firewood from the clean-up. I think the key is to get to know a lot of people. Greg has been a member of three different bee clubs, and sees nearly every veteran in the state eventually, due to his work at a VA hospital. We offer people a place to dump their leaves in the fall, in exchange for the leaves to mulch our garden. I have some trades in mind for the future, possibly, once we have hens laying again and so on -- shouldn't have any trouble finding people to make trades with, between hubby's network, and the internet!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), January 05, 2001.

Bartering is how we get thing done around here. We've done it for several years now and find that it works very well. For example, one man spent a half a day with his bucket loader moving manure for us - he took in trade a pig (given that finished pigs were selling for around 60.00 at the auction) we both felt we were getting a heck of a deal. The same man is going to help us clear a pasture next spring and in exchange he's going to buy a started calf or young steer and we are going to finish it and deliver it with ours for slaughter next year. We usually give him some cash to help defray the cost of his fuel, not alot, maybe 10 or 20 dollars, depending on how much time he spends here. We get trash pickup for milk, and carpentry work for milk. We also trade milk and meat for vegetables (our garden is pretty small and didn't do too well the first and second year). We are also working out details on delivering a steer for our fuel oil. Even a lawyer we hired once said he'd take a pig for payment! I traded one of my handwoven rugs for my son's wedding cake. The lady at the thrift store traded me a bag of baby clothes for a few bars of homemade soap. We traded a veal calf for 4 20 pound, dressed turkeys. We'd bought the calf at the auction for seven dollars and fed it surplus milk for 6 weeks. My husband worked basically for hay for the last three hay seasons and in exchange has had use of the haying equipment to bring in our own hay, as well as all the hay we can use AND a first class education in dairy and hay production. And we've had complete strangers ask us to cut their fields and let us take the hay for nothing. Once we know we want to keep those fields, we fertilize them and take very good care of them. We also give a couple of steaks or homemade sausage out after slaughter to say thank you. One lady was really tickled because she had to pay a landscaper to bushhog her field before we took over. There are all kinds of ways to trade. It works best if you've got something unique that would be expensive for someone to buy - if they can find it (not that you can ever sell what you have for what it's worth when you need cash). It takes a while to build up a rapport with people. I don't think I'd advertise my bartering, most of it comes word of mouth. Alot of times it starts kind of by accident, we have something surplus, maybe perishable and we know or know of someone who might be able to use it. We are not rich by any means, but we are generous with what we have, and most of the people we associate with are generally short cash too. When money is in short supply and folks have needs, they will generally find a way to satisfy them that let's everyone keep their self-respect. If someone is generous or kind to you - don't take it for granted and don't forget. Remember that person and send them some fresh fruit or jelly or fruit leather. Truth to tell Marty, if you lived near us I'm sure we'd work something out.

-- Anne Tower (bbill@wtvl.net), January 05, 2001.

I just love to barter. There have been many great deals over the years. The better ones were for landscaping work. Got a nice car for cutting a lawn for half a season. Had a large dental bill that could not be paid in full at the time He saw me working one day Like my quality of work And offered a trade of services for a paid in full on the account :-) Even got a boat in trade one year. Plus the usual gradening barters. It is the only way to go And the bigger the network the better And everyone is happy. When you go shopping at the store the only one that is happy is the retailer that gets your money

-- Anthony J. DiDonato (didonato@vvm.com), January 07, 2001.

I love to barter and I do regularly in large, but mostly small, ways.

However, I have one note of caution in using the 'underground' economy: You can be taxed on barter for the value of what was given you. Technically these trades are to be reported on your income tax. When I trade my professional services, I do so only with those that will not make this an issue for me. This may be a contributing factor for many who do not advertise their willingness to barter. Its why I don't advertise.

Before everyone starts ranting about the ole' big govmint' sticking their nose in, just take this for what its worth.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), January 07, 2001.