Through the Years

In the Beginning, 2009 - 2010

We bought our beautiful farm in November 2009. The barn was built in 1947. There was a little bit of rotted wood that had to be replaced and most of the windows were missing. But besides that and needing a good paint job, it was in good shape. Or so we thought. Once the repairs began it was easy to see that the barn needed a lot of work. Every supporting corner had to be replaced. You can see the rotted wood in the before pictures.

Before picture of front of Devine Gardens dairy barn

Before picture of back of Devine Gardens dairy barn

Devine Gardens rotted corner on dairy barn

Devine Gardens rotted inside of dairy barn

Devine Gardens rotted back right corner of dairy barn

Devine Gardens carpenter ant damage to dairy barn

new wood on side of Devine Gardens dairy barn

Halfway done dairy barn in winter at Devine Gardens

Back of halfway done dairy barn at Devine Gardens

By the end of 2010 the major repairs to the barn were done.

In 2010 the pole barn driveway was also improved from a packed mud path to a driveway with a foundation of bank run gravel.

Mud driveway at pole barn at Devine Gardens

Finished driveway at Devine Gardens pole barn

2011

In 2011 the cow barn was painted, everything except the tippy top by the electic wires. From the bottom, I operated the lift and prayed a lot while Mike did the painting in the bucket.

Back of dairy barn with lift to paint at Devine Gardens

Mike painting in lift bucket at Devine Gardens

Tina controlling the lift bucket at Devine Gardens

In 2011 the barnyard behind the cow barn was made accessible to drive on and be able to reach the back. Previously, it was just a mess.

Bulldozer fixing barnyard at Devine Gardens

Spreading stone in barnyard at Devine Gardens

Beautiful barn in fall of 2011 at Devine Gardens

Almost finished front of barn at Devine Gardens

2011 ended with the barn mostly painted and the barnyard useable. Also in November of 2011 ground was broken on our new home at the farm!

2012

In 2012 our new home was finished. The road was originally closed during the winter. Luckily, 2012 was a very mild winter and we were able to move in mid-March.

In April, our best friend Fonzie went to Route 20, was hit by a car and died.

In May Charlie and Cookie became our farm dogs.

Charlie and Cookie as baby puppies at Devine Gardens

More digging - this time for the aerated compost bays

Digging for aerated compost bays at Devine Gardens

Poured concrete walls for aerated compost bays at Devine Gardens

Walls are poured for compost bays at Devine Gardens

Roofing the compost bays at Devine Gardens

2013 - 2014

In 2013 we took down the barb wire fencing. We had Williams Fence install high tensile fence near the barnyard. Lots of pictures and notes were taken to learn how it was done.