Daniel Johnston - Farm DIY: 20 Useful and Fun Projects for your Farm and Homestead

Farm DIY

CompanionHouse Books is an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishers International Ltd.

Project Team

Vice PresidentContent: Christopher Reggio

Acquisition Editor: Bud Sperry

Editor: Jeremy Hauck

Copy Editor: Laura Taylor

Design: David Fisk

Index: Jay Kreider

Copyright 2019 by Samantha Johnson and Daniel Johnson and Fox Chapel Publishing International Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Fox Chapel Publishers, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

ISBN 978-1-62008-332-1

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein. The techniques and suggestions are used at the readers discretion and are not to be considered a substitute for veterinary care. If you suspect a medical problem, consult your veterinarian.

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Printed and bound in Singapore

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Hello, DIYers! Were glad youre here to join us on what we hope is a fun and productive journey through twenty do-it-yourself farm projects.

Farmers through the centuries have proven themselves to be nothing if not self-reliant. The true farmerwhether farming as a full-time occupation, or simply as a hobby to add some self-sufficiency to lifeis a jack-of-all-trades. Farmers rely on themselves to hammer, screw, saw, dig, weld, and paint their way through farm life, happily and effectively repairing, improvising, and building the items and infrastructure they need to get the job done.

And thats where this book comes in. Well introduce you to twenty farm projects, outline the concepts involved, and demonstrate at least one potential method for getting the job done. In some cases, you might want to follow our ideas exactly, using the measurements, tools, and steps as we outline them. Other times, you might want to improvise on the basic conceptas a DIYer, youre certainly entitled to do so! What wed really like is for the book to be an inspiration, or motivation, something to give you a few ideas that might make you say, Hey, I could do something like that!

Something for Everyone

We tried to include variety in the projects, both in purpose and scope. Some of the projectsthe barn quilt, for instanceare large and somewhat complex. Otherslike the old-fashioned log jack or the goat seesawcan probably be completed in an afternoon. We aimed for diversity in the skill levels and time required, so there is something for everyone here.

Why DIY?

But hang on a minutewhy even DIY at all? As we said, self-reliance is almost a part of the farmers job description, but if anyone reading this is still asking, well offer a few more reasons: