Well it may seem like we have forgotten this site but I am here to say that is just not true.  When life throws lemons at the me unfortunately it does not make lemonade here.  But while I was dealing with speed bumps and cob walls in my path to get back here the birth of a new site was being imagined.

That and learning that being able to produce "everything" you need and want to live a comfortable life is just not possible on our 24/7 schedule, so we learned the benefit of the barter. If any of you are like us planting, making, and developing extra to make sure you and yours have enough you soon see an excess of somethings and a definite minus in others things.  That is the beauty of bartering, everyone has something they are good at and can do easily while feeling hog tied doing others. If I can make a mean pumpkin pie and grow herbs out my ears what better way to get some nice bacon then to go to the butcher who has extra hanging around with no space to keep it.  Yes that is a simplification because in today's worlds barter is a dirty word, but it still works. 

I just bought a lovely old house, which came complete with copper pipes for everything.  Guess what I am trading for some work?  Now it won't pay for it all but for a two bath, three floor home I have enough copper to make a nice dent in the bill.   The trick was to find a local plumber who works for himself and already has the contacts to trade it in easily. Yes, it took longer but after we finally weigh in the pipes I am sure it will be more then worth it.  Now I could have hired anyone and just traded the pipes in myself but that would have meant me hauling it in my min-van and finding a reputable place to do it.  Since I just moved over 300 miles from my birthplace that would have taken even more time in the end.

 So with this came the idea to have a place to find local people to barter with. There are plenty of sites out there dedicated to farmers markets and CSA's but nothing for anything else.  So in the coming weeks and months this site will be redesigned to house a forum for our traders to get to know each other and a place for listings divided by type offered/wanted, which will be searchable by location and what is needed/wanted.

If you have any questions or wish to be notified please join if you haven't already as we will be emailing all members when the site is changing and they will have a first look before we go live.