#bartertrade — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

One of the many things that I love about living where I do is the “parking lot” trade and barter. This morning I met up with another beekeeper who had the 6 chicks she hatched out for me in her incubator. I had a month old rooster for her to diversify the genetics in her flock. (she was a little late because she had spent the night with a baby pig wrapped in a blanket on her lap in front of the wood stove because he had fallen into the water trough- lol- he’s fine now)
I have bought/ bartered frozen pork, fresh veggies, honey, storage onions and potatoes and traded chickens this way many times. Always in some random parking lot. Always with cash.
I pick blueberries from a different beekeeper’s place down the road from me, and have made mead with the berries and honey from his place.
I have also left eggs in exchange for a nice houseplant someone was giving away at the end of their drive, and shared with new neighbours where the wild berries and volunteer plums grow for everyone.
In the larger agri area about 75km away, there is farm gates sales, markets everywhere, and most farms happily let you see what they do and how the food is grown, how their animals are treated. I have pet the cows and learned their names who’s milk I’ve bought. (lately with the bio-security, it’s a bit more complicated)
With or without government intervention, this type of community prevails, always has and always will.
This type of community is more precious than anything.

#Homesteading #SmallFarms #community #BarterTrade #FoodSecurity