Successful Swaps

(Page 9 of 9)

January/February 1977
By the Mother Earth News editors 
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David Richards
Moon-Star Farm
Rt. 3, Box 410
Newberg, Ore. 97132

It's been seven years since we settled here in the coastal mountains of central California, and the swapping began the day we moved in. The previous owners couldn't get their freezer up the narrow staircase from the basement, so we traded our new, frostfree upright for their old, frosty sarcophagus. But they did throw in a dog, some chickens, and a couple of rabbits.

Having started out with animals on our first day like that, we soon expanded our homestead to include pigs, cattle, and a goat . . . and these led to even more swapping. The goat was exchanged for more porkers, and we traded other things we had for skills we hadn't acquired (such as castrating piglets), and livestock we wanted (such as turkeys). Last summer we swapped a steer to get some antique plumbing replaced, and in return for some welding we're getting done this winter we plan to help the welder fence his land next spring.

A lot of trading in our part of the country is just plain old neighborliness. We can depend on people, whether for a cup of sugar or a push out of the mud, and they know they can count on us in return.

Toni Sigrist
San Juan Bautista, Calif.

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