Farmhouse Progress

with Katrin Batje

The need of a farmhouse became more urgent about four years ago when we wanted to give the farm a new push into the future and make one of the essential parts of our community again. Just when we started to give the house a plan and vision our farmer left us. But we did not give up our vision and continued our planning and with ups and downs we finally started building in September 2019. David Coulson had agreed to see us through the process and put the building into its beautiful place right in-between the barn and the garden. We tried to find the capital to meet the budget which grew bigger and bigger. The building was going to be a bungalow style with two separate wings. That’s when it dawned to me that it is my chance to get out of the forever busy Big House. I proposed to take one of the wings with Samina, Jana and Jenny. My plan was supported by the parents and that gave me the push to carry the Big House till the completion of the Farmhouse. We followed closely the building process. The excavation and foundation building went through the winter and then it was exciting to see the walls come up.

We were happy to see that the building continued to grow during the lockdown. More and more we could see what our new living place would look like. One thing was sure our living rooms have the grand view of the garden facing south and promised to be on the sunny side. The north facing windows can see right into the barnyard seeing the animals.

Now a year later the house is covert with the siding and nice trim. The parents and board members spend a lot of hours to procure materials, appliances, fixtures and so on and on. The staining of the siding took long hours of volunteering. We are very grateful for all the people that helped us. Now the painting is done and the flooring will be soon done and the deck will look like one. I am told that detailing takes a long time too and we are looking way into fall to move in.

For the longest time it looked like the house was just built for us four ladies. Several ideas came up who could be in the other wing it went back and forth. Of course Kate the farmer would have been the natural choice but she couldn’t see herself in the house. In the end we came back to the solution that was one of our first ones : Markus, Brigitte, the two children and Gary. Gary is pretty excited to have us as his neighbors. I am looking forward to be part of this little neighborhood and creating a new beginning. For myself I call it my retirement place. Its beautifully situated, well build and surrounded by my favorite activities: The garden, barn and forest and beautiful people around me.