As you enter Skeldale you are taken back 150 years as you see the old red barn looming upon you. However, as you examine the buildings more closely you will see that a huge restoration has been taking place, and is still being carried out. This view shows the farm buildings from the top field. In this picture you can see the greenhouse, workshops and the indoor grow areas which are above the work shop.
Skeldale was built around 1859 by Henry Naugle, since then it has had several owners who have used the property for many things over the past 156 years. When we bought the farm in 2004 it had been let go and needed many updates.Our first projects revolved around the farm house and bringing into the 21st century starting with a new farm house kitchen. Since then the inside of the house has been transformed into modern day living with a theme of old and new.
The old barn, which we believe to be almost as old as the house, has been cleaned out and over the past 10 years has been home to Daisy the Goat (sadly passed on at an astounding 20 years old last year), Rabbits, Thumper, Bob & Buttermilk and host of turkeys, meat & laying hens. It is our intention to, once again, fill the barn with stock to provide us with our own meat and dairy products.
The garage has been converted into a very large two storey work shop, originally built for our sons cabinet business but lately used for farm maintenance & repair. The upper level of the shop has been converted into indoor growing areas where we can produce leafy greens, micro greens and mesculin lettuce year round. This will afford local business to buy local. We anticipate that we will be able to supply approximately 1000 plants per week to those who are interested.
In year two of our farming adventure we purchased a green house from some friends who were moving on from the business. The greenhouse is a 96 x 30 poly dome and was originally used in Aquaponics ( fish to plants). We have been using a nutrient formula to grow our produce hydroponically and pesticide free over the last few years and are once again poised for the up and coming season.
We have been exploring the possibilities of turning a section of the greenhouse into Aquaponics and anticipate start up in the fall.