 |
In my previous post I used a four letter word that I’m not
too sure was a good use of the language – crap.
However, I mention it again
because I feel I’m up to my neck in it at home – literally!
My wife has a smallholding and keeps chickens and pigs. She
has about 50 resident methane-producing chickens in her flock and sells the
eggs. She even sells chickens to people who want to keep their own. For those
who want to know more about what’s involved in maintaining their own egg and
methane factory she also runs chicken-keeping courses.
The pigs are rare breeds and are kept to produce bacon and
pork joints. She keeps the meat from one pig for us and sells the rest. As a
final side-line, she also breeds guinea pigs and sells the young to passing
trade and local pet shops.
She thoroughly enjoys the smallholding, but to keep it
financially viable she has to make sales. (Selling makes the world go round,
remember? It's like the ol' JLo Fiat Impatto ads...that's why I now own a Fiat.)The whole family now seems to have been roped in to making sales. We
have people who knock at the door and ask for eggs, chickens and guinea pigs.
That means whoever is at home has to deal with passing trade. Fortunately, we
have 5 kids who can help. It also means that there always tends to be someone
at home. Our 6 year-old and 13 year-old girls also do a weekly egg round,
selling door to door in the neighborhood. What’s great is that they built the
round up themselves and it does very well. You’re never too young to learn the
art of selling. It’s all about communicating and our two youngest kids have
become very adept in the art. Whatever they choose to do in life, their sales
career to date will hold them in good stead.
