Farmhouse Table Build Lessons, Mussels as Water Alarms & More | LOTS Project Ep 837
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☕ Morning Thoughts & Coffee Talk
May 4, 2025 — Episode 837
This episode dives into a messy but rewarding farmhouse table build, Poland’s use of mussels in water safety, truck troubles and more.
Coffee of the Day: Medium Light Peruvian from Food Forest Farms
Today I’m sipping on a smooth Medium Light Peruvian roast from Food Forest Farms—and it’s hitting just right after a productive weekend. If you haven’t tried their beans, use code LOTS10 at checkout for 10% off. Shipping’s always free, and you’re supporting real folks doing things right.
The Farmhouse Table Build That Fought Back
This weekend’s project was a classic case of over-ambition meets under-equipped. Kori and I set our sights on a farmhouse table build with matching benches. Sounds straightforward—until it wasn’t.
- Tool Shortage Makes Everything Harder Trying to do angle cuts with just a skill saw is a game of guess-and-check. A compound miter saw is definitely going on the pawn shop hunt list.
- Untreated 4x4s? Good Luck. Locally, it’s like trying to find unicorn lumber. Lowe’s only had overpriced cedar versions ($50+ each), so I adapted and built faux 4×4 legs from stacked 2x4s. That created more work (and filler), but it got the job done.
- Twisted Lumber = Twisted Results One twisted 2×8 nearly wrecked our first bench. It’s now part of the set we’re keeping for ourselves, and honestly, that feels right. It’s functional, and definitely “ours.”
Despite the mess, we got the table and one bench built. A second bench and some stools are in the works. We’re keeping this set but plan to build and sell more once we source real materials—maybe from a local sawmill instead of battling box stores.
Truck Update: 1 Step Forward, 2 Stalls Back
The truck continues to be a pain. After running smooth for almost 300 miles, the misfire came back randomly—same cylinder, same symptoms. I’m not taking it in unless I can replicate the issue, which is getting harder. Bonus: the topper almost flew off while driving the easement road. Thank God for the ratchet set in the cab.
Still waiting for more stable weather and reliable transportation before we pull the trigger on a replacement or major fix. As always, the truck is “fine—until it isn’t.”
May Comfrey Sale: Free Crown With 5-Pack
If you need comfrey, or know someone who does, head over to ComfreyRoots.com. Right now, when you buy a 5-pack of comfrey root cuttings, you’ll automatically get a FREE crown ($40 value). No code needed—just add to cart, and we’ll take care of the rest. Orders ship every Monday.
And yes—50 roots and a crown is enough to start your own little comfrey empire by next season.
Mussels as Water Quality Sensors?
While scrolling through Facebook, I stumbled on something fascinating: a water treatment plant in Poland using freshwater mussels as living water quality sensors. Turns out, mussels shut their shells when water gets dirty. So they’ve attached sensors to track when the mussels close, and if enough shut at once, the plant automatically closes its intake valves. Incredible.
It made me wonder—how else could we tap into nature’s built-in systems for human infrastructure? Think beyond mussels: maybe sunflowers, tree growth, vine tension. Nature’s already got the blueprint. We just need to listen.
Hops, Homesteads & Nature-Based Infrastructure
Kerry Brown and I have been chatting about planting hops at Delinquent Gully and possibly at Jamie Ping’s place. Instead of clearing land or building a traditional hops yard, we’re exploring using existing trees as trellis anchors, with pulleys to raise and lower the vines. Minimal disruption, maximum reuse.
The long-term plan? Sell hops for craft brewers, maybe propagate plants for sale—just like I did with comfrey. And yes, hops have medicinal benefits too: sleep aid, natural calming agent, and they look beautiful growing.
Cabin Update: Roof Scheduled!
We’re officially on the schedule to get the roof structure installed by late June. Once that’s up, we’ll hang the floor, add walls, doors, and windows—and finally transition to living on-site full time. That’ll be a game changer.
No more wasting time driving back and forth. Just wake up, get to work, and build the life we’re out here chasing.
Catch the Episode
Whether you’re a DIYer, plant nerd, off-grid dreamer, or just like hearing people struggle through building things with the wrong tools—Episode 837 is worth a listen.
Thanks for reading—and for supporting the show.
👉 Listen to the full episode on Fountain
👉 Watch the livestream replay on YouTube
