Curbside finds...

maimover

Found this baby gate on the side of the road coming back from feeding the chickens at my daughters house, just in time...

Along with my friend’s head (wouldn’t have been able to do much of this without her) 😊, a couple of posts and some zip ties...navy beans trellised

JodieDownUnder

@maimover great find. It's very satisfying finding someone's trash/unwanted and turning it into something very handy for yourself. A few months ago I took some recycling to our local tip and over the back in the metal section spotted some reo, about 10 feet long x 5 feet high, 3inch squares. Asked the rubbish/recycling man if I could grab it and he said I could if I was quick and nobody saw me. I did and now I'm growing snow peas on it and this summer will grow cucumbers and beans.

lmrebert

What a great find! My husband made a trellis out of an old metal transition bed for my loofah! worked great. He often finds things on the road and uses them, such as just simple old wood. He makes boxes for gifts and people love them!

maimover

@jodienancarrow and @lmrebert I think it’s one of my newest favorite things to do. They also had a ginormous stack of burlap coffee sacks. I took some the other day, went by today n grabbed what was left (apparently no one else wanted them lol). I have a stevia plant growing in one I was gifted a little earlier in the season; they work great when you’re out of pots and out of cash to buy more lol. Might have to use more for planting who knows... It’s better than shopping and I think it feeds creativeness.

VermontCathy

I've seen wooden pallets offered with a FREE sign several times this year, but always when I'm not in a position to grab them (e.g., my trunk is full of groceries, bicycles, etc.)

One if these times I went back the next day, and all 6 or 8 were already gone. People here know how to scrounge, reuse, and improvise.

Ethereal Earth

@VermontCathy check your local offerup or craigslist. I always see 5+ posts for pallets a day on the ones around me,

@maimover this is an ingenious idea. Great way to repurpose something.

JodieDownUnder

@maimover there's just something great about finding stuff that will come in handy. Years ago at my unmanned local rubbish tip, I found tractor tyres cut in 1/2, great for feed troughs for my goats. I nearly blew a gasket, trying to get 2 of them on the back of my ute but I finally managed and for almost 10 years they were the best feeders I had. Better them doing that than in landfill. I also found a box of books and amongst them was a terrific and very old cook book, still have it and have used it many times. Sometimes we'd go to the tip and come back with more than what we took!😅

soeasytocraft

That’s awesome! I get so excited to find treasures like this! Our closest town has traditionally had a weekend treasure hunt every spring. The highlight of the season for me. I’ve come home with truck loads of “garbage” that was left for the taking. We’ve made many a project from this junk! After the weekend the town takes whatever is left over to the dump. It’s amazing the number of people out cruising the streets looking for treasures. By Sunday night there isn’t much left for garbage pickup. A win win for all involved.

Sadly due to Covid this fun event was cancelled. 🤨 Sure hope it’ll be resumed next spring!

RustBeltCowgirl

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/869027#Comment_869027

I recycle the 50 lb feedbags from the barn. okay, they're plastic but still usable. Great for growing potatoes. I don't feel bad about slashing them open to harvest.

Also, Dad and I got 4 sheets of OSB off the curb for the wall in the yard barn.

judsoncarroll4

Nice! My best find was a wheelbarrow full of tools - shovel, edger, pick axe, etc. Who throws away tools?!

tomandcara

@judsoncarroll4 I had a similar situation, it was garden tools and a 10 inch power miter saw, a gas powered 18 inch chainsaw and a gas powered weed trimmer plus more. I actually knocked on the person's door and asked about it. He was moving and didn't want to bother with a garage sale.

lmrebert

@maimover burlap bags!! what a great idea! One of my daughters neighbors makes shopping bags from her chicken feed bags and they are really cute!! And super durable too! Its so great to recycle and reuse things that saves you money and also saves the junk heep from getting bigger!!

Ethereal Earth

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/869069#Comment_869069

We use our old feedbags to hold sawdust, wood scrapes for the woodstove in the winter. When filled they make a great retaining wall for larger wood pieces in our garage.

@soeasytocraft my hometown had a antique's type day as well as a large flea market/yard sale on the green for the 4th of July that I would always go to. Lots of Old Home Day's in the area as well that had large town wide yard sales with all sorts of goodies. I love yard sale-ing and going to flea markets. Here it is just too hot in the summer and with COVID nothing large scale has been put on. Hoping for something in the fall but not holding my breathe as Vegas can't socially distance for nothing.

Ruth Ann Reyes

Score!

maimover

@VermontCathy check with any food truck owners or restaurants too. I purchased 10 out of all the ones that were used around here this season. He had a food truck. Be sure to check to make sure they aren’t stamped with MB which I believe is methol bromide (not good if you want them for planters). HT heat treated I was told were ok. But yes they are very handy sometimes...

@jodienancarrow Lol so true...stopped at a local goodwill yesterday to look for a dress to attend a Saturday wedding. Found a bean crock (purchased), a bag with 4 mason jars in (purchased), lightbulbs-genuine lightbulbs (purchased) n a few other things. One of the jars was different (very cool)

@RustBeltCowgirl and @lmrebert the chicken feed bags I’ve been dropping off at a farm market near me. One of the girls that works there makes reusable bags out of them.

@judsoncarroll4 WOW 😳 maybe a very ticked off wife lol...great looking out!

@Ethereal Earth thank you and great ideas on the feed bags

COWLOVINGIRL

Those reusable bags sound cool, I may have to try them as we just got chicks!

maimover

@COWLOVINGIRL when I took the first ones I took a better look at them and realized she also uses the plastic piece that houses the pull string to open the bags on the handles. I’ll ask if I can get a pic but I don’t go there often...just glad they’re not going on a landfill