Hayes Valley Farms

11/01/2025

We're on the Ferry.. Goodbye Lower 48..
We're off to Alaska. ❤️

10/31/2025

Y'all..✨️ I could cry. Thought we'd never make it on time. 🙌🙏

10/31/2025

10/30/2025

Ferry Tickets in hand. We set sail tomorrow and arrive in Ketchikan at 7 am..
🛥⛵️🛥🚤🚢
Then at 2:30 we aboard the Inter Island Ferryarriving in Hollis at 6:30 PM.

We will stay in Hollis overnight, and drive to the Barge on the 3rd to boat to our new home. ❤️

Getting to this point is only half our (boat travels)..

We're beyond grateful and so excited.

10/30/2025

We made an executive decision to not haul any of our things ourselves. Mainly fear of the older F350 tearing up. We already asked her (F350) to do so much.

Being stranded and having to figure out the now what, is not something we wish on anyone.

We could have finished driving the F350 towing the enclosed trailer. But after the stress of what happened with the 450, maybe it's PTSD, who knows, but we decided to bite the bullet and just pay for transport/Hauling services to the Ferry.

5th wheel is paid off. We are bringing it onto our island and paying for the 2 barges to do so, because we have zero clue what works or doesn't work in any of the 2 units we just bought.

Buying remotely in Alaska isn't like buying in the lower 48. Inspections are waived, and you basically inspect yourself or get what you get. Our 5th wheel is our security in case things don't work as they should. Both units are completely off grid and run on propane, diesel #2, and generators. Things can be fixed,but we needed peace of mind our family had a place to sleep, eat, p**p, that functioned in case neither homes do.

The enclosed trailer has 90% Tools and supplies, and 10% household/personal items.

Pods does not go to our Island. They stop at Ketchikan. It's 1 ferry and a barge from that point. Meaning what took 4 grown men to load would have to be unloaded and loaded three times (Ketchikan to Hollis, Hollis to Barge, Barge to House. Mr. Hayes and I cannot move the items ourselves. These are 'Man' tools and tool boxes. 😅

So with that: Enjoy pictures of how loading the F350 & 10,080 (pound) trailer went. 🙃

We seriously thought it's never get loaded.
It took specialty trucks to heavy lift the trailer, for the pivot point caused the enclosed trailer to bottom out almost lifting the F350 off the ground. Even the driver/hauler was like, man you don't see that everyday.

Videos to follow.. The Barge receiving yard in Seattle will use a crane to offload the trailer then attach to F350 and drive it on.

As much as we've spent on this trip and hauling fees, still wouldn't touch the replacement value of the tools & equipment Mr. Hayes is bringing. 😳

Videos are better. See next. 😅

10/28/2025

God is Good.
Haulers arrive shortly to pick up 5th wheel & truck & trailer. ❤️

We will be able to make our Ferry by Friday.

Thanks everyone for the continued prayers.

10/28/2025

Need some help. Looking for haulers. 🙏

Some of these online sites just seem super scammy. 🙃

5th wheel:
39 Feet Long
13 ft 9 inches tall
8 foot Wide
Weight 16500 pounds

Ford F350 Super Duty King Ranch Long Bed.
21 Feet Long
8 ft wide
7 ft Tall
Weight 6000 pounds

Connected to:
20 foot enclosed trailer (with 4 ft tongue)
Length 24 foot
Width 8 feet
Height 8 feet
Weight 10,000 pounds

From:
Tonopah Station Hotel
1137 Eerie Street
Tonopah NV 89049

To:
Port of Seattle
Alaska Marine Lines
5600 W Marginal Way SW
Seattle, WA 98106
*No Twic Card Needed.

Anyone know of any haulers?
Thanks in advanced.

10/27/2025

With Imported Beef being the daily topic, are the powers to be: no longer concerned with NWS? (New World Srewworm).

Which has already been detected and confirmed at the Texas/Mexico border.

What upsets us: is producers (those who raise cattle) aren't allowed to sell cuts of beef that hasn't been processed 👈 (key word) and inspected in a USDA facility.

But its Okay to have this beef processed in a Argentinan Processing Center and then shipped frozen to sell to consumers as USDA inspected.
USDA inspected has US in front of it. Sure they can inspect the frozen cuts of beef after its been processed, but no where in the US can a rancher get their beef processed elsewhere and then have it stamped USDA inspected.
See what I'm saying. 😔

It amazes me how our government can do this for an entire country yet not for its own American Ranchers.

Make it make sense.

10/26/2025

Farmers & Ranchers aren't the villains. ❤️

Here's some food for thought. 650K Beef Ranches feed 340 Million People.
👆 READ THAT AGAIN...

When we farmed, I had calculated what we were paid an hour, for all the work 2.5 adults put in a year. It came out to less than $2/hour (TOTAL) for 2 adults and a child.

Let that sink in. Sure we made profits, which were 100% usually invested right back into the farm for farm loans, mortgages (we had 3), feed, fuel, medicine, vet bills, electricity, supplies, and the list goes on and on. Farming & Ranching isn't cheap. Nothing about raising livestock is cheap.

Would you work 12+ hour days/7 days a week for less than a $1 per hour with zero sick days in all types of weather?
Probably Not..
We did it because we truly loved what we did. ❤️ Most Farmers & Ranchers love what they do. If they didn't we'd all be starving, naked, and lost.

These folks are the one group of true grit hard a$$es you do not want to p**s off.
And let me tell you. Farmers & Ranchers are fuming right now. And they have every right to be. These are the folks who can handle 2000+ pound animals, that most would run away screaming from. I can't tell you how many times we've been hurt, kicked, stepped on by a cow. It ain't fun.

Farmers & Ranchers should be the richest people in our country. Period. 🫶
And so many times, farmers go with out, so their livestock doesn't.
👆
Read that again!

10/26/2025

We are the proud owners of a 15 passenger van. 😅

Was it on the agenda? Absolutely not.
But here we are. I personally like it. And am excited we will all be in one vehicle from this point further. ❤️

We drove 4 hours to go see the van. We were hoping and praying it was in good working order.

Test drove it. Looked under the hood. Bought her, and Drove 4 hours back. 🙃

The Pastor and Ministry Director even sent us on our way with a box of goodies and a case of Frappuccinos. ❤️

God is great.. We are ao humbled and beyond grateful. 🙏

We are still in Tonopah. Awaiting the final (ok) from the insurance company. Which will probably be Monday. Then haulers will pick up 5th wheel and the truck and trailer. And we will continue on to the Ferry. 🫶

10/25/2025

Good Morning.

Tuxy Tux and Chowder 'Cheese' Puff, wondering when the views will change again. 😅