I am celibrating my 1 year anniversary on my homestead. I am amazed and thrilled by how much I've accomplished. And still in shock over my start-up costs (fences, fruit trees, outbuildings, etc.). Most of it was a "once and done " deal. So this next year, my plans are to put as much money as possible on my mortgage. I went with 15 years, and have been paying extra for the past couple of months. An additional $80 a month will shave 5 years off the payments. I'm going to hang a budget/chart on the wall, made from a large sheet of heavy white paper, and set it up for 12 months. I'll include all the categories I can think of. I'm very visual, so I know that this will work for me. I think that I'll aim for quarterly intervals, and pay an additional chunk of cash on the mortgage each time. There are areas that are pretty hard to trim, such as gasoline and car insurance. Areas such as food and clothing will be much easier. I'm pretty good about attaining a goal once I figure out what I'm trying to do. I'm worried about the economy, and I don't want to work until I drop dead, so I WILL get this place paid off quick. I'd be very interested in hearing about your goals for the upcoming year.
We didn’t get moved in until June this last year so we didn’t start any homesteading projects, so to say, this year. Most of our time has been spent cleaning up/making room and planning. The plan is to get chickens again; we are going to stagger when we get them so we can have some laying early and some laying through next winter, get away from store bought ASAP. We’ll most likely do a turkey again (at least one). We might even add a pig into the mix this year. Of course the garden, something small this year just to see if the planned area will work out. Planting a few fruit trees would be good, but I need to get an area cleared for that. The most ambitious up coming project will be the barn. I am going to try my hand at a timber frame. We have more than enough timber onsite to do the frame itself. So, I have been doing my homework on how it’s done. After the holidays I’ll start practicing the joinery work, in out of the weather, so I’ll at least know some of things not to do :haha: when the weather breaks in the early spring, and I can start on the real thing.
Just a few plans for 2004. Well, in a couple weeks I'm going to be with the field engineer from the electric company to arrange electric to the cabin and possibly back to the barn site. Also meeting with the fellow who I'm talking with about getting a barn built. The big project for 2004 is getting the barn built. Part of it will be used for storing hay and part of it will be for our apiary operations. I'm really excited. We are also expanding our apiary operation. I'm thinking about going slow and only adding another 10 hives. That will bring us to 30. We'll see. I also want to plant hazelnut trees. The 10 I planted this year looked real nice (we'll see how they overwinter). I'd like to get up to around 500 (eventually) or so. In addition we'll expand the orchard with another 10-20 fruit trees. I'm also looking at purchasing a nut huller for the black walnuts. Lot's of other projects but these are ones at the top of the list. Mike
Bees. I will buy bees this spring, use lemon grass lures to attract swarms into empty hives, divide the bees if I can, and generally get a few healthy hives together so that NEXT year I will have honey to sell.
We're going to put up a small barn in the spring, for the herdsires. We're currently boarding them because they wouldn't work out too well in the same side of the barn with the geldings and the yearling boy - and certainly not on the side with the females! Once we get that barn up, all our alpacas will be on our farm. That's my goal for 2004 - and paying down a sizeable chunk of our debt. I hope we ALL succeed in what we plan!
Wow.... some of you are really ambitious! I guess my goal is to MAKE a goal and go for it! I really want to get into the country. My 1/3 acre in town doesn't allow me to have much more than a garden. Once I get into the country, probably even before I build a home, I want to get fruit trees and berry bushes started. I'd really like to try bees, too. Guess I better spend the winter reading up on stuff!!!
Last night, my wife and I used the GPS plot of our 10 acres of open land and laid out on paper where we're thinking of putting up fences, fruit trees, gates, watering troughs. We put it all into Visio, went through the Gurney catalog picking out trees we want, and they put it up on the marker board for the kids to look over. We know we HAVE TO get fruit trees in ASAP - it takes a few years before they start to produce! Perimeter fencing to prevent rock salt wounds to the neighbor's visiting dog... he's already shot the pup with it once! Oh, that howling... never thought a German Sheperd's voice could carry so far...:haha: Still hasn't learned... :no:
Well since we just closed on the 4th we have more to do than I really want to think about. I have to get the house arranged and everything out of boxes so I don't go crazy. Get the shed/mini barn re-covered, fence up, coop built by Feb., trees planted (fruit, shade, etc.), the last bit of credit card debt gone, buy a used truck, start landscaping, buy a mower, a small garden and planning a larger one for 2005.... not really in that order. I'm sure there is more but thats all I can think of right now. We may not get it all done but we are going to try.
Runners, You may want to check Gurney out on gardenwatchdog.com, the ratings aren't very good for them.
Bring in dirt for my garden and make it a lot bigger. Fence it so the deer can't get to it this year. Last year I lost 130 tomatoes almost ripe in one night. Get some turkeys and chickens. Especially the turkeys. Hopefully they will thin down the chigger and tick population. Finish the house. Start some blueberries and strawberries.
Since I have my mortgage paid off here , I am now preparing myself for my next relationship by looking for a barn and 3 to 5 acres of pasture at least 5 miles from the knoll. That way if I settle down again I have a place where I can go for seclusion when I choose or my mate and I can ride pleasure horses at if we choose to.
Wow...where to start! Retiring from the "kennel Business" on our farm, selling the business, house, and @26 acres. Building an earth sheltered home ( final decision not quite made, my vote yes), @ 6 miles from where we are now. BIG change from river valley land to mountains and woods. Also need to fence all, build the barn and pond. The land is 25 acres, woods and overground pasture ( we brushed hogged the pastures this fall). Hubby and I both turned 55 this year, we can do this one more time. Anyone want to buy a great business and 8 foot deep top soil land?...Joan
Really?! We haven't ordered from them in probably 6-8 years - but noticed the prices were a little steep on some things. Any other recommendations on seed / tree companies? Bill
I haven't ordered yet since we just closed on the 4th but I know from reading http://gardenwatchdog.com/ to be very careful not to get burned. Depends on what you want as far as which company. I can grow more tropical stuff here and I'm looking into these companies...mostly located in the south... http://www.going-bananas.com/specials.htm http://www.nativehabitat.com/ http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/ http://www.bobwellsnursery.com/ http://www.alcasoft.com/simmons/ http://www.womacknursery.com/ Also ordering a catalog from Vernon Barnes and Sons Nursery in TN. Just do yourself a favor and check out a companies ratings before ordering. Oh, I almost forgot for seeds... http://www.rareseeds.com/ great company.
