Friday, July 8, 2016

And So It Begins

It's hard to say what sparked the homestead idea within me.  Maybe it was my veganism, or wanting to be self sufficient, or maybe even wanting my kids to experience the beauty of life..  Needless to say: there's no way to pinpoint it, but regardless of the reason, homesteading is my destination.

My grandmother has given us her small, old 1930's home that sits on a couple acres.  The poor house was never maintained so it's currently in renovation.  Everything is being replaced, from the plumbing, to the wiring, and even the drywall and floors.  Progress seems like it has taken it's sweet time (a year and a half actually), but the plan is to be able to move by October - when the lease for our apartment is up.

Today I've been researching and planning for the chickens that we plan on adding to our humble abode.  After going through the best egg layers and factoring in temperament and hardiness, we've decided to go with 6 to 8 Buff Orpingtons.  We will make a chicken coop that's 32 square feet, and have a run around it that's 64 square feet.  I have tons of ideas on my pinterest (BlueEyes13016), but we will see which ones we actually do!  I would love to landscape the run with butterfly bushes, juniper, hawthorn, and maybe rose bushes..along with grazing boxes and dust baths.  On the outside of the run, I would like to plant lavender, oregano, sage, and mint (all very healthy for chickens).  I also would like to get a couple of pekin ducks and a couple of cayuga ducks.  But I'll have to continue to consider whether or not I will house the chickens and ducks together..

My game plan (thus far) for next spring is to get the chickens/ducks established and well maintained.  I also plan on starting an herb garden and maybe a small vegetable garden.  Additionally, I will start the process of making an orchard.

The second year, I will make a larger vegetable garden (maybe build a greenhouse) and get a couple goats.  And continue to make sure everything is working efficiently.

The third year, I plan on properly landscaping the entire property as well as plant berries.  I may also get a cow (that's still up in the air.. it depends on how the goats do), but I definitely want to get some bees.

It's definitely in my interest to not only be able to provide food/natural products for my family, but also to sell homemade goods.  There's a big shop that also sits on the property that I could make into a market and storage, but that's something that still needs to be thought through.

Will this be a lot of work? Yes.  Will it be worth it? Absolutely.  I know these are big plans, but they are definitely doable.  I'm excited to see what our path has in store for us, and I'm also very excited to document our adventures through this blog.

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