Preparing for Animals on the Homestead

If you've been poking around here for any length of time by now you've figured out that we're city folk in the process of transitioning to country folk.  Nearly four years ago we packed up our (nowhere near) postage stamp existence just outside Detroit and relocated to 11 acres 20 minutes west of Port Huron.  We absolutely love it here, and there's not a thing we miss about city living.  That being said, we are inexperienced at just about everything living on our little homestead requires.  There's wood heat, well water, plants and animals we cannot identify, storing up food, gardening on a grander scale, and now we're venturing into raising farm animals.

About two weeks ago we brought home 20 baby chicks.  It's kind of comical to me, because we really have no clue hot to take care of them.  We're learning in the process.  I read, and we talk; to each other and to those we know with experience.  It's been two weeks, and all 20 are growing and starting to practice flying.  It's high time we got some temporary fencing up so we can let them out for a little while each day for some scratching, bug eating, and flying practice.  They've almost outgrown their two 22 gallon aquariums they are currently calling home.  The plan is to move them into their newer, high-class trailer we converted for them.  However, there is still some work that needs to be completed for our little chicken family can move in and get settled.  The nesting boxes need dividers and covers built to keep the little turd makers happy and their nesting boxes a respectable level of clean.  We need to install roosts and secure the doors.  That's about it aside from needing to purchase a truck load of pine shavings or straw or whatever it is we ultimately decide on for bedding in there.  Seems everyone has an opinion on that one, and we need to develop our own.  Only time and experience will establish that for us.

Some of the baby chicks at one week old.

The other big project currently under way is fencing.  We were fortunate in that there were already present two animal shelters when we purchased our property.  So, we have no building to do in preparation for the second addition to the homestead, four sheep; one to eat, three to keep.  Who knows how many we'll ultimately end up raising, but we are looking forward to the experience.  I choose to not think about certain aspects like babies being born (I watched too many episodes of Dr. Pohl!) and lambs going to slaughter.

The next animal that will be around is the goats that we plan to put to work clearing land.  For the time being we have made arrangements with a good friend to borrow a goat here and there.  After this summer we'll see if we'd like to add our own goats to the homestead.  I am thankful that we're holding off on this one.  I'm all for diving in head first, but adding three different animals that I've never raised, know nothing about, and have no real knowledge of was a bit of an intimidating idea to me.

It's funny to me that now that animals are slowly finding their way to our homestead people keep asking us if we'll be getting cows.  Um...no...not for now.  Who knows what the future holds, but sheep and chickens are quite enough for now.

The kids working hard to rid the back bed of weeds
and all the hen and chick, and there were a lot!

Stage one.  Next, we plan to move all the flowers
to another bed and grow only veggies here.

For now, the kids and I are focusing our energies on prepping the three existing planting beds for vegetables.  We will plant some flowers, but our main focus is veggies.  When we moved here there was little in the way of landscaping, and there was no existing garden bed.  So, we are transforming the two original flower beds at the front and back of the house to grow veggies along with the flowers.  This is the technique I used in our tiny yard in the city.  It worked wonderfully.  We also transformed another area of the property the first year we were here by removing a lot of overgrowth and underbrush to create a large planting bed with some trees remaining.  It's been slow going getting stuff to grow there, but we're still plugging away at that.  Since the north side of our property is going to get all dug up in order to run new water lines to both the house and the barn, we'll have to wait another year to have access to the best planing area on our property.  In the meantime there is talk of building a raised bed along the whole south side of the house.  We'll see how that works out.

Spring is a time of growth and new life, and homestead life provides lots and lots of projects and chores.  What have you been up to in your neck of the woods?  We'd love to hear about it!

Friday Farmgirls - Thankful

Raspberries

Right now I am thankful for things that are naturally occurring in my yard.  This picture of the raspberries was taken a couple weeks ago, and honestly, with this heat and all the bugs, I've only been back out once to check on them.  We did enjoy gleaning them on that walk, though.  Little Man can't get enough!

With our daughter's wedding taking place during the planting season and the fact that it has gotten so ridiculously hot since we returned home I have not done as much in my yard as I would like.  I feel guilty for not capitalizing on my land.  I feel like I'm missing a wonderful opportunity this year.  I did plant one purple pepper plant that is producing fruit, and I planted eight heirloom tomato plants that are sill quite small.  I'm guessing we'll have tomatoes after most everyone else.  Oh, I also planted a horseradish plant.  The hubby loves horseradish, so we'll see what happens with that.  

I did throw some asparagus into the ground as well, and we all know that won't be a crop for a few years anyhow.  The blueberry plants that I put in the ground in the spring are still VERY scraggly.  At least the cherry tree is doing well.  We had a massive Japanese Beetle infestation that disappeared as quickly as it appeared.  They didn't do too much damage.

I'm still waiting for my replacement Jane Magnolia tree.  It was a huge disappointment to have it die.  I do believe it was dead when I received it, not dormant like was thought.  It is heart breaking as I planted it over my beloved Gypsy dog.  Hopefully, the new one will come soon.

With this heat and some unexpected health issues that I will write about at a later date I have not made the progress with my yard I was hoping for this year.  Does anyone else suffer from guilt related to stuff like this?  I don't know what my deal is, but I am pretty good at feeling guilty.  I had big dreams of preserving food that I grew from my own labor.  It looks like that plan will be moved to next year, and I will support the local farmers again this summer.  The markets are starting to open with actual produce, as opposed to just flowers, here in Michigan.

For now, I will live vicariously through the gardens of others and be thankful for what I do have.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of you have accomplished in your yards.  So, please do share!

  

Garden Preparations

 

It's been a lot of work over a lot of weeks with a lot of help from the hubby, the twenty-year-old, and even the two-year-old, but the garden is actually beginning to look like a garden.  I decided on the newspaper method, and it was rather easy.  However, it was easiest after we got our system down.  I recommend having someone help you if you are doing a large area like we were.  One person lays the newspaper in a single layer, slightly overlapping, while the other person has the hose on a mist setting and wets the newspaper.  This prevents it from blowing away.  We worked in sections topping the wet newspaper with just enough wood chips to hold the newspaper in place until the entire garden was covered.  Once we ran out of newspaper we finished covering the surface with an ample amount of wood chips.  

Some information that I've read on using the newspaper method to prepare your garden bed included adding a layer of dirt between the newspaper and the wood chips.  I chose to omit this step.  Our dirt is nice and black, and the newspaper should be plenty easy to dig through with the trowel in order to plant my seeds or started plants, so I figured it would have just been wasted effort.  I'm a big fan of using wood chips in the garden for a couple of reasons, so I just went that route.  

In my experience wood chips help to deter weed growth, help the ground maintain moisture, and they decompose adding to the richness of the soil.  Sure, they need to be replaced each year, but since they're free, and they earn their keep, why not use them?  Not to mention, I love the finished look they give the garden.

This is as far as we made it before running out of newspaper.
We need to move the pile of rocks and finish covering the south end of the garden,
but that won't take long at all.

My mom is coming over this weekend, and we are painting the smaller rocks as markers for the plants that will get planted in the garden.  We have plenty of them on the property.  I'm all for working with what the land gives you.  The larger rocks will continue their way around the end of the garden to create the border.  Natural, free, and beautiful.  Love it!

I love Pinterest!  That's where I got the idea for the newspaper method, painting the rocks as markers, and organizing seeds in photo albums.  I had some photo sleeves that I got for free a couple of years ago.  I wasn't sure what I'd use them for.  They're intended for adding photos to a scrapbook page.  I used them to organize my seeds, and I love the outcome.

Each sleeve set has six pockets.

I put one packet of seeds per pocket so that the back of the packet
could be read without removing it from the sleeve.

Then I stood them up in a handy basket that I already had.
I like this particular basket because they fit nicely,
it's durable and easily cleaned, and it has a handle.

Now that I'm all organized, finishing up the garden this weekend should be a breeze.  With a little water, sunshine, and prayer we should be well on our way to creating a beautiful oasis in our yard that will provide us with glorious flowers to behold and enough delicious produce to put up and share with family and friends. I am very excited to watch this area of our property come to life.

Photo Journal

I took these pictures over a week ago with the intention of sharing here. However, with the Matt Landry incident and other things going on in our life it just didn't work out that way initially. Some time has passed now, but I am managing to get on track again. Adrian, Harmony and I set out to weed the garden. Well, this was how Harmony helped:

Talk about having a monkey on your back!

Then she basked poolside!

Adrian getting rid of the weeds.

My coneflowers are amazing!
They are the size of bushes...no kidding!

I love the way the sweet peas look against the fence.

The white roses are lovely again this year.

I have all kinds of sunflowers. This one is an heirloom.

Vegetables are few this year. This is a summer squash.

I believe this to be cucumber.

My poor tomato plants! I am used to them being taller than me.

The only produce I can find in the garden!

What's the story morning glory?

Rose of Sharon.

Jordan helps Great-Grandpa open his gifts.

Grandma and Grandpa look at the photo book made for his 77th!

Close to the Creator

I originally wrote this post on August 5th of 2007. My sentiments remain the same, and I am sure they will for the rest of my life. I cannot wait to get back out in the rain and photograph my flowers. That is by far one of my favorite things to do.

All my life, it seems, I've had this love affair with the weather; precipitation specifically. I LOVE the snow and the rain. Where we live in the Midwest we have the luxury of experiencing all four seasons. My favorite times are when it storms, be it rain or snow.

It is currently summer, and rain has been scarce. Today we have had a few showers. I am still holding out for thunder, lightening and wind. Although, it seems doubtful that we will see anything other than the occasionally sprinkle.

Today I took my camera to the garden and photographed the flowers in the rain. What a wonderfully tranquil experience. It was like meditation. I absolutely loved the experience. I found myself lost in the moment and completely unaware of the fact that I was getting drenched.


Then, it dawned on me. I believe that part of the romance I have with the weather, rain specifically, is my connection with God. I don't know that there is any other way we can experience him so vividly. Rain is a giver of life much in the same way as our Creator. In the weather we can see Him at work. It touches me every time, and every time I long for more.

The New Porch

Just to give you a little perspective, hubby and I have been in this house together for over 12 years. Hubby lived here with his five children for about four years prior. When we got together the house was only one level with two bedrooms. We're talking nine people in about 800 square feet! No, there is not a basement.

The dormer was started, but it took another couple years to finish. So, it's been about 10 years since stage one was complete. Then, we remodeled the main floor. What a project that was. We doubled the size of our kitchen and our bathroom and created a wonderful master bedroom. There are quite literally only two walls in our home that have not been touched outside of fresh paint. We're talking A LOT of work here people!

The outside of the home is the "final" stage. As if anything is ever totally complete when it comes to your home! I have been waiting FOUR years for the front porch to go up. I couldn't be more happy. Hubby and his buddy completed it in a weekend; over 30 hours of labor!

The remaining project for this summer is to add shutters to the windows and put a BIG star in that void to the right of the upstairs window. Talk about a face lift. Adrian's guitar instructor didn't even recognize the house when he came to give him his lesson after it was first finished. The complements abound, and we are ever pleased with the results.

What may seem obvious is that we have accepted the fact that there is no way we can move in this economy. We've gone from owing less on our house than what it's worth to owing so much more than what it's worth that we cannot even refinance. What a joke! So, our dreams of country life are on hold. Therefor, we decided to create an oasis with country charm right here in the city. Next summer will see the same thing done to our back deck. There is still gardening left to do for the summer that will hopefully produce enough food to put up and share with the local food bank. We'll see how it all pans out.

Angel Food Ministries

With the focus being on penny pinching so much lately I thought it would be prudent for me to share a wonderful resource that is available in 35 states across the nation. This is an amazing food program that is open to anyone regardless of income. Angel Food Ministries was started in 1994 by Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo in Monroe, GA, and serves over 500,000 families monthly through their food distribution program.



Each month Angel Food Ministries offers a new menu to choose from. Orders are placed and paid for ahead of time and picked up at a local host site; usually a church, school, outreach center, or organization. Once you've determined your local host site, you simply contact them to place your order. They even accept Food Stamps (EBT).

With each order you will receive a copy of Servant Magazine. This magazine gives you up to date information about Angel Food Ministries, inspirational articles, the next month's menu, and reports from various host sites across the nation. You will also find useful recipes on their website for inspiration while using the food you purchase. For those of you that enjoy cooking and creating in the kitchen, you can even submit your favorite recipes to share with fellow participants or those simply visiting the website.

This is a wonderful resource for those on a fixed income, including senior citizens. There is a special menu designed especially for seniors which is comprised of complete meal choices. The menu includes 10 fully cooked meals that are nutritionally balanced, complete, and ready to heat and serve.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, this may not work for you since the main package always has meat in it. However, if you have a carnivorous friend you can benefit as well. Supplemental packages are available with the purchase of a main package. So, your friend could benefit from purchasing the main package, and you could pay for the addition of the produce package. You cannot beat the pricing!

Special holiday packages are available as well. They special design supplemental packages for the holidays. Traditional food items are included at a tremendously discounted price compared to local grocery store prices.

Just as Angel Food Ministries helps meet the needs of the general public, they have needs of their own. Volunteer opportunities abound. Maybe your church or organization would like to be a host site, or maybe your group is looking for a worth while cause to support via donations, fundraising, or actual volunteer time. Angel Food Ministries can benefit from your skills and talents. This is a wonderful organization and well worth exploring as a customer or a volunteer. You may even find a job opening!

Feeling Better

I am happy to be back working at my computer this morning. I still have a cold, but my functioning level has increased. AMEN! I was a bit concerned about how I was going to do everything needed of me today.

There are only three weeks left until our VBS starts, and I am the coordinator. Tonight is our second staff meeting, and I really need to be there. We will be preparing all of the crafts for the kids. It is our plan to have everything cut and ready to go that way we will spend less time preparing the craft and more time working with it and having fun together.

It is amazing how many things go undone and how much more work gets created when mom is not up to snuff for just a few days. I am behind on my Internet duties. I've put off updating the bills. That was honestly a little over due before I got sick. Oh well...at least they are getting paid on time, right? The laundry is calling, and surfaces could use a little attention. Not to mention the garden! We haven't had rain for two days, and I haven't even gotten out there to tend it. Now, it is supposed to rain again tomorrow, so it will likely wait a little longer.

I am excited to see what my garden produces this year. We are only growing a few things with space being so limited. We are in the city with a very small yard. I interpserce the vegetables with the flowers. The perennials are doing so well that there really isn't any room for vegetables anymore. We have lettuce, which doesn't seem to be happy with all the rain. We have tomatoes, which I hope to can for the first time with my youngest son. We have bell peppers and one cucumber plant that seems to have made it.

Next year will be a new approach. I think we will grow our vegetables in containers as opposed to planting them with the flowers. I would really like to grow more, and that seems to be a workable solution. Has anyone had any luck with this approach? I'd love to hear your experiences.