Monday, May 5, 2014

Long term homesteading goals

Homesteading, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, or just plain old money saving.  Whatever you call it, I feel like most people I know have some sort of goals for this topic.  I have a long list that covers many aspects.  Here it is, written out more for my benefit than yours.

  • Put in long-term field fencing.  Use the temporary fencing to section off the field into 8 paddocks.  Use permanent posts for a a dry lot, and training lot.  I'd like to put in 6 foot half rounds along the road and for the aforementioned lots.  I'd be happy to use metal t-posts for along the creek and river.  I'm not sure if I want to stick with electric fencing or use wooden rails with woven wire.  
  • Trench the field for optimal drainage, put a water tank below where the spring drains into the field to catch said water, and achieve maximum benefit.  
  •  Improve gardening skills to the point where everything I put in the ground has an edible product.  
  • Relocate ground hog or fence in all gardens so we benefit from them, and not the ground hog. 
  • Add pear and plum trees to the orchard. 
  • Add raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry plants to the hillside.  
  • Put away enough fruits and vegetables during the growing season to last through the winter and into the next growing season. 
  • Frame in a green house over the upper garden.  
  • Set up feed sprouting trays for livestock. 
  • Add an additional 24 laying hens to the chicken count. 
  • Raise enough meat chickens to feed the family for one year.  (100?)
  • Build chicken tractors to graze meat chickens in the field. 
  • Add turkeys, geese, and ducks to the farm.  One male and one female to potentially bring up new young.  The rest would be butchered each Fall.  
  • Raise 3 pigs yearly.  Two to feed the family, and one to sell to cover butcher costs.  
  • Sheep.  An heritage breed that we can use for milk, wool, and potentially meat.  If there is a breed I can find that isn't represented in our area perhaps a male as well so we can sell babies in the spring.  
  • Replace the old barn roof with metal. 
  • Get solar panels to go on the barn roof, sell extra to utility company. 
  • Sell extra eggs and any other extras.  
For now that is all I can think of.  What are your goals?

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