update on my 2007 "farming" goal

**Lyn5** · 05-02-2007, 07:08 PM

I will apologize up front since this will be a long post

But I thought I would share an update on our farm. Last year, we had one goat (she is a pet I had for over 8 years), three dogs and a few small animals in the house. After reading here, some books and other sites, we decided to try and be more self-sufficient and do more things at our place. We live in a farming area and most of my DFil’s family farms...so DH is knowledgeable about farming and raising animals. Since Christmas of 2006, this is what we have done

1. We have planted a bunch of fruit and vegetables, including about 30 fruit and nut trees.
2. We have 24 chickens for eggs that we got either free or for a dollar and we have 2 hens, 22 chicks and a rooster that we got for free that we will raise for meat.
3. I have been harvesting sunflowers and learned to dry and toast them and have been replanting some of the seeds.
4. I have been regrowing seeds from some of the flowers we planted for DD.
5. We purchased 2 young meat goats that we will raise and breed.
6. DH is fixing up an area in one of our pens and we hope to raise some fish in an above ground pond and also grow some vegetables hydroponically.
7. I have been growing my own sprouts at home and learning new things to make with them that my family will eat.

So here are some of the good and bad things I have learned...I guess I will start with the bad:
We are broke, LOL! We owe on our house (no cc debt), but buying the plants and goat fencing used up a lot of our income and savings....not to mention all the things that have come up in the last two months! Also, it is more daily chores to add to our routine and it will take a while before all of the things we started are really producing.

The good things:
Our family has been really enjoying taking care of our plants and animals. It gets us out of the house and doing something fun. The kids (almost 5 and 6 ½) are learning a lot while enjoying themselves. We have been sharing eggs and other items with our family and friends, plus I have a lot of fresh eggs for baking. Also, I am looking forward to having chicken that is fresh and healthy and pumpkins and watermelons, etc. Even though it was a lot of money up front, I am thinking of it as an investment. We will hopefully get the fish started at little cost and so it has been great to take advantage of a good opportunity when it arises. Also, we have been doing an informal bartering with some of our eggs. I give about a 1 ½ dozen eggs to a friend of ours each week and he came out last Sunday and helped DH with the goat pen and has offered to help again. A lady at work that I gave eggs gave me bag of expensive scratch feed. The kids have been feeding this to the chick in small amounts each day as a treat and the kids LOVE IT! We have been getting more exercise, eating better and are getting more and more self-sufficient.

**Missy** · 05-02-2007, 07:12 PM

wow, fantastic. You are living what I hpoe to do ion the future.

**nodmicks** · 05-02-2007, 07:43 PM

Sounds great! The good definately higher than the bad. We have goats too. Only for pets though.

**lullaby80** · 05-02-2007, 07:57 PM

Oh boy, sounds like a wonderful farm you got there going!

I bet you'll be even happier with it by harvest, nthing beats fresh produce off the field.

**Luv2BeFrugal1** · 05-02-2007, 09:35 PM

That sounds fantastic! We would love to live like that...consider yourself blessed...

And keep us posted!

**mama2my3** · 05-02-2007, 09:55 PM

Good for you! We just moved to the country 6 weeks ago yesterday and have begun our little farm too. It is so fun and I am inspired by all that you have gotten done in such a short period of time! Keep up the good work!

**redmaples** · 05-03-2007, 08:56 AM

Enjoyed your farming post! We have a one acre homestead w/ garden & 13 chickens. Hoping to get our fruit trees planted this year.

**Darlene** · 05-03-2007, 09:45 AM

So you are broke but hey, you really are rich! Good for you and your family!!
Hope to hear more about what's going on there.

**julieb** · 05-03-2007, 10:03 AM

It sounds like you are rich to me!!!

**wanderlusting** · 05-03-2007, 12:03 PM

Wow! That's where we want to be when DH retires in 13 years. Do you mind sharing the books that you read concerning homesteading?

**Sari** · 05-03-2007, 12:50 PM

I would love to live like that. Please keep us updated on how your little farm is doing.

**Lyn5** · 05-03-2007, 02:46 PM

Thanks everyone for the kind words and support. I will try to post some photos once we get the fish set up...hopefully this will be soon. I will also get together a list of the books I have been reading. Most of them are not directly homestead related, but more about survival, cooking and being self-sufficient. Actually, the more I have been reading/learning, the more it seems that living your faith, trying to eat healthier and being self sustaining are all related. I am reading about raising goats now