Homestead projects for 2012

**chevy_chick95** · 01-01-2012, 04:17 PM

I am in on this again.

So far my goals are

1. make butter
2. rag rug
3. darn socks
4. make cheese
5. grow garden
6. dehydrate everything! (got one for Christmas!!)
7. make soap
8. learn to lap weave
10. get our own homestead(apartment) again.

I am going to leave 2 open for something I may come across this year.

**Backwoodsgirl** · 01-06-2012, 10:14 PM

I just relocated to FL three years after my DH died and moved in with a dear friend. Sold my house and am working on getting us squared away.

So I have to go back to the beginning and get all of my fruit trees planted, the chickens and rabbits going again and add at least a couple of miniature goats.

I've got to get all of my raised beds built again and put up my greenhouse.

I mailed a lot of stuff down here including a partially finished quilt top, and box mysteriously dissappeared. So, I'm working on another one and would like to get it finished this winter.

We put in a woodstove in a partially finished porch so we have to finish the porch soon. All we need is either drywall or panelling. We got the insulation on sale.

We've got to get the floor poured for my canning kitchen. I can barely cook on the electric range he has and I refuse to can on it. So, our compromise was to build me an outdoor screened in kitchen with a propane stove on the other third of the partially finished porch, LOL!

I've definitely got to get more medicinal herbs started down here. There's an absolute need for them.

Need more storage for canned goods and dry goods. I brought only two garbage cans full of canning jars with me and had to leave the rest behind, but if I filled half of them there wouldn't be anyplace to put them. Right now they are in the carport.

Oh, and I'm bound and determined to get a chest freezer and catch a wild boar to put into it.

Whew! That's enough to wear a body out! LOL!

Backwoodsgirl

**Debbie-cat** · 01-06-2012, 10:19 PM

Wow backwoodsgirl, that is alot to do but I will be very interested in hearing more about your projects as the year goes along!

**Backwoodsgirl** · 01-07-2012, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

Wow backwoodsgirl, that is alot to do but I will be very interested in hearing more about your projects as the year goes along!

Hey Debbie-cat! Thanks for the hugs! Never can get enough of those. I'm blessed. My friend was as lonely as I was and his place is paid off and he's a hard worker once you get him started, LOL! Neither one of us was accomplishing much by ourselves.

I had pretty much done all of it except for the goats where I lived before and got no help from hubby because he just wasn't into it. I always thought that if I was by myself I would get so much done without his negative junk....it didn't work out that way. I was rattling around in the house by myself.

So...My friend, I've known him for more than 20 yrs. He's all on board with my ideas. We are both Bi-polar and we sort of balance each other out. So when I'm high energy, I kick him in the seat of the pants and vice-versa.

Neither one of us has much motivation when we are alone but together we make a great team! We've gotten so much done in the past three months. I figure the rest of the year will be a piece of cake.

Backwoodsgirl

**sinopa27** · 01-07-2012, 03:23 AM

Originally Posted by ladytoysdream

I am the one here that pushes hard for a bigger garden. Hubby wants our 2 acres basically all lawn. He does a excellent job with it but then it's just pretty to look at.
I finally got 3 garden patches to work with. And I see he rotilled the second one, a bit bigger this fall. I am thinking of fencing in the garden better, with the kennel section fence and letting the chickens free range more....afternoons after 2. The light wire fence really helped the garden a lot this past summer. Kept the deer out and the bad bunnies did not steal my baby cucumbers plants. Had a lot of volunteer plants also.
I really want a lot of sunflowers planted. They are pretty to look at, the wild birds like feasting, and the chickens love them.

I plan on canning a lot more next year. I like knowing the source of what I am eating. The rising price of food in stores is simply mindboggling to me. Our budget won't be able to afford much store shopping, as the regular method of putting food by.

I plan on making some jam these next few days. I have plenty of fruit in the freezer to work with. Some for us, and some for Xmas presents.

I like things basic and simple. Less money going to stores.
And to know, I can control quite a few things that we eat.

thank you for the wonderful idea of using a kennel fence for chickens. I have to check that out. I have the acreage and I also have a chicken coop but it won't keep the predators out. I wonder if a kennel fence will solve my problem. I only want like 3 hens. I cannot build anything but I may be able to find a rabbit "house" to use for housing. Then again, I may luck up and find a small coop to put in the kennel fence.

**sinopa27** · 01-07-2012, 03:26 AM

Originally Posted by Backwoodsgirl

Hey Debbie-cat! Thanks for the hugs! Never can get enough of those. I'm blessed. My friend was as lonely as I was and his place is paid off and he's a hard worker once you get him started, LOL! Neither one of us was accomplishing much by ourselves.

I had pretty much done all of it except for the goats where I lived before and got no help from hubby because he just wasn't into it. I always thought that if I was by myself I would get so much done without his negative junk....it didn't work out that way. I was rattling around in the house by myself.

So...My friend, I've known him for more than 20 yrs. He's all on board with my ideas. We are both Bi-polar and we sort of balance each other out. So when I'm high energy, I kick him in the seat of the pants and vice-versa.

Neither one of us has much motivation when we are alone but together we make a great team! We've gotten so much done in the past three months. I figure the rest of the year will be a piece of cake.

Backwoodsgirl

You go girl!!!! You have motivated me!! Please keep us posted on your progress and take pics to upload!!

**Backwoodsgirl** · 01-07-2012, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by sinopa27

You go girl!!!! You have motivated me!! Please keep us posted on your progress and take pics to upload!!

Darn, does that mean I have to actually buy a camera??? LOL!!!

I'll be getting one anyway. I finally got a printer the other day for $25.00 on sale. One of those 3-in-1's that will plug into my laptop. Still in the package, LOL!

My friend got sick and he's coughing his poor head off. He sounds like one of thos Nyquil commercials.

I've been playing nurse maid.

Will keep you posted!

Backwoodsgirl

**Debbie-cat** · 01-07-2012, 10:10 PM

I hope your friend feels better soon backwoodsgirl! A bad cough is so horrible! Try not and catch it yourself!

**Backwoodsgirl** · 01-07-2012, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

I hope your friend feels better soon backwoodsgirl! A bad cough is so horrible! Try not and catch it yourself!

He is feeling better today. And he's not coughing quite as much. His runny nose has slowed down to a drizzle, LOL!

Hopefully, I won't catch it.

His brother has had pnuemonia and bronchitis the past three months and he survived cancer so his immune system is shot. He went and got a flu shot and ended up sick.

Everybody around here is getting sick

I figured out the emoticons...been a long time since I was able to do that...but where do you get the hugs after the post????

By the way...

back at ya!

Backwoodsgirl

**Debbie-cat** · 01-08-2012, 12:16 AM

Glad to hear he is doing better! The hug button, way to go button and thanks button are at the bottom of each post.

**Keildra** · 01-12-2012, 08:27 PM

This year I'm just focusing on growing my first garden and cooking from scratch more often.

**udwe** · 01-14-2012, 03:19 PM

Fence in the garden so the puppy doesn't destroy it. (He'll be a year old in May.) Fix the front porch so it doesn't collapse.

**Herbolina** · 01-14-2012, 04:01 PM

We have big plans for the homestead this year. We just moved here in September, and it has not been operated since my husband was younger and lived here with his family. Think it is twelve years since the last animal lived here.

I want to get some hens, and have to build a home for them too. We are also looking into the opportunity to have wild sheep on the mountain, as we have lots of them.
I want to get into canning, and have a room in the basement that are supposed to be filled with shelves for my canned stuff.
We also want to make a huge garden with herbs, vegetables and fruits as we had where we moved from.

Also, one of our goal is to get our home in shape with proper isolating etc. We are currently redecorating it.

**annymoll** · 01-15-2012, 11:48 AM

I have a few goals, will add more throughout the year.

1. Plant Jerusalem Artichokes at home and at the farm.
2.)Find and plant Wolfsbane for the Witchy Poo Garden.
3.)Plant Gunnera by pond.
4.)Start two English Walnut trees.
5.)Learn to make a braided rug.
6.)Make soap and apple butter from scratch outside this fall.Do a tutorial on FV for one of the two.

**Dave'sGirl** · 01-15-2012, 06:05 PM

annymoll, be careful with the jerusalem artichokes. They sure can take over! I grow them on one end of my garden, supported by the surrounding fence. I grow them for the flowers only. My thought is that mowing on one side and not allowing them into the garden (being careful not to till too closely and throw bits of root into the garden) hand digging any sprouts that I should be able to control them.