Homestead Plans 2012

Looking ahead to our plans for this year and what I'd like for us to accomplish. This list will be updated/added to as things pop into my head.

Grain production:
-grow oats again, for both milky oats and dried for consumption
-grow millet for consumption

Animal feed production:
-grow alfalfa and red clover for medicinal and for hay
-fence in pasture #2
-mend fences for orchard for kids pasture (we did this temporarily last year and it worked well to keep the kids separated from their mamas and kept the orchard from becoming overgrown w/o damaging the trees)

Winter gardening:
-finish greenhouse

Food storage:
-old freezer root cellar (i wanted to do this with both our dead deep freeze and fridge but it seems the fridge succumbed to target practice)

Water storage:
-get rain barrels set up
-cistern

Garden production:
-up production of sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips and carrots
-work on fall gardening crops
-incorporating more permaculture concepts

Homestead purge:
-clean out the spare shed completely
-butcher old hens that are no longer laying (some we will use for stewing, some will become dog/cat feed)

Misc:
-create outdoor sleeping area for summertime

a life's journey to becoming an herbalist and short term goals for that journey

gail faith edwards wrote an article awhile back about the ten-fold path to becoming a community herbalist in response to an article that paul bergner wrote. most of them tie in nicely with quaker testimony so i plan to try to incorporate them into my daily living. here is a brief outline of the 10 things she feels are important to become a community herbalist (i've added links to them for the posts i've written and will continue to update until all 10 are covered):

1 – Sense of Place
2 – Pay Attention - Observation. Concentration
3 – Become humus. Humble yourself
4 – Learn to open your wild heart, connect with your inner wild nature
4 – Herbal Ally
5 - Study, study, study
6 – Simplify your life
7 – Cultivate your spirituality
8 – Listen to your clients
9 – Be your own refuge
10 - Practice learning


over then next few weeks,  i hope to write a bit about each item and what i'm doing or plan to start to deepen my learning as a community herbalist. as part of my studies, this will help me to focus on what is important and what i need to be doing more of (i can say what i need to be doing less of: sitting in front of the computer). i'm enrolled in 2 courses right now, both by kiva (herb energetics and her medicine woman mentorship) and i need to get back into the swing of studying on a regular habit.

i also need to start coming back to what's important to me and simplifying my life again. i feel like i not only fell off the wagon on this but i've also rolled down the hill. it's time to get up, dust off my skirt and walk at a brisk pace to catch back up with it.

things i hope to focus on this upcoming year are:

-daily yoga (helpful with posture, ballet practice and flexibility)
-better homeschooling routine
-regular studies in herbalism
-moving ahead on herbal roots zine projects
-make use of the old clothing and upcycle it into new clothing
-back into meal planning habit
-purge household goods

cleaning house...

bear with me while i tidy up in here a bit! (these are just notes to myself for what i had up on the side bar...)

winter to do

-start onions
-printer cleaned/repaired
-etsy shops updated
-create a craft item daily to post on etsy
-moon kits completed (need to sew pads mostly)
-sketch out certificate design -transfer finances from the bank to the credit union in process
-open business account with credit union and close bank account
-start wood carving
-plan out garden
-make soap for busy season for business
-figure out what to do about lack of chickens laying eggs (no eggs=no money from selling eggs)

to be purchased list

-pigs next year
-turkeys
-cornish and rock chicks to start our own broiler breed searching for heritage breed to replace these instead
-baby buck
-broilers
-shelving for root cellar
-vacuum sealer
-berkey water filter
-fiberglass cistern for rainwater collection
-butter churn
-straw for mulching garden using existing goat bedding and old hay
-replacement fruit trees: granny smith and honeycrisp apples, bartlett pear, bing cherry, peaches
-2 or 3 more pregnant or freshened does
-refrigerator for egg and milk storage
-more bee hives/supers
-6 n-c lamb ewes
-apple press
-cherry pitter
-harvest basket (the kind that straps to you)
-cheese press
-honey extractor
-more hives/deep supers
-sheep shears
-seeds
-suture kit/multiple stitching needles
-dental tools/kit
-otoscope
-sawyer extractor
-forceps, suture needle holder
-tooth repair kit

future purchase list

-navajo-churro ram
-pigs for orchard estimated for spring 2009, need to research heritage breeds
-khaki campbell ducks
-replacement fruit trees: asain pear, plum
-gooseberries, cranberries, blueberies
-4 more turkeys

goals for 2009

outdoors:
*animal feed: try, try again to grow hay and root crops for the animals

*gardening and animal efficiency: be more effecient on the garden front and on the amount of animals and our set up with their care/maintenance (this means cutting back on numbers because we cannot afford to feed them all or the time to care for them all)

*farmwise, i'd like to see us doing:
-more fencing for goats/sheep (take back the land the farmer has been using for free and put it into pasture/hay field)
-shed fixed up (it has been falling down and needs to be repaired)
-garage renovated into guest cottage
-gutters on buildings for water collection (very important)
-research solar/wind since there are new incentives out there
-outdoor solar shower

household/personal:
*gardening journal book:
-update it and get back into the routine of using it daily

*photographs:
-i have several years (2001? - 2007) worth of photos on the old computer that i need to upload to snapfish, develop and delete off the old computer. that is quite a task.
-put all commitment ceremony photos into their albums
-make files on laptop of etsy, lhc and place all business photos in their correct files so that when i need a specific picture, i can actually find it!
-keep on top of ordering and copying current photos

*homeschooling:
-get into some sort of routine with it. nothing too formal but would like to be a bit more organized, perhaps plan books to read, etc. each week

*budgeting: grocery bill needs to come down, this goes with the effecient gardening. also need to cut costs elsewhere??? as well as try to bring in a more steady income with my herbal business and my new crafting business

*less dvds for the kids, more real play

*purge junk toys and other stuff:
-slim down kids' toys to make room for new ones (and purge some of the plastic crap new ones that relatives (who know us the least) purchased for the kids)
-purge stuff
-organize craft area and purge/make more useful
-find another furniture item with drawers (such as a buffet) to store more craft stuff and create a mini wood working area (see the wordworking for kids video for my inspiration)

*during the summer take a field trip once a week to a nature preserve in the area and spend the day, pack a lunch and just have fun and explore

*complete the wedding certificate. yeah. it's still. not. finished.

*get back into a household routine that includes cleaning. on a regular basis. like daily.

*15 minutes (minimum) a day to play:
-hooping (a friend gifted us with a hoop for the holidays. i've been using it more than the kids. maria is my inspiration!)
-knife throwing (ok, this isn't really 'play' but it is a good source of stress relief and good to have a self defense skill. when i mentioned to a friend that i planned on practicing from several distances so i could hit my target no matter how far away i was from it -within reason, of course- my oldest son choked on his lunch he started laughing so hard. not sure what was funny about that comment, i think i scared him a bit and it was a nervous reaction)
-mandolin (i have had this darned thing for 5 years now. i used to play every day but then came sage)

*more effecient with computer usage

2008 herbal focus

peppermint & wild mint*
st. john's wort*
nettles
plantain*
wild cherry*
burdock*
black walnut*
self heal*
astragalus
ashwaganda
mugwort*
calendula*
monardis*
elder*
ginger
skullcap*
chamomile & pineapple weed*
echinacea (augustifolia and purpurea)*
marshmallow*
chickweed*
pine*
rose*
lavender*
comfrey*
cleavers*
motherwort*
violet*
melissa*
mullein*
poke*
golden rod*
garlic*
hawthorne
vitex
eyebright
yarrow*
sumach
juniper*
dandelion*
red clover*
catnip*
blackberry*
raspberry*
yellow dock*
gotu kola*
ginkgo
wood betony
chicory*
sage*
rosemary*
thyme*
basil, regular and holy basil*
willow*
peach*

* denotes those i already have growing on my property. the rest i will start this year.
those in italics mark plants i have managed to start this year.

out with the old...

2008 was a so-so year for goals. i feel like i slacked of on so much this year, bored with the mundane. next years goals are more focused and will hopefully bring back the energy and desire to get. it. done. i had my moments but not as many as i should have.

outdoors:
-grow hay and feed for animals (in progress)
-rain cistern
-gutters on barn for rainwater collection
-pasture for goats completed
-chicken tractor for broilers
-bees
-enlarge pond to incorporate fish

household:
-get back to making more basics: bread, yogurt, etc doing
-root cellar
-continue sewing clothes doing
-focus more on preparedness (in progress)
-preserve more food: can tomatoes (sauce and ketchup); put by potatoes, yams, onions, apples, squash and garlic; freeze okra, green beans and blackberries; make lots of jam (cherry, mulberry, peach, blackberry); applesauce; dry tomatoes, apples, onions; attempt to make fruit leathersas much as crops allowed me to
-keep purging possessions (in progress)
-continue to make majority gifts & cards throughout the year (in progress)
-work on budget, get it down slowly chipping away at it

personal:
-be a better person, more respectful, cheerful, caring (i'm trying!!...trying to follow quaker philosophy)
-contribute articles to herbal magazine (at least 3)
-write to 1 friend each month (real life snail mail)
-revive family game night once a week (played more games towards the fall)
-upload photos to snapfish and order prints(2008 done!)

winter goals

my winter goals are a bit more haphazard. i am still stumbling around, trying to get back on track. i have been very contemplative about my role in life and my purpose for inhabiting this earth. lots of attitude adjusting for myself has been in progress which i think is overall improving my moods and ability to get things done.

-revamp binder (stay tuned for posts and pictures on this endeavor)
-build choreboard and put into action
-plan this year's garden
-sort seeds and order anything needed
-paint playroom and hang up world map
-order bee equipment
-check into purchasing commercial pet feed license to sell raw goat's milk
-work out details for chicken share (we raise meat birds and everyone interested pays for their share and helps butcher when they are grown and gets to take home their own birds

autumn goals

i fell behind on updating my goals for autumn and forget about winter! i am hoping to get back into the swing of things. i haven't been on the computer much lately due to an overactive toddler who is into and onto everything he can be. i'm waiting for the day i walk into the kitchen and find him on top of the refrigerator or at the top of the pantry shelves. i only slightly jest about this.

busted! attempting to destroy what's left of our thermostat

anyway, a rundown of autumn goals:

-find doors for kia so it can be repaired still searching
-pot up annual plants/herbs and bring inside
-3 lessons (actually 9) of unit 2 in rosetta stone no such luck, this is on a back burner for now
-finish working on plans for garage renovation (to become my apothecary)
-decide if i want to start michael moore's correspondence course or do online nursing classes (i think i'm going to lean towards nursing right now to get a better idea of how the body works) neither right now, i'm doing home study
-look at some more suburbans (we desperately need a vehicle to haul the 8 of us) waiting on finances to afford this goal
-start getting back into focus in my life
-solstice gift list (ugh, i am so not into it this year)
-herb seed/plant shopping list

so, as you can see, now very productive on the goals for autumn! hopefully, what's left of winter will be more productive...

word for 2008: organize

this year i'm vowing to organize my home. some websites i have found inspiring:

organized home - i find the cleaning master list especially helpful
rockin' granola - love her household binder!

i am also tweaking my household binder. i removed the homeschool section to its own binder. i want to make an 8 week focus clean rotation section so each week i focus on one area (this week is kitchen) and i do tasks in that room that don't get done daily or weekly (clean inside fridge, dust ceiling fan, straighten shelves, etc). rockingranola rotates her pages each week so the current week is on top. i like that idea.

i am in search of martha stewart's homekeeping housebook to purchase for cheap as i have really enjoyed reading it for great cleaning tips. gotta love martha!

hopefully, i'll be able to organize the garden/canning better this year since sage is getting older. on my january to-do list is to make a list of vegetables/fruits we eat and figure out how i can up the production of them so that we buy less from the grocery store and farmer's market. i need to get our grocery bill down.

i want to make a list of things i can make (and have in the past) and start making them again such as tortillas, bread, yogurt, cheese, etc. we buy too much that can be made and i feel like it's pure laziness that has kept me from doing it.

i plan on writing out my 2008 goals soon. i just haven't had the desire to be online much and it seems when i am online, i'm juggling nursing babies which makes it hard to type (part of this post has been typed one handed).

i also would like to make a list of healthy snacks that are quick and easy to make that i can post on the fridge so that when we get the munchies, we are not reaching for cookies (which are not in the house often) and my weakness of sundrops (organic m&m's) and almonds. i'd like to cut out snacking on the sugar bombs. i love those coconut/date bars from trader joe's. i need to recreate them as they are very sweet and help cut that craving when i have it.

the biggest challenge is to actually refer to the binder. i'm a bit lazy about dragging something out and cracking it open. i hope to designate my kitchen table as the binder location so i can always have it open for reference. currently, the 3 things i use the most that stay on the side of the fridge are my monthly calendar, my weekly to do sheet from donnayoung.org and my monthly menu calendar that i created for myself. i think by redesigning it and putting in things i need to have nearby (stain remover care sheet, commonly used recipes, menu choices, weekly focus checklists and schedules, etc) i will use it more often.

must. focus.

lately, i've been feeling like i've not only fallen off the wagon of sustainability, but i've also rolled down the hill, through the woods and into the lake.

time to refocus. gardening went out the window for the most part this year. the animals have become more of a burden than anything (i have multiple lumps and bruises all over my face and legs from an accident this am to prove it). budgeting money has slipped by the wayside (but still i do not own credit cards!). even my herbal business has suffered.

i'm afraid to review my goal list for this year and for the next 5 years but i must. i hate feeling like a hypocrite.

monthly to do

march to do

-paint nina’s new room 3/4 done (need to paint new color, waiting on greg to finish moving his boxes out...still waiting)
-make bloomers for girls
-make 2 solstice gifts (came up with more ideas!)
-ostara gifts made for kids
-finish kitchen: wainscot, flooring, paint, strip wood trim (waiting for greg to cut the wainscot. put stripping on hold because sage is getting mobile and i don't want him to get into the mess)
-april cards, start may cards
-curtains for dining room (if i find fabric i like which didn't happen)
-sew apron for me (would like to have 2-3)
-write article #2 for herb magazine didn't happen but still meeting my expectations on this goal!
-start garden! (spring greens: radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, broccoli)
-purchase kerosene heater watching ebay auctions
-investigate water filters
-start replenishing herbal products for market

so-so on the goals this month. it was a long month.
april should be much better, right?!

april to-do:
-paint nina’s new room 3/4 done (need to paint new color, waiting on greg to finish moving his boxes out)
-make 2 solstice gifts
-make mom's b-day gift
-finish kitchen: wainscot, flooring, strip wood trim (as time/weather permits)
-may cards
-curtains for dining room (if i find fabric i like)
-sew 2-3 more dresses for jaden
-sew 2 outfits (shorts) for sage
-write article #2 for herb magazine
-continue defining 3 new raised beds
-continue creating herb bed
-rough out new herb spiral/water garden
-start summer garden
-mulch, mulch, mulch
-continue trying to purchase kerosene heater and 2nd chamber pot (for wipes) watching ebay auctions
-start watching ebay auctions for water filters
-finish replenishing herbal products for market
-bees!
-find housesitter for annual trek to colorado

monthly to do

february to do

-paint dining room (oops! did this in january)

-finish moving caleb

-paint nina’s new room 3/4 done

-move nina

-paint studio

-tap maple trees

-kitchen facelift: paint, put up wainscot, replace shelves, acquire 3x3 kitchen table (want to spend more time in kitchen but have nowhere to sit), investigate flooring beneath vct in progress - painting is 95% done

-sew curtains for front and back door and dining room windows

-march & april cards

-make 1 solstice gift

-ostara gifts made for kids

-purchase kerosene heater (back up heat source, part of preparedness plan) not in budget this month

-research and purchase laptop and printer

-get taxes done

-make bloomers for girls patterns made

overall, not bad on completing the list. the kitchen has become a huge project just because of the shape of it and the multitude of stuff (food, dishes, etc) to move and work around. it is shaping up nicely and will definitely be finished by the end of this month. because i got busy working in there, i neglected other items on my to do but i will start picking back up on them.

march to do

-paint nina’s new room 3/4 done (need to paint new color, waiting on greg to finish moving his boxes out)

-make bloomers for girls patterns made

-make 2 solstice gifts

-ostara gifts made for kids

-finish kitchen: wainscot, flooring, paint, strip wood trim

-april cards, start may cards

-curtains for dining room (if i find fabric i like)

-sew apron for me (would like to have 2-3)

-write article #2 for herb magazine

-start garden! (spring greens: radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, broccoli)

-purchase kerosene heater

-investigate water filters

chalkboard paint

i picked up a martha stewart magazine at the library (jan 2oo7) and discovered a chalkboard paint recipe to make any wall paint color into chalkboard paint. i am thinking about using it on a wall above a table i am putting in the kitchen when i redo it. the recipe is very simple:

1 c. flat paint, color of your choice
2 T. powdered tile grout

mix and apply several coats on wall to evenly cover. sand with 150 grit sandpaper until smooth. condition by rubbing side of chalk over surface and then wiping off with a lightly damp sponge.

i'm not sure greg will be crazy about this though. we'll see. also, i just sent him to the store with the paint chip selection for the kitchen and i'm sure he'll purchase semi-gloss instead of flat. personally, i prefer flat but he likes the semi-gloss. i just don't care for shiny walls but i guess in the kitchen, it's more scrubbable that way.

january and february goals

january goals:

-plan 2007 garden
-inventory existing seeds
-order seeds
-research growing mushrooms
-purge clothing & magazines
-plan food preservation
-check/update truck emergency box
-review & streamline production line
-review & tweak budget
-knit hat & gloves for self (bartered gloves w/fellow blogger)
-move caleb into new room (we are almost done with this)
-return borrowed diapers (haven’t gotten to that part of town yet, should be able to this month)
-create gift timeline calendar
-make jewelry set for lauri, vicki, lisa & embroider 1 dishtowel for sister (almost done)
-create feb special day cards
-write outline for next herbal class (halfway done, put on back burner for a month or so)
-write article for essential herbal (deadline jan 15)
-prioritize and start acquiring preparedness items
-sew 1 clothing item

overall, i am pleased with myself on getting most of the list done. with the exception of the mushrooms, i have at least started everything. the diapers aren’t out of the house but they are all packed together in 1 bag.

february goals:

- paint dining room (oops! did this in january)
-paint adelena’s new room
-move adelena
-kitchen facelift: paint, put up wainscot, replace shelves, acquire 3x3 kitchen table (want to spend more time in kitchen but have nowhere to sit), investigate flooring beneath vct
-sew curtains for front and back doors and dining room
-march cards
-make 1 solstice/birthday gift
-ostara gifts made for kids
-purchase kerosene heater (back up heat source, part of preparedness plan)
-research and purchase laptop and printer
-get taxes done
-make bloomers for kids