Life has been busy at my own homestead the past two weeks, so I apologize for the lack of posts recently. There are just seasons in everyone's life where this kind of thing happens and so hopefully, this next week will be a bit quieter and I can get caught up on writing.
One thing that's been keeping me busy is a new ministry opportunity... Global Media Outreach. I've been training as an online missionary to answer people who respond to a gospel presentation on line. Let me say... it's been a bit challenging to say the least! Okay, I probably just scared a bunch of people off from considering this ministry, but it's not THAT difficult. I'm just slow at reading and writing, so it takes me a while. Plus, I have to think like someone who is NOT an American. But the joy of getting to be a part of discipling new believers... incredible!
Then there's the goats, the chickens (lost another one to the bobcat... that's a total of 5, but this one died of shock after being traumatized by the bobcat), and now I'm thinking I may move my garden. When I tell my husband this, he'll think I've lost my mind! The problem is... on 4.5 mountainous acres, there is one spot that is ideal for both the garden and the goats, but I can't do both in the same space. So I'm trying to think if there is another place that will work for the garden that I've not considered before. Probably not, but oh it would make things so much easier to put the goats there!
And the bees... I need to decide where to put them this year since I'm starting over. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a Homestead Designer who would come to your land and help you make decisions like this based on the best use of your land? I actually have a friend who's brother does this for larger ranches and farms (mega ranches and farms, really), but I couldn't afford him, I'm sure! It's too bad because the small homesteader needs this as much as anybody! Oh, I could really run with that thought!
Join The Barn Hop!
Jill @ The Prairie Homestead
Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead
Kelly @ The Morris Tribe
1. Write a blog post about what's going on at your homestead or a post on something you're learning or an item of interest that will benefit the homesteading community. Be sure to add the red barn button and link back here so others can join in the fun.
2. Come back here and enter your information in the Linky. Please be sure to link to your actual post (click your title and then copy the URL above) and not your home page so those participating later in the week can find your post easily.
3. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment and tell us what's going on at your homestead!
Please Note: As hostesses of the Homestead Barn Hop, please understand that we reserve the right to remove any links that are not family friendly. While this may be subjective, we will err on the side of caution in order to keep our blogs appropriate for all readers. Thank you for your understanding!
PLEASE. STOP. posting these fabulous "Hops"! ;)
ReplyDeleteEvery link is so compelling, I will NEVER catch up on all this fun reading!!!
I am already YEARS behind.
My farm is much bigger than most listed here, so a blog is simply not an option for me---BUT I AM THRILLED TO SEE OTHERS trying so hard to do ANYTHING they can, WHEREVER they are!!!!!!
The ingenuity of REAL women in this country---women who reject the worship of Hollyweird, fashion and pop culture nonsense-- is a real point of pride for me.
I love my sister homesteaders!!!!
Sorry to hear about the ongoing bobcat issues! We just moved our coop away from our wood line a bit and I'm hoping that will help with some of the predator problems we been having too. It's not much farther in, but now it will be easier for our dog to "patrol" that wood edge, so I hope it will help.
ReplyDeleteWe live on a mountainous 35 acres and had a bobcat. Animals disappeared rapidly. We called the Wildlife Department, which you should do. They said that the bobcat will keep coming back till you lose everything on your farm and the only way to deal with it is to shoot it. So we did. You can not keep the pelt and have to bring it into the Wildlife Department when you do. Thought I'd say something now... before more animals are killed.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteA Homestead Designer! What a perfect idea! We too are on a mountain side and covered in trees and have found it increasingly difficult to tend to the garden down at the bottom of the hill in the flat field of my neighbor. SO this year we are scouting out the sunny areas of our area (and taking down a few trees).
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteA homestead designer is a great idea!!! You might talk to that guy and see if he would do something for smaller-scale homesteads. Oh, I think this is fabulous idea and the wheels are spinning!!! I could totally use someone like this, too!!!!
That's an interesting ministry that you mentioned. I'm going to talk about it with my dad and friend's because God can reach people all sorts of ways, including on-line :) :)
Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)
Thank you so much for hosting this! It has once again been a pleasure to join.
ReplyDeleteCindy @ Apron Strings and Apple Trees
http://apronstringsandappletrees.blogspot.com
Finally finished the fence around my garden area...no more 'digging help' from the dog! Because of the rain, the mushroom compost order I placed won't be available until the weekend, so no planting yet, but the seeds/sets are ready! I scored a fantastic deal on a 150 gallon composting bin for $24 and built two potato towers AND two pole bean trellises with leftover supplies from the fencing. Really looking forward to getting the beds amended and seeds in the ground! I feel God's pleasure when I do this work!
ReplyDeleteI could SO use a homestead land designer. What a fabulous idea. When you find one, pass them on. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting this blog hop. It's been so fun and I've learned so much. Today, I shared my adventure with lacto-fermenting cabbage in a jar instead of a crock.
http://kathleen.peterro.com/2012/03/the-results-are-in/
And then I thought other homesteaders might enjoy the story of our llama have a 'Night Out' this last Friday.
http://kathleen.peterro.com/2012/03/llamas-night-out/
For years, I have been using the same graph paper notebook for drawing rough designs of the property (I am not an artist and can barely draw a straight line). I am a very visual person. Penciling the outline of the property, sometimes to scale, most times not, I can get a good sense of where everything needs to go. The other pages are filled with the individual details, driveway outline, barn plans, flower/vegetable garden designs, garden area around the well house, workshop, chicken coop, fence plans... This also helps the entire family know what I have in mind and gives us a good start. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteHey, I had a question. You've mentioned your Homesteading Coop many times, and I'm intrigued. What exactly is that and how did you find one? And do you have any advice as how to start one?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathleen
Kathleen,
DeleteI have a post where I explain this in more detail. (http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/02/building-local-homestead-community.html)
Our group mostly communicates via a google group we set up which sends out emails linked to everyone. We meet a couple of times a year for a potluck and do something fun like watch a homesteading video. We also have several sub groups: Beekeepers Club, G.R.U.B.S. (a gardening group which gets together to help each other out in teams: Gardeners Relief Uniting Biannually), a very informal group for goats, food co-op info, and so on. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. Just email me at homesteadrevival at sbcglobal dot net.