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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Work on the Homestead

Things we are presently doing on the homestead:

  • We raise Red Angus cattle and sheep for meat and for profit.
  • We hunt and harvest deer, antelope, elk, sage grouse and cottontail rabbits and elk for meat.
  • We plant a small garden, in which we grow potatoes, onions, beets, green beans, and summer squash.
  • We have built a greenhouse, which we use for those summer crops, like tomatoes, green peppers, herbs, and believe it or not....Brussels sprouts.
  • We start our plants indoors from seed.....we try to use heirloom.
  • We preserve the beets that we grow into pickled beets.
  • We can tomatoes, salsa, jams and jellies, and peaches.
  • We cut and split our own wood for heating our home.  Although we have propane as a backup, we only spend about $300 a year to heat our home.
  • We make our own bread.
  • We cook most things from scratch and rarely go "out" for dinner.
  • We smoke and butcher our own meat.
  • We compost kitchen scraps and use manure from the sheep and cattle operation for fertilizer.
  • We planted currant bushes for the fruit.
  • We make our own pasta noodles.
Things we would like to start doing on the homestead:

  • We need to build a chicken coop and start raising hens for eggs.  I get very attached to chickens, so I doubt we will ever grow them for meat.  That is just one thing we need to plan on purchasing.
  • This spring, we plan on buying two wiener pigs to raise.
  • We need to build rabbit cages and raise rabbits for meat.
  • Hunky Hubby has expressed interest in setting up some bee hives.  I am deathly allergic, so I won't be involved in that project.
  • We need to plant some strawberries and raspberry plants.
  • I would really like to take a spinning class, as we have a large amount of wool.
  • This winter, I want to develop some recipes for homemade cleaning and laundry products.  I would also like to make our own shampoo, lotion, lip balm, toothpaste, mouthwash and deodorant.
  • We are talking to a neighbor about buying shares in her milk cow.
  • We need to re-vamp the compost pile.
  • I need to get my mother-in-law to teach me how to render lard.
  • I would love to learn how to make soap the old fashioned way.
  • I need to step it up on sewing clothing for our family.

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