2012 Goals & Promises

It is that time of year -- time to make the annual list of Resolutions most of which we never keep. Have you considered yours? I've spent some time the last few weeks thinking about 2012 very seriously. I am tired of making resolutions that aren't backed with enough passion to actually survive. Yesterday, on the organic list, the question was phrased "what are your promises to yourself". That made me think. Perhaps the problem was that it is much easier to give up on a resolution that nobody ever keeps than it is to give up on a promise one has made for oneself? 

But, some things really don't rise to the level of "promise". Many homesteading goals are just that: what we hope to accomplish Lord willing and the creek don't rise (or drought come, or hurricane destroy). So, I made a bit of a different list this year -- half "goals" and half "promises". The full list follows but I will expound on most of the promises in my other blog.

2012 Goals:

Homestead:

1. Pantry=work the plan, build the emergency pantry

2. Rabbits=build cages & shelter, obtain Silver Fox Rabbits from breeder in Florida

3. Poultry=build chicken tractor, obtain layers, obtain Muscovy ducks

4. Built berm/swale

5. Plant more fruit trees, muscadine arbor, etc.

6. Create & plant mixed beds of vegetables/herbs/flowers

2012 Promises:

1. More time each day in spiritual pursuits: Bible reading, Bible study, prayer, worship, silence/listening, etc.

2. Ministry opportunities: Reaching Our Community Ministry, Teen Sunday School class, Music, Intercessory Prayer Group (WIN)

3. Eat healthier & Work on mobility

4. Clear out “excess” à voluntary simplicity & frugality

5. manage time so as to have time for crafts and reading

6. Blogs: blog more often, improve blogs appearance and performance

As you can see, 2012 is a year of building up here on the homestead. Between drought and neighbors much of the physical efforts put forth in 2011 have little or nothing to show for all the sweat and tears. We aren't nearly as far along as I'd hoped we'd be at this point. But, no sense in bemoaning things that can't be helped. 

I have made a shopping plan for the year to build a basic pantry. Each week, we will set aside $15 and purchase a staple item (i.e., flour, sugar, rice, etc.). By the end of the year, we should have a good foundation for a pantry. The long term goal is to have a one year pantry. The point of the pantry is to be assured that when IT hits the fan, we have food and other necessities. 

The purpose of the rabbits, chickens, ducks, and gardens are to improve our self-sufficiency both short term and long term. They can also serve as "cash crops" when cash is needed. And, it is a ministry opportunity -- a chance to share with those who are hungry. 

Then, there are the promises. I promise to take better care of myself this year. To eat healthy, exercise, and relax so that I am healthier and happier. I am learning to nurture myself and not allow the busyness of life take precedence over my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. 

Not on the list but something our family has promised each other this coming year is to play games and enjoy each other's company more. We had a wonderful time on Christmas day playing card games and Yahtzee. That will become a more common occurrence.  Laughter is good for the soul. Family bonds are critical in a world so full of strife.

Declaring my Independence

This is a slight detour from the discussion of the homestead and permaculture -- a brief return to the original theme of this blog. I hope you will indulge me.

I'm sure you have heard the old adage: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Based on that, I've been insane for 38 years. For 38 years I have battled my weight desperate to reach and hold on to a "normal" weight. I have dieted, worshiped the scale, starved, binged, purged, exercised to excess, and felt the shame just grow and grow. For 38 years I have hated the face in the mirror, wished it was thin and pretty. For 38 years I have hated my body, always wanting it to look like normal people's bodies. You know what all that misery and self hate got me? Fatter and heavier with shame and self loathing.

As of today -- I declare my independence.

• I will no longer "go on a diet"
• I will not worship the number on the scale
• I will not measure my worth by the scale or the size of my clothes.
• I will not feel shame for eating a piece of cake. 
• I will not kill myself at the gym. 
• I will not worry that my family will be ashamed or embarrassed being seen with me. 
• I will not allow the judgmental looks of others to shame me -- they matter not.
• I will not avoid the face in the mirror.
• I will eat to be healthy.
• I will exercise to regain and maintain my mobility and health.
• I will love the person in the mirror because God loves her.
• I will redirect all that energy to becoming the woman God designed me to be.

 This pretty little girl with the soft features was told she was fat. She was told she was too fat and ugly to be included in the school yard games. She was told that because of her size, she deserved to be hit and ridiculed and pushed off the school bus seats. She believed and was ashamed. That shame made her heavier. It made her see herself as ugly. She had no one to tell her it was lies. Instead, adults said things like "you would be so pretty if only you lost some weight". If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I'd be rich.

The overweight lady on the right had the time of her life hiking in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. She felt more alive and more in her element than she could remember ever feeling.  She never lost weight on those hikes even though she didn't have much of an appetite during the hikes -- even on multi-day hikes. But, that didn't matter. What mattered is that she was just as capable as skinny hikers (much to their surprise) and she didn't feel like she had to make excuses for herself.  I don't know if I'll be able to go hiking again. My camping hammock has a weight limit and my mobility is not adequate at the moment. Whether I ever walk the trails of the Smokies again or not, I want to feel about myself the way I felt on those hikes.

Self-Sufficiency Goals for 2012

While my winter greens garden is still growing, the leaves have fallen and it is time to move them into the compost pile and start focusing on 2012.  Thoughts turn to questions about what steps to take in the coming year to move us closer to our goal of being self-sufficient.

The first part of self-sufficiency is having food to eat. Food self-sufficiency means finding ways to grow, gather (through hunting or foraging), or trade for food.

Growing:  as I consider what foods to grow, I'm looking to build a base of perennial plants; both fruit, vegetable, and herb. Of course, there will also be the necessary annuals -- one simply can not do without tomatoes and cucumbers!

The fruits I hope to plant next year include: gooseberry, blueberries, strawberries, fig, muscadine grapes, passionfruit, hardy kiwi and elderberries. Some of the perennial vegetables I hope to get planted include asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes), Egyptian walking onions, garlic, sea kale (if I can find a root cutting), scarlet runner beans, and...well...I'm still working on the list as I read my new book on the subject.

How much of any one thing to plant is always a big question. One issue is cross-pollination -- some fruits simply have to have another of it's kind to set fruit. The other question is: how much will each plant produce versus how much can we use? We like to have some for eating fresh but in most cases, we also want some for preserving either through canning or freezing. We also want to have enough to share and to trade. So, the question of "how many to plant" is not such an easy question to answer.

Gathering. Foraging and hunting are also areas to be considered and improved upon. In 2012, I hope to do more in this area that we did this year. I want to learn where to go clamming and relearn how to do that. I went clamming many years ago but have long since forgotten the process. Fishing is another thing I'd like to do --or find someone who goes fishing that is interested in a barter arrangement. I would love to have more local fish on my menu! Deer is another commodity we didn't get much of this year. We had hoped that Son would get to learn to hunt this year -- we will add that to the wishlist for 2012.

Barter. I recently had occasion to speak with some ladies at church about a potential barter/trade community arrangement within our church family. Some are interested in trying a church community garden which would be great for growing some things that I might not have space to grow. It would also be nice to have folks working together on such a project. The barter arrangement would be wonderful. Not everyone has a "green thumb" or desire to garden but might like to make soaps or candles or perhaps they have or want to have chickens. We have one couple that likes to go fishing. Working with each person's strengths could help each of us be more self-sufficient. Such a community of believers helping each other has long been a dream of mine. We'll have to see what might come of it.

Other goals for the homestead for 2012 are:

* build a berm/swale to separate my growing space from the wall of blueberries the neighbor planted.
* build a chicken dome and finally get my hens.
* get a breeding pair or two of muscovies.
* to work perennial beds which mix perennial vegetables, herbs, and fruits
* improve the health of the pecan trees so they begin producing again
* build the 3 month food pantry and start working on the 1 year food pantry

2011 was a year of struggle but it was also a year of learning. I guess you could say that 2011 was the school of hard knocks. Let's hope that 2012 is the sweet fruit that comes from persistence and determination not to quit.

More on Ducks in the Permaculture Homestead

Ducks do belong in the Permaculture Homestead plan. You might think you can’t keep ducks unless you have a pond. Or, perhaps you can’t imagine of what use a duck is on the homestead. As I mentioned before, I have actually gone back and forth on this issue myself. Yes. No. Maybe. But, I keep coming back to -- Yes!

The best thing to do is consider how ducks will function within the system.

It might help to first realize that there are different types of ducks. Most ducks are water ducks. For these ducks, you will need either a pond or kiddie pool. With the latter, you will be changing that water often because ducks will foul it, fast. While changing pond water might be irritating, there is an upside to it. It can be used to water the garden and provides fertilizer at the same time. But, if you really don't want to deal with the kiddie pool, there are land ducks. 

The easiest thing to do is head over to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and read up on each of the ducks. Take note of the ones with characteristics you think will benefit your homestead. There is bound to be a breed or breeds that appeal to you and fit well within your homestead plan.

For my little homestead, I wanted a non-water, meat duck that is good at foraging (eating bugs and weeds) and quiet. Quiet is important because of the close proximity of neighbors. Docile, good mothering abilities, and easy care were also important. While some folks are fond of duck eggs for baking, Mother nixed that idea. So, which duck meets those standards? The Muscovy! Muscovies are land ducks so a water bowl is all the water they require. They eat a tremendous amount of mosquitoes along with slugs, bugs, and even small snakes. Their meat is said to be lean and similar in flavor to grass fed beef. They are parenting machines so with just a breeding pair or two we will have enough for our freezer and some to sell. They are docile but willing and able to defend themselves and their ducklings against any animal or human stupid enough to challenge them. And, they roost in the trees and only take shelter when the weather is foul. The males are too heavy to fly but the females and juveniles will need to have their wings clipped to keep them away from the neighbors. If we find that we have issues with them being totally free range, I will convert them into a “duck dome” but I hope to avoid that.

What breed(s) are you considering? Or, do you have ducks already (if so, what type)?

Misadventures and Chicken Tractors

Best laid plans of mice and men or so they say. What we plan and what actually happens are often two very different things. When life and people do not work according to plan, plans get seriously messed up! And, so it has been here at the homestead. It seems that each time I adjust the plans for the behaviors and doings of people or conditions, something or someone else comes in and twists it all up yet again. At moments, I want to just give up and go hide in my room. But, I can't do that. I have to keep trying. And, sometimes, better ideas come of it.

The Fall Garden as conceptualized in my head was quite a bit different from what actually happening. The actual Fall planting is a simple garden of mustard greens (smooth leaf, as according to everyone in these parts it's the only type worth growing), kale, spinach, and collards. They went into the ground rather late but I'm hoping we'll enjoy some greens this winter anyway. Hope was that after getting this little bit planted, we'd have time to determine a site for the perennial vegetable beds (asparagus, etc) and get those "beds" heavily mulched and doing their magic for a Spring planting. I also wanted to get some clover planted to cover all the bare soil. Did I mention that nothing is going quite to plan?

I got a call from the Backdoor Neighbor announcing that he was going to be planting 20 blueberry bushes along his border, effectively nixing my garden plans by putting conventionally raised blueberries right at our boundary. While giving me a bit of an upset, a new plan has arisen from it that will be quite beautiful. It will have to wait until the Spring after the Fall Garden is done. Then, we will create a berm-and-swale along the border with ornamental trees, bushes, and grasses along the berm. The swale will serve to hold water after a rain allowing it to be absorbed into the ground rather than run off. The berm and it's plantings will serve as an attractive barrier between his conventional gardening and my organic gardening. It also will give me an area to satisfy Mother's craving for ornamental trees and bushes. Theoretically, this all fits within the principles of Permaculture I talked about previously. Or, so I tell myself so I can feel better about this twisted dizzy road I seem to be on.

Chickens. Chickens were supposed to be here this past Spring. I should have been enjoying their services in the garden for months now. But, for various reasons the coop and the chickens have been delayed. But, that might turn out to not be such a bad thing. Various thoughts and opinions and ideas have been considered and tossed around. Each with their benefits and drawbacks. From the beginning what I really wanted was a chicken tractor -- a portable chicken coop with attached run. But, because Mother was not yet on board with that idea, some form of stationary coop was going to be built. But wasn't. Which turns out to be a good thing as I have since been able to convince Mother that a Chicken Dome is both attractive and has more benefits than drawbacks. Square and rectangle tractors are probably easier to build, perhaps cheaper, but for about $200 we can have a large Dome.

Why a tractor and why a dome? Well, with a chicken tractor, you move the chickens around on a daily or other set schedule so they have fresh graze and leave their fertilizer around instead of all piled up and stinky at the coop. It is better than true free range because the chickens are protected from predators and I get to place them where I want them rather than them just going wherever and possibly eating seedlings they shouldn't be eating. The dome is aesthetically more pleasing and being made from PVC means it is very light and easy to move around.  There is a youtube video of a tractor a man built that has plastic panels enclosing one side forming a shelted roosting area. I like that much better than the tarp-over-the-top idea.

I got the replacement plants from Direct Gardening so we had a lot of holes to dig yesterday. They made a mistake and set me a Hazelnut instead of a lilac but that is fine with me. That got planted up front at a corner of the property. I planted 6 rugosas, two pawpaws, 4 Hansen's bush cherries, and 6 dwarf cherry bushes. The cherry bushes were planted along the back border. The only thing not yet planted was the forsythias. I haven't quite figured out where I want to plant them. I can't plant them where I originally wanted them due to changes in property lines and the new plan for the berm/swale. Need to figure out where to put them and get them planted this week.

We also had a miracle come our way -- or coming our way. A retired Methodist preacher is going to build us a storage shed in exchange for the old camper. I've learned my lesson -- this time, I get the building before I give up the camper! Once burned, twice shy.

Plant Inventory October 9 2011

Backwoodsjon of Organic Homestead Gardening fame challenged us last week to take a plant inventory of our homestead. He suggested we tally all the permanent plants (trees, bushes, perennials) we have. Even though I had a good idea of what I had, I thought it was a good exercise and a good chance to go out and take measurements to form a more accurate map of the property. This is important for making plans for future plantings and for knowing what food producing plants I have. While I was walking around, I also took note of a few plants I did know names for that are "volunteers" (aka weeds) with potential value.

Here is the result of my walk about yesterday:

Trees:
Pecans (6) --ranging in size from sapling to old ancient
Oaks (4)
Holly (1)
dogwoods (3)
pine (former "living Christmas tree") (1)
crape myrtle (1)
camellia (1) --largest one I've ever seen...very happy near the septic tank!
Wild Cherry (3 or 4)
pawpaws (2 -did not come out of dormancy, will be receiving replacements)
Japanese Tulip (1)

Bushes:
Gardenia(4)
hydrangea (6)
Azaleas (4)
orleander (1) --highly poisonous! Keep away from animals and humans...Mother loves their flowers
thyme (1)
holly (must be removed--pretty bush in a bad location)
boxwood (1)
old-fashioned rose (it is looking better already after pruning off the dead wood. Will do more when it goes dormant.)
Hansen cherry (1 -awaiting a replacement for the other 4 that did not survive)
forsythia (1 -awaiting a replacement for the other 3 that did not survive)
lilac (1 -awaiting a replacement for the other that did not survive)
rugosa roses (10 -awaiting a replacement for the other 12 that did not survive)

Other:
day lilies (lots)
lily (type unknown) (1) --needs to be transplanted as it is lost amongst the hydrangea
hosta (1) --needs to be transplanted as it is lost amongst the hydrangea
Cannas (lots)
pampas grass (being eradicated)
Carolina Willow (1)
purslane (hoping it survived the unexpected plowing)
evening primrose (ditto) 

Red Wood Sorrel (Oxalis rubra)
Smartweed/knotweed ..Persicaria maculate (Lady's Thumb)…
Phyllanthus urinaria, called "Chamber Bitter", which is in the spurge family

Stachys floridana, called "Florida Betony" or "Rattlesnake Weed"

Heliotropium amplexicaule

Diodia virginiana

I had hoped to order blueberries and a few other fruit trees this Fall but with having to pay for a lawyer to get the boundary line question resolved and deed filing costs, that may not happen.

Son and I have a saying now, "the vision in our head is wonderful, it's the accomplishing of it that isn't so simple." But, while we may be be there yet, we are not quitting...it's just taking more time than we wish it would.

Deer Apples and Homestead Animals

Mother has been wanting to make and can apple sauce. She's been waiting with baited breath for the mountain apples to arrive at Holden Brothers. And, they have arrived...a variety of delicious apples all from the North Carolina Mountains. A box of them would be around $30. Not bad. But, not great. Then, I saw the sign that said "Deer Apples $10 per box". Deer apples?  We located the owner and she gave a few bewildering answers and then finally something that made sense--apples that have bruises. Ah, perfect! A mixed box of apples that are perfectly good with exception of a bruise or two. No problem. Now, mother can work on making apple sauce.

In my last post, I discussed some of the permaculture principles I want to incorporate into my little homestead. One of the cornerstones of my overall vision is livestock. Before we lost a chunk of our property, I had hoped to include dairy goats, miniatures, in the plan. But, with less space and after considering all the new factors we are dealing with, I've decided goats aren't a good choice for the Not Quite There Yet Homestead. Instead, we will focus on chickens, ducks, and rabbits.

Chickens: This is the quintessential first livestock accquisition for homesteaders. In fact, there may be a rule that one can not call oneself a homesteader without a few of these running around. If such a rule exists, we aren't officially a homestead yet. The chicken coop we had hoped to have this past Spring appears to have taken a wrong turn at the Green Swamp and gotten lost. Fortunately, our friend Captain Jeff does more than just take care of yachts, he also has chickens and shares the eggs they produce. I can't wait to have some cochins and some EasterEggers running around and laying brown and green and blue eggs. But, it isn't the color of the eggs that make chickens the first choice of permaculturist homesteaders. Chickens provide several benefits: eggs, meat, manure, pest control, turning compost, and entertainment. As long as you don't have a rooster, you shouldn't have issues with the neighbors.

Ducks: I've gone back and forth on whether to get ducks or not. They are messy and some breeds are noisy. And, I've never eaten duck. But, muscovies do offer benefits to the homestead: they make good weeders for the garden, eat their weight in mosquitoes and will also eat slugs and mice and even small snakes. Their meat is said to be of the taste and quality of grass-fed beef and leaner than other duck meat. They are also quite prolific which means you can raise enough for the freezer and have some to sell. I already have interested clients and I don't even have ducks yet! Muscovies are much quieter than other ducks, don't need ponds, and don't require much housing beyond a simple doghouse style shed to retreat into when foul weather arrives. I definitely want muscovies! (But, every homesteader has they duck breed that they feel particularly passionate about. They should be a duck for you if you look around.)

Rabbits: Another excellent livestock choice for the small homestead. A small breeding herd can produce a good amount of meat as well as the best most coveted manure with the exception of worm castings. And, if you put a vermiculture box under the rabbit cages, you will have black gold to enrich your gardens or sell at ridiculous prices to the rose growers in your area. You can also opt for a breed that produces wool and have yet another income stream or product for your homestead. I could go two different directions with breed choice: New Zealand or Silver Fox. New Zealands are plentiful and easy to get at cheap prices. Silver Fox is neither plentiful, easy to get, or cheap. But, Silver Fox is an endangered breed, is stunningly beautiful, and very efficient at creating meat. If I decide I want to get involved in going to breed shows, or simply want to raise meat with a rabbit that is docile and beautiful, it makes sense to go to the trouble of getting Silver Fox breeding stock. I'm definitely leaning in that direction.

These three choices of livestock serves the purpose of providing three sources of meat, two sources of manure, two sources of pest control, one source of weeding, two or more income stream options, and three sources of entertainment. While I will buy feed, the chickens and ducks will supplement through foraging and all three can help consume excess produce. This makes them excellent choices for a permaculture plan and for self-sufficiency in general.  All we need now is the required shelter...we just aren't quite there yet with the shelter. God will provide.