In this book the author (who had a similar set up as she suggests at her childhood home) walks you through EVERYTHING involved in having a large garden, fruit trees, bees, and live stock. She even walks you through processing the food. Below is a basic idea of what I want when it's all said and done. (Crappy photo I know). The numbers say 1. Vegetables, 2. Fruits and Nuts, 3. Herbs, 4. Grains, 5. Poultry, 6. Meat or Dairy Animals, 7. Wild Foods (aka Bees).
What I want when the farmette is complete is:- Fruit trees & bushes
- A huge garden with many different veggies & herbs
- Bees (for the wax and the honey - the wax is actually the real money maker - cosmetic companies buy it)
- A pig or cow per year to be "processed" for most of our year's meat
- Two goats for milk, cheese, butter, etc.
- Rabbits for meat - I know it sounds heartless at first but rabbit meat is the most lean meat there is and a market for it is growing. The only thing is I can't "process" them myself cuz that WOULD make me cry for sure)
- And about a dozen chickens for eggs
I wanted to have a turkey for meat once a year but Rob says their too mean... Oh well.
So a lot of these things can't happen until we own our own property. With Rob's job we live in a house that belongs to the church and year to year you never know if the Methodist church will move you so there's no point investing tons of money into fences, etc, on someone elses land. So the live stock (minus the chickens) will have to wait. Chickens have a small enough area that I am happy to spend the money to start seeing my dream come true now. Fruit trees and bushes will have to wait because they take years to get to the point where they produce a good harvest so not worth doing at a parsonage. The bees, too, will have to wait simply because there are always SO MANY children around and in our yard because of the church right next door. I'd rather wait til I have a large yard that's somewhat private so I can put them in a far corner.
Here's what's happening soon: Chickens, large garden (in the spring), and an indoor herb garden. We will also be adding a tree house (that may or may not end up actually IN a tree :) and a super cool clothes line to our yard. It actually has always relaxed me to hang my clothes. The kids leave me alone when I do it and I just completely zone out by the simplicity of the whole thing. By spring all of this will be in full swing.
I will be sure to post pictures as all of these fun projects unfold.
I can't wait to own my own home so I can do the whole thing!
4 comments:
Awesome! =)
I love the idea. My dad has always been into that stuff coming from a small village and stuff. I don't doubt once I accomplish my goals of a house and family, I'll try to do the same thing. =)
I like hanging clothes outside. never thought about it being relaxing but you're right. It is. The simplest things are the best. I don't have a garden, per say, but I like to just put tomatoes plants in my flower bed and we have 2 blueberry bushes, fun to pick them in August. We also have grapes (gone wild) in the back, someone from years ago must have made wine, jelly, I give them to a gf and she makes jelly and juice. There is rhubard too, I always make a few pies in the Spring and give our 80+ neightbor Andy a pie. When I make stuff I always take him over some. From beef stew to cake, he's an old bachelor and he appreciates it. I have an old yard and there are all these plants and bushes from generations ago that people put in. There is even horse radish plants outback, but I never dug that up. Maybe next year, I like that mixed with beets.
Love fresh vegtables and fruit from the back yard. Personaly, I will skip the farm animals. They take to much time, and I can't eat what I raise.
I LOVE this book! I can't wait to see your dreams come true :)
Post a Comment