When an Idea Runs Amok...

[Ewe Mama]

1. What state/province/country are you in and what is your climate like?

Ohio...Zone 5, cold winters, hot summers.

2. How many people are in your family? Marital status?

Married to DH for 16 years. We have five children, three by the grace of adoption and two home-grown surprises. They are all miracles with their own amazing stories.

3. How would you define self sufficiency?

Working diligently to acquire wisdom and applying it well to live a better life in a responsible, debt-free manner.

4. What would you do with your spare time if you had any resources you needed?

Read, garden, sew, crochet, spin wool, turn my 3.5 acres into something beautiful and productive for our family.

5. Have you ever built a house , or other types of building? Do you want to?

No, but I would love to! I am very interested in earth bag construction.

6. Can you weld? Steel, aluminum, MiG, TiG, stick, Oxy-Acet?

No, that is a skill I have not undertaken to learn.

7. Who or what inspired you to become more self sufficient?

Several people in my life have influenced me, but mainly my great-grandfather and a friend from church who is wonderful at making something out of nothing.

8 Cloth or paper?

I generally wear clothes made from cloth and to write on paper, but that is my personal preference.

9. In what ways are you self sufficient now and in what ways would you like to learn more?

I am just starting out in self-sufficiency, trying to take some baby steps. I enjoy making gifts for people, rather than running to the store to purchase items. We have raised chickens in the past and have recently gotten some more to provide eggs for our family. I also home-educate our children.

10. In what way(s) will you never choose to become self sufficient?

I don't know if I could ever see myself owning a firearm or going hunting.

11. Are you interested in stocking up for future needs?

If I can keep my three growing boys from eating it faster than I can stock it up, absolutely!

12. Where do you end up when you sink into yourself, away from the outside world?

In my imagination, coming up with more hare-brained ideas!

13. Can you drive a farm tractor or a semi?

No. I do occasionally have to confess to tractor-envy when I pray at night.

14. Do you make crafts or useful items? Would you want to teach others how to do these?

Yes, I enjoy sewing and crocheting and have passed on some skills to my children.

15. Can you have legally livestock where you are at? Do you have any? What kinds?

Yes. We currently have 6 sheep and 9 chickens. In the past, we have had goats, pigs, rabbits, and ducks.

16. Can you operate a lathe? Metal, wood?

No, that is another skill I have not acquired.

17. Do you like to garden? If so, what do you enjoy growing?

I do like to garden and found growing fruit trees (pie cherries) to be the most rewarding.

18. Do you fish? Bait or explosives?

No, I don't fish. We actually have a pond that was stocked, but all the fish died after a very long, dry summer a couple years ago.

19. How much space/land do you have or rent? City? Country?

We have 3.5 acres outside of a small college town. I call it rural-light.

20. Are you a Novice, Technician, General, Advanced? ARRL?

Definitely a novice.

21. What is your self sufficient specialty? Or what one would you like to learn?

Dithering over options is my speciality. I cannot decide where to begin because I want to learn everything! Building greenhouses, hugelkulture, aquaponics, better land management, fencing, the possibilities are mind-boggling!
22. If you could create a degree and curriculum, what would you major in and what classes would you take?

Pioneering 101

23. Do you do wood work? framing, finish, cabinet?

I have built some very simple, functional bookshelves, night stands, and tables.

24. Are you interested in herbal medicine?

Sure!

25. If you could live any place you chose, where would it be?

I'm pretty happy right where we are.

26. Do you use a wood stove for heating or cooking?

No, two of my children and I are allergic to wood smoke, so wood stoves are out.

27. What would your ideal super hero/villain be?

Hero - An awesome handyman who works for free at the speed of light.

Villain - telemarketers or people drumming up political support over the phone

28. Are your family or friends also interested in self sufficiency?

Somewhat.

29. Do you like to cook? Are you interested in whole foods and natural foods?
raw milk? farm fresh eggs?

I have had to deal with so many food allergies for most of my life that eating was a chore so cooking has never been fun or enjoyable.

I am striving to provide a whole and natural food diet to my family.

30. What was your MOS?

What's an MOS?

31. Do you forage or hunt for part of your food needs?

No.

32. What skills do you have that help you be more self sufficient?

I have a brain and I'm not afraid to use it (most of the time!)

33. In which fictional universe would you most like to live?

Narnia

34. Do you have solar panels? Plans to use solar energy?

No, but that would be another thing to add to my dream list.

35 What is the mass/weight ratio of a European swallow carrying a coconut from the tropics to England?

Monty Python knows the answer!

36. Have you ever lived completely off grid? Would you like to?

No. Perhaps.

37. In what do you trust?

In God alone.

38. Do you make things yourself to save money?

Yes.

39. Has trying to be more self-sufficient changed your attitude or habits about money/spending?

Yes.

 

[Ewe Mama]

As my DH tells it, my crazy ideas get us nowhere. We have lived on this piece of land for six years and have never done anything to improve it.

It was my idea to move to the country. DH would have been happy in a condo. I couldn't picture a condo working well with our five babies, so the country dream won out.

I had visions of raising sheep for wool and meat, a milking goat, chickens for meat and eggs, ducks for meat and eggs, rabbits for meat, a huge garden, etc. Everything was supposed to be all sunshine and butterflies. Except it wasn't. And it still isn't.

I am your basic idealistic city girl. I am a real farmer's worst nightmare and the butt of every dumb city-slicker joke.

This is what happens when ideas run amok.

 

[pinkfox]

I think the excitement often gets the best of many of us, certinaly myself included, we get all these big ideas then have a hard time figuring out where to start.
you've got the land but no imrpovments so id say realy you've got the best start...because you can go anywhere with it.

make lists...ive found lists help me a lot.
lists f what youd like to accomplish, what livestock you think youd enjoy, do you ant a little of everything, or do you want to specilialize, from there you figure out fencing and housing for livestock (no need to build a 20ft tall fence if your just keeping in a couple of sheep ect...
figure out your garden goals, go form there.
remember the hard things are the permanent parts.
barns, livestock housing, greenhouses and storage, water and electricity....
those are you key points, gardens can be enlarged, fences moved (especially if going with electric fencing ect that's easy to just roll up and reset wherever)
and NEVER be afraid to say "this isn't working" and change it....

you've got a dream, don't let it slip away simply cause its hard to find the tart line! you got this.

 

[Ewe Mama]

Here's some good advice. I don't know what breed you are running, but I'd sell the breed you are dealing with now and move towards the Katahdin breed. No need for shearing, their wool comes off in big sheets filled with creamy lanolin that can be rendered and used for an emollient or waterproofing of boots, etc. They stay fat on just grass and hay, are naturally parasite resistant if you don't overuse dewormers and trend to a more natural approach to deworming....using chemical dewormers over and over just breeds stronger, more resistant parasites and does nothing to develop your sheep's parasite resistance at all, they are a milky breed and gentle for handling.

If the breed you have is not working and it's always a struggle to keep them healthy and thriving, it's time to change breeds or change methods. If you have small acreage, it's best to go for breeds that are more parasite resistant and stay fat on grass instead of needing grain all the time...this way you can keep them healthy and fat on just what you are growing~grass~and feed them a cheaper feed in the winter months~hay.

If not wanting the wool for spinning, then it's a win/win to get a breed that doesn't need shearing at all. Katahdins still have a very fine textured wool for a hair breed and they shed more completely, in large sheets, than the other hair breeds, so you can still recover their wool for felting, stuffing, insulation, etc.

If the desire is to farm smarter, not harder, then selling what you have that is not working is a smart move. Starting over with a breed and/or method that actually works in your situation is a positive move. Farming is full of reversals, do overs, changes in breeds or methods until one gets the right fit for success...but if you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you always had. I'd listen to your husband but go one further and sell them all. Then I'd study up on breeds, culling for herd vigor, natural methods to naturally good health for livestock, etc. and make a plan for keeping them healthy instead of making them healthy.

BeeKissed, your advice is very sound and I thank you for it.

We keep Finnish Landrace sheep. I chose them because I do use the wool (albeit not for spinning yet, as I had originally planned, but for stuffing handmade dolls), they are very friendly (even the rams are very sweet-tempered), they are naturally polled, and they are born with short, clean tails so no docking is necessary. They are supposed to be the best of all lamb for eating, but I have never tried it. I have sold my ram lambs after weaning, as I have never been able to get them to a good weight to make a good meal out of them. The ewes are excellent mothers and they are very prolific, which has actually been a con of the breed for us. One of our ewes doubled our population when she gave birth to six lambs two years ago.

I love my sheep, but I know that our pasture stinks. We keep getting a lot of rain, which makes the parasites go into overdrive.

I would gladly sell the lot of them, but I don't feel like it would be honest to do so when they are so thin. They look heathy, judging by their wool, but when I feel their sides, I feel their ribs. I don't want to pass my wormy sheep off onto someone else who might have even less of a clue than I did. I don't want to introduce our drug resistant worms into someone else's pastures and harm other animals.

 

[Ewe Mama]

So my fodder is coming along pretty well. I had to revamp some of my system today, but I think it will sprout better. I am noticing a small amount of white mold on the fodder that is almost ready. I already have a dehumidifier taking a significant amount of water out of the air, but I suppose an additional fan is needed for better circulation.

I found a good source for wheat to sprout, so that was a happy dance moment for the day.

The rams have been enjoying the cooler weather a tad too much. They are making, "Hey, baby, why don't you come on over for a little lovin'" faces and sounds at the ewes. I am praying the fences will hold up! Fortunately, the weather is going to heat up next week, so they will be out of the mood again for a little while.

I am trying to figure out how to operate the mammoth rototiller I purchased a couple months ago. I was finally able to get two guys over to help me put it together. It runs, the tines turn, but I apparently purchased one that doesn't come with a mechanism that actually propels the machine forward. That or we put it together incorrectly. The directions aren't much help beyond putting the thing together. Actually, they weren't very helpful for that aspect, either. lol!

 

[Mini Horses]

Well my first thought is that with five children to homeschool and tend in all ways, you have yourself a real full day!! To add a lot more is a wowzer.

I would think that a garden, some chickens for eggs and not much else would be a good start at SS....which seems to be your goal along with a healthy environment for the children.
If DH isn't on board, it will be more difficult. If he is agreeable why not plan a "weekend project" for the family maybe once a month......like, plant 2 apple trees. Maybe work on a small chicken coop, one wkend, etc. Slow go but, accomplishment.
These small projects tend to empower you to control your work and see things moving forward.

IMO, you have stated the reason for the sheep not doing well -- pastures burned up & only poor quality hay. I would suggest that you purchase, grass pellets or cubes -- alfalfa, grass, or mixed. Plus, if you are not using a supplement for vit/min & proteins, you need to consider that. All systems in their body will be compromised without good nutrition. While this is your intent to provide, it seems that your choices have been compromised by what is available. Your feed suppliers will have these things in stock normally and it will make a difference. It is not just a once a week deal, so while they can eat the poor quality hay to keep them busy, the other choices will be needed for herd improvement. Your choice to sell the rams is good, as you won't then be stressing the ewes further with a pregnancy to support& 2 less to feed. Yes, they will provide for the fetus and drain their own body resources to do so. Sheep are sensitive to copper, so be sure the supplements are for SHEEP.

For yourself, buy a good "general" home-project, home-DIY repair book. I've got one from years ago and it has often been a great tutor for ideas and how-tos!

Wishing you the best.....AND RAIN!

 

[Beekissed]

Never too late to back up, re-evaluate your goals and how to get there reasonably and start over. Never too late to be known as the city girl/savvy farmer.

If you are anything like my sister, she got on a farm and immediately started stocking it with any and every kind of animal, any stray rescue dog, horse or sheep that no one else wanted, bought expensive heritage breed animals that one cannot sell in her area for the amount of money for which she paid for them....and all of this before she ever built proper fences, barns or sheds to house said animals, nor even studied up on each type of animal and their needs. Consequently she spends all her time, money and effort running back and forth in futile, money draining and heart wrenching effort and her farm experience has been a nightmare, both for her and the animals.

But she keeps doing it exactly in that way...I don't know why. Seems like a person could sit down and say, "This isn't working. I need to step back and have a plan, get rid of all these animals until I can contain them, shelter them and care for them properly and efficiently."

My mama always said, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you always had."

It's never all sunshine and butterflies but it sure can be close~eventually~ to it if you can take your time, study hard and decide on goals, and then implement them in a step by step approach with a view towards farming for years instead of days, weeks and months. Everybody gets in a hurry nowadays but they need to realize that most folks who got into farming and stayed farming for many generations started off very slowly and built on that, learning as they went, working hard and finally getting that full farming life many years down the road.

So, what have you got going so far?

 

[wyoDreamer]

"... hard to find the tart line!" lol!
I love when a typo makes a funny!
I'll take a lemon tart, please. Don't mind me, I'm skipping to the start of the Tart Line.

to EWE MAMA - cute avatar pic!

Do you use your sheep for anything beyond yard ornaments/field mowers? Do you shear them and work with the wool?

 

[Britesea]

I agree that lists help. I then take my list to the local hardware or feed store to price out what I'm thinking of; that way I know how much to save up for the next project. Taking baby steps is the best way to do it- that way, you have time at the end of the day to sit on the porch and sip something tasty while you watch the sun set and listen to country-syle quiet. I love it when the bats come out!

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

Lists and research are two of the best things when starting out! Don't be afraid to start over, don't be afraid to ask for help if it starts to get too hard, gotta crawl to walk gotta walk to run (a favorite saying of some family members)

To be honest though your vision is everything I dream my someday farm being :')