General Planning for the Upcoming Season

[flowerbug]

what are you aiming for this coming season in terms of Self Sufficiency improvements?

around here i have projects for dealing with some erosion that i'll be looking at, mostly water works i guess is what this would fall under.

the rest of the plans are to improve and expand pea plantings as i do like them in so many ways.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Less varieties but more of what I choose. Corn, jalapenos, cucumbers (two types), tomatoes (two types) & one bell pepper. Also planting strawberries to provide me with bounties of yum yums.

Aside from that I'm trying to lock myself down to a rear tine tiller to buy for tilling up some garden sections and then also using it to flatten out some trail spots and till up thistle areas as they sprout.

I would love to build another raised bed or two this summer to then fill in in the fall.

And then on top of that expanding my tree farm by 75 trees (pot in pot system, so auger the holes, clean them out, put the pots in the ground and lay out irrigation) and selling and replacing about 100 trees.

I think that's it. Oh! planting some new fruit trees!! peaches and pears

 

[Hinotori]

As soon as the ground can be tilled, I'll be planting peas. We're going to use the 20x60 area that I moved the silkie pens from a year and a half ago. I have some cattle panels that will turned into trellises with the aid of some 2x4s.

I've also been filling the silkie courtyard with raised beds and putting my berries there.

 

[Mini Horses]

Planning to put water wings on everything!! Geesh.....got excited and organized all my seeds and plans in Jan. Then, Feb happened. 🤪. I'm hoping we'll all be lucky!

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

can you grow Montmorency Tart Cherries there? those are so good when dried.

We can! But I already spent too much cash I did not have on trees for this year, so can't do anymore :/

@SprigOfTheLivingDead Do you have a tractor to run a rear tine tiller, or are you looking for a walk behind? We bought a King Cutter tiller for my LS tractor and love it! It has enough power to rip through the pasture sod and with a little disking we have cleared areas for wildlife plantings.

We just ordered 2 Montmorency Tart Cherry trees to plant this spring. I had planted one about 3 years ago but my husband dropped a pine tree on it and broke the top off, then last summer he mowed the new growth down. Hopefully, I have better luck with these 2 trees.

I had planted a hedge row of Nanking Cherries at one of our previous houses, but while we were on vacation one week, our neighbor did a favor and mowed our lawn. He was so proud to be able to mow down the "weeds" along the camper without hitting the camper I just didn't have the heart to tell him that it was a hedge of cherries. There were cherries spread across the yard to 20 feet out, lol.

No tractor, just looking for a walk-behind right now. I did note that DR and others have some good tow behind ones for ATVs, but out of the area that I want to spend for this spring. Like I think I said in the other thread I wish I had another $1k

 

[baymule]

Last year I vowed to work my garden hard and put up all I could, sell some and give away some. With Covid and food shortages, that's what I did. This year I will do much the same. I'll be planting a bigger Painted Mountain corn patch, for cornmeal. I finally have enough seed to plant a big patch.

My left knee is knobby with arthritus and has given me a lot of pain. It cuts into my lifestyle. This is the year that I address that problem and will include knee replacement if that is what it takes. So I will be winding everything down in August to reduce the chores so my husband can take up my slack while I am recovering from surgery. My goals are a huge burst of energy to get the garden in and harvested, raise 2 batches of Cornish Cross meat chickens of 50 each, get them processed, sold and distributed to family and friends, raise 3 hogs this year, 1 for us, a half for our DD and family and 1 1/2 for a customer. Lambing this year has taken place during the worst winter Texas has had in 100 years. I'll have to think on that, can't lamb in the fall while I'm down, so may have to repeat lambing in January-February, giving me a chance to recover and do therapy. Husband would be totally lost with a rejected newborn lamb.

I have a lot to do in preparation for doing something that has plagued me for years. It is difficult to live my life dragging around a knee that doesn't work right. It's my turn.

 

[baymule]

I got 50 CCX chicks 3 days ago, the madness has begun.

With the once in 100 years winter storms we had, 2 ice storms and snow 3 times for a total of 10 inches of snow and even -6 degrees BELOW ZERO, we managed well. Ewes were lambing right before the stormy weather, had 15 new lambs, keeping water was a big problem. None of the new babies froze to death, not even the one born during an ice storm.

But these storms showed me the BIG holes in our survival and I do not like it. I have made a decision that will take 2-3 years to to bring forth. I'll be dragging my husband along as he does NOT like change and has a tendency to dig in his heels like a boat anchor, but I will just do it anyway, like I always do. When I head off in a direction, trying to stop me is like spitting in the wind.

 

[CrealCritter]

I got 50 CCX chicks 3 days ago, the madness has begun.

With the once in 100 years winter storms we had, 2 ice storms and snow 3 times for a total of 10 inches of snow and even -6 degrees BELOW ZERO, we managed well. Ewes were lambing right before the stormy weather, had 15 new lambs, keeping water was a big problem. None of the new babies froze to death, not even the one born during an ice storm.

But these storms showed me the BIG holes in our survival and I do not like it. I have made a decision that will take 2-3 years to to bring forth. I'll be dragging my husband along as he does NOT like change and has a tendency to dig in his heels like a boat anchor, but I will just do it anyway, like I always do. When I head off in a direction, trying to stop me is like spitting in the wind.

A couple of points from a "guy perspective" that may help...

1. It is very true most guys do not like change. But loving re-assurance and a little logical conversation goes a long long ways towards gaining cooperation and even commitment twords a common goal.

2. (I) myself at a very young age realized just how stubborn I am by nature. I was never right in my childhood. Because even family friends would say "Something ain't right with that boy!". I could have married more than 1/2 a dozen different woman at the time. But I chose a VERY STRONG willed woman to be my wife. Because I knew deep down in my heart for me to succeed in life I needed a soul mate to challenge my natural tendency to be stubborn. I got exactly, what I needed. A very vocal, independent, sassy, strong willed, loving wife.

3) Just happened last night... My wife asked me to take her into town to pick out some berry bushes we agreed upon months ago to plant. She also had a doctor appointment earlier in the day and had prescriptions waiting to be picked up.

Now... I like people, so I always try and talk to people and I will go out of my way, to get a smile or a laugh out of someone. When it was our turn at the pharmacy drive up window. The pharmacy tech told me the total. And I'm like what? He repeated the amount and told the total of each prescription. One co-pay was very high, the other was less than a dollar. Then he said, this is what is wrong in america, the prescription she really needs to live is high, but pain pills are dirt cheap. I said to him, well it's a good thing I'm in love.

I spoke the truth, my wife who was in the passenger seat knows it's 100% true also. Even after 35,000 years of marriage, I'm still madly in love with her, just as I was when we took our vows. I am not ashamed to say it, in public or to anyone. The pharmacy tech busted out laughing and said, "no one has ever said that to me before, I most always get complaints. You have some kind of something special going on, that I hope one day I will be able to find."

Am I perfect? Absolutely not! But my point here is - (My) Love covers (my) imperfections.

 

[flowerbug]

Less varieties but more of what I choose. Corn, jalapenos, cucumbers (two types), tomatoes (two types) & one bell pepper. Also planting strawberries to provide me with bounties of yum yums.

Aside from that I'm trying to lock myself down to a rear tine tiller to buy for tilling up some garden sections and then also using it to flatten out some trail spots and till up thistle areas as they sprout.

I would love to build another raised bed or two this summer to then fill in in the fall.

And then on top of that expanding my tree farm by 75 trees (pot in pot system, so auger the holes, clean them out, put the pots in the ground and lay out irrigation) and selling and replacing about 100 trees.

I think that's it. Oh! planting some new fruit trees!! peaches and pears

can you grow Montmorency Tart Cherries there? those are so good when dried.

 

[farmerjan]

@baymule I am with you on that....I am planning my knee replacements for late Oct due to needing to be able to help with haying season this year. I am hurting too..... and hoping that I can do what I want to do this year. New house, needing alot of work yet to be done, new garden area.... I will be getting chickens as it happens, when there are left behinds, and a steer to go in my freezer in a month. Finish getting the rest of my stuff moved in the next month.
Then some serious yard clean up.....boxwoods and scrub trees all cleaned up.
New Wood burning furnace for the house since with the cost of a new oil furnace ...then the added cost of fuel oil that looks to be going through the roof.....so will make use of the wood we get cleaning up fence rows and such.

Getting moved into this house and cutting my monthly payments is the first step, more food put back for less reliance on the grocery store. Getting the knees fixed so that I will be more productive AND in alot less pain the following year. The ankle has done so good, that I want the knees done now. But cannot do it now and leave DS in the lurch for hay season. I can manage on the tractor with tedding and raking so will wait for late fall. Dr cannot do them before first of May, and we usually are cutting first fields the first of May.
Having things put by and put back to be as self sufficient as I can be next year; within my abilities until the knees get replaced. Then to get things better for the next year.