Official Poll : What project are you planning to start this 2016?

[Denim Deb]

We're supposed to get a freeze tomorrow tonight. There are a lot of peach orchards in the area and they're fully bloomed. I'm praying for wind. Otherwise, the farmers may lose their crop.

 

[Beekissed]

Still working on the hive but making progress. Turning it into a long body hive now, so the design had to be tweaked a bit. Getting near the end, though, so there's light at the end of the hive box.

I've seen more bees this month than I've seen in the past 5 yrs here, so that's a good sign. I'm hoping I'll get this done before they take a notion to swarm. These are all truly wild bees...small and darker than domestic bees. I'm thinking the hive is nearby as they seem to really be visiting our place a good bit for food.

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you!! That front of the box only cost $4 at a yardsale and the rest was just some few pieces of raw lumber bought cheaply and some things I had on hand, plus some flashing for the roof. Even with the price of the Lang frames I bought online, it's a mere fraction of the cost of ready made hives. That's the part I love the most!

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, I'm having "issues" with boiling eggs to just feed pigs! I know, it's less expensive but...feel like as sort of traitor to the hens!! LOL. No issue with dumping xtra milk. I'm working thru it but, just seems so "wasteful" of these perfect eggs. Weird.

Now, garden extras, meal scraps, etc. don't bother me.

 

[Myhouseisazoo2]

I love goat stew and goat jerky
We took a goat to a butcher when I was in high school (FFa project) and they offered for an extra price to jerky stick a bunch of it. Expensive but worth it in my opinion

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Goat roast in the crock pot with rosemary and red wine, lots of onions and garlic, a few potatoes and carrots - yummmmyyyy!!

 

[CJ1]

I can't really answer the poll as it only lets me choose one option.

I've already started both fruit and vegetable gardens. I've got a couple goats and will eventually try my own hogs.

Eventually I'd like to get to the point we all want to be where I'm doing nothing but living off of it.

If things continue to progress as they are I'm planning on planting three acres of black walnut. And as I'm able to take fewer hours at work and more time in the garden I'll make them progressively bigger until I can sell most of what I grow. Yeah I know. Wishful thinking. But with any luck within the next five years I'll be able to quit working and just do my thing there.

But I may need to hold off on some of these plans. Yesterday we all met up for mothers day dinner and my grandmother said she was toying with the idea of passing off her grandfather's 80 acre homestead to me to manage. It's not too far away. But will certainly provide a challenge what with work and my own place. Either way it will be interesting. Its one of the few centenial farms still in just one family.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow - having 80 acres to manage opens lots of doors! Hope that works out well for you! How is the acreage utilized now? will you be making big changes? Good luck!

 

[CJ1]

I'm on 23 acres now. Its mostly timber and none of it is tillable. But yes. Big changes. On break now so can't write out everything.

 

[CJ1]

I will definitely check that out. Thank you.

I still have a ton to learn, especially about gardening and animal husbandry. My grandmother was the only sister that didn't marry another farmer. But still maintained a large garden. When I was little little we spent a lot of time at her place. But later on dad joined the military so we were away for a while. Since we moved so much we never really started a garden or anything. Just little ones periodically.

Mom's side of the family were all city folk with small yards. Career oriented types. So they never got into this type of thing. But I think that type of diversity helped me.

But anyway. I'd love to eventually get into bee keeping too. But have an aweful lot on my plate right now what with my boy being out of state 9 months out of the year.