Self Sufficient 2018 Goals

[treerooted]

Happy 2018!​

In the spirit of New Years resolutions I thought I'd open it up to our members to share their goals for the 2018 year on how they would like to improve their self-sufficiency.

To really work on accomplishing something, the best goals are specific. For instance, the old new years resolution of "exercise more" works a lot better if it's clearly defined as "exercise 3 times a week for 30min". Ideally your goal is something you know you're very capable of doing and simply needs some articulation to help with motivation and focus. Maybe it's something you've been putting off and are now ready to tackle head on. Could be learning a new skill, or eliminating some sort of outside dependence.

Let us know through the year how you're progressing with your goal(s) and help cheer on everyone else with theirs!

So what is a goal you have for 2018 that you haven't accomplished in years past and hope to add to your self sufficient or homesteading life?

 

[Mini Horses]

WOW -- if I have to report it, maybe I will do it.

1. Re-organize my chicken coops. This is a little tricky as I have some that are pens for separation of types, broodies, grow-outs. But need them more efficiently situated & fencing set for those that are temporarily not in free-range mode.

2. Grow more animal feeds...particularly for winter use. I want to do this without extra equipment expense. Grow turnips, pumpkins, beets, grains to store -- winter wheat for graze, etc.

3. Plant a larger garden, to eat, can, freeze. Mainly variety as I only grew tomatoes, cukes , beans & winter squash last yr.

4. Evaluate & limit myself to what I will use/eat/need & not decide to do something just because it's a great self-sufficient idea that I can do! (that's why I sold my sows along with their piglets last year! Didn't "need" the expense or time to care for them 365. Pork was great!! Do a feeder if I want more. No rabbits. Taste great but, won't butcher them. No ducks, don't eat them enough. See the picture?)

Remember I want to be a "stay at home" farmer in 2 yrs.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh I forgot a goal. I also want to put in some serious time and effort into making a turkey habitat that's better for them as near-wild birds. Since we can't free range them safely, we need to work on a bigger and better, more turkey friendly pen.

 

[baymule]

My 2018 goal is to raise a greater variety of vegetables. For years I gardened in small beds on a city lot and was quite limited. When we moved 3 years ago, I just wanted to plant THE WHOLE PACKAGE OF SEED! And I did. Most died because the soil is pure sand, we have worked hard to improve it. We are getting there.

My garden is 70'x100'. I am over having to plant the whole package of seed. I still want to plant enough to can or freeze produce and have enough to share with DD and family. But I want a greater variety and will be happy with less than 36 zucchini plants. LOL

I have already ordered seeds and I just hope I can get them all planted. Well, not ALL, but you know.

 

[YoteMeadows]

Our goal is to grow enough veggies (that we eat...no more spaghetti squash) to put up to last the winter. We have plans to build a root cellar and test out hydroponics too. That being said..I'm glad we will have help this year.

 

[Chic Rustler]

our main goal is to produce more of the food we eat and buy less processed foods. The methods are gardening, raising livestock and hunting.


I got chickens and rabbits down. I did ok for my first year of gardening. But I want to expand the garden. Grow more. Learn to eat more healthy foods and learn to preserve them.


I'd also like to get a pig and some ducks. But I'd settle for either one as of now

 

[sumi]

My goals for this year is to straighten out my backyard. I've updated on that project as far as I got before my arm injury put me on the bench and now it's too cold and yucky out there to motivate me much. I want to pen up the chickens and build them a coop and I want to put down a bit of lawn and a decent size vegetable garden. For later in the year my goal would be to collect as much free firewood as I can find and drag home. Having sticks delivered is luxury and I'm getting them at a good price per load too, but it's adding up and every Euro saved is an Euro closer to the deposit on my first own property

 

[Beekissed]

Not sure if they are SS goals, as we've been here and doing this a long time, getting old too, so I rarely ever work on becoming more self sufficient any longer. My goals usually center around becoming more practical and keeping things practical.

I wouldn't mind getting a deep well hand pump installed on our well for any long term power outs that may come in the future. That would come in handy.

I want to get this deep mulching gardening down right so that it's minimal effort(the wood chips were decidedly NOT minimal effort, nor were they worry free...when you can't find a source and the chips are getting thinner all the time, it's a stressor). The hay is cheap, it's easy to find, easy to spread and maintain, so that's a start...it just remains to be seen if I can use it successfully towards my food production goals.

I want to refine my gardening to things that we consume the most and that has changed over recent years, so I need to change also. We consume a lot of romaine lettuce, sweet onions, potatoes, green peppers, celery, and broccoli over a year's time. Well, I can't sustain-ably produce green peppers and keep them fresh all year round, so I can settle for not being able to do that.

The romaines I can do, I just need to really be on top of succession plantings and I also need to plan for planting a large quantity in August so that I can have a winter harvest of this lettuce. Also the bok choi, nappa cabbage(this is something new I'm trying this year), beets, broccoli, carrots and other greens. I've never yet successfully been able to get my act together enough to plant for a winter harvest but I'm slowly getting my grow tunnels completed and getting some raised beds completed for use in this endeavor.

I also want to get a good bead on my breeding efforts for the chickens this year, while also improving the nesting options in the broody/maternity ward so as to provide optimal habitat for those activities.

So, just streamlining and focusing my gardening and food production efforts, as per usual and as the good Lord allows.

 

[treerooted]

Nice goals @Mini Horses, so is 2020 the goal to farm full time? That reminds me of another concrete goal I have.

1) Sell eggs. Doesn't matter how many, but I want to get that ball rolling to see if there's interest. This also ties in with tracking expenses.

I do also have the garden goals like everyone else, but they're pretty vague, and entails trying out a new garden plot but I don't have a production goals because I'm still in the experimental phase. But if it results in more produce all that better!

My secret goal, that totally overwhelms me is to start a farm business. This year that just means picking a name and sell my eggs using it.

 

[baymule]

We already sell eggs and have a few egg customers. The chickens almost come close to paying for themselves. Almost. And that is not calculating the milage/fuel to deliver them.

So for 2018, my goal is to raise a batch of Cornish cross chicks, maybe 20-25 and butcher them. Track all expenses. Will probably stock the freezer, but will offer some up for sale. I buy a non GMO layer pellet that is twice the price of regular pellets. I will raise the Cornish cross chicks on an organic or non GMO feed and expect to pay a whopping lot more for it than regular feed. There are people in our community who want to buy organic, I want to see if I can find them and what interest there might be. Raising several batches of meat chickens a year would be easier time wise than a constant daily care/weekly delivery for not much in return.