What homesteading projects have you taken on?

[Weeg]

Ahhh yes I have found my tribe There is just something that feels so good for the soul when you spend time in the garden growing your own food and raising your own farm animals. We are converting part of the old barn into an insulated/heated greenhouse to grow veggies that don't keep well and warmer climate dwarf fruit trees year round. I'm currently raising chickens and ducks for eggs (soon chickens for meat as well). In the back field we're building what I have called my "Eden" which hopefully by the end of the year will be fully fenced in. We currently have (4x) 50'x100' tilled garden plots back there. I grow my own beans, lentils and chickpeas for drying and canning (super easy the grow). I also grow and store about a years worth of potatoes, dried corn for cornmeal and musque de province pumpkins that I store in our basement so they take up a lot of space growing. I'm hoping to grow enough tomatoes and peppers to supply a years worth of sauce and salsas. We are also adding a fruit orchard with peach, plum, cherry and apple trees and a covered berry patch with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. We've been composting in piles, but I would like to build a nice and organized composting site with large separate bins. I've also ordered quite a few red sugar maples to be planted in the fall. I am planting them perfectly spaced around the entire property to help as a wind break, but also I grew up tapping trees to make our own maple syrup so I would like to make our own here as well. I removed quite a few invading species of plants that were here when we moved and replaced them with native wildflowers for the butterflies and bees. My husband wants goats for milk/cheese and to raise our own beef, but I told him he has to take care of those because I have reached my limit since I've been running the farm while he's at work

That is so cool! Your property sounds like my dream idea of my homestead.

We have an apple orchard, but just got a fig tree and ordered a nectarine tree. FastGrowingTree's sends you ALL the good discounts after you order once from them. It gets pretty chilly up here, so if I wanted to have any tropical tree's I would need a greenhouse dedicated to them. That would be super cool though!

Goats! Thats something I've always wanted. Not actually a huge goat milk fan, and actually haven't eaten any dairy since I went paleo, but the rest of my family does. I'd be interested in making yogurt with it.

You have some awesome plans for your property! Thats exactly what I want things to be like around here. Someone mentioned nut trees earlier and I would love to do that as well. Gosh, everyone on this thread is making my projects stack up. Meat chicken math is going to hit hard, now orchard and plant math too!

Thanks! It's exciting to know other people are on the same page. No mushrooms yet, but the mycelium is looking good. This bed is pink oyster, and if it goes well I'll probably expand into wine caps.
I actually don't have garlic or chives yet, just "garlic chives" which is a perennial relative that's supposed to be hearty here in zone 5b, but definitely looking to get into garlic and chives and all the plants
Oh and that's a great reminder for the strawberries, I ordered some bareroots that should be arriving soon and I have no bed ready! Also on the way are raspberry, honeyberry (aka haskap), horseradish, and sweet potato. (Lots of beds to prep lol)
Ok I have a weird story about ponds and bees and I had no one to tell it to so now you get to hear it. So I started digging a small area to get more soil for beds and at first it was holding water. Then the bees showed up and they DRAINED THE POND! I don't know what kind of bees, but they dug a ton of tiny holes into the soil and drained the water, I'm still dumbfounded. So I have a lot to learn about bees.
If you ever get down to your bee friend you should post an article here, I'm sure it would be all the buzz

Thats great! I'm trying to decide what mushrooms to plant. We typically only get button mushrooms from the grocery store, not very adventurous in the mushroom world. We pick as much chanterelle's as possible during their season in our woods though, so I was thinking of doing those. They're native here as well so I figured that was good. Might try some others as well.

Neat! If you get Garlic, or chives in the future, you don't need many! They'll double by the next year. We have to cut and pull bunches out every year before planting, theres just so much of it! Strawberry's two. They have their own separate bed, and they still manage to wiggle into the raised beds.

Wow! Thats incredible! I had no idea bee's did that! That interesting.

 

[Weeg]

I have gardens, raised and in ground, anywhere and everywhere I can put something. I put melons around base of trees, started an herb bed and added grapes, raspberries, blueberries and gooseberries this year. I have chickens which I adore. Would love to do meat birds but wouldn't be able to butcher, nope can't do it, but we do have an Amish community close that will butcher for $3 a bird so that is on my list for next year.

That is so neat! I just started watermelons this year. Very excited to see if I can get them to grow.
Neither can I. I can raise them as long as I'm prepared, but I can't do the butchering myself. Luckily I have a couple of family hunters that will do that part for me.

 

[HausOfEggwards]

Thats awesome! All things I am aspiring for as well.
Watched a video about the mushroom bed and it seems pretty easy, how is it going for you? What kind of mushrooms are you growing?

Garlic and chives are great! Gosh I have way to many of them, come and grab some from me! They constantly come back, and the multiply. Strawberries are the same way. Strawberries are fantastic for perennials, and very easy to take care of. Just make sure you have a separate bed for them, or they will take over your veggie beds.

Bee's, that something I am very interested in doing. I have a friend who told us she would show us the ropes of owning them, just have to find the time to get down there. Black soldier fly larvae as well! The list just keeps expanding, a pond is yet another thing I forgot to add.

I hope your able to get some of our projects going, lots of great stuff there to work on.

Thanks! It's exciting to know other people are on the same page. No mushrooms yet, but the mycelium is looking good. This bed is pink oyster, and if it goes well I'll probably expand into wine caps.
I actually don't have garlic or chives yet, just "garlic chives" which is a perennial relative that's supposed to be hearty here in zone 5b, but definitely looking to get into garlic and chives and all the plants
Oh and that's a great reminder for the strawberries, I ordered some bareroots that should be arriving soon and I have no bed ready! Also on the way are raspberry, honeyberry (aka haskap), horseradish, and sweet potato. (Lots of beds to prep lol)
Ok I have a weird story about ponds and bees and I had no one to tell it to so now you get to hear it. So I started digging a small area to get more soil for beds and at first it was holding water. Then the bees showed up and they DRAINED THE POND! I don't know what kind of bees, but they dug a ton of tiny holes into the soil and drained the water, I'm still dumbfounded. So I have a lot to learn about bees.
If you ever get down to your bee friend you should post an article here, I'm sure it would be all the buzz

 

[Weeg]

EDIT:
I want to add that I don't technically have a "homestead" (I live on a decent-sized lot for my urban city, but it's still tiny). Having more land is a dream of mine for the future, but I was just posting the projects I'm up to that could fall under "homesteading".

I think thats a lot of us. I have 8 acres, most of which is forest. Certainly not enough area to call it a homestead. We still have our weekly trips to town, and the grocery store.

My question for you all is how do you make good use of chickens in your garden besides their poop/compost? Does anyone occasionally let them into the garden area to be on bug patrol, or will they just dig up my tomatoes and kill them!

My birds get to free range some in the summer. When I'm home to watch them. My ducks to tend to wander into the garden. I have raised beds, so when they do go over there on occasion, I'm sure they help with the slugs!

 

[igorsMistress]

We live on a corner suburban lot in the desert. I have a garden and chickens of course. This year we’ve added some mulberry bushes and fruit trees, worms for castings and general garden goodness, and have added to our emergency food supply. My biggest focus is harvesting water into rain barrels, increasing our emergency water supply and alternative cooking methods. Since we live in the desert access to water is extremely important. We have plenty of sun though, so I’m going back to my solar oven and added a parabolic cooker to my options. Solar cooking is basically free once you invest in the oven, whether you make it or purchase it, plus it keeps the house cooler in the evening which means my a/c runs less. We’ve been working for years to add shade to our property by planting trees, and this year was no exception. In addition to the fruit trees I’ve finally added the last two shade trees. Now we’re just waiting for everything to grow and produce.

 

[WIchickMama]

I think thats a lot of us. I have 8 acres, most of which is forest. Certainly not enough area to call it a homestead. We still have our weekly trips to town, and the grocery store.

We have 10 acres, 2 different spots, we live on 3 and have 7 north of us that is woods, trails and we added some blueberries and red buds to this year-some day we will live there.

Homestead is more than just amount of land though, it is about being self sufficient for you and your family. They recommend (whoever they are) 1 acre per person in the family but you can make it work on 1 acre


Love hearing about everyone's ventures. We just started a new addition to the chicken run, hope to finish it next week, using all recycled wood

Trying to determine what bushes/shrubs/trees I can still plant this season. Not expecting fruit but to get established.

 

[Sally PB]

@Rangergord, that sounds like a lot to me!

 

[Rangergord]

R

@Rangergord, that sounds like a lot to me!

it certainly is! The limits of self sufficiency are defined by time and money.

 

[Alagirl]

Thats not a bad idea either. Much more instant than setting up a hive ourselves. Hmmmm.

plus you can learn as you go.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I think thats a lot of us. I have 8 acres, most of which is forest. Certainly not enough area to call it a homestead. We still have our weekly trips to town, and the grocery store.

My birds get to free range some in the summer. When I'm home to watch them. My ducks to tend to wander into the garden. I have raised beds, so when they do go over there on occasion, I'm sure they help with the slugs!

Haha well I have a 1800 sq. foot lot! You have a lot of land in my eyes.

I have just put chicken wire fencing around my garden beds. I definitely won't be letting my birds roam in there with the baby plants, but maybe as the plants mature they can occasionally be let in there to take care of bugs.