Homesteaders

[boskelli1571]

Here are the things I am planning for my homestead-
Near future:
Build a wheel hoe
Large rain water catchment for watering garden (1/8th acre)
Prepare a new planting bed and grow wheat and/or oats (some for me, some for chickens)
Attempt to grow horseradish
Transplant in rhubarb from my parents place

Long term plans
Convert 3 acres of current corn/bean ground to pasture
Fence in existing grassland and new pasture
Design paddock rotation system
Add grazing animals (sheep or cattle)
Attempt to grow out 2 feeder pigs

Be careful with the horseradish, you might be infested with it after a couple of years! Plant it in a contained area, it spreads like mint!!

 

[HeritageGoose13]

I have thought about the Swedish Ducks for here, too.

The nice thing about Black or Blue Swedish ducks is they are easy to tell apart from each other, since each has a different bib (the white part on their neck) pattern. Whereas with pekins they all look mostly the same.

 

[KlopKlop]

Be careful with the horseradish, you might be infested with it after a couple of years! Plant it in a contained area, it spreads like mint!!

So I have read... Maybe I should say 'attempt to grow horseradish without getting over run' haha

 

[rancher hicks]

Here are some pics of what I'm dealing with at the moment. I hope to fill in over the top of some of this and just have it be lawn, though it might turn out possible to put in some shrubs, while filling it in. Removing all this debris (called "hard" fill) can be daunting thing even for a young person. I will dig out any brick and save them for some use.



I've been running poultry wire and wire fencing to form a border of sorts. Leaving part of the property wooded. I will thin out the smaller trees leaving the largest to grow. There are a great deal of "Buckthorns" and they have to go. An invasive species with black berries of no use. Poisonous to us, not sure of the birds but they have to go.




This pole as you can see has a large hunk of cement on it. My SIL dug and tipped it straight up for me to turn into some form of "Yard Art". I'm not sure what design yet. Any ideas will be welcome. So far the only ones I have is to paint the pole and add a Metalic gazing ball or a bird house.




This curbing may get dug out but I'm not sure what I will do with it.



There are also a lot of old tires that would cost to much to get rid of. $5 each. If anyone knows how to cut them in half I have an idea to use them. There are others but cutting them in half and using them as a path border into the woods is my favorite. Something along this line.

 

[shortgrass]

We've been super busy trying to convert some fields organic, clearing some brush for my chooks to have winter forage close to the house..had quite a list, went with Austrian winter peas and winter rye...

Wheat harvest is done, red beets all canned, carrots all canned, chokecherries made into jam, no plums or apples or peaches this year; late frost Already canned 22 quarts and frose 16 quarts of wax and green beans... Been through 2 cuttings of hay, had the county fair to contend with....gearing up for corn harvest and gathering tomatoes and pickles to can more tonight....

Ugh no wonder I'm do tired!

Hey on the horseradish, if you plant it in a sunken border, like maybe using old broken buckets or irrigation pipe, sink it to 8" deep and it should help contain the horseradish...SOMEWHAT

 

[shortgrass]

Here are some pics of what I'm dealing with at the moment. I hope to fill in over the top of some of this and just have it be lawn, though it might turn out possible to put in some shrubs, while filling it in. Removing all this debris (called "hard" fill) can be daunting thing even for a young person. I will dig out any brick and save them for some use. I've been running poultry wire and wire fencing to form a border of sorts. Leaving part of the property wooded. I will thin out the smaller trees leaving the largest to grow. There are a great deal of "Buckthorns" and they have to go. An invasive species with black berries of no use. Poisonous to us, not sure of the birds but they have to go. This pole as you can see has a large hunk of cement on it. My SIL dug and tipped it straight up for me to turn into some form of "Yard Art". I'm not sure what design yet. Any ideas will be welcome. So far the only ones I have is to paint the pole and add a Metalic gazing ball or a bird house. This curbing may get dug out but I'm not sure what I will do with it. There are also a lot of old tires that would cost to much to get rid of. $5 each. If anyone knows how to cut them in half I have an idea to use them. There are others but cutting them in half and using them as a path border into the woods is my favorite. Something along this line.

Tires! I can always use more tires

Starting with seed potatoes in the first one, hill them up 4 tires tall by fall, knock it over and dig... Easy peasy

 

[KlopKlop]

Tires! I can always use more tires

Starting with seed potatoes in the first one, hill them up 4 tires tall by fall, knock it over and dig... Easy peasy

I've always been curious of doing that but have always hit 2 snags I can't pass
1) where do you get the dirt? Shy of digging a big hole or hauling it in?
2) do you worry about disease accumulation of you use the same dirt over and over in them?

So I just grow in rows, old school style

 

[Loc20chick]

Tires! I can always use more tires

Starting with seed potatoes in the first one, hill them up 4 tires tall by fall, knock it over and dig... Easy peasy

This is great. Wish I could get free or close to free tires where I live.I guess I'll wait till we change tires in our vehicles and use those.

 

[rancher hicks]

Tires! I can always use more tires

Starting with seed potatoes in the first one, hill them up 4 tires tall by fall, knock it over and dig... Easy peasy

I'm not sure these tires are lead free. Can't say how old the are, so I'm leery of using them for food plants.

Loc20, have you tried CL for tires. I would think there are folks who would give you some. I know I would.

I don't think potatoes are worth my trouble. We eat a lot of potatoes here and no where to store them. It's too damp and wet here for a cold cellar.

Did you know that every year we consume about 110 pounds of potatoes per person?

Though we do like the small red and salt taters. Cooked and eaten with then peels is easy for old folks.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I am hoping to get enough potatoes to try canning them. My sister cans potatoes and they love them. Easy to heat up after a hard day at work for a quick side to canned venison.