Homesteaders

[MistyMountain]

Anybody else started seeds yet? I just started four sets of seeds, cucumbers, spinach, purple basil and some dwarf marigolds. Going to plant more this weekend, but I really wanted to get some started today.

How do you like the purple basil? I grew some last year and did not like it as well as the sweet basil, which also seemed to grow better. What do you like personally about it, perhaps other than the color?

 

[MistyMountain]

Okay folks spring is coming. What are your plans for the new year.

1.Have you drawn up your garden plans?
Not yet... but the ever learning creature that I am knows (from last year) what I won't be doing this year!!
2.Plans to build a "pantry" ?
No, but I should clean off the one in the basement!!
3. New Storage for your crop?

4. New coop/housing ?
New coop was finished last August. Holes have been drilled for the run--- next project. Then MAYBE we can go on vacation!

5. New livestock?
I added Mottled Javas to the coop this year. May consider getting bees, but that may be pushed to next year's plans

6. Hire new help?
No, but will give the children more tasks around the place this year (ages 9 and 6, and expert firewood stackers!!)

7. Anything you plan on providing for yourself and eliminate buying this year ?
May consider harvesting a few cockerels. We've eaten our own chicken.

8. Something you'll do the same but different this year? (You know like planting a crop differently)
I'll try not to "save" so many tomato volunteers!! Hard to do when they look so good!

9. What worked last year that you liked that didn't work previously?

We will probably take down the old and diseased peach trees and replace them with new ones. Not sure if we will plant them in the orchard or not, though. It is nice and flat there, but we lose SO many to squirrels. It would make more sense to plant them near the house so the dog can patrol them. We would also like to add in a couple of pear trees.

I am excited to see how the pawpaws fared this winter, it being their second in the ground. We'll also be watching to see which fig produces best as we planted one brown turkey, one celeste, and one Chicago hardy two years go.

We also have plans to plant some raspberries, something just for eating a freezing. We make freezer jam out of the wine berries that grow on our property, it would be nice to have something just for snacking.

We've been in full-on pasture mode for close to two years now and will have a solid (and mature, having two winters under it's belt) 2 acres fenced out back for my horse and the beef. The 2+ acres behind the house that we cleared last year will be tilled and planted in the coming weeks as well.

Our beef will "graduate" end of summer/early fall. We are considering getting another calf this spring and just keeping up the rotation.

We are kinda looking forward to just having to do "maintenance" on everything here... it seems like all of this developing is taking forever!! It's hard to convince us that Rome wasn't build in a day.

 

[Raech]

How do you like the purple basil? I grew some last year and did not like it as well as the sweet basil, which also seemed to grow better. What do you like personally about it, perhaps other than the color?

I personally mix the purple and sweet basil together when I dry them so I don't notice any difference. In all honesty I like the splash of purple in the garden, I plant alot of green and the purple is nice to see, this is also my first year adding in flowers to try to balance out the green. I want to try to make it a pretty instead of just functional. But the flowers are going in my herb garden lol

 

[CLSranch]

Misty Mountain I too am wanting to start bee's this year. Starting off the year (and still going

) unemployed I'm definetly not going to do what I had planned to.

Not homesteaded enough to be without a decent paycheck (or not one at all right now) ecspecially with a new house and truck payment I didn't have in 2015..

 

[rancher hicks]

The question on FB was "do different chicken colored eggs taste different?"

This was my response.

I asked my chickens and the brown egg layers say theirs is best but the Blue egg layers say theirs taste best. The Marans say everyone knows the French have the best tasting food so theirs taste best. The English Orpingtons say that theirs are "bang on" the best. The Mediterranean Scicilians say research has shown the "Mediterranean diet" is best so theirs taste best. The Australian Aussies say, Hey Mate, ours is best. The Americans breeds are still fighting over whether to let the Russian Orloffs into the coop. So take it for what it's worth.

 

[Raech]

Love it Rancher. I got some farm eggs from a friend and her yolks were so orange and much larger than the store bought eggs. I can't wait to eat more of her eggs. Next spring for sure I will be getting chickens, another friend is willing to give me some chicks since I am giving them a discount on a puppy from my Olde English Bulldogge. Im very excited for what is going to happen this year and next year for our family.

 

[rancher hicks]

Love it Rancher. I got some farm eggs from a friend and her yolks were so orange and much larger than the store bought eggs. I can't wait to eat more of her eggs. Next spring for sure I will be getting chickens, another friend is willing to give me some chicks since I am giving them a discount on a puppy from my Olde English Bulldogge. Im very excited for what is going to happen this year and next year for our family.

You will not regret getting chickens. Taken care of properly they're the best.

 

[lazy gardener]

The question on FB was "do different chicken colored eggs taste different?"

This was my response.

I asked my chickens and the brown egg layers say theirs is best but the Blue egg layers say theirs taste best. The Marans say everyone knows the French have the best tasting food so theirs taste best. The English Orpingtons say that theirs are "bang on" the best. The Mediterranean Scicilians say research has shown the "Mediterranean diet" is best so theirs taste best. The Australian Aussies say, Hey Mate, ours is best. The Americans breeds are still fighting over whether to let the Russian Orloffs into the coop. So take it for what it's worth.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Love it Rancher. I got some farm eggs from a friend and her yolks were so orange and much larger than the store bought eggs. I can't wait to eat more of her eggs. Next spring for sure I will be getting chickens, another friend is willing to give me some chicks since I am giving them a discount on a puppy from my Olde English Bulldogge. Im very excited for what is going to happen this year and next year for our family.

proceed with caution. Chickens are a horrible addiction. They sneak into your heart and make you start doing chicken math..

 

[Beekissed]

One lady calls them a "gateway livestock"......