Just wondering if anyone has a wish list of things to buy for their backyard flock/garden/etc... if they had extra money? Since Dear Wife and I will be getting some extra $$$ not normally in our budget, I am wondering if there are things I should be looking at getting for my chickens, the garden, etc... that I would not normally consider buying. I am looking for ideas that might be worth consideration in that help/improve my ability to work around the "homestead" and/or just make life a little bit better.
1) For example, last year I bought and built a cement mixer compost sifter for about $200. At the time, it was a special purchase because I for years I was doing fine with a manual 2x4 framed compost sifter over a wheelbarrow. However, the investment in that $200 cement mixer compost sifter allows me to process so much more chicken run compost for the garden, that it literally paid for itself in a few days use. Also, it's a great labor saver on my old back. So that was money well spent in my book and it related directly to the care of chickens and growing food in the garden.
2) On a smaller scale, the past couple of years I have purchased a few new forks for working compost, wood chips, etc... I used to use a garden pitchfork, or shovel for most of my jobs, but a 5 tine hay pitchfork for compost and my 10 tine manure fork for wood chips just work so much better and, again, saves my old back from a lot of wear and tear. I would not have thought that different forks could make such a difference, but they do. Dear Wife does not understand why I have a collection of different forks, but as I do the work, I know which fork is best suited for the job and they all have a place in my tool shed.
3) For this year, I am considering getting some cattle panels to make a green house, a winter cover for the chickens so they can go outside snow-free, or maybe a trellis in the garden to grow climbing plants. I think that would be good use of some extra stimulus money and those cattle panels would last for many years.
4) The only other project I have in mind is building some new raised garden beds closer to the chicken coop and run. I am thinking of wooden beds, but if someone else has a suggestion I would be glad to consider other thoughts.
Anyway, I hope some of you have been thinking about what you might want to do with extra money for you "homesteading projects" and can offer some ideas to consider. Thanks.
1) For example, last year I bought and built a cement mixer compost sifter for about $200. At the time, it was a special purchase because I for years I was doing fine with a manual 2x4 framed compost sifter over a wheelbarrow. However, the investment in that $200 cement mixer compost sifter allows me to process so much more chicken run compost for the garden, that it literally paid for itself in a few days use. Also, it's a great labor saver on my old back. So that was money well spent in my book and it related directly to the care of chickens and growing food in the garden.
2) On a smaller scale, the past couple of years I have purchased a few new forks for working compost, wood chips, etc... I used to use a garden pitchfork, or shovel for most of my jobs, but a 5 tine hay pitchfork for compost and my 10 tine manure fork for wood chips just work so much better and, again, saves my old back from a lot of wear and tear. I would not have thought that different forks could make such a difference, but they do. Dear Wife does not understand why I have a collection of different forks, but as I do the work, I know which fork is best suited for the job and they all have a place in my tool shed.
3) For this year, I am considering getting some cattle panels to make a green house, a winter cover for the chickens so they can go outside snow-free, or maybe a trellis in the garden to grow climbing plants. I think that would be good use of some extra stimulus money and those cattle panels would last for many years.
4) The only other project I have in mind is building some new raised garden beds closer to the chicken coop and run. I am thinking of wooden beds, but if someone else has a suggestion I would be glad to consider other thoughts.
Anyway, I hope some of you have been thinking about what you might want to do with extra money for you "homesteading projects" and can offer some ideas to consider. Thanks.
