Posts Tagged ‘livestock’
Tuesday’s Tip to Homesteading: Baby Steps are still Steps
March 9th, 2010
So how long before a child starts taking his/her first steps (at about 10 months to a year old) before you expect them to be in the Boston Marathon? Tomorrow?
If you think about it, that’s what we do to ourselves. We take huge leaps past some vital steps that are needed in homesteading. We think we need all the equipment, land, livestock and THEN we’re homesteading.
This is not the case. If we are taking ‘baby steps’ we’re still walking. If we are doing a little of ‘this and that’ we are still homsteadING. Notice the ‘ing’ – it is a process.
Only if we give up on the process do we cease stepping in the homesteading direction.
Keep walking, taking baby steps and keep working out that dream of homesteading. Don’t be so hard on your self if you’re at least taking steps.
EnJOY the journey!
Best Blessings!
The Millers
Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. Living with a Homesteading Mindset in the country, the city and suburbs has been an adventure! The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more. Listen to her Radio Show – Live or Archived at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/millersgrainhouse
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More winterizing plans for the homestead
November 30th, 2009
More tips to winterize around your homestead…
Inside the home:
Specific to your Furnace…
- Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.
Outside the home:
- Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
Don’t automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens, as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.
Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.
In the Garden:
- It’s time to rake leaves and dispose of them, preferably in a compost heap. Failing to rake leaves can result in a dying or diseased lawn and garden.
For the Animals:
- Clean the floor of the pen daily or design it in such a way that it drains properly.
Consider using translucent fiberglass roofing to allow maximum heat retention, if your budget allows.
Until next tip –
Best Blessings!
The Millers
Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Chemical Free and Organic Grains, Grain Mills, Bread Machines, Grain buckets, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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Tuesday’s Tips to Homesteading: Start where you are
August 18th, 2009
Bloom where you're planted!
So, you dream of living in the country, living off the land, having small livestock and a serious spread of a garden. Life will be good then, and don’t we know it! For now, you’re in the suburbs though and there’s no sign of leaving any time soon. Can anything be done to start your homesteading journey? You’d better believe it!!
Homesteading in towns and inner cities are becoming not only trends, but growing vital branches of homesteading. Call them urban homesteaders or whatever you’d like; the truth is more people are bringing back the ‘old ways’ in the ‘new areas’.
Some tips to doing this are:
~ Window boxes, Indoor Grow Boxes.
~ Grow your own small, raised bed victory garden.
~ Join in a neighborhood community garden.
~ Compost yard clippings.
No matter where you are, you can begin to learn and develop skills that will and can be used when the eventual dream of homesteading comes to life for you!
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Tags: city, compost, country, garden, homesteader, inner cities, livestock, suburbs, urban | 
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Tuesday’s Tip to Homesteading: Start Smaller than your Dream
March 31st, 2009
Tuesday’s Tip to Homesteading: “Start Smaller than your Dream” is by NO MEANS a damper on your vision of homesteading! If anything, it is to keep that from happening.
Once you’ve gotten the homesteading ‘bug’ it is almost impossible to get rid of it. We had a short stint in Southern California suburbia that down-right almost killed me! Who mows the lawn with an electric PLUG IN mower? Yikes!
But that ‘bug’ can also make you bite off more than you can chew. Those dreams of land spreading out so far and wide, possibly crops or livestock, rolling hills or wide open prairies, mountains to climb or root cellars in the ground, stream, creek, river or lake, it doesn’t matter, your mind can wander all day long once you’ve gotten the homesteading ‘bug’ – but if you can’t keep up with that land (and yes, any homesteader knows it really doesn’t just SIT THERE) then you will lose sight of your dreams as they give way to tired bodies and aching muscles. So start small.
Our first journey into homesteading was my back yard garden in a quiet suburban neighborhood. I didn’t know what I was doing, I just know I loved the smell of the dirt, getting dirty and then reaping the rewards.
Next we moved to about 7 acres and expanded to some fruit and nut trees, figs, two rows of grapevines, and a much larger and more productive garden. Closer to the house we built a small chicken coup with a run outside (although the chickens roamed freely all day) and a bunny cage with four bunnies (for fertilizer purposes, they were pets). We also managed to have an acre out back for some sheep and goats. This was quite manageable even with small kids and work, this was enough room, yet not too much to manage. It was a very, very productive little homestead.
Currently we are on 15 acres of which about half of it is woods. Don’t let those woods fool you, they too need occasional tending. When they are yours, and a stray cow or neighbor’s livestock wander into your woods, you need to know you can get through there to find it. Also, woods tend to attract ‘wayward’ hunters and their hunting dogs (that will wreak havoc with your livestock if they spy them through the trees). So don’t assume a lot of woods mean ‘care-free’ land.
On what can be utilized we have expanded our fruit and nut trees, have other grapevines and the garden is about 20 times the size what was in the first back yard garden. Our livestock did not make the move here, so we are slowly rebuilding the chickens, bunnies, goats and sheep. The grain business keeps us busy as well.
But I share all this to say it is a process. Don’t shoot for your dream 288 acres right out of the gate! You might just get overwhelmed and give up and regret giving up! Build those homesteading skills like any other skill – with fundamentals and practice.
Take into consideration what you want to do, start small and build on it. Most people who truly want to homestead know the patience of growing things and the seasons it takes for planting, growing and harvesting are in order. So, don’t jump the gun and bite off more than you can chew (how’s that for combining two clichés?) and get overwhelmed!
Two books that I highly recommend are listed below. You can find them online.
Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management by Maurice G. Kains
Ten Acres Enough: The Classic 1864 Guide to Independent Farming
by Edmund Morris
Best Blessings and enJOY the journey!
Donna Miller
Donna Miller is a work-from-home wife and mother. She delighted to share her trials and triumphs of learning to homestead anywhere. The Millers own and operate
Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.
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Winter Homestead ‘To Do’ ideas
January 5th, 2009
Winter can seem like ‘down time’ on the homestead, but it certainly is not true in all homesteads.
If you have livestock of any form, you know they need just as much care, if not more, in the winter. If you have wood heat, well then you are hauling and chopping and cleaning ashes.
But the days are shorter and the weather harsher so many on the homestead keep busy inside with more projects that require staying by the fire. Here are some ideas:
- Plan and draw out the spring garden and planting schedule.
- De-seed any wildflowers from last year’s bed to re-use.
- Knit, crochet or sew.
- Cabinet, closet and drawer cleaning for that spring garage sale
- Inventory the canning supplies.
- Order your spring seeds on line.
- Keep composting and turning it into the ‘dead’ garden.
There are many more ideas of winter homestead projects that can be done indoors or out. Please feel free to leave a comment and we can expand this list for more people to see! Thank you!
Best Blessings.
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