In this day and age it's probably impossible to be completely self-sufficient but it's nice to aspire to a greater level of sufficiency then one is currently at.
Back in the cold, frozen North we had a 1/5 acre plot that we grew a ton of produce on. We were just starting to plant fruit trees when we decided to move. Even then on that little city lot we tried to lessen our impact on the world, become more frugal and increase our self sufficiency.
I have a list of things that I'd like to implement on this property.
Grey water catchment system: This is something you have to check with your municipality before installing. You don't want to spend money here only to find out after the fact that it's illegal where you live.
Solar Panels: The gold standard of self-sufficiency. It's pricey but we're hearing a lot about a new improved and cheaper panel coming soon to the market.
Wind Power: There is a fair bit of wind here so why not harness it for energy production?
Rain Barrels: With lots of thirsty animals around, I'd like to rely on something other than the well to water them with. Strategically placed barrels will make dragging around a giant hose a thing of the past.
Food Production: We've already started on this with the chickens and pig. The goats should be ready to milk soon taking care of our dairy needs. Gardening will of course be the biggest contributor. In addition to the regular fruit and vegetables, I'm going to attempt edamame, chickpeas and oats this year.
Food Storage and Preservation: I'm hoping Limey will have time to set up a cold room in the basement before harvest in the fall. I've been dreaming about solar dehydrators, pressure canners and smokers.
Here's some links to more info;
Root Cellaring
The National Center for Home Food Preservation
Ball Canning Recipes
Solar, Water, Biofuels...
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Time Has Come
Eat the pig, eat the pig, ziggy, ziggy, ziggy, zig!
Tuesday the pig will be dispatched and Wednesday the pork will be cut up for the freezer. I've been hearing lots of boo hooing from friends and Limey but c'est le vie. My body doesn't do vegetarian/vegan so eating the meat from happy animals is the best way to go.
I'd like to use as much of the pig as possible so I ordered two books from Amazon to help me out.
The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson
On Monday Limey is going to stop at the nearest butcher supply shop to pick up some sausage casings (in case ours don't turn out), butcher paper and some cure. I want to have a go at making black pudding and peameal bacon. I'm also excited about rendering lard.
We really enjoyed raising a pig and plan to get a few more in the spring. If anyone is interested in pre-ordering a side of pork (or the entire thing), give me a shout.
Tuesday the pig will be dispatched and Wednesday the pork will be cut up for the freezer. I've been hearing lots of boo hooing from friends and Limey but c'est le vie. My body doesn't do vegetarian/vegan so eating the meat from happy animals is the best way to go.
I'd like to use as much of the pig as possible so I ordered two books from Amazon to help me out.
The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating by Fergus Henderson
Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman
We really enjoyed raising a pig and plan to get a few more in the spring. If anyone is interested in pre-ordering a side of pork (or the entire thing), give me a shout.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Incubation Summary
Apparently there was some surprise at my 100%* hatch rate. All 14 fertile eggs hatched into 14 beautiful chicks with no problems.
*I didn't count the three duds that I threw out in the beginning.
I'm sure it was just beginners luck but here's what I did.
I also did a big no-no. I opened the incubator after pipping. I had peeled back the foil on one of the bowls to up the humidity. I didn't think the chicks would be able to climb up the bowls. I was wrong. One of the chicks got the onto bowl and fell through the hole in the foil. I popped the lid on the incubator long enough to move the other chicks off the bowl, remove the wet chick and recover the bowl. The humidity was around 90% when I started and dropped to 85% by the time the lid was put back on. No shrink wrapping occurred.
Yesterday I put in some newly purchased easter egger eggs as well as some older australorp egg I had in the fridge.. I also broke my own rule. The eggs were very dirty and required cleaning. I should be able to see how many are still viable in about a week.
*I didn't count the three duds that I threw out in the beginning.
I'm sure it was just beginners luck but here's what I did.
- only used clean eggs (so no dirty ones that required cleaning)
- used a hygrometer from CT to monitor the humidity in the Hova-Bator
- added foil covered plastic bowls of water to keep the humidity up
- during lock down the humidity was kept at 75% minimum but was usually 85%
I also did a big no-no. I opened the incubator after pipping. I had peeled back the foil on one of the bowls to up the humidity. I didn't think the chicks would be able to climb up the bowls. I was wrong. One of the chicks got the onto bowl and fell through the hole in the foil. I popped the lid on the incubator long enough to move the other chicks off the bowl, remove the wet chick and recover the bowl. The humidity was around 90% when I started and dropped to 85% by the time the lid was put back on. No shrink wrapping occurred.
Yesterday I put in some newly purchased easter egger eggs as well as some older australorp egg I had in the fridge.. I also broke my own rule. The eggs were very dirty and required cleaning. I should be able to see how many are still viable in about a week.
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| They're green! |
Just a Bit of Snow
We've been getting a bit of snow lately. We get 10cm and the schools close, people start driving 10km/hr and the animals all hide in their houses. Limey went to pick up more chickens just before a snowfall and he got stuck halfway up the driveway.
The chickens kept to their coop and the ducks were moved to the barn. The pig was mucking out her house and got stuck outside when the wind blocked up the entrance with snow.
Yesterday the animals took advantage of the good weather to lay out in the sun all day. Hopefully spring will come soon and they can get back to ranging around in the grass.
The chickens kept to their coop and the ducks were moved to the barn. The pig was mucking out her house and got stuck outside when the wind blocked up the entrance with snow.
Yesterday the animals took advantage of the good weather to lay out in the sun all day. Hopefully spring will come soon and they can get back to ranging around in the grass.
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| Oopsie. |
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| Getting a little sun after all that time indoors. |
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| Snowy windbreak. |
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| Maybe egg production will increase now. |
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Victorian Farm
I found this video on YouTube the other day. It's educational and the banter between the guys is pretty funny at times. As for the Victorian woman, she gets stuck with all the sucky jobs.
It's a long one with 36 parts but it's worth the watch.
Eggwatch January 2011
Join me for Eggwatch! I'll be updating this post as the action occurs in the incubator. It's so eggciting!
It's 12:36 pm and one of the white eggs is wiggling periodically. Every time Limey catches me staring into the incubator he rolls his eyes and tells me that I'm obsessive.
Friday 9:05am: Some more eggs are wiggling but nothing else is happening. They aren't actually due until tomorrow but I'm hoping somebody hatches while our visitor is here. In other news, where are my new baby bunnies? They were due on Wednesday and Donna started making a nest on Sunday. The nest is gone now and she's still pregnant?!
Saturday 6:46pm: I heard a chirp coming from the incubator and while I was watching a crack appeared on one of the eggs. It made me jump.
7:46am: Egg 1 is taking a break and now we have a white egg starting to pip!
8:08am: Another egg is pipped. Lots of wiggling eggs now and a few peeps. Yes I am obsessively watching the incubator.
2:33pm: 5 eggs are pipped now, no zipping yet.
6:39pm: 7 pips no zips. I haven't heard anything from this morning's chicks all day. Waiting is stressful. I hope they all make it.
7:50pm: Starting to see a little more action. Lots of eggs rocking and chicks chirping when I whistle at them.
Sunday 6:39am: A chick started to zip last night around 12:30. It was the one that pipped at 6am Saturday morning. By the time I got up at 5:40 to top up the fire, 3 chicks we playing soccer with the remaining eggs. They hatched from two brown eggs and one white. It looks like they are two blue Australorps and a mix. Of the remaining eggs only 3 haven't pipped yet; the two browns that I put in a day late and one white egg. They are so cute!
More pictures here.
It's 12:36 pm and one of the white eggs is wiggling periodically. Every time Limey catches me staring into the incubator he rolls his eyes and tells me that I'm obsessive.
Friday 9:05am: Some more eggs are wiggling but nothing else is happening. They aren't actually due until tomorrow but I'm hoping somebody hatches while our visitor is here. In other news, where are my new baby bunnies? They were due on Wednesday and Donna started making a nest on Sunday. The nest is gone now and she's still pregnant?!
Saturday 6:46pm: I heard a chirp coming from the incubator and while I was watching a crack appeared on one of the eggs. It made me jump.
7:46am: Egg 1 is taking a break and now we have a white egg starting to pip!
8:08am: Another egg is pipped. Lots of wiggling eggs now and a few peeps. Yes I am obsessively watching the incubator.
2:33pm: 5 eggs are pipped now, no zipping yet.
6:39pm: 7 pips no zips. I haven't heard anything from this morning's chicks all day. Waiting is stressful. I hope they all make it.
7:50pm: Starting to see a little more action. Lots of eggs rocking and chicks chirping when I whistle at them.
Sunday 6:39am: A chick started to zip last night around 12:30. It was the one that pipped at 6am Saturday morning. By the time I got up at 5:40 to top up the fire, 3 chicks we playing soccer with the remaining eggs. They hatched from two brown eggs and one white. It looks like they are two blue Australorps and a mix. Of the remaining eggs only 3 haven't pipped yet; the two browns that I put in a day late and one white egg. They are so cute!
More pictures here.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Lockdown
Today is lockdown day for the chicken eggs. There will be no more candling and the incubator needs to stay shut until after the hatch. The temp should be around 100F and the humidity needs to be over 65 when the lid is on the incubator.
The due date is Friday but we can get chicks anytime between now and then. Everyone looks good so far and hopefully they all hatch okay.
The due date is Friday but we can get chicks anytime between now and then. Everyone looks good so far and hopefully they all hatch okay.
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| Soon to be filled with fuzzy little chicks! |
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Incubation Day 14
Not long now until lockdown. We have a visitor coming up on Friday so our fingers are crossed that we get to show off our new babies when he arrives.
Sorry about the quality. It is so hard to get a decent photo. We can see the chicks moving around in the white eggs. The brown eggs are almost impossible to see through. The next hatch isn't going to be as fun (no white eggs).
Only a couple of the eggs are brown. I'm crossing my fingers that I get a blue Australorp hen out of them.
Only a couple of the eggs are brown. I'm crossing my fingers that I get a blue Australorp hen out of them.
Gardening in Nova Scotia
There's something I'm really excited about that has nothing to do with the practicalities of our homestead. Nor does it have anything do with the farm business. When I mention it Limey rolls his eyes and mumbles something like "but is it edible?"
Yes, I can't wait to plant the 75 vegetable varieties I ordered. I'm also eager to get my 18 herbs put in the newly dug bed out front. But what I'm really giddily excited about is flower gardening in the Valley.
I made the best of my cottage garden back in zone 3. I had tiny little hidcote blue lavenders, my hardy rugosa rose and various other zone 3 beauties.
But now! Zone 5b/6a! Just think of all the new flowers I can plant; rhododendron, butterfly bush, wisteria and bigger lavenders!
Spring can't come fast enough.
Yes, I can't wait to plant the 75 vegetable varieties I ordered. I'm also eager to get my 18 herbs put in the newly dug bed out front. But what I'm really giddily excited about is flower gardening in the Valley.
I made the best of my cottage garden back in zone 3. I had tiny little hidcote blue lavenders, my hardy rugosa rose and various other zone 3 beauties.
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| A very small lavender. |
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| I loved my bee balm. It was right in front of the living room window. |
But now! Zone 5b/6a! Just think of all the new flowers I can plant; rhododendron, butterfly bush, wisteria and bigger lavenders!
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| Wisteria |
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| Rhododendron |
Spring can't come fast enough.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Braving the Elements
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Spring Poultry Order
After figuring out the logistics, I placed a spring poultry order from Circle Pond Farm.
The order consists of a dozen each of the following;
Buff American Geese
Buff Orpington Chickens
Eastern Wild Turkeys
I think once the orchard is planted, we'll fence it in and put the ducks and geese in there. The turkeys will get their own paddock next to the goats.
I think I might be turning into a bird hoarder.
The order consists of a dozen each of the following;
Buff American Geese
Buff Orpington Chickens
Eastern Wild Turkeys
I think once the orchard is planted, we'll fence it in and put the ducks and geese in there. The turkeys will get their own paddock next to the goats.
I think I might be turning into a bird hoarder.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Test Incubation: Day 7
We started 17 eggs in the incubator as a test run. Some are Leghorn/Australorp mixes and the rest are blue/black Australorp mixes. We threw out 2 of the eggs so far. One had a bacteria ring and no obvious growth and the other was a straight dud. Two more are on the iffy list. They are brown and hard to see. The remaining 13 are growing nicely.
Here's a pic!
How cool is that?
Here's a pic!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Happy Reading!
Although I'm sure it looked like it when we announced our move, we didn't go into this blind. I've been researching homesteading, the future of food and gardening for a couple of years now. This is by no means a complete list. I have so much info in my head now that I can't remember where I got it all. This will give you a good start.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
This is a really great book if you can get through the seemingly endless corn chapter. It's a great insight into how the food industry works and how just because your supermarket food says "organic" or "free ranged" doesn't mean it actually is. Mr. Pollan has several other similar books that are all great too.
Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour
My favourite. I've checked it out from the library a couple of times and finally got my own copy for Christmas. Like all DK books, this one is full of pictures to tempt you with. John Seymour has a light, easy writing style that can tempt even my book snubbing husband. Limey refers to it as his bible.
Backyard in Your Barnyard by Gail Damerow
A great intro on common farm animals. If you need more specific info check out the Storey guides.
Micro Eco-Farming by Barbara Berst Adams
A book for all the naysayers who claim you can't make a living on anything less than a bazillion acres.
How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons
A how to on gardening without using the traditional row method.
The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
How to homestead on less than an acre!
Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway
A guide to permaculture. There are more comprehensive books than this but this one is less likely to put you to sleep.
Web Sites
Mother Earth News
It's been around forever so their archives are chock a block full of great homesteading how-to articles.
Homesteading Today
I waffled about adding this to my list. The forum has a lot of good information. There are tons of archived threads. But....there are some older, stuck in their ways naysayers as well as some biased Monsanto employees hanging around to make sorting out the decent info a little difficult.
Permaculture Forums
It's not as busy as it could be but there's some good info there.
Backyard Chickens
Tons of good info here on various poultry and game birds. Also links to it's sister site about other farm animals.
Documentaries
Food Inc
This film turned Limey off eating chicken and hooked him onto the idea of producing more of our own food.
Dirt!
This one is a little silly at times but it's got some good info on soil management.
A Farm for the Future
A little bit of everything in this one as a woman tries to bring her father's farm into the future.
If you have any good resources to add, put them in the comments!
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
This is a really great book if you can get through the seemingly endless corn chapter. It's a great insight into how the food industry works and how just because your supermarket food says "organic" or "free ranged" doesn't mean it actually is. Mr. Pollan has several other similar books that are all great too.
Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour
My favourite. I've checked it out from the library a couple of times and finally got my own copy for Christmas. Like all DK books, this one is full of pictures to tempt you with. John Seymour has a light, easy writing style that can tempt even my book snubbing husband. Limey refers to it as his bible.
Backyard in Your Barnyard by Gail Damerow
A great intro on common farm animals. If you need more specific info check out the Storey guides.
Micro Eco-Farming by Barbara Berst Adams
A book for all the naysayers who claim you can't make a living on anything less than a bazillion acres.
How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons
A how to on gardening without using the traditional row method.
The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
How to homestead on less than an acre!
Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway
A guide to permaculture. There are more comprehensive books than this but this one is less likely to put you to sleep.
Web Sites
Mother Earth News
It's been around forever so their archives are chock a block full of great homesteading how-to articles.
Homesteading Today
I waffled about adding this to my list. The forum has a lot of good information. There are tons of archived threads. But....there are some older, stuck in their ways naysayers as well as some biased Monsanto employees hanging around to make sorting out the decent info a little difficult.
Permaculture Forums
It's not as busy as it could be but there's some good info there.
Backyard Chickens
Tons of good info here on various poultry and game birds. Also links to it's sister site about other farm animals.
Documentaries
Food Inc
This film turned Limey off eating chicken and hooked him onto the idea of producing more of our own food.
Dirt!
This one is a little silly at times but it's got some good info on soil management.
A Farm for the Future
A little bit of everything in this one as a woman tries to bring her father's farm into the future.
If you have any good resources to add, put them in the comments!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Teensy Weensy
After searching all month for a breeder, I finally located some Coturnix quail just down the road from here. They are so cute! At three weeks they are about the size of a hamster. In a couple more weeks they'll be laying and we'll be able to start selling teensy, weensy little quail eggs.
Pheasants next?
Pheasants next?
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