Happenings on our homestead

So on Sunday three of the pigs went to the butcher, and two are still here, they will both be fattened up and go in a few more months.

I ordered 25 more chickens yesterday and still need to get a couple roosters. We also need to build a real chicken coop and get them out of the barn stall that they have all been in for so long. I need that stall for other things.

I am not sure that our mama pig is bred back, so we are going to be watching her, and I am going to be looking into getting a calf that we can fatten up for the freezer. She has really fattened up since we moved her and the one little pig left, I should be able to send her over around the end of Feb and get a good bit more pork for the freezer.

The other big thing that I am working on is getting the third bench installed in the van to make it a 12 passenger, that way we can spread the children. The only draw back to that is that it will be a lot harder when getting feed and such, so that means, I am also going to be getting a trailer hitch and be on the lookout for a small enclosed trailer. That I can use not only for when we get feed, but to also use when we go to the grocery store.

I have decided that I am about done with Walmart, our little store might carry something that you like, then it's just gone and no they will not order it again for you.

So even though it is a drive there is an Aldi up in Florence, I am really looking into heading up there and really looking at everything that they carry. Since I am not one to really buy boxed food, I am looking at canned things and possible frozen items. We already have a really nice large cooler, but will probably getting at least two more for this kind of shopping and the distance. The last time I was in Aldi's the had a really great price on gallon milk.

I am still very much interested in getting a milk cow, but first we need to fence in at least an acre for her and a calf. I talked to Jeff up at Co-Op and it will probably cost about 40.00 to have all the fencing supplies we will need delivered, but this way things won't get bent or messed up as the truck is longer than our little pickup. The other reason to pay for the delivery is that it is a good 20 miles into town and I just can't leave the children here alone even for a quick trip in with the pick up.

I am trying to plan out our orchard, I would like to have peaches, apples, plums, pears and cherries-even though I don't like them I am sure that they could be used to make some jams or something that we would possible be able to see at the farmer's market. I am not sure what all of the things that you can sell at ours, but I would think that jams and preserves would especially if I am selling homemade bread too.

Our garden is the next big plan. I should think that seed catalogs should start arriving soon. I know the basics that I want, it is just trying to get the right quantity of plants. I am thinking that we need at least 200 tomato plants, 100lbs of potatoes-Richard bought some purple fingerlings that we are going try. Green beans, peas, romaine lettuce, zucchini, yellow squash, watermelons, pumpkins, collards, okra, garlic, carrots, broccoli, must think about what other veggies we want to plant and put up.