The New Homeatead

We Found a New Homestead

November 23, 2013

The New Homestead – An Introduction

We found a new homestead and are pleased to be showing it off.
We searched high and low for a new homestead and settled on a nice home sitting on about 5 ½ acres. They are long acres which actually make the property “feel” like it’s sitting on much more.

It’s a semi-fixer-upper

We wanted a turn-key home in order to focus on the property itself instead of trying to fix up the home and work on the property as time allows. It’s amazing how little time a working couple has left when trying to balance work, a child, a mother-in-law (yes, you heard that right) and daily chores. What time we have left we spend working on the home and the property.

The Mother-in-Law

When we were in Idaho, our mother-in-law lived in her own, small, independent-living apartment. When we arrived here in an area with 6x the volume of people, there were NO apartments similar to what she had been living in. We looked for “regular” apartments and were turned off by all the “interesting” neighbors (a teenage boy sitting on a child’s swing with head phones bigger than his too-small head who actually took time to stand and pull his pants DOWN lower than they already were to expose more of his tighty-white-ies may not be the best neighbor-type for a 60-something single lady). Needless to say, she ended up with us “until we find her a place to live.” When you add that all up, it equals – FOREVER. It’s not that we don’t like her, we just…well…you know. Let’s move on.

Where to Start?

Where do we start? This property is a blank slate. There is nothing that even resembles “permaculture” on the 5 ½ acres. Every system has a need for laborious and outside intervention in order to maintain the system. Sure, there are trees that are more-or-less a wind-up-and-go system yet there are roots exposed to the top of the ground. We have to start somewhere and the two places (yes, I said two starting places) will be the main garden and the kitchen garden. We also need to map out the property better and prepare for each system, the zones (more on that later) and plan for the planting date in the spring.

What’s Next for Back to the Homestead?

The gardens! Yes, we have to get started on the gardens. However, we have to start setting up systems for the day-to-day. I’d have to say that we need to set up a way to manage the kitchen scraps that we four (myself, my wife, my son and my mother-in-law) produce on a week-to-week basis. The solution: A worm bin! Next time on Back to the Homestead we’ll talk about making a BATHTUB WORM BIN!

See you soon.

Contemplating Permaculture

Contemplating Permaculture

This week we talk about permaculture, tomato watering and Memorial Day.

"Permaculture is a branch of ecological design and ecological engineering which develops sustainable human settlements and self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems." Well, so says Wikipedia. Basically, I understand permaculture as being a landscape, big or small, that is a "wind-up-and-go" ego system. You wind it up and let it go for a time before it need a little more winding. There may be some directional changes, but for the most part, once it's established, it will go and go for generations (if not forever).

Lately, I have been listening and reading about  preparing for a "time of need." What if we can not get down to the store and get seeds and seedlings? What if there is no place to get seeds or seedlings anywhere? What will we do? If there ever comes a time where we can't get seeds or seedlings, then the grocery stores will be void of produce as well. Sure, you could get a seed bank from some manufacturer but who's going to be around to complain if you ever have to actually use the seed bank if none of the seeds spout?? Practice makes perfect (that's a whole other show topic).

We have two options: 1. Save seeds and 2. Establish an ego system that is self sustaining and required much less human intervention.

Saving Seeds

I have always wanted to do more seed saving but never have. Maybe it's because I have no knowledge base for the skill. That's the root cause. I know why I have never saved seeds: FEAR. I have the fear that I will go through all the trouble of saving seeds, storing the seeds and planting the seeds only to find that NOTHING HAS GERMINATED and I have a garden void of produce.

However, I must have forgotten my motto: "If someone else can do it, so can I!" So, recently I have noticed a few things happening around the homestead that has impressed me and got me to thinking (dangerous I know). Seedlings are popping up all over the place from last year's garden. If after two tillings and pilling up of the soil in mounded rows seeds from Swiss Chard and Tomatoes are coming up, then maybe I can do this seed saving thing and save some money. Likewise, seeds that come from plants on the homestead here will make better plants next year here on the homestead and get stronger each year subsequently.

Permaculture

My homestead is not so far from a permaculture system as I think. The rows are absent of permaculture as are the beds that the tomatoes and squash are planted in. Here's what I think I will dream of and learn about: What if there could be created a system where plants are gown in areas (bed-like areas) with other plants that do well growing together (like tomatoes and carrots)? Each year, the plants are allowed to grow, offer their harvest (though not completely harvested), and die naturally. Seeds are saved. Around the time where seeds will be started on the inside, the saved seeds are planted in the protection of indoors or a greenhouse. Then, after the season begins and the volunteers are starting to break ground, an inventory is taken and the seedlings are reinforced with seedlings we grew indoors or in the greenhouse.

We could create a food forest where veggies are gown under the bows of the trees like spinach, greens and kale. Heck, we may even let the dandelions grow a bit. If we notice too many grasshoppers or slugs, we'll change our paradigm and see too many of these critters as an ego system lacking ducks or turkeys. Hummmm???

Anyway, I have just been doing some thinking and reading and studying and dreaming. We'll keep you up to date with the goings on around here on the Walker Homestead. In the mean time, here are a few links that will help:

Black Solider Fly Harvesting:

http://blacksoldierflyblog.com/

This link is where I got the idea for the Black Solder Fly harvester bucket. This is a GREAT site and FULL of information.

Tomato Watering With PVC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUbfpkNEslw

This is by a fellow named Donald. You should check out his channel (but don't forget about us here).

This link is one that will get the gears in your head turning all over the place!!!

http://permaculture.org.au/

Finally, here are some other links that you'll find helpful: