March 31, 2025

Welcome! I am going to start doing a homesteading journal segment on my blog, as many of you are curious about what is happening here on the farm. So, let's get started! 

The past few years Jon and I have gone through so many life changes. Including marriage, having a child, moving multiple times, owning/closing a business and starting our own homestead. We are both workaholics. When starting the adventure of homesteading, we both knew we would need to be cautious of burnout. 

We have big dreams for our home! I will be honest; we haven’t slowed down yet. We have already started to fill our animal stalls and have a mile long to do list. 

TO-DO List:

·       Repair pasture fences on entire property

·       Brush hog pastures

·       Trim trees- for healthy growing

·       Find and purchase lawn mower

·       Divide chicken runs

·       Build nesting boxes

·       Build chicken feeders

·       Pull old metal stakes (12)

·       Repair pig fencing

·       Move pig hut

·       Hang high netting for chicken run

·       Clear our landscape and till garden space

·       Build high fence for garden

·       Clear out- set up horse corral

·       Clear out- organize equipment shed

·       Organize hut

·       Pick up dog poop

·       Finish hanging last security camera

·       Build chicken tractors

·       Build 3 more chicken coops

·       Clean out rain collection barrels

·       Set up gutters

·       Build yard games (Yahtzee, Score keeper (3), horseshoes, Kanjam, corn hole.)

·       Move deck

·       Remove old satellite pole

·       Refill driveway stone

·       Burn dead wood, branches and trash

·       Predator control

·       Fix truck breaks

We found that in the middle or at the completion of one project 1 or 2 more projects are added to the list.

Daily Chores: (30-90min, 2 x a day)

Carry 4 buckets of water from the house to the animals

Feed Hay 

Feed Grain

Fix Bedding

Clean out poop

Check for health and security of livestock 

Brush horses & work with them 

Collect Eggs

Water Green House

Let out/Bring in Livestock 

Trash out

Laundry

Dishes

Money/Budgeting

Grocery Shopping/Meal Prepping

This to do list, plus both of us working our full-time jobs, and caring for our daughter, and doing daily chores, and keeping the spark of romance up, and managing to fit in friends and family... IS DAUNTING! We are aware of burn out but haven’t practiced it yet, and OHHHH BOY, our bodies feel it. This past weekend was the first weekend, we allowed ourselves to take a nap, at the same time as our daughter did. It was incredible. I will keep you posted as we navigate through this checklist and how we combat the urge to work over rest. So far, it's a grind.

Today, is an emotional day at the homestead. Our pig Jamal will be our first animal at our farm going in to be processed for meat. We raised Jamal since he was little and although it will be tough to say our good-byes, we must keep in mind that we knew from day one that his purpose was to put food on our plates. As a little girl, I grew up going to the grocery store and not considering how my food arrived at my house. Now, as an adult my husband and I, do not condone the methods of commercial meat production and choose to raise our own meat to confirm our animals have a good and healthy life. We understand the sacrifice these animals make for us and consider it a huge blessing. In order to show our appreciation for our harvest, we provide the best life possible to plants and animals and choose to be less wasteful. Thank you, Jamal. <3

We did get some ice/snow this past weekend and the temps are low. This will call for more inside tinkering and making sure all animals have a heat and water source! :)

I will try to be post a new homestead segment every Monday. Stay tune for more updates!