After what has been literally months of solid work and upheaval, the dust is beginning to settle on our move to West Virginia. With boxes half unpacked, updates half finished, and prospects for employments still a bit hazy, it’s a busy time to say the least. However, our new home does make it all worth … Continue reading
Our friend Rob constructed our hoop coop. We gave him pictures of Out of Order Acres‘ coop and Gypsy Farmgirl’s coop posts part 1 and part 2, and he sort of improvised from there. With materials left from old projects and found in our treasure-chest of a garage at the new place, he constructed a … Continue reading
My husband and his friend made our hoop coop this past weekend. It was made with two 4’x16′ cattle panels bent over an 8’x8′ base. My husband says it’s really solid. They built it sturdily so that it can be dragged around the yard by the tractor. The wood is notched at the bottom corners … Continue reading
I spent my weekend scrubbing and sorting in my new home in West Virginia. The snow has finally receded and given way to a rich, wet, green spring. The pond is unfrozen. Fed by overflow from our spring, the water is deep, cold, and crystal clear. Looking into the deep, you can see the fish … Continue reading
My new home is a winter wonderland. From October through April, the snow covers the ground and drifts to depths of up to 5 feet. The average low in December is 22 degrees Fahrenheit and the average high in August is 82 degrees with 2.6 to 5.3 inches of precipitation per month. The 3,800-foot elevation … Continue reading
When you are designing your homestead, you are not only designing a way of life but also the functionality for every component of that life. Let us break it down together and consider the larger pieces that comprise the greater design. In Designing Your Homestead Vision, I listed seven topics for us to consider when … Continue reading
What have you been dreaming of lately? I’ve been dreaming of coops and greenhouses, garden beds and greywater systems, passive solar and root cellaring… In Designing Your Homestead Vision, I listed seven topics for us to consider when envisioning your future homestead: poultry flock, poultry management, animal housing, horticulture, permaculture, sustainability, and other. Last week, … Continue reading
