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
This spring, we’ll build the chicken coop on my new property. My goal is simple: Build a coop which will serve my needs and last at least 40 years. With this as my goal, my requirements were clarified: Room for enough chickens to provide meat and eggs for at least six people (my husband and … Continue reading
Here are some images from our visit to our new property in West Virginia today. The property is at 3,800 feet and covered in gorgeous, rare red spruce. There is a 50′ pond, a large house which was built in the 1930s and added to in the 1990s. It has interior plumbing from a strong … Continue reading
What is the current state of your homestead and flock? What is working for you? What would you like to do more of, and what would you like to change? Consider each of the areas below and begin to define your goals! In coming days, I’ll discuss each of these points in greater depth and … Continue reading
