This has been by far the most snow-packed winter that I can remember. There might have been years that technically rivaled this one – 2011 and 2013 come to mind – but the impacts of the snow really amplify when you live on a farm. I have felt its effects every day, mostly in the twinging muscles of my upper back – which are rather sick of hauling firewood to the porch using an oversized tote bag rather than the John Deere Gator that I spent all that money on specifically for tasks like these. The snowbanks are too high to drive through, so I continue to weave through hastily shoveled paths, multiple trips per day. I walk similar paths with bales of bedding and flakes of hay to feed the horse, trying to ignore the growing mountain of manure that – again – was supposed to be a hauling job for the Gator.
I am not upset about it. In many respects, it has been fun. There is a palpable satisfaction to sitting on the couch in front of the wood stove, listening to the howling of the wind and knowing that all is done that could be done.
Food Production
I finished constructing a cold frames using a window that I got for free from Facebook Marketplace. I have essentially zero construction experience and couldn’t use pre-existing plans because the window is a unique size, but I found that essentially winging it proved to be effective enough and I trust that the resulting cold frame will be useable. I learned a lot, which is good because this will be the first of several – I have 23 more windows to use!
I already had a cold frame on the property that had been constructed by the previous owner, who was more of a construction guy than a garden guy. While that cold frame was productive in the fall and I intend to continue to use it, I wanted to make a few improvements on the new design. This cold frame is much smaller, and I used 2 inch thick lumber rather than 1 inch – both of these details should improve my ability to maintain temperature inside of the cold frame.
There have been some other minor developments as well – the maple sap continues to flow, and I started some lettuce seeds in soil blocks that are destined for the cold frame; I’ll update more as things continue to develop.
Resource Acquisition & Preparedness
A very kind reader sent me some books on orcharding – both breathtakingly sweet and extremely useful! One of my long-term goals is to install floor-to-ceiling bookshelves for a makeshift library in what is currently my ‘office’ – although it’s supposed to be the main bedroom. I am a longtime collector of books, favoring vintage books on homesteading topics, but I surprisingly have few if any books on maintaining an orchard. I see print media as a form of preparedness, and I look forward to continuing to explore these books as I ramp up my orchard this spring.
Energy Independence
After a $450 electric bill last month, I was very relieved to discover that my solar panels are producing a lot more electricity now that the days are getting longer (and the panels are finally cleared of snow). I have had a few days where they produced more than 50% of my usage for the day! I have relied more on electric heat this past winter due to both the severely cold temperatures and my limited firewood supply. It will be interesting to see how next winter looks, given I’ll have more time to prepare firewood and I will have banked a great deal of solar power during the long summer days.
Moving Forward
Spring is a busy time for my job and volunteering commitments, and this will be the first time I am adding homesteading responsibilities to the mix. I am a bit anxious about all of the work that lays ahead. It will take a lot of organization, planning, and discipline to stay on top of it all.
Talk soon,
KC