As a reminder, I organize my week’s accomplishments according to my ultimate goals for this homestead property. Here’s what I’ve been up to: Resource Acquisition & Preparedness At this point, my life basically revolves around firewood – finding it, splitting it, stacking…
Week 22 at Farm 96: New Wood Stove Install & Reaching Energy Independence
At one point during my dad’s long illness, he was hospitalized for 181 days. I had paused my career to take care of him, so I spent most days that winter at home. It was also, coincidentally, the coldest winter…
Weeks 20 & 21 at Farm 96: Winterizing Fruit Trees and Planting Garlic
I consider myself relatively intelligent and a decently handy person. My dad made it a point to familiarize me with the basic functioning of my childhood home and involved me in basic tasks like changing filters and completing repairs. I…
Week 19 at Farm 96: Fall Harvests from the Cold Frame
I’ve noticed that many people my age talk about wanting to travel the world. My friends from high school go on weekend trips to resorts and AirBnBs, seeking concerts and hiking trails and experiences galore. I’m happy for their joy,…
Week 18 at Farm 96: I bought a Gator UTV
By mid-September, the hemorrhaging of cash had subsided, there had been no significant unexpected expenses, and all of my projects had come in under budget. I was feeling pretty good about my situation, but I was increasingly frustrated by the…
Weeks 16 & 17 at Farm 96: Trash Picking and Preparing for the Frost
For the nearly six months that I was under contract to buy this house, I was certain that I would be the kind of homeowner who had it all together: fully unpacked in the first weeks, decorating decisions made, art…
Week 15 at Farm 96: Woodchuck & Wood Stove Woes
I’ve been flying high – the autumn leaves have been stunning, my solar panels are installed, and I’m really living my homesteading dream. So, naturally, this week was a huge downer with a lot of frustrations. Growing Food I had…
Week 14 at Farm 96: Solar Panels!
It was a huge week on the farm, so I’m not going wax poetic – I’ll just get right into it: Energy Independence Usually this category comes last – while just as significant a goal as the others, it’s not…
Weeks 12 & 13 at Farm 96: First Harvest, Second Firewood Rack
The weather has been lovely, the leaves are starting to turn, and I am finding a rhythm with the work of the farm. There is a fabulous repetitiveness to it all – novel tasks can only be accomplished in the…
Week 11: Planting the Orchard & Blueberry Patch
This week was a perfect storm of non-farm responsibilities: daily after-school meetings throughout the week and lots of time spent on call as an EMT over the weekend. When I’m on call, I try to limit how dirty I get….
Week 10 at Farm 96: Loose Horses & Wild Grapes
Sunday morning started as usual – a leisurely wakeup before heading out the door to take my dog for a walk. My first thought when I stepped outside was how beautiful this property is; the steam rising from the goldenrod…
Week 9 at Farm 96: Spreading Wood Chips & Baking Sourdough
It’s the last push before summer ends and the school year begins. Typically, my back to school to-do list involves meal prepping and lesson planning; this year is the same, but with the added pressure of trying to finish every…