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 it, loading it. If I’m not actually touching firewood, I’m probably thinking about it.
I put myself in a precarious position by failing to prepare better over the summer. I have to cut myself some slack for this – it was my first summer and there was a LOT to do!
The good news is, there is seasoned wood scattered around the property, so it’s mostly a search and rescue mission. The previous owner had a row of split and stacked maple by the horse’s paddock, plus rounds of knotty cedar by the orchard. There are also two deadfall trees on the property that I’ve been cutting and splitting when time allows.
I purchased a moisture meter to monitor the wood, only burning that which measures at less than 15%. On the topic of wood stove accessories, I also purchased a small rack to store immediate-use firewood on my porch and a heat-activated fan that does a great job of moving the heat through the main living space.
My family’s property next door has an endless supply of downed pine trees that need processing, but that wood will need at least year of aging before burning. I’m fighting to get a bit ahead on the immediate needs so that I can start tackling that project for the future.
Aesthetic Utility
At any given time, I have a list of farm tasks a mile long. Since the moment I stepped foot on this property, one of those list items has been to build a pallet compost bin. I finally did it this week, and the total time investment was about 10 minutes.
The construction was very simple – it’s just pallets with rebar for structural support. I used cinder blocks that I unearthed from the ‘multi-generational trash pile’ to add a little extra support. Typically, you would want to construct two to three bins so that you can let the material decompose in one bin while you fill another. I intend to build a more permanent compost bin by my future garden next year, so this will be sufficient for now.
I have also been enjoying my house in Christmas mode for the first time. Much of my decor was scavenged from my neighbor, who had put a lot of stuff on the curb while he was moving in July. It’s the perfect classic Christmas vibe to go with what I had saved from my childhood. I just wish I had a little more time to relax and enjoy it 🙂
Growing Food
My cold frame continues to produce lettuce and arugula, though the new seeds that I planted about a month ago have been slow to germinate. I have come to the conclusion that starting seeds indoors and then transplanting them will be more effective than direct sowing because the germination process requires more warmth than the actual growing process. I’ll have to experiment with this in the new year and will certainly report back.
Moving Forward
I have been falling a bit behind on these updates because there is a certain monotony to winter on the homestead. I suspect the next weeks will be much like this one – various small maintenance projects woven through the cycle of finding, splitting, and stacking wood.
At some point, I will have to break from the monotony: 2026 garden planning, barn cleaning and organizing, and several small construction projects (chicken coop, additional cold frames) are all on my winter to-do list. Before any of that, in the true spirit of winter as I approach the six month milestone, I will take some time to reflect on how far I’ve come.
Stay warm,
KC