Category: Homesteading How To

Echoes of Her; Self-Sufficiency During Uncertain Times

March 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I think so often of her hands…The browned age spots from years of sun exposure, the knots on her knuckles and how they still remained so unbelievably soft her entire lifetime. They always smelled of the Nivea lotion she applied after every washing with hints of lavender, bergamot, sandalwood and rose. I miss her.

I remember watching those hands press the crinkles out of aluminum foil that had only been once used. “Waste not, want not, Ash” was a mantra that was recited quite often in our home. I can only imagine having spent her early childhood during the Great Depression and being raised by a mother who survived it, is what created her constant desire to be prepared for things. She purchased in bulk when she found a good sale, clipped coupons and taught me to cook and bake from scratch. When I had a friend sleep-over, a forgotten toothbrush was never a worry…Nanny always had extras. I don’t know that I ever thanked her for that, but I’m adding it to the ever-growing list of things I’m grateful for and will share with her when we meet again.

I write this from the comfort of my sofa, thoroughly enjoying the scent of fresh-baking country bread wafting throughout the house. My kids are pacing, anxiously wishing I would finish so we can take the nature walk that was promised them. Life for us during the Covid19 pandemic has been largely unaffected; the very welcomed difference is we’re together more. This is a time to slow down, and focus on what is truly important.

It’s a bit eerie out. Traffic is next to nothing and we are doing our part to stay away from others and prevent the spread further. I am left wondering, however, what are people feeling and thinking when they see the empty grocery store shelves? What happens when your food source runs low? What should you do? The masses are hoarding everything from toilet paper to bread and I cannot begin to imagine the panic those left without are dealing with.

I see this as an encouragement for change. Biblically speaking, things here on earth are going to get worse before they get better. I don’t say that to frighten anyone…His plan is written out for all to read and it ends absolutely perfectly. The peace our family finds amidst this chaos is two-fold. First and foremost, our faith in Christ Jesus gives us everything we need to get through; and also our ability to be self sufficient for the basic necessities of life during times of uncertainty.

Some ways you too can become self-sufficient during uncertain times include:

1) Make good friends with a farmer or homesteader. A lot of people don’t have the ability to care for livestock or grow a productive garden. I understand that. I did not grow up on a farm or actively in a farming family. I grew up in Fairfax county, in northern Virginia in a townhome with a teeny backyard. Homesteading as an adult has meant finding my calling. Myself and most farmers do this to help others. It’s our passion. When we have extra, it is available for our friends. Always.

2) Clip coupons, look for sales, and buy non-perishables in blulk BEFORE the need to have a stock-pile is necessary. My sweet sister has mastered this and sent our family a care package a couple weeks ago full of basic necessities.

3) Cook and bake from scratch. With shelves being bare, opt for 5 ingredient or less dishes that you can make large batches of and fill the freezer with the leftovers. Things like chili, lasagna, beef stew etc go a long way waiting out isolation. They also are cost efficient, and I know that is a big concern when jobs and income have been put on hold.

4) If you’re able, a small backyard flock of chickens can provide you with eggs and meat nearly year round. When one hen decides to hatch a clutch of eggs, raise those birds separately for butcher. Knowing that your food was loved and cared for as opposed to being raised in cages is both comforting and frankly tastes so much better!

5) Nigerian Dwarf dwarf dairy goats can milk anywhere from a couple cups to a half gallon a day. Investing in proven stock is a great way to ensure the latter and keep your family in milk, cheese, soaps and lotions during times of scarcity. These are small animals that are not expensive to keep and don’t require more than a fenced backyard space-wise. Male offspring can be butchered for meat or sold to cover the costs of their care.

6) Rabbits can provide both an excellent source of low-fat protein and income. Their pelts can also be preserved or sold.

7) Learn to keep yourself well using natural remedies. We have been provided with everything we need. We just need to slow down from the rat race and learn how. A neighboring farm up the road offers a whole living from the ground up class. I have not taken it yet, but will be for certain!

Budget Barn Cams For the Wifi Challenged

March 26, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I got a lot of things from her. Nanny was a worrier. She took her concerns and watered them, helping ’em grow into something she couldn’t bear to look away from. And somehow, she passed this green thumb of the worst kind right on to me. I’ve found in this life that if I can find simple ways to help me avoid the worries, it does my soul good and maybe will help some of ya’ll too.

That said, these goats are going to be the death of me!!! I worry about kids getting stuck, and mamas needing help and babies suffocating in their sacks. Of course in my mind, this is bound to happen middle of the night, likely during a cold snap or while I’m in a meeting at work. To help squash the worry I needed a way to check in on our expecting girls while at the office and throughout the night as we approach their due dates. What we came up with is an easy and affordable option for those of us without good wifi range out in the sticks.

If your wifi signal is strong and reaches your barn, this camera (image pictured) is excellent and costs all of $25. I love that it has record, screenshot and playback options as well as an alarm and the ability to speak over the built-in microphone. The picture is clear and based on the morning song of our roosters Stan and Charlie, the lag time is only about 3 seconds behind real-time. It’s tiny and makes rigging it in a corner very easy. Instructions were clear and setup was simple. It has night vision and can even flip the image if you have to hang the camera upside down.

Unfortunately, I discovered our wifi doesn’t reach very far at all. After attempting to get our budget camera linked unsuccessfully, I had resigned myself to having to purchase a wireless system with a data plan (a minimum of $250 ish plus the cost of the data plan) and in chatting with a friend was introduced to the perfect solution. This magic little thing-a-ma-jig extends wifi well beyond its normal range!! We opted for the AV1300 option and had I bought a camera with an Ethernet port, it would have worked just plug-and-go running through the wire ports of each linked HomePlug. Seeing that our little camera doesn’t have one of those ports, the option above “with wifi” extends the network wirelessly for around $119. Depending on the distance to your barn and internet speed you may be able to go with the AV1000 for around $80 total 🙂

Show us some of your barn camera set-ups!!

Growing Hope: Lessons Learned From A Skinny Goat

July 30, 2018 / / 0 Comments

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the day my husband bought her for me. In her pictures, she was shiny and soft with giant brown eyes and a proud stance that amplified the bright yellow Grand Champion ribbon she had just won. I loved her the moment I saw her and knew her name was surely a sign she was meant to be here on our homestead. “Happy MothersBirthMas” he said, the remark a reflection of her price tag.

When I went to pick her up, I pulled into a gated driveway of a breathtakingly beautiful, large estate in Northern Va. Lush pastures and barns spanned wide, perfectly painted to match the house up on the hill. When her breeder welcomed me into the gate, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted down into a seemingly bottomless field. Up trotted a single file line of 20, give or take, of some of the most beautiful goats I’d ever seen. Gentle and plump loving bodies surrounded me with their sleek coats and bright eyes. It was heaven!

Not a single collar or leash was needed to separate Hope from the rest and she eagerly followed us into the corral where she was normally fed grains and milked. Her breeder mentioned she was a little on the thin side, gave her a dose of pro-biotics and de-wormed her before we went on our way.

The move was stressful for her. She bleated and shook the entire drive home. The following months have been a learning experience for both of us. I’ve read more articles on dairy goat nutrition than I care to admit. On the ADGA body scoring page, I would say Hope has remained at a 2 despite my best efforts to put weight on her.

So, I began to ask around. I asked friends with goats, breeders and fellow bloggers with educational backgrounds in ruminant nutrition. A culmination of the wonderful advice I received resulted in the following checklist for growing Hope:

1) Internal Health
2) Nutrition
3) Energy Balance
4) Prayer

I knew just by her name that the Lord would use her to teach me things…

When given her background, the first question I was always asked was “did you check for worms?” Even though she was de-wormed before she came here, times of stress often cause an outbreak. With goats, internal parasites steal nutrition causing them to lose condition. And it’s the same with us, friends.

Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

When we’re in bad condition, needing Hope, the first step to finding it is to rid ourselves of the things that are robbing us. Maybe it’s addiction, toxic relationships, or greed. Sin robs us of Hope.

The second question was “what are you feeding her?” This goat in particular does not have a voracious appetite. She always leaves grain in the bowl (or throws the bowl because she’s a total DIVA… but I digress). I examined the quality of the nutrients, tried various feeds, including higher fat horse feeds. She only likes certain things…which presents a challenge when trying to add weight. The same is true for us. What we take in, determines our condition.

John 4:4

“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst: but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life”

When we cast our focus on what is good and true, and surround ourselves with others who do the same, finding Hope is inevitable and leads us to a better place mentally, physically and emotionally.

The third issue folks brought to my attention was energy balance. This is something animals bred for milk production often struggle with. In an excerpt from Dairy Goat Body Condition Scoring It’s written;

“High-performing dairy goats do not typically reduce their productivity if the feeding program is inadequate. Rather, they will often maintain a relatively high level of production and their body condition (fat and muscle reserves) will reflect the lack of nutrient intake.”

Hope was on milk test when she came to live with us and produced 3.3 lbs on her second test as a first freshener. That is a LOT of milk and very promising from a production standpoint! However, being that she produces so well, I have to really concentrate on her nutrition so she doesn’t lose condition again. I dried her off earlier this month and am focusing on getting her ready for fall breeding. For us, this highlights the importance of self care.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

It’s so easy to let ourselves run down to empty, isn’t it? In motherhood I’ve struggled here a thousand times and still do. We can’t help others if we’re depleted to the point of feeling hopeless. It simply can’t be done. Making the time to pour into ourselves is vital to our wellbeing.

The last and most important step in our journey to growing Hope is to pray. Before the chaos of the morning ensues, you’ll find me alone feeding Hope, before anyone else in my home is awake, praying over her and my family, friends, readers and our future. Her sweet smell and the solace of a few quiet moments before the Lord make my heart happy and help me to start the day on the right foot.

Ephesians 1:18-19

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

**Special thanks to Alli at Longbourn Farm, Lacey at Raising Arrows Nubians, and Terryn over at Faith Family and Beef for connecting us!

3 Of The Best Budget Chicken Coops

February 21, 2018 / / 0 Comments

We’ve needed a bigger coop for a few years now.  My sweet husband and mother-in-law went in together to get me the one pictured below for my birthday one year.  It has served its purpose well, and provided a safe place for our grow-outs.  When any of our girls decide to hatch eggs, it has been the perfect space to put them so they can raise their babies undisturbed.  I’ve loved it and will continue to use it for grow-outs and broody mamas.  But ya’ll….chicken math.  At one point in my life I’m quite embarrassed to say I had chickens living under my porch!!!  It was time for a new coop.

The above chicken tractor is from Mickeys Coops.  I found him on a group page for fellow chicken lovers that I follow on Facebook.  The tractor (another term for a mobile chicken coop) is very good quality and was sold and delivered to us at an affordable price.  After 5 or 6 years it is still in great condition and keeps our younger birds safe and dry.  Mickey has moved further away from us (now in Beaverdam, VA) but he is a wonderful resource if you’re close by.  This one will comfortably hold 4 or 5  full size birds and can be moved daily, with ease, to fresh pasture.

While my first wish was to build a larger coop myself, time is the enemy in our household, unfortunately.  With full-time jobs, pets galore and my own brood there just isn’t enough time in the day for that.  I looked around everywhere and found this coop gently used for a great price!  I am obsessed with it and cannot wait to fill it with new baby peeps.  It is SO CUTE.

 

If that one is out of budget, this one is cute and functional as well.  I needed a large coop….because again…chicken math.  But if you’re just getting into birds, this one has good reviews, is on sale ($100 off!) and would make a great starter addition to your homestead.

Utimately, I think the kit coops are a temporary solution as quality is not quite the same as it would be if you built it yourself or purchased from a builder.  HOWEVER, given our time dilemma, budget and immediate need for more room, I think we did good finding the perfect coop for now… until chicken math strikes again!

 

 

 

 

 

5 Tips to Affordably Fence-in Goats

February 4, 2018 / / 0 Comments

I have been anxiously anticipating having goats on the homestead for quite some time.  And while I’ve been preparing myself for goat motherhood, I’ve also been on the hunt for ways to save on the initial startup costs of ownership.  The kicker?  I found the PERFECT DOE (pictured above) and was added to the waiting list for a baby of hers Spring of 2018!!! Willow Pond Farm Nigerian Dwarf Goats have the genetics behind them that generate both ribbons in the show ring and some pretty impressive dairy abilities in the milk pail.

If that weren’t exciting enough, after responding to an add for a milk stand in my area, I made a new friend located not even two minutes up the road with an INCREDIBLE herd.  So, we were added to the list for a doeling from Gillispie’s LaManchas & Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats as well!!!

I may need to add another Paula Deen cook-book to my ever growing collection of favorites because soon there will be cheese and butter in everything around here!  I’ll also need to rendez-vous with Jillian Michaels but that’s for another post…

It needs to be mentioned that since we are going with a miniature breed, the tips listed may require some modifications for full sized goats.  From what I’ve read they can and will do everything possible to find the proverbial greener grass on the other side of the fence.

Tip number 1:  Try to think about and get in front of future repairs.  I’ve always looked for ways to  be proactive versus reactive and feel it’s saved me a lot, in both sanity and financial departments.  One awesome recommendation I’ve found is to run the fencing along the inside of the posts.  That way, since the goats  will naturally be leaning, rubbing and  standing up pressing out, it won’t pop the fence off the posts or unravel woven wire from the consistent pressure.

Tip number 2:  You essentially have three options for wire.  Welded wire is the least expensive up front.   4ft tall should be sufficient and if I have any escapees I will run an electric wire along the top of that.  Other, more costly, options include woven wire and cattle panels.  Because welded wire can have longevity issues, we are opting for woven, no climb, horse fence.  This ensures your squares are small enough that tiny kids can’t squeeze through.  I ran price comparisons against Lowes, Tractor Supply Co and Amazon.  Tractor Supply  for the win!  You can find it here.

Tip number 3:  Posts to hold the fence make up the other half of your largest initial costs.  From an aesthetic point of view, you may not like the look of metal posts, but they are less than half the price of lumber.  You’ll still need to purchase a few round fence posts for corners and to space every 10 feet or so, however utilizing both the stability and cost effectiveness of the metal posts makes this the most appealing option for a budget start up.

Tip number 4:  Make your own fence stretcher.  There’s no reason to buy a fancy, and steeply priced fence stretcher.  Simply notch out a 2×4, slip it into the slots and pull the fence taut.

Tip number 5:  Do it yourself!  You will spend a small fortune in labor costs if you don’t.   This will cut costs in half and offer the sense of accomplishment that only comes when you devote your time to a project and get to enjoy the finished product for many years.  Your goats and bank account will thank you for it!

Apple Butter for the Love of Fall Y’all

October 10, 2017 / / 0 Comments

 

Print
Apple Butter
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
7 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
7 hrs 50 mins
 
Servings: 8 half pints
Author: ashjones03
Ingredients
  • 7 lbs Apples (Red Delicious, Empire, Granny Smith mixed)
  • 3 Tbs Cinnamon
  • 2 cups Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Ground Clove
  • 1 tsp Allspice
  • 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Instructions

  1. Peel, core and slice 7 lbs of apples. 

    Place in the crock pot for 4 hours on high with the top on. 

    Remove top, and add the remaining ingredients.  Continue cooking on high for 3.5 more hours with the top off. 

    Using an immersion blender puree apples to soft buttery consistency. 

     Add to hot jar and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. 

October just so happens to be my favorite month of the year.  The changing colored leaves, sweet baked pumpkin and apple goods, on top of creepy decorations, and cooler weather… and the other months simply can’t compete.   If that weren’t enough, our annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s also happens in October!!!

After an amazingly fun night of haunted houses, carpool karaoke, and amusement park rides with friends, I decided it was time to kick off the season and make some apple butter.  Despite the temperature being in the upper 80s with humidity that could rival the rain forest, I am dedicated to my love of fall and this is one of the opening celebrations!

I think a mix of different types of apples is key to creating layers of flavors.  This year I selected Red Delicious for their deep sweetness and soft texture, Empire for their milder sweet flavor and ability to hold thickness after hours of cooking, and Granny Smith for a tiny hint of tartness.  I vowed after last year’s bourbon apple butter, I would never try another recipe, but folks this one is a winner!

As a mom with very limited spare time, I enlist the help of a slow cooker at every opportunity.  It doesn’t disappoint and I’m able to simultaneously do laundry, break up fights (keepin’ it real ya’ll), and do all the other mom stuff while it does the heavy lifting! It’s a rough guess but I’m thinking  7 or 8 lbs total filled the crock pot to the top.  Then I baked them for 4 hours on high with the top on.

Once they came to the below consistency I added my dark brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and ground clove, removed the top and cooked them 3.5 more hours.  Using the immersion blender (we were gifted this one years ago and I absolutely adore it) they came to the perfect consistency and I pulled my hot jars, filled them and processed them in a water bath for 5 minutes.  VOILA!  Happy babies in the morning and another way to raise some money for a cure!

 

 

Best in Show Cinnamon Rolls

October 6, 2017 / / 0 Comments

2017 was the hottest, driest summer I can remember.  Our garden was practically crispy and after a full work day I often found myself toting 5 gallon buckets of water all over the yard, desperately trying to keep something (anything) alive and producing.  I’ll never forget it though, it was the first summer I entered into our county fair.

We live in a relatively small rural town smack in between Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia.  I adore the solace of country life and at the same time enjoy the easy drive to the occasional hustle and bustle.  Given my passions, I’ve found farm work, easygoing attitudes, no traffic, and the ease with which one can potty train a little boy from the porch are only found ’round places like these where the homes don’t touch.  As many small town country girls know…nothing brings summer to a beautiful close quite like the county fair.  This is a time to visit with neighbors, show off your skills, kick back, laugh and celebrate the year’s work!    And so I entered.

With my family as my guinea pigs I placed things before them that got me “chopped” many times – as Henry would say.  But then I found the most incredible recipe for cinnamon rolls I had ever tasted.  It was nearly perfect, and with just a few tiny modifications it transformed into the epitome of sweet-tooth heaven.  This will forever be my go-to for holiday breakfasts and special occasion deserts.  And do you know what?  When I went to the awards tent, perfectly placed next to them was a big, purple BEST IN SHOW ribbon!!!

 

The Number One Pest Killing Your Tomato Plants

July 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

In my early childhood, we lived in an end-unit townhome of a bustling little town in Northern Virginia.  Being in a neighborhood where the homes touched each other didn’t stop Grandaddy from pursuing his love of home grown veggies and he became a master of container gardening.  

Our fence backed up to about 15 feet of woods before opening into the next crowded subdivision.  We had  a tiny back-yard, covered patio, faded deck, and the ultimate bunny paradise (more on that later).

On each stair leading up to the deck from the yard there were tomato and pepper plants evenly spaced and beautifully staked.  No lack of space was going to keep him from a toasted ‘mater sammich!

Grandaddy always had a way of teaching me all about life through nature.  I remember my first real, conceptual image of Jesus hanging on the cross as described using the soft pink petals of a dogwood flower.   I can still smell the raw tobacco wafting from his shirt pocket as he knelt down on his knees bringing the open soft pack of Marlboro Reds right to nose level.   That day I learned how nails were driven into my precious Savior’s hands and feet.

About that same time, he introduced me to what I would come to know as the enemy.  One who came to steal, kill and destroy….our tomato plants.  He called them “horned devils” and I knew immediately by the tone in his voice when he stumbled upon one that they were bad news.

Tomato hornworms are the larva of hawk moths; giant brown moths that can rival a bumble bee with the way they stop and hover.  As a homesteader, creatures with the words devil, hawk, horned or pest in their names have become my nemeses.  I remember in the summertime sitting on the deck steps and pouring over Grandaddy’s plants trying to find these nasty beasts.  Back when I had the fearlessness of youth, I’d pluck them off with my bare hands.

A single “horned devil” can destroy an entire tomato plant in days.  They are merciless.  What’s worse, you can often find them covered in white “spikes”.  I later learned these are parasitic wasp larva devouring the worm before hatching **insert screaming face emoji here**  I can’t fully wrap my head around posts like this, noting the benefits of more wasps – they must not keep honeybees!

On the homestead, I’ve made it a point to use our adventures as a way of teaching my children about the Lord, all while creating memories that (I hope) will last a lifetime for them.  Nature is a perfect place to start learning about God and life if we just slow down and observe all that’s been left for us .  There are clear examples of truth and beauty and love found everywhere.  But the enemy is also everywhere…even in the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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