Setting Goals for Our Homestead in 2014

Each year we live on our little homestead, we make steps toward a more self sufficient lifestyle. While there are some self sufficiency goals that will have to wait for our move to a larger homestead, many goals can be accomplished with some perseverance and patience.

In 2013 I worked on or accomplished the following goals:

• raising ducks for meat and eggs
• increasing the size of our garden
• canning more of our homegrown produce
• saving heirloom seeds (successful to a certain extent)
• growing more of our own chicken feed (not as successful as I hoped)
• using my little greenhouse to extend our season (I need to dedicate more time to this)
• raising more chickens for our freezer
• hatching chicks to add to our flock
• learning to forage for more wild foods

There are some goals that I didn’t achieve and they will be added to this year’s list, which includes:

• building cold frames to extend our season
• raising more grain for the chickens
• beekeeping - I’ve downsized the dream and will add a Mason Bee House to the homestead instead of the honeybee hives.
• soap making - this is still on my list. I’d like to find a recipe that doesn’t call for lye.
• cheese making - I’ve continued making queso fresco, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese, but I would like to make mozzarella too.
• downsizing the chicken flock…it’s a work in progress, but every year I butcher the older laying hens and then add new pullets to keep the egg production up. If I don’t find more regular buyers for the extra eggs this year, I will reduce the flock even more.
• raise our own turkeys for Thanksgiving again this year.
• increase the size of the garden…again.
• forage for more wild foods.
• cook more meals in our Dutch oven, pioneer style!

These are a few of my goals toward a more self sufficient lifestyle for 2014. What are your goals for your homestead this year?