LOOKING BACK

While not as full of homesteading activity as the previous year, 2023 had plenty of progress and learning opportunities. Here are some of the highlights.

We managed to get the Chicken Tractor built and the chickens enjoyed using it for a few weeks. It was wonderful to keep them on fresh grass without having to worry about winged and four-footed predators. While the chickens were being tractor-ed around the yard, we were able to do some much-needed repairs and upgrades to the chicken coop and run, including painting it yellow!

Despite two predator deaths in the flock (Chipmunk and Road Runner), the remaining hens are doing well enough. That is, if eating and lazing about count. Only one hen is laying and that just started in December. Since not enough eggs are being produced for me to sell, the dog and chickens get scrambled eggs when I have too many sitting in the refrigerator.

The goats did an amazing job cleaning up the woods around the house and they were fun to have around while they were here. It was also nice to be able to send them home – just like with grandkids!

We covered a section in front of the house (where the azalea bushes used to be) with landscaping material and used that area to house my fabric pot garden. The experiment using fabric pots was successful. They are a more affordable alternative to the hard-sided pots and worked just as well. We harvested and preserved so many tomatoes and peppers that I don’t need to grow them this year at all… unless I change my mind course and just want to try a new variety.

The garlic I planted in the nasturtium bed has been thriving throughout the fall and winter with absolutely no attention from me. I have to admit that is a nice way to grow a garden – ignore it. I’ll have to see if I can apply that principle in future gardens.

We expanded the in-ground garden but growing anything there was an utter failure and we ended up letting it go back to nature. I shouldn’t say “utter failure” as it did prove to me that my instinct to grow in containers is the way for me to garden.

My emphasis on growing bug repelling plants this year was an outstanding success. I had only four mosquito bites the whole year and there were almost no flies in the chicken coop. There was one exception to this accomplishment: planting white geranium to repel the Japanese Beetles did absolutely no good. If white geranium truly does work, it must require a massive number of plants. I did discover Milky Spore as an organic method to kill the grubs and we laid down the first application this fall. Though it will take a couple years to see the effect, I am looking forward to the end of those nasty, destructive, beasties.

While I didn’t do quite as much food preservation as the previous year, we are still enjoying the rewards of that effort. My shelves have plenty of food on them from which to “shop” and I really like not having to go to the grocery store very often.

The worms are thriving in their worm tower. Switching them to a tower set-up worked out very nicely for easier harvesting of their castings. Every couple of months, I give them a new layer of coconut coir and peat moss and wait while they move up to the new layer where the food is. After a month or so, all I have to do is dump the previous layer into a storage container. I’ve been collecting fertilizer all winter to use in the next gardening season – which is coming soon!

I’m grateful for the progress made this past year and I have my list of projects ready for 2024!