Truthfully, I am still very new at all of this.
As we consider building our homestead and how to do things, the possibilities are almost endless. Time and time again we encounter different ideas and there is only so much that we can do or incorporate into our design and plan. Originally, I had one specific plan that I began working towards, but, due to some recent events, I am changing it up a bit. Hopefully it'll work out better for us, and this may even give some of you some things to think about.
PAPA SHARING SOME RECENT THOUGHTS ABOUT CHANGING THE PLAN
GARDENING GOALS
If you've followed my posts for any amount of time know, you are probably well aware that we desire to grow the majority of our own food supply right here on our land. This means that at least some of our land will be permanently devoted to garden space.
Besides the "traditional" garden, we are also planning on transforming much of our property into a food forest, where the trees, shrubs, vines, bushes, and grown covers are all edible, medicinal, and useful. Over time we will phase out the existing forest and replace it with one designed to fulfill our needs. It'll require a lot of work and time, but that is our goal and the direction that we are moving forward in.
LETTING THE ANIMALS DO WHAT THEY DO TO BLESS YOU!
Part of our original goal was to "work smarter not harder." This includes using things like the natural instincts of various animals to help in the process. I first began using goats and pigs to eat the undesirable plants. Once they reach the ground level, we can encourage the pigs to uproot their root systems by sprinkling whole corn on the ground.
The original idea had been to use some temporary pens to move the pigs through our fields and covert them into bare earth and open dirt. At that point we had been covering the ground with a thick layer of mulch, sometimes after spreading seeds for plants like Daikon Radishes and Austrian Winter Peas first.
The mulch not only blocks out weed growth but also begins to break down and decompose, adding to the soil. The plants break open the tough soil beneath, and when the tops of them die, they add biomass to the soil too. So far this process has been working very well.
ENTER THE GRAZERS!
However, now I have began to reevaluate the process, because we have finally gotten around to adding some grazing animals into our homesteading mix. We do not plan on feeding these animals grain or hay all year round, so having some thick, lush pastures available will be beneficial.
This is where the change in plans comes in. I realized that the forest floor has substantially less undergrowth than the amount of plants that exist in the fields. Also, now I need some fields for pasture land. If I eliminate the fields for garden space, then I'll have to eliminate forest for pasture land. Not only will I not be able to use any of the natural grasses and plants that grow in the fields, I would have to start from basically nothing to create a pasture.
ENTER THE DOZER!
Once I saw what a big bulldozer was capable of, I soon realized I had another option. Trust me, removing trees one at a time with a chainsaw and shovel is a lot of work. If I want to start my gardens fresh from nothing, then the forest floor is a much better starting place than the fields.
The dozer can completely clear a spot for my gardens in minutes. Then I can mulch it and start fresh. In the fields, I can just work on removing the unwanted plants and adding some more desirable ones into the mix. This should allow us to move forward at a much quicker rate of speed.
Obviously we will continue to learn, apply, and evaluate, but so far we are very optimistic and we are really enjoying the process of turning this raw land into a functional homestead that will provide for our family for years to come.
Until next time…
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