Joey Norsen: A Hopeful Homestead

My husband and I try to sit down and revisit our goals each year, planning our priority projects.  With homesteading (and homeownership in general), there is a never-ending list of tasks that need to be accomplished.  So we’ve found that it helps to set goals for each year, in addition to our long-range planning.  We share with you, both to keep us accountable and to hopefully inspire you to take the time for some planning as well!

So without further ado, here are our goals for 2012:

1.  Set up separate housing for our ducks.  Right now they are with the chickens, and it’s just not working out as well as we’d like.  They all get along fine, but the ducks make a MESS of the coop.  We’d like to set up some year-round outdoor housing.

2.  Set up a new system for seed-starting.  Last year our bedroom was a greenhouse all spring, as it is the only room that has a bright enough window.  This year we had some wonderful friends gift us with racks, lights and trays for seed-starting.  We’ll be setting that up in the next week or so and be able to get a start on our seedlings!

3.  Build a few more raised garden beds, using downed logs from our property.

4.  Increase garden productivity.  I’ll do a separate post on this in the future, but last year was our first attempt at completely organic and heirloom gardening.  It was difficult and our yields on most vegetables were much lower than we’d like.

5.  Replace fruit trees/bushes that didn’t make it last year.  (Thankfully Miller’s has a one-year guarantee!)

6.  Can and freeze vegetables/fruit in season.  I won’t add “enough to feed our family for a year”, as I think that would unrealistic this year, with baby due in August.  But we’ll preserve as much as we possibly can!

7.  Build a chicken tractor or moveable fence and raise/butcher meat birds.

8.  Cut, split and stack a dozen face cords of firewood for next winter.

Whew!  Even with trying to keep it simple, that looks like a lot!  We’ll be busy!  How about you?  What are your goals for the year?

And check back on Friday for a fun Valentine’s Day themed Food Friday!!!