I'm stepping in to write a short post about my preparations for the move to our Mountain Home.
I'm just as excited about the move as Darkylss is and I have been busy planning and thinking about what I want to do and achieve at the property. To aid with that I've been reading... and reading... and dreaming!
There are so many good resources out there for planning to farm and live a more sustainable self sufficient life - it almost seems criminal to not do it!
The only problem is there is almost too many options and I find I have to keep stepping back and just going with one idea at a time. I know it can all be done (there is a plethora of proof to back this up) I just realise that I work full time, we have two children and we both need down time - time to reflect and enjoy the experience and fruits of our labours. So how do I control the urge to DO ALL THE THINGS ALL AT ONCE?
My focus has been on a few key areas - the garden (vegetables and the fruit trees)
I thought I would provide a short list of some of the books and resources that I have found to be VERY useful - at least at this, the
Book
Cold Antler Farm (Blog, Facebook)Jenna Woginrich runs a small 6.5 acre homestead in upstate New York, it gets very cold in winter and has a short growing season - however she manages to run the farm single handed, provides for her needs and her community supplementing the farms income by writing and holding a range of courses, experiences and even sell shares in livestock.
It's not an easy life and their are many challenges but I admire her rawness and honesty. She is strong willed woman who is out there to live the life she wants the best way she can.
Her books on farming and living on a farm are great. I bought and have enjoyed her latest book, a memoir "Cold Antler Farm". It's full of great stories and experiences following the seasons and her life, from dreaming of a farm, to renting land, to finally breaking free of her workday life to buying a farm. I highly recommend this and her other books like "Chick Days" (which is fabulous chicken book and one I want to buy as well - I read this when we first thought of getting chickens a few years ago, can't wait to have the feather friends back in our lives again) - Full listing of all her books.
Magazine
Grass Roots Magazine (Facebook)Yeah OK these are a little bit hippie and very alternative but they some very good tips and while I'm not about to off grid or start using cloth instead of toilet paper I do appreciate the intention and belief the contributors have.
Our local libraries have a wealth of these magazines available and we both like nothing more than sitting down and reading the latest issue from cover to cover.
Social Media
Pinterest (Farm Lyfe)We have both been using Pinterest to create boards and share links, images ideas and more.
The community already exists and many of the topics I want to learn more about are found here - Want to make a Pizza Cob Oven? My board with links. Ideas for the Children? Again a board which will grow as I find the ideas.
Best thing about Pinterest I have found is the way I can create boards to meet my interests and needs - I love finding handy work tips and hacks - now I have a place for them all in a nice pictorial design. To make it work best for you I think the more narrow the focus of your board the better and more uesful they will be. I need to go back into boards as they grow (such as Farm Lyfe, above) and really pull out the pins that have a common thread - be that gardening, fencing, or animal/livestock.
Being a techno geek and having the Smart Phone and Tablet help a lot with the medium - it means that I can be connected to the farm life and interests when I am on my way to work or in my breaks. I can study up in the 'city' time and not waste a moment of the farm life.
So there you have my top three current inspirations - what are your?
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