2013 goals, list them here | Page 2 | General Homesteading Discussion | Forums

oh man...its going to be another packed year.

1. Develop a piece of property I own in a neighboring town on speculation. Its a really cool wooded 1.1 acre piece next to a small river/large creek. I have used it for camping/swimming for the past 2 years w/family . Yesterday an Amish builder cashed the check to start working on a 10 x16 shelter/cabin on skids and an outhouse for the property. A tree cutting friend and I have cleared the middle of the lot of about trees 12 tree about a month ago. Next is to get my mini digger over there to sculpt the land a bit so cabin can get to where it needs to go . Its got old foundations and apple trees from where someone once had a homestead. So there are natural raw materials to work with just need to Iarrange them differently. I hope to have it sculpted/cabin on it/seeded with wildflowers and on the market early summer-ish.

2. Work on our passive solar home more.

a. get PAHS Skirting finished around house. This means getting insulation and covering with rubber roof membrane outward from foundation about 25 feet. Covering that with old rugs and back filling with Number 2 river rocks.

b. Shorten the unnecessarily epic driveway By doing this it should cut in 1/2 the amount I have to plow/maintain. It will also free up the old driveway for perennial food raised beds to go. Are land is very steep so flat space is at a premium!

c. build the solar collector for heating underneath the pahs umbrella/skirting/cape in front of house

d. build the passive gravity feed solar water pre heater in the rear of the house(might not get to this)

e. Plant crazy amounts of green manure where we have torn up the earth. Plant blue berries/strawberries/hazelnuts/other food stuff!

f. Stain and install the shiplap hemlock siding on the house. It will finally look like a real house instead of a half finished shanty woot

g. Cut down trees around property for firewood/building creating space for more food crops.

My wife is very excited that this year we can legally live in our house ...so that will be a good boost for us