Homestead & Holidays

     Holidays bring a special challenge to the homestead, especially if you intend to holiday away from home. I am blessed to live rather close to my family making holidays here or there flow much easier that most. Either way, homestead chores will need a little changing to get us through the gatherings.

     The week before a gathering I try really hard to get all the harvesting in, preserving things as I go. Often, this means long night hours in the kitchen in order to pull it off. From there the garden is 'on hold' until the gatherings are over. Only emergency chores get done, such as tossing a frost cover on tender items before a freeze.

     Livestock never give us a day off, so chores are done as closely to their routine time as possible. If we are going to be late we try to give them a little extra hay to hold them over until we return; hens are fed early if we will not arrive home until dark. We try to clean stalls/coops a few days before the gatherings; feed is purchased and portioned before as well.

     While our regular work slows significantly, other tasks keep us on our feet. My goal for homestead gatherings is comfort. When a person comes to my homestead I deeply desire they feel welcome, warm, and right at home. The fireplace is going, home made beverages are on hand to share (herbal teas/coffee/cocoa), plenty of comfy seats and hearty food is available for drawing them near. If children are joining us, there are activities set up with them in mind.
      For years when little ones visited us the horses were decked out in their finest attire ready for rides and rubbing; carrot nubs were in buckets for little thank-you's. To prevent fingers from horse bites, children gave treats in an empty bucket instead of handing them with their hands. The tractor would be adorned with colorful corn and leaves; the trailer attached was filled with hay and pumpkins for little hay rides.
      As a quilter, we often planned secret projects for the children- handprint quilts, artwork quilts, or wood working. Slipping off to the wood shed offered privacy as we worked together; I would finish projects if needed, wrapping and delivering them on Christmas. Facing the joy of grandparenthood, I truly believe those days will be upon us once again!

     Holidays on my homestead are not times for pomp and fanfare; no fancy recipes or loud decorations. The heart of my home is a simple one; one aimed at comfort and welcome. My décor may be simple, colored leaves and pretty pinecones, my dishes may be ordinary, but know you are always welcomed with a warm hug, a thoughtful smile, and the very best we have to offer. Blessings to each of you this Thanksgiving. May we each reflect on the many gracious roads we have traveled and the amazing Lord who has seen us through.

Homesteading with the Weather In Mind

     This week found us facing heavy rains and dropping temperatures. Weather like this finds us bundling up and hunkering down as the wind howls around us. Freezing weather, just like extreme heat, makes milking and gardening quite a challenge left only to the homesteader with deep convictions. The past few mornings have challenged my devotion as my fingers freeze and my plants wither.

      Whether laying out a garden or planning how many chickens to keep, considerations have to be made for extreme weather conditions. The garden needs to fit the season and be planted in time for a reasonable harvest before the weather shift occurs. Knowing my area's weather patterns helps me determine when and how to plant- but it never prepares me for the heartbreak that comes when those plants succumb to the elements. I tend to be a jump in feet first homesteader- planning big and building bigger. This means- I grieve the 80 tomatoes that withered in this summer's 117 degree day or froze in the first winter frost. It took me years to learn you can't fight nature, you have to work with it. These days I plant winter crops that will endure frosts and limit anything I will have to cover or loose- same goes for summer heat.

      Most adult animals are sturdy enough to handle a warm bed/windbreak with freedom to wander about during the sunny hours. Shady areas with plenty of water access relieves the stress during extremely hot days. Texas weather offers only rare occasion to need heat lamps or warming blankets with our goats/poultry. Breeding is worked around the extreme weather possibilities to ensure babies are old enough to regulate body temp and endure with minimal assistance.

       The lesson I have learned, the hard way, is to work within the reasonable limits of your capabilities and know the weather patterns for your area. It isn't reasonable to have more animals than my barn houses or larger crops than I can cover or water. Keeping in tune with the climate around me offers the best guidance to our homestead plans.

 

When You Have to be Away

     Yesterday found me away from home touring the beautiful gardens of Mercer in Humble. Due to the time and travel required, homestead chores fell to others which brings to mind the all important task of preparing for time away.

     Homesteading is a commitment that requires our time at home and limits our ability to get away. County fairs, livestock shows, camping or the occasional trip often allow us time to locate a 'sitter' and prepare them to fill our shoes. We invited our home sitter to join us for chores before being left along to the task. While this is preferred, it isn't always practical. When an emergency occurs we need to be prepared and set for a last minute sitter to step in and handle the home.

      In order to be ready for any and every sitter situation, labels are everywhere! Feed bins are located near the coup/stall they supply and labeled clearly: who the feed is for, how much to feed, and how often to feed them, with a note to check water when you feed. Emergency kits are inside each feed bin, specific to that animal with clear directions and phone numbers. A master list is inside the large freezer we store extra feed in. This gives detailed feed times, our feed routine, and special instructions. Brooders contain feed bins specific to their flock and have a master list inside their gate.
Milking directions are posted on the refrigerator next to the milk stand.

     Before we get to focused on the barn, we have to remember the gardens. Our homestead has three large gardens and a greenhouse. While they don't need as much attention as the barn does, neglecting it would be tragic. Each garden has it's own duties which are listed inside the greenhouse. Short term sitters usually face the task of watering and maybe picking a few green beans.

         The notion to pay or not to pay is a touchy one. Often our sitter is someone living close by willing to do the task and take home the rewards: eggs, milk, fresh picked veggies and herbs. My times away have been very short, only a day or two, and are few and far between.

          All of this may seem a bit overkill- let me be honest in saying my lists and labels are a bit outdated and well in need of revamping. With holidays on the way, work that sometimes finds me out of pocket, and all the other little things in life that make being away possible it's definitely time to re-up the notes and get that homestead sitter situation planned out- we never know when we find ourselves having to be away.







 

A Day Away

     It has been a while, but today I am taking a day away from my homestead to visit the beautiful Mercer Arboretum in Humble, Texas. Here in lies an educational adventure in horticulture and beauty. See you tomorrow, hopefully refreshed, inspired, and ready to resume my daily routine!!

Homestead Chore Rotation and Relief

     Chores are abundant on the homestead, but the workers are few. Depending on the size of your family and the age range of the children, the workload can seem ominous. Our family had a system for getting things done, sharing the load, and allowing for rest.

     When our homestead was new and our children school age, our chores rotated on a two week basis. This offered each family member opportunity to learn the various needs of each animal and garden plot. In the barn, rabbits, large stock (horse, cow, donkey), small herd (goats/dog), and poultry were assigned a family member. They had to learn the needs of that stall: water/feed requirements, stall upkeep, hoof/health care and be prepared for emergencies such as injury, illness, or birth. The 'odd man out' was in rest mode- preparing the breakfast for those busy with chores.

     To keep things simple, feed bins were labeled for each stall/animal listing how much feed to give and how many times a day. A first aid kit was in the bin as well, with a procedure checklist for minor ailments. Visiting cousins and friends buddied up with one of the kids getting the opportunity to see how things work and to help out if they were interested. During our foster family years, new family members kept the buddy rotation until they felt comfortable or were old enough to take rotation on their own.

     In addition to the barn chores, we have three garden fields: large crop/fruit, kitchen garden/greenhouse, and the herbal/rose garden. Rotations in these gardens followed suit with the barn rotations. Everyone spent time learning propagation, seed starting, weeding, harvesting, and planning the plots.

     Once the children aged up entering those early teen years chores took on a different routine. In their maturing they sought to take ownership of different areas of the homestead honing those skills and refining the plans. That doesn't mean we didn't take turns caring for things, but their was an overseer to each area. As overseer that teen set up feed purchasing, planned for any amendments needing made, bought, sold, bred and planted the areas they were in charge of- life skills easily applied to so many areas of adult life.

     These days there are less hands on deck. Chores are assumed by those home and available. I am overseer of the stalls, coups, and gardens and I do so gladly for I know the precious memories created from years of sharing side by side.