We did it! We officially bought our farm and have been staying here for a full week. (Just kidding. It’s been a month.)
With the help of my in-laws, we were able to move the entire house in just a few days. A dear friend brought us lunch and her children kept my boys engaged, so I could tackle some much needed unpacking!
My question is: How do we have so much stuff?!
The farm house is smaller than our previous home, and I had been downsizing quite a bit over the last several months. I’m finding this process must continue as we’re settling in.
I’ve been scoping out areas where I can to forage and exploring the woods. It’s so peaceful back there. I’m definitely looking forward to carving out some time to spend more time in them.
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Priorities
Fencing
I love the idea of letting our boys free range, but as of right now, it’s not possible. The location of the home, and the size of the property is a bit too much to allow the boys to roam. (Definitely when they’re older!)
One of the first big projects was to install a permanent fence around the immediate back yard. The boys have plenty of room to play, the dogs to run, and have some plants near the house.
We used a livestock fence that is sturdy, relatively inexpensive, and makes a great trellising system for our thornless berries!
Plants
I’ve been itching so badly all summer to start establishing beds and growing food here! The first day we got the keys, I loaded our van with the perennial berries I’ve been hoarding all summer.
Three loads later, and they were all up at the farm. (I *might* be a plant hoarder.)
So far, I’ve gotten haskaps, dwarf raspberries, strawberries, aronia berries, yarrow, and echinacea planted where landscaping beds had previously been made.
In the back, we have thornless raspberries, thornless black berries, more strawberries, lavender, sage, rosemary, elderberries, and horseradish. There was also a decent deal I found online for some raised beds. While I prefer Back to Eden style, raised beds allowed us a quick way to start growing some fall crops. In the future, our boys will be able to have their own personal gardens close to the house for easier care.
I’ve got three of the wooden beds that are 8’x2′, and two of the metal beds that are 4’x3′. I’ve implemented companion planting and square foot gardening in them to maximize the growing space.
Our wood chip/compost pile was moved over a few weeks ago. I’ve been moving mulch around to cover areas I’ve planted already.
The back yard has some big plans coming for it, too in the upcoming months! (I’m picturing a trellis of grapes or roses leading in from the back yard).
Livestock
The property already had a barn with a livestock area on the back. It’s so easy to jump in head first and get all things we’ve been dreaming about – chickens, sheep, hogs, cattle, etc.
But I think that’s where alot of small farms can set themselves up for trouble in the long run. Pacing ourselves and planning are the best tools for success with the livestock and garden beds.
All that being said, I brought home a large batch of meat chickens that first week. (Woops) We currently have 49 Grey Rangers in our Joel Salatin-style tractor. They get fed an organic, fermented feed, and are moved twice daily to fresh grass.
Grey Rangers
In previous years, we’ve opted for cornish cross meatbirds for our pasture systems. I had been keeping an eye out at the farm stores for when they would get their late season meat birds in, but we found a different option!
Someone on Craigslist was selling 50 Grey Rangers that were already 2 weeks old. These chicks were fed an organic feed their whole lives and were never vaccinated or medicated. Right up our alley! The price was good, too. They’re now 5 weeks old and have been moved to pasture.
So far they are definitely just as hungry as the Cornish cross, but are slower growing. They’ve been escape artists (which the Cornish cross never were) and just as dumb! They are supposed to be ready to butcher at 11 weeks, while the Cornish were ready almost a month sooner at 8 weeks.
As of now, I’m not super impressed and don’t see us pursuing them again in the future – unless the flavor of the meat is phenomenal, or they do some massive catching up in size over the next several weeks.
Egg Layers
We’re currently using an electric fence with a solar energizer to keep our egg laying hens from wandering away and they’re staying in the back of our barn. Eventually, we’ll convert one of the trailer’s into a mobile egg mobile to keep them on fresh grass regularly.
We have two silkie roosters to our flock. Silkie roosters have been our best options with children running around. There was one aggressive silkie rooster, who didn’t last long, but overall they have been a good option. Eventually, I hope to keep a silkie trio separate for a breeding project.
If you remember from one of my last blogs, we had a very successful Khaki duckling hatch this year. Unfortunately, before we moved onto the farm a raccoon attached the mother duck and all but one duckling. We replaced some of them with Welsh Harlequin ducklings (I wasn’t able to find any Khaki Campbells) which should grow into some truly beautiful birds!
The male duck (who sired all the Khaki ducklings) has taken them all under his wing without hesitation.
They have really done well here, so far and race each other back and forth between the neighbors pond and come running for snacks as soon as they see we’re outside.
What the Future Holds
The possibilities seem endless right now! We’ve accomplished so much, so far but still have a long way to go. Bryce has still been moving odds and ends while keeping up both properties.
I’ve began homeschooling both of the older boys while trying to unpack, organize, and manage the house – AND care for the animals and plants.
There are many sun-up to well after sun-down days and while it is very rewarding work, we need to tread carefully to avoid burnout.
What are some things you’d like to see on our new farm happen over the next several months?