Happy 2017 Y'all!

Happy New Year y'all from the Cockeyed Homestead. This is year two of the new homestead and we've got big plans coming up.

We will be enlarging the garden. Our goal is 25% of our food stock needs. Planting areas include a flax, wheat, and corn plots. These will be a whole new 10x10 planting beds. They will be testing plots to check out varieties and yields. We are starting this small on purpose. We will also be planting our orchard this year. I've researched apples, pears, pecans, peach, blackberry and raspberry brambles, and oak trees since last Spring. I hesitated actually buying the trees and bushes on purpose. But 2017, is the year to grow the orchard. We've spent this winter laying the groundwork for the new organic orchard and test plots.

The garden will take on a whole new layout. This will be the permanent place in front yard. We figure this amount of area will suffice for now. The plan is to clear a few trees this year so we gain a pasture area for our heritage breed chicken project for 2017. Our plan is to have separate areas for different breeds to do a contained/ free range set up. They will help hold down the insect population is the various garden plot areas too. Our goal is to add a dozen chickens of various dual purpose breeds quarterly. They will be butchered on demand meeting our food needs while expanding their flocks size. We will be selling off the excess chicks to fund this project. It also means focusing on a couple of broody breeds to start with. Next year we'll research selling butchered chickens for added profits.

Mel and Moira

The angora rabbitry is complete finally. the long/short range plans included the purchase of new does every year. The search is on for the newest does. We calculated having twenty English angoras by 2020 in breeding and wool production.

Daisy and Moira are old enough to be bred to Dustin. This will be the first generation of our pedigree line of English angora rabbits. We figure to breed them in the Spring. The first batch of meat rabbits will be ready for harvesting about the same time. Tummy yummies rabbit stews and roasts for dinner. This will be the second leg of being more self sufficient in a protein source. We'll also be planting drying beans and peas for additional proteins.

This new year will also see the addition of tiny houses on the property. Yes, they will take time to complete, but we are building a pay as we go set up with no additional debt. The plan is for two of them in 2017, but it may be just one. When the first one of us moves into their tiny house we will also be remodeling the double wide trailer into the community building. The first thing to go is the wall dividing the living room and the office. The next thing is all of the wall to wall carpeting removal. Carpeting is yucky stuff. New plywood flooring will replace it.You'll just have to wait for the video to see what we have planned. It's going to be awesome! We may get the kitchen enlargement done also in 2017 too, but it all depends on finances and time.

We are still on track in our five year plan. So how are y'all doing?

Y'all gave a blessed day.