A common question in landscaping is how to handle water runoff. Here in the midwest heavy rain is very common and can cause lots of soil erosion on unprotected slopes. In large, open fields, swales are a common permaculture solution to this problem. On our land, where we have small gaps in an otherwise closed…
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Spring Cleaning Surge and Planting a Beautiful Food Plot
Spring is officially here! Spring brings a certain energy with it. Everything starts growing and looking fresh and new! So, naturally, we end up cleaning too! On the homestead spring brings exciting developments as well. This week we started planting a beautiful food plot right outside our front door! Cleaning up the Lime Explosion A…
Digging Swales to make a Beautiful Vibrant Yard
Last week we tried to dig swales using a friends tractor. That did not work out in the end… This week we rented some equipment from a local store and went to work digging swales. It took most of the weekend but we got it done in the end! The Plan For the Yard When…
Yard Cleanup Almost Complete and More Bees!
Spring is approaching rapidly, and with it a whole host of projects! We engaged in some yard cleanup to get ready. There are so many projects do around our homestead this spring. Most of them involve sections of yard that were trashed this winter by me cutting firewood, the power company trimming trees, and loggers.…
Back to Baking and Announcing Permaculture Design
This week we took a major step toward returning to one of my favorite kitchen activities, baking. For various reasons baking has taken a back burner in recent months but not anymore! Also, I have been spending several hours a week working on a new certification which will help our homestead. This week I finally…
Better Garden Cleansing with Pigs and Tree Felling School
While winter is still very much present here in Missouri it still feels like spring is just around the corner. But, even if spring is still several months away, garden planning starts now. In order to recover from last years gardening failure we need to get as early a start as we can. A great…
Trees are sprouting and booming as brooks babble
Posted on Author SpencerPosted in 2021 landscaping, 2021 To Do List, Animals, Chickens, Forest Management, Gardening, Orchard, Projects, Stories2 Replies
This week the landscape has changed again as the snow has melted. The runoff has transformed the dry creek beds in the ravines into lovely babbling brooks. This evening Sarah and I heard the first chorus of spring peepers marking the arrival of spring. With spring here we have a lot to do, we have…
Winter Bares its Teeth as we Prepare for Spring
Posted on Author SpencerPosted in Forest Management, Gardening, Mother-in-law house, Stories2 Replies
This week winter decided to bare its teeth. We’ve had freezing rain, snow, and the coldest weather we have seen since we moved to Missouri. The cold has taken its toll on the homestead. Despite the winter bearing down though we have started to prepare for spring. Little Kittens With additional family and animals, moving…
Yard cleanup: reclaiming our driveway!
Whether you just bought a home or have lived there for years there are always things you want to change and/or fix. It could be as simple as finding the time to trim up those rose bushes, or re-landscaping the backyard. One of ours has been our driveway. When you first enter our yard you…