The Road To Sunstainability

The dog days of summer are slowly coming to an end. Personally, I will miss the the long days and sticky nights as Autumn reigns in. This has been an extremely busy summer for our little pig farm. Building fences to allow the pigs to free range, fighting foxes and coyotes, that frequently visit the farm as if it were a buffet, and trying to erect a greenhouse that we acquired from a friend. All this plus the normal of tending the gardens, feeding the animals, and maintaining a full time job while we build our sustainable paradise.
Life off the grid is not for the faint of heart, nor the week of back. But the rewards are fabulous. The fresh vegetables have been fantastic. We have put(canned) many jars from the garden and even took the kids to a blackberry patch I stumbled on. If you have never tried homemade blackberry jam, put it on your “to do” list. Recently, we went to a friends vineyard and picked about 75 pounds of muscadine grapes. I’ll let you know how the wine turns out in about 5 months. In the meantime we will be making jams and jellies while the fall garden grows. I am particularly looking forward to this harvest, as we are planting peas, beans, several types of lettuce, tomatoes, winter squash, spinach, and a few others that have slipped my mind at the moment.
One of the most important projects are the rain barrels we picked up. Even though our well water is better than Aquafina, nothing is better for organic gardens than good ole rain water. The idea is to get gutters on all the structures so the rain water can be funneled into the barrels. Doesn’t sound that bad does it? For reasons beyond my grasp I still haven’t finished the first one. What a slacker! And now the rain is falling. Can you say slacker? When I get the system set up, we will be able to supply the green house with water, without putting additional strain on the well or depleting the aquifer. I’ll get some pictures up later.
There have been many changes that I want to share, but the cow is calling. It’s after 6:30 in the morning and she gets fussy if I make her wait to eat. Pregnant cows are just as bossy as pregnant women, but not as cute. 1000 lbs of attitude. Sounds fun doesn’t it!!
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