Wild Hope Homestead

Well, it is nice to be starting fresh with a new year and new aims and goals, even if a bunch of them didn’t get done last year. It’s tempting to copy and paste everything that didn’t get done onto this year’s list. And then add more things. And more things. But I know that this year could be even less productive in terms of getting tasks done than last year. I’m still pregnant. I will be increasingly so for half the year. Then a new baby will arrive. Things will be different. So, I’m trying to be realistic, yet at the same time put enough things on the list to give us a drive to get things done, because there is still a lot to be done.

Above all, this year I want to seek God first. I am starting from a place of giving everything to him, for he is the real boss of this homestead. As I began to talk to God about aims and goals for this year, the stirring in my heart was this: I want to grow your glory here. That is my overall aim for this year; to grow God’s glory here through whatever I do. I may have even started writing a song about it… If I seek God’s ways first, he will grow everything else in the best way and will look after the needs of my family. I believe it is our job to steward well what God has given us and his wisdom, even in the little things, will help us to do that.

Garden/Outdoors

Vegetable Garden & Fruit Trees

• Grow as much of our own vegetables and fruit as we can.
• Prune big feijoa tree – a lot.
• Build Planter Bed #2 at end of Veggie Garden.
• Build seat to go between two planter beds at end of Veggie Garden.
• Build final raised bed along paddock fence in Veggie Garden.
• Replace upper section of wire netting along Veggie Garden/Citrus Pen fence with wire mesh with larger openings.
• Build a tall stand for rain barrel in Processing Corner.
• Acquire and install plumbing fittings for outdoor sink to get gravity-fed water from the rain barrel.
• Remove ill-performing boysenberry plant and plant new one.
• Grow some pumpkins and squashes to enter at The Great Pumpkin Carnival.

Garage & Shed

• Install final two plasterboard pieces on garage walls.
• Move tall storage cabinet to beside workbench.
• Build shelf above Big Cage to house smaller chicken cages.
• Build a timber storage shelf along back wall.
• Build shelves for chicken equipment storage along back wall.
• Organise chicken equipment storage area in the garage after shelves have been built.
• Build/install a tool storage system on ‘tool wall’.

Close to House

• Build wooden base for two rain barrels beside deck.
• Build/ install fence and big wooden gate across east side of house.
• Remove old black fence in patio area.
• Install posts for porch roof extension.
• Attach wire mesh to posts and plant climbing plant to grow on it.
• Pave patio area.

Other

• Finish framing and covering greenhouse.
• Remove rest of weed mat from along the east fence.

Food & Food Prep

• Preserve as much of our produce as we can.
• Make all our own stock/broth.
• Make a good supply of meals for the freezer before the baby comes.
• Finish making chicken plucker.

Chickens

• Improve the quality of our Australorps.
• Downsize chicken flock to the best chickens for breeding.
• Build the chicken tractor.

House

• Get toilet installed.
• Get vanity installed.
• Install remaining house light fittings.
• Sell or donate pile of unwanted things in spare room.
• Clean out spare room and get it ready for the baby.
• Sort out window stays.
• Frame photo to put in master bedroom.
• Build a shelf above fridge for extra/more efficient storage.

Crafts

• Make herb hook cross to hang on wall.
• Make some beeswax wraps (food covers).
• Finish knitting the log cabin rug.
• Knit a cardigan for myself.
• Sew a cover for a breakfast pillow for our bed.

General Homestead

• Change homestead name – including website and graphics.
• Open merchandise webstore.

That is all. Onward and upward we go. And yes, there are a couple of things at the end there that I haven’t talked about yet… Here’s to an exciting year!