Since we purchased our land, all I've wanted to do was go and permaculture the crap out of it! I have been waiting years to get started. While there are so many things that I want to do, I need to stay focused and work on what needs to get done first.
Over the past couple of months, I have written several posts related to the one you're about to read. I covered our homesteading motivations, land criteria, the purchase of our land, and our main homesteading goal for this year. If you haven't read any of them you may find reading them worthwhile; they certainly will help better understand our goals.
Our Homesteading Vision: Motivations
Our Homesteading Vision: Land Criteria
Renegades Homesteading Property: A Slice of Heaven
Renegades' Homesteading Resolution For 2018
Photo by Jakub Kriz on UnsplashBig Dreams
We have some pretty grand plans for our 50 acre property. It is quite diverse already with a mix of bush, pasture, and water features. If I didn't dream big, doing very little with the property would be easy. Unfortunately, I'm a sucker for punishment and want our property to be an example of what can be done with permaculture. I don't want it to just be nice, I want it to be magnificent.
Our long term plans for the property include developing several income streams so I will be able quit my regular job and farm full time. The three alternative streams of income I am most interested in pursuing right now are:
- A Few Acres of Mixed Orchard - A hybrid between Stefan Sobkowiak's Permaculture Orchard and some of what Mark Shepard is doing on his New Forest Farm. I have a slightly colder climate than either of these projects and will have to adjust my plant selections accordingly.
Source- Rotational Grazing Paddocks - I haven't decided yet whether I will be doing cattle, sheep or goats. I will have to do an analysis of the profit potential of each enterprise. I've worked with cattle a bit already and they are fairly easy to manage but with all the bush on the property I would have more acres of forage available for goats.
- Woodlot and Tree Crops - With all the wetlands on our property, pussy willows might be a profitable enterprise. I am also taking a hard look at some other crops like Sea Buckthorn and Hybrid Hazel.
- Nursery - The hundreds,if not thousands, of trees I will be planting will be extremely expensive if I buy them all. This makes developing my own nursery almost a necessity. If I go to all the trouble to set up a nursery to start the plants I need for myself though, doesn't it make sense to raise a few extra to sell?
We also realize that we won't have the time or energy to do everything ourselves. We plan to look for partnerships, I believe Joel Salatin calls them fiefdoms. These would be good opportunities to function stack the land while allowing people that don't have their own land access to farming opportunities.
- Bees - With an orchard and other trees producing plenty of flowers it only makes sense to have bees, however, I am not particularly interested in keeping them myself.
Photo by Ariana Prestes on Unsplash- Sheep - One of the grazing animals I have been toying with the idea of having are sheep, but I don't want to sheer them and try to market the wool. I know there are hair sheep that don't require this extra care but for some reason I keep leaning towards goats. I would be willing to take care of them day-to-day though, if someone wanted to do the sheering and figure out how to market the wool.
- Cidery - I would definitely be willing to custom grow cider apples if I could find someone to partner with to handle the brewing. It would have to be a very well thought out contract though. I don't want to get stuck with a bunch of apples that are hard to market.
The above ideas are the just the for profit enterprises. It is still going to be a homestead so there will be other projects we will probably do on a smaller scale.
- Vegetable Garden - While I don't find growing vegetables to sell super appealing, I definitely would like to have some substantial gardens to feed our growing family.
- Chickens - I have some experience with laying hens; I built a chicken tractor and moved them daily. To be honest, it was a lot of work, more than I am willing to do for just our own needs, so I think I will set up some sort of coop and run instead. The set up will most likely have several permanent paddocks I can rotate the chickens through.
- Trout Pond - One summer, when I was a kid I was able to fish a private trout pond my auntie and uncle had access to. While I didn't do very well, that day my brother caught two massive rainbow trout. One of them must have been 10 pounds! The potential of these small fisheries stuck with me ever since.
Source
This is an aerial view of our property. It must have been taken when it was fairly dry because you can actually see where water moves though the land. I have also extensively looked at topographical maps of the land and determined where the best places to add ponds would be.
Here you can see the potential pond locations I have identified. The one furthest left is the least likely to be made. The other 3 are closer to the yard site and at a higher elevation.- Walking Trails and Camping Spots - Both for our use and to help lure friends and family out to visit. We have a few good friends that also have children and, since we will be living at least an hour away from them, having fun activities to do will encourage them to make the trip.
Quite a lofty list of projects, I know. To just jump into them would be a great way of getting burnt out and discouraged. I have also learned from experience that jumping into farming endeavors without proper infrastructure, is a recipe for frustration and wasted time.
So how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! The first thing we need to do is get the yard and house set up. Once we are living on the land full time we will be in a much better position to assess and proceed with the above ideas.
Stay tuned for Part 2 where I will be discussing the projects that are scheduled for this year
Great projects that you guys are planning. But how do you do it? It sounds like a lot of work, especially combined with the great posts you write for Steemit. Good luck with your homestead, it looks great.
Thanks! It isn't easy. This summer is going to be hard. We just want it bad enough to make it happen. For years I say dreamed about this lifestyle but am getting to the point where it is time to just do it. No excuses.
Great content buddy!
I am so happy forbyou guys!!! The dream is unfolding right in front of your eyes...
Keep dreaming big your place will be magnificent!
It's pretty amazing how much we think alike. All I can do is think about the property and there is only so much I can do until we move full time there, it's difficult not to be anxious!
I am totally stealing this idea word for word by the way:
Thanks again for the insiration Renagades!!! And thanknyou for using #DreamsComeTrue
Thanks. I think it is a great initiative.
Thank you... I'm trying to put out some good!
I wish that all your dreams materialize!
50 acres - 20 hectares it's a lot of land, it is going to be incredibly difficult to manage. As time passes you will figure out what better fits the quality of life you desire.
Have you thought of a tea business (dehydrated fruits and herbs)?
I really hope i was helpful.
Richard Perkins - commercial permaculture designer
He lives in Sweden.
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrintegralpermanence
The last model of dehydrator in this video is the one i'm talking about
Online PDC it is free if you do not want the diploma. If you want to be certified you have to pay and take the final exam.
https://www.regenerative.com
Buy frozen sea buckthorn berries, collect the seeds, plant them and use the shrub as a nitrogen fixer. Every 3 years you are going to prune the branches to freeze them in order to harvest the berrys. When you prune a nitrogen fixer , some roots are going to die, and the nitrogen nodules are going to be detached from the plant, and are ready to be consumed by other plants.
I know of roots dying back when the top is pruned. Still you are very knowledgeable and I appreciate your input.
Believe it or not Sea Buckthorn berries are not easy find in Canada. I have never seen them for sale. I would be able to harvest berries from the trees I had pictures of in the post I did on them.
I am assuming you started Seabuckthorn berries from saved seed then?
Yes I have started sea buckthorn from seeds. In my climate it takes 3-4 years till they produce fruit. Starting them from seeds will produce a lot of male plants, end every bush will be genetically different, end because of you're cold climate a lot will die ... but starting 400000 plants is easy and if you are left with 100000 it is still cheaper than buying them.
In august we will harvest the berries in Romania if you want I can send you a couple of kilograms of seed.
In the next weeks i'm going to make a article about germinating the seeds.
Thank you for the links ☺️
We have not considered growing fruit to dehydrate for tea. Certain elements of what you laid out we have thought of, for example using sheep to clean the ground up around the trees. Your plan has definitely given me something to think about.
We know it is a lot of work. We will probably leave most of the bush wild and graze most of the pasture. 4-5 acres will be more intensively managed.
awesome vision and plan!! beautiful post with exemplary elements :D
we too couldn't wait to permaculture the crap out of our land! lol, hilarious and so so true! it's like a fizzy carbonated beverage waiting to explode. luckily, we can channel that energy, as you clearly have, into planning and intention setting toward manifesting future dreams :) great job!
Thanks! Glad it resonated with you.
Set the bar high and go for it! I’m so excited for you and your family!! Your land is what dreams are made of. <3
Thanks! I have been accused of being an over achiever in the past.....
Would love to expand my 10 acre homestead to 50 acres. I noticed you left out one thing that would really make a difference for you. Worm farm. We do a small business worm farm and it helps bring in a little income but it really helps producing top quality castings for us to use in our green house along with my favorite quality worm tea. After pasture rotation with the animals I walk out and toss some soak corn and sun flower seeds into the old padlocks. One a week I come out and spray, with a backpack sprayer, worm tea. By time 6 weeks of rotation has happened the corn and sunflowers are almost chest high and produce a nice amount of feed stock for our livestock going back into the padlock. Just something to think about that will help you out kind of like the bees etc. We also farm mealworms for our chickens, hogs and in your case fish. Both are super simple and easy to do with high production. Good luck on your permaculture.
Worms are something I would like to try at some point. So much to do!
I like the idea of growing forage plants like you outlined, reminds be of Sepp Holzer. What sort of animals are you running through those paddocks?
We run a bull and 2 cows with small goat herds and then bring in the hogs. Some padlocks are just for hogs but some are a rotation. I use pallets to build pens for my hogs inside the padlocks. We have started to run high tensile electric that I have been learning the last two years. I have 3 cattle around a dozen goats in smaller herds from boer kiko mixes to a few nubians. We also do chickens and meat rabbits with various breeds and 7 adult breeder hogs with several medium to small at any given time. Livestock amounts change with seasons and with my appetite.
great work! canadianrenegade
Love the plans for the homestead! In small bites is the best way (debt free). I can't wait to hear an see more as you progress. I am doing fruit trees and veggies. Permaculture is next. I need to build our land up. The soil is not the best.
Try out some hogs in pen areas that you would like to improve. We have had hog and goat pens in certain areas for last couple years and are getting ready to run them out onto pasture and clear the area for planting next year. Where we had sand a couple years ago we have rich dark soil now. The hogs do a good job tilling the soil and breaking everything up for you and all the hay the hogs or goats leave in the pens from bedding or from them just not eating it all will start to break down and produce a nice dark rich soil for growing. I added a nice size worm farm that I produce worm tea from to spray in my padlocks and on my crops also. Worms are great also because the multiply fast. I don't know of many investments that double every couple months. What type of fruit trees do you have?
Sounds like a great idea. I will look into hogs for next year. I have papaya, pomegranate, figs, mango, coconut, kumquat, lemon, lime, noni, sweet almond, icaco fruit trees and one lonely cashew. I also grow grapes, passion fruit, dragon fruit, bananas and plantain. All on a very small homestead, can't see the house for the fruit!
Nicaragua is a tropical climate? I have heard it is more difficult to build soil up in tropical climates.
A little more diligence, but nothing that can't be handled. Dry season can be a bear...
I love your plan. Your homestead is a few years ahead of My wife and I (maybe less but we have to move from my current 53 acres, the local township doesn't want to allow farming anymore)
I am planning to get 80 plus acres in a more rural farming friendly area of West or Northern Michigan and also as you say "Permaculture the hell out of it" Reading your posts is making it worthwhile to join Steemit all by itself. Looking forward to more, keep up the great work!
Thanks for the support!
I find it odd that the township wouldn't allow farming on 53 acres. Where do you live now?
so impressive writing sir... & 2nd photo i like the most...👍
I also have a big dream that buy a land.... But I don't know how it will be possible with earn steemit.... Thanks for motivational speech...
.
It's big
but typing mistake.. You have understand that...
.
ok that's good