Where did the past two months go?! It has been a wicked busy spring for us. On top of swapping goats, tending animals, and navigating a steep learning curve with the garden, we decided to renovate the barn so it can house friends and family when y’all come visit. The barn project has been a doozy, but we’re almost finished. Granted, we’ve been saying that for about three weeks…one day (soon, hopefully) it will actually be true.
So much has happened, but it’s all happened so fast that I can’t remember everything, so here are some recent highlights:
⭐ Barn Updates
We got a driveway installed for the barn. It took four loads of gravel that got delivered on two different days. Did a dump truck get stuck in the pasture both days? You bet! Did that somehow work out in our favor? Thankfully! When Steve came back for his truck the second time, he brought his skid steer and went ahead and spread the gravel for us (thank goodness for Steve, because I was NOT looking forward to spreading all that out by hand). AC is also really good at becoming buddies with all the older men who make it out here, who also happen to be avid fishermen, so she has some new friends who can show her some good fishing spots!
We’re at the point of building out furniture (like the kitchen counter and shelves, a bathroom cabinet, etc), then it’s just finishing details! We went to the monthly auction at the local “junkhouse” last Friday to get some things for the barn and we made out like bandits! We went in with a list of things we needed and a max price we were willing to pay. We left with everything on our list, plus some unexpected steals, AND we came in under budget! Our haul included:
- 2 pine side tables in great condition
- 2 Lazy Boy recliners (style is an older Carlyle, I think)
- 6 IKEA dining chairs
- a wingback chair
- a floor fan
- 3 wooden cutting boards (2 are unopened Boos brand boards 😍)
- a cabin-print throw blanket
- a luggage rack
All for less than $175! We high fived all the way home!
And today, our plumber (finally) hooked up the water and the bathroom fixtures. It only took us a month of nagging to get him to come back and finish the job – that’s a whole different saga, but one that has finally come to an end. Here are some sneak peeks into the barn…
⭐ We got bees! We’ve polished off our menagerie with two colonies of bees. One is in a traditional hive that I got from a family friend who was cleaning out, and the other is in a horizontal hive that I’ve heard great things about and wanted to try out. I found some plans online a viola! I’m interested to see if the bees thrive more in one than the other.
⭐ The garden is coming, along slowly and I have a lot to learn about seed starting. This is my first time trying to start seeds ahead of time and it didn’t go very well – my tomatoes and peppers just kind of stopped growing after about an inch and I’m still trying to figure out why – so I ended up having to purchase some transplants from the local feed/garden store. Then, of course, the day after I planted them we had a massive hail storm that beat up those baby plants pretty good. Most of them seem to be recovering (hope I didnt just jinx them!) but I think my lone eggplant is a goner. So far I’ve planted:
- Asparagus
- Strawberries
- Leaf lettuce
- Red romaine
- Bell peppers
- One (struggling) eggplant
- The only tomato start that decided to finally have a growth spurt (+ some other tomato seeds I dropped in the ground with a hope and prayer)
- Yellow squash
- Zucchini
- Butternut squash
- Acorn squash
- Kale (for the rabbits)
- Cabbage
- Brussel sprouts
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Onions, shallots, garlic
- A whole lotta potatoes!
I dropped some bush beans seeds in the ground a couple of days ago and I’m waiting on my cucumbers to do something…anything…please just grow lil’ cukes!
I tried to start cantaloupes and watermelons, but haven’t been successful yet. I’ll think I’ll give watermelon another shot, but this is the third strike for cantaloupes so I’ll probably give up on those. I’m sure I can do some trading with someone at the market who has a better knack for melons than I apparently do.
⭐ The chicks have joined the big girls. So far, the chicks and hens are doing pretty well together. There’s still some bossing around as they re-establish the literal pecking order, but the littles seem to be getting on ok!
⭐ The micro-orchard is leading out nicely and I impulsively bought another fig tree the other day…oops! I should probably get better at the fruits and veggies we currently have before I grow our collection, but, too late.
⭐ We joined a kayaking jaunt on our local river last week and it was cool! It was hosted by Mainspring Conservation Trust, which protects land in areas of far west NC, including some land just a few minutes from our house. That land has a public kayak launch on it so we joined some of Mainspring’s staff for a guided paddle. It was great to learn where we can put in and get out, what kind of water to expect, and critters to look for. Now, when y’all come see us, we can hit the river if you want to!
⭐ While we were on the river, we got a call from our local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office and learned we have been awarded a grant that we applied for last year! NRCS offers grants for many things that help protect our natural resources, but we specifically applied for a grant to fund a forest management plan so we can be good stewards of our land and take care of the forest that makes up most of our backyard. And we got it! AC is going to sign the paperwork on Tuesday. Now that we’re a bit more established and have a clearer vision for the farm, we’re going to apply for a couple more NRCS grants that will be awarded next year, including one to help us improve our pasture so we can grow better quality hay for the goats and rabbits. I’m really really really hoping NRCS doesn’t get DOGE’d 🤞
Yesterday wrapped up our first year on the homestead! We’ve accomplished way more than we planned in the last 365 days and we count our blessings every morning as we look out our front door, take a deep breath of fresh mountain air, and soak in the sound of our farm waking up. Thanks for being part of our journey ❤️
Until next time,
Charli
Holy smokes you all have been busy! Glad you are still getting out and doing fun stuff, yay kayaking!