IL Newb

[Land of Lincoln]

Good morning.

@baymule - I saw the link to the easy garden site and of course had to join. That looks like a place I will visit often as well as here. Thank you for posting.

@sumi - right now the only critters I have plans for are chickens. I live on the outskirts of the city so I have to follow city ordinances so my chickens will have to be contained, I can't allow them to free range. My solution to that might be one of those moveable runs, I believe they're called tractors or something of that nature.

I'm also interested in raising worms for the vermicompost and also interested in some honey bees but those two areas of interest will have to take a back seat for a while. The land that I have is pretty much a blank pallet at the moment with exception to the few raised beds, the grape vines and some mature trees so I've got a lot of options.

I'd also like to start an herb garden, something I've always wanted to do but just never have done it. There's just so much I'm wanting to do that it seems overwhelming at times. As stated, I'm really just starting out and finding this site should be an invaluable resource for me.

 

[Mini Horses]

Welcome from VA.

You might want to make a list of the things you "think" you want & why. Then refine your thoughts into a reality check & timeline. You have the winter to work on these things and thoughts.

Of course you are considering raising your own food -- list what you hope to accomplish, such as veggies, fruit, eggs, meats -- then refine that into WHAT it will take to do that. Often these things help us to "control" our initial overdo work. Then seriously consider how, where, when these things can happen -- your land layout, neighbors, size of gardens/beds, how you will work/maintain them, what you will be able to grow seasonally, etc. Once you have written down what you think you want and what it takes to get there, you can settle into action.

Yep, chickens will be a fantastic start -- eggs, meat, amusement, easy containment. With 2 Acres, you can easily place the coop where they can free range within a fenced perimeter.

Good luck on your journey and keep up the good thoughts.

OH -- your helper doesn't need to be fired -- he only wanted a play day!!

 

[sumi]

One of my first thoughts when I read your intro this morning was "Pigs". When we had a bit of land I kept a large (over 100) flock of chickens, from which we sold enough eggs to pay for their feed and put a decent sum in our pockets), and I kept some pigs for meat. Since we also had a large vegetable garden and some fruit trees, much of the pigs' food was home grown and we grew scratch grains for the chickens as well. Surplus vegetables and fruit got stored in the freezer for the pics and for us, out of season.

Pigs need little space, compared to other livestock, and little work. Feeding and watering and cleaning up now and then, depending on the size of their pen, you won't have to do it often, and unlike other livestock, pigs keep their waste in a designated area, which makes cleaning easier. If you are allowed to keep a small number on your property, I'd put that on the "think about" list. It's a cheap source of meat and waste food (from the fruit trees and garden) disposal unit

 

[Lynn Manes]

Hello from Illinois everyone.

I'm a new SS member here and a newbie to this entire self sufficiency lifestyle. I've always been interested in gardening, diy projects and what not, but just recently have really begun to embrace this entire homesteading type of living. I'm incorporating as much as I can think of into leaving as small of an imprint as I can.

Just moved into an older house on a little over 2 acres and just love it here. I have a few raised beds that I've prepped as well as I could for spring planting. Just planted a couple of dwarf peach trees that I'm very much looking forward to seeing grow and bear fruit in a few years. There are 6 mature grape vines that were here when I bought the property and I enjoyed some of those earlier this summer. I've built a compost bin that's way too small considering the acreage I have out of old pallets I got from work.

Currently in the process of building a chicken coop for some laying hens I hope to get in the spring. There's an old well on the grounds here that I haven't even looked in yet but am hopeful is useable for water. I've got so many things racing through my mind that it's hard to focus on a single thing at one time sometimes. I'm excited, nervous, anxious, intrigued and always yearning to learn something new.

Everything I've read and researched says to start slow as to not get burned out or overwhelmed if something doesn't go quite as planned. I agree with that but knowing my personality, I'll go nuts if I'm not doing SOMETHING. My wife thinks both of my oars aren't in the water sometimes, which is probably true, but this is something that really has taken hold of me and has me excited for what the future may bear.

Sorry for such a long introduction, I can be a long winded old fart sometimes I guess.

I look forward to learning from you all because I'm about as green as a newbie can be.

Welcome. I'm new here too, and like you, just doing a small part to have a bit of sustainable living here also. I was born in Sterling, IL, but never really looked it up to see wherre it lies in the State. I lived in a very tiny farming community until I was 12, when the family moved to RI where I grew up. We still have family and friends back in IL, though. Good luck with your endeavours.

 

[Land of Lincoln]

@Mini Horses - thank you for the list making ideas, I needed that. Prioritize that list and refining & timelining are great suggestions, thank you. Oh - and I didn't really fire my four legged buddy, we did spend a lot of time tossing that tire around after that picture was taken. I sure wish I had that energy.

@sumi - pigs would be a great addition here, I agree, however I'm not quite sure the neighbors would like it. I'm kind of in the city but on the outskirts closer to the country here so I'd have to check the city ordinances for that one. I have a friend who raises hogs and I help him on occasion, so for now, I think I should probably just stick with that route. I'd love to have a hog or two though.

@Lynn Manes - Sterling IL is north of where I reside and due west of Chicago, fairly close to the Iowa border if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure you endured some very cold and windy winters up that way when you were there.

 

[sumi]

I hope the ordinances would be in your favour for livestock! Pigs are great fun, as I'm sure you know My only complaint with them was that they can be a bit noisy, especially around "feed me!" time.

 

[Britesea]

Maybe your friend would be willing to let you keep a hog with his (they grow better when there's competition for the food) and you would share the chores? That way, you could still get that wonderful meat without making a lot of neighbor-enemies

 

[Land of Lincoln]

Found this lil' fella hanging out in the raised beds a couple weekends ago. Don't know if that's a good sign or not but it was kinda neat watching him hop around. Maybe he was helping me by eating some bugs?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Maybe he was helping me by eating some bugs?

I'll bet he was!

 

[baymule]

Yes! Toads are your friends! Get some broken clay flower pots (not in pieces, but with a chunk out of it) and put them in the garden in a shady spot, if you have one. They make great toad hiding places. Provide some cover for them and they will patrol your garden!