What would you do?

[ninny]

Thanks everyone! I going to do it. Reorder chicks I need to replace my flock. Order my garden seeds and decide what breed of goat. YEAH!!! I'm really excited.

 

[Corn Woman]

 

[rhoda_bruce]

What would I do???
Well, I'd do all I want to do, but I'd do everything with used trash I can get for free, so while enjoying the benefits of having these animals, I would be making plans for the awesome one I will be getting in several years. Then if I can sell my home, someone might actually like the set up and it could have attracted a buyer. Also, some of the animals might even be quite old when it would be time to move and new comers might want them, then I could start over with new stock after taking my time with a coop knox, all made with treated lumber etc....as well as other buildings.
Now the gardening.......hmmm. Well if the soil isn't ideal for regular rows and the beds were going to be raised, then I am wondering if container gardening could be a possibility. Then no one could really say anything if you want to keep your containers. Not sure how big of an area you like to plant.

 

[ninny]

Well I rent not own. We lost our house so moved into a home owned by my inlaws. They have been letting me do want I want thankfully. I was Blessed with good inlaws. We share a garden but I would like to get more space so I was thinking raised beds beside it. They said they don't care. Now to track down and price my stuff.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Good inlaws..........keep em!!! I've got an interesting mix. Some good......some I won't talk about.

 

[ninny]

Good inlaws..........keep em!!! I've got an interesting mix. Some good......some I won't talk about.

Super blessed to have them. They even let me keep my four dogs when we moved in.

 

[Marianne]

lucky you!

Yeah, I'd do stuff on the cheap using recycled pallets, buckets, whatever I could get for free to use for container gardening. We used pallets to build a small goat shelter and feeding area, plus a bit of fencing. (Paul Wheaton has a youtube video about a pallet fence that is looooong - we did a short section and it's dang strong!) We used electric fence around their pasture. We used a lot of pallets and recycled stuff for the coop.

If you put the word out for what you need or want, you might be surprised how much you get! My neighbor gave me four goats, another one gave me a few chickens because they had too many. Depending on how much time and how much you want to work at it, you can even gather most of their feed and bedding.

Grass clipping are great for critter bedding, in the coop, mulch in your garden and to add with plant clippings for what will be compost. I used dry pampass grass and some straw on the bottom of some big planters. It was just filler, but that way I didn't need much dirt (watch the watering, though). In another one, I used plastic bottles with the lids on and styrofoam chunks as filler. Topped it off w/ soil and planted. The next year I picked out what came to the top and added more dirt. These simple things bought me some time to get some better soil going in the garden.

Does your area have a recycle center where you can get wood chips and compost for nothing?

Just my take on things from here. Do things cheaply (free is better!) and save your bucks for more important stuff!

 

[Chantilly]

I don't ever expect to live self-sufficiently because we live in suburbia and have a small, shaded lawn. But I applaud those of you who can do it. Being able to raise your own organic food is such a healthy lifestyle (and the exercise to do it is good for you, too). Your food ends up cheaper, fresher, tastier and unpolluted by pesticides. But I have had a large garden in the past (in a different house) and loved the fresh food in provided.

Ninny, I'm glad you're going for your dream hobby farm. Life has a way of changing unexpectedly on us and you don't know what your situation will be in 6-7 years. By doing it now, you get to live your dream and your family gets lots of healthy food as a result. You'll learn so much from the experience; it will really enrich your life.

 

[Marianne]

I don't ever expect to live self-sufficiently because we live in suburbia and have a small, shaded lawn. But I applaud those of you who can do it. Being able to raise your own organic food is such a healthy lifestyle (and the exercise to do it is good for you, too). Your food ends up cheaper, fresher, tastier and unpolluted by pesticides. But I have had a large garden in the past (in a different house) and loved the fresh food in provided.

Ninny, I'm glad you're going for your dream hobby farm. Life has a way of changing unexpectedly on us and you don't know what your situation will be in 6-7 years. By doing it now, you get to live your dream and your family gets lots of healthy food as a result. You'll learn so much from the experience; it will really enrich your life.

and Welcome!

 

[ninny]

Chantilly!!! Hmm now I have to decide if I am going to get some angora rabbits and buy fleeces to blend with it for luxury yarn and roving to sell. I need to find out if the local yarn shop would pick up local yarn.