Life on the small homestead farm

This blog is being created today, 06/08/09 in order to create a record and share my family's experiences at homesteading on a small (1/2 acre) farm.

We've added gardens this year and amended our silty soil. Unfortunately, we're also raising chickens, and they have decided to rearrange our garden three times. So, here it is already June, and we're planting our gardens yet again.

Our stated goal is to raise 50% of the food we need this year from our little humble homestead, which will be hard as the fruit and nut trees are too young to bear just yet.

Currently we have 12 laying hens, and one cute little roo named May May. We have 6 more layers being raised, they're 2 weeks old now, and 30 heritage meat birds. We also have 12 heritage turkeys being raised, they are 1 month old, and George and Wanda-Martha, our Muscovy ducks. Martha is setting on eggs right now, and we expect babies in about a week. Oh, and three beehives currently active and buzzing. We make maple syrup in the spring, and I've taken a cue from Herrick Kimball and raised my own garlic this year. Yummy, I LIVE for garlic.

For those of you worrying that this is too much for our little homestead to comfortably handle, our land is bordered by conservation land, so our little friends forage plenty during the day. Everyone is and will be free range, and our other animals, two rottweilers and one livestock guardian dog (an Anatolian Shepherd) protects the flock. Not to mention that cute little May May can be quite fierce when his girls are threatened.

We are a foster home for rottweilers currently and we've been active in rescue for 15 years.

We'll post pictures soon. Looking forward to hearing from all of you. Please feel free to email me at waggingtailsfarms@yahoo.com