Winter Ice Storm Damage
We had ice collecting on all the pine and cedar needles causing some to snap. We had a close call with the bee hives when a pine tree fell into our little orchard damaging a plum tree.
Wine Cap Mushrooms Naturalized In Garden Beds
Several years ago we inoculated mulch in a few areas of our garden with Wine Cap mushroom sawdust spawn. We harvested a few mushrooms, but it has been a disappointing yield until this year. We’ve harvested several pounds of Wine Cap Mushrooms in the past month with more coming up now. As long as we
Near Miss From Large Poplar Tree Blowdown
We had a large Poplar tree come down during a storm near our little house and workshop. We were all unscathed, but the woodshed will need a new roof. We have lots of cleanup to do and we’re feeling pretty lucky. Luckily it was the top of the tree that landed on the woodshed and
2022 Garden Seedlings
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and much more under grow lights indoors. Our average last frost date is April 15, so we’re running a little behind schedule…better late than never. Some new plants this year are Goji Berries, Valerian, Mullien, Skullcap and a couple varieties of Persimmons.
2021 Garden Harvest Totals
Every time we harvest fruit or veggies from the garden we record the weight, and at the end of the year we type everything into a spreadsheet. In 2021 we grew 1,436 lbs of food. Below is a list of our top crops and the harvest weight. We had 2 full freezers, and shelves full
Honey Bee Swarm Trap Setup
I set up a swarm trap today less than a hundred yards from our bee yard/orchard. Last year I put them up about 12 feet high. The traps were so heavy (with bees) that it was quite a challenge getting them down while on the ladder. This year I’m going to try a few traps
8′ x 12′ Shed Update
Finally got the roof done with my dad’s help. The T1-11 siding is installed. I need to mill some cedar for a small deck (with stairs) off the front. I still have to install fascia and soffits (with vents) as well as trim. Oh…and I need to build a door, then lots of painting. I
Elderberry Cuttings
Sarah started pruning the elderberries in the garden. She sold over 500 cuttings so far, and is planting the rest to sell in the Spring once they start growing. Here are some of the planted cuttings waiting for warmer temps to root and leaf out.
Free and Easy Way To Plan Your Home Interior With Sweet Home 3D Software
We have been using a free software program from www.sweethome3d.com to plan out our little off grid cabin and absolutely love it. It is mainly used for planning room dimensions, windows, doors and all interior elements. You work with the program in 2-D, but it allows you to pan around in 3-D as well. It is so
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Building an 8’x12′ Shed
Since our upcoming house will be off-grid, we need a place to run & store a generator near the build site. We also need a secure place to store building supplies, and tools that we can keep out of the weather while building the house. So, a small shed adjacent to the house seemed like