Happy New Year!

Hey...a new year is upon us, and for those of us that still write the occasional check, here is a simple trick to make sure your checks are written out with the correct year on them! Tomorrow, get out your checkbook and write in the correct year on every check. Easy!

Be safe and Happy New Year!

Today...Glasses

I think I am beginning to know the age that the warranty on the body begins to run out, and it seems to be the age I have attained!
Today...I went for an eye exam, and not only do I need glasses, I need bifocals. Ouch! But, not really a surprise. The distance and up close vision has been fading, but I sure hated it when they asked if I could read any of the letters on the line, and I said..."Those are black dots, not letters." Sigh.
My husband said I will be amazed by the things I will be able to see. I imagine he expects me to start dusting again? Just kidding. There have been things that I know I have not been seeing, like ants. And the eyes of needles. It will be nice to get those things back, and reading fine print will be much easier!

Beginning the Serum Allergy Shots

Ok…got my first shots this afternoon. Yes, plural…one in each arm. Not too bad, slight allergic reaction of a few itchy bumps on my belly. Will have to mention that to them, as that is how I react to penicillin…though with that its everywhere and extremely itchy. All in all, not too bad. The shots were given shallowly in the fleshy parts of my upper arms. The first one I hardly felt, the second one pinched and burned a little. I wore a t-shirt under my sweatshirt so I could pull off the outer shirt and they could get to my upper arms much easier.

I will have to go every week to get the serum shots for quite a while, and they will slowly increase the amount of serum in the shots. Only time will tell if they will work to desensitize me to the various airborne allergens which affect me!

Shopping for ...Urine??

So, I was going shopping today, and asked each of the children if there was anything in particular that they would like me to purchase.
One child said "Gluten-free cake mix".
Another said "Peanut butter".
Third child said 'Doe deer urine. The in estrus kind."

Grocery shopping, mind you! I was going grocery shopping! But, when I was done I walked over to the store that might carry doe urine. Did they ever! So many choices. Did I want the aerosol? The little glass bottle? Or plastic urine-infused wafer looking things to hang in the trees in clever strategic locations? Perhaps I would want the wads of felt made for the bottom of boots, which can be soaked with urine to make a trail when one walks? Or did I want the little cloth that gets dragged behind the hunter as they walk?

Heaven help me, after staring at all the products for 20 minutes, I chose a little $10 bottle of doe in estrus urine. I was NOT asking for help from the guys behind the counter, thank-you-very-much! When I got home, I handed it to the third child and told him to stay out of the buck pen if he decided to put it on!

Plant the Fruit Trees NOW

One of the biggest regrets for many homesteaders is their procrastination on getting fruit trees planted. While they are something we want, many times we just keep putting off taking the time to plant them.
Don't.
It takes several years or longer for most fruit trees and nut trees to begin producing, and they will be some of the most productive things you have on your homestead once they get going. The investment of time and money is worth it.
Now...its just as important that the opposite doesn't happen, where excitement leads to impetuous decisions...the right tree in the wrong place, or the wrong tree altogether.
Don't.
The only thing worse than procrastination in this department is thoughtless planting. Local plant nurseries are a good place to start gathering information, as well as talking to folks who have been homesteading for a long time. They will know which varieties to plant, and where. The internet and catalogs are not the way to go when it comes to gathering information and making decisions about what to plant in your local area.

How to make a Poached Egg

I can remember eating poached eggs growing up and loving them.  I can also remember my mom 'fussing' over how hard it was to make them.  I recently had a 'hankering' for one and decided to see how hard it really was to make them.  First, I put in about four inches of water in my pot.  Then I added vinegar to help the egg whites stay together.  Next I added a bit of salt and when I had a 'rolling' boil, I put the egg in the pot.  Much to my surprise, the egg white whet EVERYWHERE and my poached egg looked very sad!

I made a second egg the same way and then pretended that I liked the end results as I ate my breakfast. 

After a bit, I called my mom and went down memory lane with her about how she would stress over making poached eggs and how it 'seemed' like it would be so easy but the reality:  it was not!  Mom and dad talked and did not know what I was talking about.  Finally after a bit of conversation, we all realized that mom was stressed over making 'soft boiled' eggs, not poached eggs!  Then mom explained to me 'how' to make poached eggs, CORRECTLY.  :)

So here is how I now make my poached eggs:  put about 3/4 of an inch of water in a sauce pan.  Get it to boiling and add salt.  If you want to add vinegar, go ahead, but lately I have not been doing so and I am pleased with the results; next add your egg and cover.  Turn your stove down to a medium heat...so it will still boil, but not boil over and cook until your yoke is they way you like it. 

I personally like my yoke firm with a little soft spot.  By poaching my eggs, I can cook three at a time very quickly and not add unwanted oil to my eggs.  Of course, if you cook your eggs in virgin coconut oil, you are now adding a GREAT flavor and a HEALTHY oil to your eggs.  I just happen to be out right now so poaching is perfect for me...right now!

The Stable

It's Christmas Eve.
Manger scenes abound.
I am a Christian, and do believe that Jesus was and is the king of this world, and that He was born in a stable.
A humble place. But I don't believe it was a terrible place. I am a homesteader, and I like the animal sheds we have. I like the animals, and the hay. Well, except for the allergy part.
I had a friend who is a pastor give his explanation of why Jesus was born in a stable, instead of a palace, where kings are normally born.
It is because...your average person is not allowed to enter a palace. We do not qualify.
But, anyone can enter a stable, if they aren't too proud and think themselves too good for it. It was yet another way God demonstrated that Jesus is available to all.

Warning for a New Wood Stove

Here is one little thing you should do if you ever purchase a new wood stove. They are covered in chemicals and new paint which give off some nasty fumes the first time the stove has a decent fire inside of it. So that you don't fumigate your home, I highly suggest you start a fire in your new wood stove outside before you permanently install it in your house.
When we bought our wood stove years ago, we had read about this, and so my husband did start a small fire in it as it was sitting on the side walk. Apparently, the fire was not hot enough to burn off the residue. Later after the stove was in the house and the temperature outside was dropping, my husband started a real fire in it...and when the metal got hot, it smoked like crazy! I was not home at the time, and came home to a very fumey house with all the windows open! My husband said that by the time I got there, the situation was much improved. So...now you have been warned! Build a real fire in any new wood stove BEFORE you bring it inside!

Corn Starch Fun

Have you ever played with corn starch and water? I am not talking gravies and sauces, here. I am talking strictly fun and fascination!

Take some corn starch and put in a bowl. Slowly add water and mix with your fingers until it is the consistency of a watery putty. If you don't know what I am talking about, that is ok, because when you hit the right consistency, you will know it! This stuff is so much fun! If you stir slowly, it is a liquid. But, if you try to stir quickly, it becomes a solid! You can roll it into a ball between your hands, but then when you stop rolling, it turns back into a liquid. Fun to play with!

Words of caution...when you are done with it, don't pour it down the sink as it will clog the pipes. And...if you keep it around for a couple days, it will begin to have a less than fresh aroma...

Have fun!

Pindo Palms

I want a couple Pindo palms. I guess years ago these palms were kept on many southeastern homesteads, but not so much anymore. They make yellow fruit, taking about three years to do so after transplanting. And...these fruit can be made into a jelly without the use of pectin or sugar! A man I know who has tried some says it has a 'tropical' flavor.
These palms are somewhat cold-hardy, living as far north as southern Virginia, and aren't affected by many pests.
So, seeing as how I just found out about them, its too late to ask Santa for a couple Pindo palms. But, my birthday is just around the corner!

Caseous Lymphadenitis

Caseous Lymphdenitis, usually called CL for obvious reasons, is a highly contagious disease which mostly affects goats and sheep. It causes pus filled abscesses in the lymph nodes externally and internally...I have seen affected animals on other farms that looked like they had grapefruits growing out of their skin. There is no cure, and when an abscess ruptures, the pus is quite infective...and remains so for months.

It is best to ensure that CL never gets into your flocks through testing and buying from a reputable breeder. If you visit a farm with CL, sanitize your shoes thoroughly when you get home!

CL sometimes will infect humans. Never drink raw milk from an infected animal, or you run the risk of contracting the disease.

Ammonium Chloride

One problem that can arise with goat bucks and wethers ( and I suppose rams) is urinary calculi blockage. This happens when crystals form and get lodged in the urethra, making it impossible for the animal to urinate...and they will die if the blockage is not removed. If you observe straining but no urination, stretching, kicking at the belly...suspect a blockage, and call your vet or experienced goat breeder. Who will still probably tell you to call the vet.

However...its better to prevent the situation from happening in the first place. To do this, there are two things that you need to do. First is...calcium/phosphorus ratio in their food must be appropriate....2:1, and plenty of roughage. Too much grain, or too rich of grain, is not a good thing. Second is the addition of ammonium chloride to their water, or some feed rations have it already mixed in. Hoeggers Goat Supply sells small bags of ammonium chloride, and I feed it every Monday morning to our bucks, mixed in their water. So far, so good!

Sometimes Its just the Joy of it

Homesteading is:

Practical

Useful

Resourceful

Responsible ( everyone can homestead in someway, anywhere!)

Productive

It is all these things and so much more!

But sometimes...some of the things are done just for the joy of it. No other purpose. And that is just fine!

Saanen vs Nubian

We have had two breeds of goats, Saanens and Nubians. I like them both, and there are things about each that I also don't like!

For milk production, all our Saanens have always produced more milk than our Nubians, and have the longest lactations, by far. This has been our experience here on the farm, and I know of some lines of Nubians can have longer lactations. However, our Nubians average an 8 month lactation, and we have had Saanens who milked for 4 years and only stopped because we dried them off!

Now...both Saanen and Nubian milk tastes good, but the Nubian is preferred over the Saanen for its richness. It just makes it taste a little better!

As far as temperament, Saanens can have more attitude than the Nubians, especially when it comes to how they relate to other goats. My Saanens love to bite ears when they get upset!

Nubians are LOUDMOUTHS, especially compared to the quiet Saanens. There is no contest there!

Feeding Milk Back

When a goat is lactating, she is putting a lot of the calories and nutrients that she eats into her milk. They go through her, but don't benefit her. Sometimes, does have a hard time to keep from losing weight, especially the first few months after they kid. One thing some folks do to help reverse this weight loss is to feed some of the does' milk back to her, if she will drink it. I don't recommend feeding another goat's milk to her, as this could sabotage safe herd disease management. However, feeding some of her own milk back provides calories and nutrients, and can help to improve overall condition.

How do you convince a goat to drink a bucket of her own milk? Well...we just suggest it by putting it near her face. Either she drinks or she doesn't. Some of our does won't drink warm milk, but we have one doe who will bury her face almost up to her eyes in a warm bucket of milk, and drink it all as fast as she can. We have to watch her now, because if she gets the opportunity she will dive head-first into any unattended milk bucket. She is quite proficient at getting the lid off!

Now...we have never had a self-sucker on the farm, and I don't believe feeding the milk back will encourage it. All the goats I have known about who will drain their own udders dry were lacking in minerals. When they were put on a quality goat mineral, they stopped the self-sucking.

A Bit on Goat Backs

Every animal is built differently from another. Horses are built in such a way that they can be ridden. Goats are not. While goats can be wonderful as pack animals if the load is packed on correctly, they still should never be sat on, no matter how small the child or how large the goat. It isn't just uncomfortable for them...it could paralyze them! Their backs simply are not built to bear weight.

I am not in anyway saying that goats are all-around fragile, but they are like plate glass. My brother works at a business that installs automatic plate glass doors...like the kind at grocery stores. When he was hired, the manager of the business gave him a lesson in plate glass. He handed my brother a hammer, and told him to shatter an extra piece of plate glass they had. My brother, who is no wimp, pounded on it with all his strength but could not break it. Then, the manger carried the piece of glass over to the dumpster, and laid it on top. The he took the hammer, and just lightly tapped the outer edge. The glass immediately shattered into the dumpster!

Plate glass has its strength, but also a prominent weakness. Similarly, goats can seem pretty indestructible, but too much weight on their back can paralyze them. How much weight is too much? Its just best not to ever put it to the test.

First Freshening Goats

Ahh, milking. That peaceful time of the day when you can unwind as you listen to the rhythmic swish-swish-swish made by white streams of milk greeting the white froth already in the bucket.

Unless.

It is a skittish first time freshener who wants NOTHING to do with you, your bucket, or peaceful moments! She won’t let you touch her udder without levitating 3 feet into the air, kicking violently, and dumping whatever milk you did manage to get in the bucket. This is a good time to remember that milk is good for the skin! Should she not have dumped the milk, but rather stomped a back foot solidly in the pail…while it may tempt you…you can’t keep the milk, no matter how much work you put into getting it in the bucket. There is no 5 second rule for a goat hoof in the bucket…the milk should be dumped, or given to the dog or chickens, sorry.

So… if this happens to you, its time to take a deep breath, and regroup. First of all, it is best, on so many levels, not to hit the goat, or yell. This animal needs to trust you, and yelling or hitting is very counter productive. Remember…you taking her milk is not normal for her, and her udder may be uncomfortable from being engorged with milk. You also need to make sure there is nothing wrong with her udder…mastitis, stings, cuts, etc.

Make sure your hands are not cold, you are not pulling hairs on the udder, and that you are milking correctly…milking requires technique, not brute force.

It is best to get a goat used to the milk stand BEFORE she ever freshens. Make sure she gets lots of tasty grain on the stand while allowing you to pat her…and touch her udder, feet, etc.

We always milk a first freshener into a canning jar until she calms down. This definitely takes longer as we hold the jar with one hand while milking with the other hand, but the chances are much better of not losing the milk to a goat hissy fit. When the jar gets full, transfer it to a bucket nearby.

On rare occasions, there are goats that just will not cooperate. You have tried every patient thing you can think of, and they are still just as aggressively fighting you as the first time you tried to milk, and now they are aiming kicks at you. You still shouldn’t hit them! But…they can be restrained, gently but firmly, with either a hobble or tying their back legs to the milk stand. This is a last resort, and hopefully a temporary one.

Every doe I have known learned pretty quickly and easily to just accept milking as a part of their routine. A peaceful one, with the rhythmic sound of swish-swish-swish…

Lease a horse...don't buy...

Deciding which horse to buy is a difficult decision.  Often, you think you have found the perfect horse only to find out it had some hidden problem or that it just does not get along with the other animals.  When that occurs, you now are faced with a difficult decision of how do you sell the horse.

This problem can be avoided by simply leasing the horse with a purchase option.  If you lease for six months or a year, you will know if this is the right horse for you.  You will know if it blends in well with the rest of the herd and if it has separation issues.  You will know if it cribs or is a wind sucker.  You will know how he really handles on the trail and in an arena.  And the best part is if he is not what you want, you can just return him to the seller!  It really is best for the horse, seller and buyer...lease your horse, don't buy!

Buck Goat Update

Well...we had our Saanen buck's semen collected and analyzed, and the verdict is...he is infertile. Argh.

Well, its better to know because now we can figure out the next few steps.

First, we will have to contact the breeder we purchased him from and see what they will offer.

Next, we have a rather large animal with no purpose that we are probably going to have to transport to an auction, to sell for meat. Some cultures enjoy the flavor of buck meat, so there is some value there.

And...we still have the problem of how to get our Saanen does bred. We could breed them to the Nubian buck we have here, but that would mean cross breeds, which are not as valuable for resale. We could artificially inseminate. We can also see about getting another buck. My son brought our buck to be evaluated at a buck collection in another state, and there will be quite a few breeders there so he may have some leads on a new buck when he comes home tomorrow.

We'll just wait and see until then. The first step in solving any problem is to know there is a problem, and we have done that part!

Borax

Always have a box of Borax on hand, because it comes in handy for a lot of different uses on a homestead. I do use it occasionally for laundry, and I will also use it for flea control. However, I usually use it to preserve snake skins, rattlesnake rattles, and bird wings. Borax is a wonderful dessicant and preservative. If we will kill a snake with a nice skin, we will skin it out and then tack it to a board with the inside facing the outside. Then we sprinkle it liberally with Borax and rub it into the skin, let it sit for several weeks, shake off the Borax, and then take it off the board. The skin will be totally dry and have no odor whatsoever. Also, to preserve a rattlesnake rattle, I will get off all the flesh that I can, sprinkle it with Borax, and then put the rattle in a paper lunch bag to finish drying.

For a bird wing, like from a chicken or pheasant that you would like to preserve for fly tying or what have you, you will need a board. Make cuts down the inside of the wing and remove all the flesh you can from around the bones. It is ok if you can't get it all. Next, tack the wing in flexed position to the board with the inside of the wing facing up from the board. Then work Borax thoroughly into all the cuts. Don't be stingy with the Borax! Store the board and wing in an out of the way spot for a couple of weeks. At the end of that time, the wing will be preserved.

Our Buck Goat

We bought a registered Saanen buck, as a kid, a year and a half ago. Last fall we tried to use him to breed to our Saanen does, but he seemed a little small and we were not quite sure if he could breed the taller does. Well...long story short, we had no Saanen kids born this year. Now, he is bigger and has bred the does, but they keep cycling and coming back into heat. So, this weekend we are going to have his semen collected and evaluated by an experienced...umm...I have no idea what his title would be. Anyway, he knows what he is doing, looking for, etc. We need to know if the buck is fertile. They say a buck is half of your herd, and I believe that is a true statement. And, a scary one if your buck is not fertile! I will have an update on this in the near future.

Fifth Allergy Appointment

Allergy update! Ok...the antibiotics and prednisone didn't touch my sinus issue, so its on to a new plan. At first the allergist was thinking about trying more antibiotics, but then I told her I went on Levaquin last year and it didn't touch the problem. So now, we are looking at seeing if I am dealing with a fungal issue, and I have to get my blood drawn to see if I have antibodies to candida. If so, then I will go on an antifungal medicine. We shall see. So...either I have a resistant strain of bacteria, or fungus, or a mechanical issue going on that makes my sinus and one tooth really hurt at times, but are always sensitive. The tooth has a filling, but the dentist can't find a problem with the tooth. If the fungal route doesn't pan out, then its off to an ENT...ear, nose, throat specialist.

And...my husband has started the allergy shots...one a week with today being his fourth dose. It is going well, but they do make him stuffy. When he told that to the person in charge of giving him his shots, they backed off on the dose and that seemed to help. And next week, I think I will be starting my allergy shots as well.

Come, Boss!

It was almost a song, a very short repeated one.

Come, Boss!

It was not an order, or a request. It was a call.

Come, Boss!

I am remembering walking on a Vermont hillside as a child with my cousin Judy. She is actually my mother's cousin, and they are the same age. I am 'helping her' go get the cows from the pasture for the evening milking. It is late afternoon, and their udders are full. They are ready to go to the barn, and at her clear, ringing call, most begin to walk toward the gate. The majority are polled. They are different colors and sizes...Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Ayrshires. This part of the memory is an amalgam formed over the years, because the colors of the cattle changed with the price of butterfat. If the price was high, then the general color of the herd was Jersey reddish-brown. When butterfat prices were lower, then the black and white of the Holsteins dominated.

Come, Boss!

I seem to remember that some of the cows were hanging back that day, and that was because the herd queen, a brown and white cow with horns, was in heat and in no particular hurry to go to the barn. We walk behind them...the others decide they should go to the gate, but he queen is hesitant and a little skittish acting, and my cousin is unsure if the cow will do what is desired. We step towards her, pushing her with our presence. Then...she suddenly decides to walk toward the gate to join the others. They are milling about, a fairly tight clump of large bodies. My cousin opens the gate and they go to the barn. Each knows their place and goes to it, and patiently get their collar snapped to a chain to keep them from wandering away should they finish their meal before milking is done.

Come, Boss! There are different reasons given as to why a cow would be given the nickname of 'Boss'. I think the most plausible is that the Latin genus of cattle is 'bos', and the name just trickled down through the centuries along with the milking of cattle.

Many, many memories on that Vermont dairy farm. It is still in operation today, and they will be doing evening chores and milking right now as I am typing this. My cousin's son and his wife have taken over, and they went organic several years ago. Some things have changed, some things remain the same.

Cheese Making...Don't Be Afraid!

Cheese making...and eating...is a time honored tradition and privilege. If you have been reading my posts for any length of time, by now you have figured out that I prefer to keep things pretty simple. My cheese making skills and experience definitely fall into that category! I have made ricotta, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheeses with no problems. I more or less follow the recipes and instructions...never exactly to a 'T', but close enough to where I get my desired results.

I have only made cheese from our goat milk, and my recipe book is a wonderful book by Mary Jane Toth. The book is entitled 'Goats Produce Too! The Udder Real Thing, Volume 2' and it goes over the simplest of cheese recipes to those that are quite involved. It also has other goat milk recipes like fudge, sauces, ice cream, and how to can goat milk, and some not for eating, but for using...it even has a recipe for goat milk paint!

If you have wanted to try cheese making but have been hesitant, I suggest you get this book and get moving! I found that projects that are on a back burner tend to stay there much too long, while the business of life just keeps on marching anyway. Cheese making is fun and rewarding, and a great way to use up the extra milk!

Respect your Veterinarian's Time!

I have never worked for a veterinarian nor am I related to one; however, I do have good friends that have worked for one and I have read books written by veterinarians.  One thing that is VERY important to any vet is 'time'.  They kind of remind me of OB doctors.  They need you to run on time and yet, when they are late, they need your "understanding".  My OB doctor over the years was very punctual.  Yes, he had a military back ground.  Out of 12 years of seeing him through 6 pregnancies, he was only late to ONE of my appointments!  That is amazing!  And that one time, he was VERY late.  No, I was not upset in the least because I knew that when my babies came, he would be there for me too!

So back to the vet...and farm calls.  Farm calls are when the vet comes to YOU instead of you going to the vet.  When I first had the vet come out to my home 16 years ago, I did not bother having my horse caught and 'ready' to go.   I knew my horse and she was an easy catch.  But the reality is even though she was easy, it still took 'time'.  Maybe only 5 minutes, but it was a waste of the vet's time. 

This came very clear the last time the vet came out to the farm about five years ago.  We had sheep, cows and horses that were being seen.  Lots of blood work was being drawn to verify that the animals were all disease free.  I will blog on that topic on another date.  We had several Angus cows and steers that needed checking before we blended them with our herd.  They were VERY difficult to deal with even though we had a head catch.  The visit was taking 'time'.  To the point that the vet was taking care of the horse and sheep while we switched cows around.  That night was a late night and I was embarrassed by the difficulties that presented. 

This past Thursday we needed blood work drawn on our Jerseys, a lump checked on a horse and a goat with a bad ear.  We 'thought' about this a good deal and decided to deal with the most difficult animals first:  The Jerseys.  We were ready to go and when we saw the vet pull through the gate we brought in Laurie Belle.  We tied her up, put up the butt bar and grabbed the feed to keep her happy.  The vet came over and gave the TB test and then pulled blood.  We put Laurie Belle back and next came Jasmine.  We put her in the shoot, she had her TB test and then the blood was drawn.  Next was Max with a quick neck exam and then the goat.  Even though the appointment took about an hour, there was no time 'wasted'.  There was an animal ready for the vet as soon as one animal was finished.  It made me feel good to understand the importance of really being ready for your vet and for us to be prepared.  I'm glad that I read, "I Make Horse Calls" by Dr. Thibeault DVM so that I could learn the importance of respecting your veterinarian's time!  Maybe 'my' vet is too!

Homestead Essential-Food Sources

It is a major understatement to say that food is important. Stores are wonderful places to get food, but I highly recommend not being in a position where if the stores run out of food, then so do you. Clearly, that is not a good position to be in!

And...it could abruptly become a reality on any day, brought on by a natural disaster-storm, flood, earthquake, disease, crop failure. It could be a man-made disaster-terrorist attack, financial collapse. Many times, these occurrences do not come with significant warnings, so being prepared is the wise and responsible thing to do.

So...you can store food, and a freezer is probably last on my list of a place to store food, unless you have a way to run that freezer for an extended period of time if the power goes out.

Canned food is better, but it takes up space and the expiration dates have to be watched.

Dry food is very good...whole grains, pasta, beans, white rice, dehydrated foods. They keep indefinitely under the right conditions.

Knowing how to hunt and fish are helpful.

Knowing how to kill and dress homestead animals is also helpful.

The garden is a good source of food, of course!

Knowing how to collect wild plants for food is also good.

If you don't already have a 'just in case' plan for food storage/availability in the event of an emergency, I suggest you start thinking about it now! Ever been to Walmart right before a hurricane? Its as bad as shopping there on Christmas Eve or Black Friday, and those shelves go bare of the things you need mighty fast. Unless you like capers and tobasco sauce! And then what happens if its two weeks before they open their doors? Or longer? Got a plan?

Homestead Essential-Water Source

If at all possible on your homestead, it is best to have independent access to some kind of a water source. A pristine spring bubbling out of the ground is out of the reach for most of us, but many people can and have come up with some reliable way to have a water source. We have expanded a tiny pond that was on the property when we moved here, and I dug a shallow well. The water table is fairly high on our property, so at 17 feet down I have a reliable well, complete with hand pump. We don't drink the water, but we could if we treated it. I have to prime the pump each time I use it, and occasionally I have pumped out a very surprised looking frog!

Water is so essential, and while I appreciate the water we get from our county well, I don't want to have to rely entirely on it as the sole source for this life necessity. And I don't want a well that I can't get my water from if the power goes out. If you are thinking about buying a piece of property, please think seriously about buying one with an independent source of water. If you currently have a homestead but no independent water source, please consider finding a way to have one.

Homestead Essential-Wood Stove

If you live in the country or a place where it ever gets cold enough to turn on a heater, I highly suggest you have a wood stove in working condition, installed and ready to go.

A wood stove is an effective way to heat the home. I like the heat generated by a wood stove much better than central heating. Its nice to sit down beside the stove when I am a little chilly, read a book, and warm up. Our little wood stove generates enough heat to warm our entire house. Actually...it does better than that, because the bedrooms are far enough away from the wood stove so they are left a little cooler and sleeping is more comfortable!

Most, even the smaller models, have a top surface area large enough to put a pot for cooking. Ours is small, like I said, but we reheat leftovers on it and could cook on it in a pinch.

It bothers me if someone could have a wood stove...but they choose not to have one, for whatever reason. "Its messy." "It costs too much." "Too much work to cut and haul the wood."

I suppose these reasons do have some merit, but in the event of an emergency when power goes out and it is cold outside...our little wood stove just keeps on working without batting a proverbial eyelash!

Did I mention you can toast marshmallows inside your house all winter long???