Fencing the compost

Last spring we started a compost pile. We've always had a dumping spot for food waste, usually in an unused field, but I wanted to be a little more intentional about it. Until now, it has been a literal pile. It works okay but tends to drift so I thought it was time to fence it in. You can buy all sorts of fancy bins and fence systems but this is the Haphazard Homestead. We're thrifty. And maybe don't put that much thought into things. 

So to delineate the edges of our compost I dug a trench around three sides of the pile (which turned up all sorts of lovely earthworms that I tossed under the rabbit pens so we can compost in place!). To make my fence, I cut the dried out stalks from a bunch of last year's cattails out of a section of swamp on our property. I stood them upright, maybe a hands-breadth apart, and packed dirt around them.

I'll keep you updated on how well that works at keeping the compost contained. 

Getting ready for planting

 The risk of frost has nearly passed so we are in full garden prep mode here on the homestead. We'd had a small strip of our plot worked up for early crops (radishes, lettuces, and the like) but yesterday a friend came over and tilled the rest of the space so we can get started planting for real in the next week.

A long winded story about my rabbits

 For a long time I have wanted goats. First it was fainting goats (I thought they were funny) but more recently I settled on pygoras, the world's cutest fiber goats. I had a plan. I had a recommendation for a reputable seller. It was happening. And then it all fell apart. No goats, no ideas where to look next. 

I was in limbo.

In the back of my mind, I had decided that maybe angora rabbits would be acceptable though they had a similar problem: I didn't know anyone who sold them. I spent a lot of time thinking about and planning for theoretical animals.

Then, out of the blue, I reconnected with an old friend, someone I haven't seen in well over a decade. We were catching up, comparing gardens and lives and she mentioned that she had rabbits. And not just standard farm rabbits - she has angoras. I lit up, asked all sorts of questions. And to my delight, not only did she have angoras, she had too many. They'd had a surprise litter and she was looking for someone interested in a pair.

And that is how we ended up with angora rabbits here on the homestead. They get groomed every week and I am learning how to spin - so expect a post about making yarn in the future.

 

Bees

 We started keeping bees two years ago. This is actually our second hive. Our first didn't make it through the winter. But this hive seems to be doing well. This is our setup.

The fencing is there mostly to keep pests out.

Our new greenhouse

 Do you use a greenhouse? We've had a small one for several years now and it's proved invaluable for growing better peppers, tomatoes, and the like. It's also useful in the heat of summer for drying fresh herbs. In fact, we've had our greenhouse long enough that the panels finally broke and fell out of the frames this winter. It might have been possible to replace the panels but without a plan in place and the need to move our seedlings becoming urgent, we decided to put in a new one. Using a kit from Harbor Freight we were able to put this one up in a few days.

And what about the old one, you ask? Don't worry. Nothing goes to waste on this haphazard homestead. Expect to see a follow up post in the coming months about repurposing structures.

Chickens

 Here's a little tour of our chicken coop. It's not much to look at. One thing you might notice about it (and some of the other buildings we'll be touring in future) is that the windows and doors are perhaps not what you'd expect from sheds and other out-buildings. If it's something that my dad built, like this one, windows and doors were probably either salvaged from an older building or returns that he got at cost from his job at a lumberyard. We try not to waste anything.

We don't have a lot of chickens right now, just a handful of bantams. 

 

I think that speckled one is my favorite

 

Officially, they don't have names since my dad isn't a fan of naming farm animals and technically the banties are his. Personally, I think the rooster, in particular, needs a name. He's a pretty big personality. So if you have any suggestions I'm open to ideas. Feel free to suggest some in the comments.