Hi! I just found this group and am hoping to connect with others who are interested in this type of stuff. The area that we live in doesn't allow us to have livestock, so that's out, so my husband and I are trying to figure out other ways to be more self-sufficient when it comes to domestic stuff. I do have a raised bed garden and dry my own herbs. I've made cheese, yogurt and mst recently a tallow based soap. Hubby and I have also started brewing. Very exciting stuff, I say.

Other projects sound great, especially the brewing... you beer or wine? I've got everything I need for wine gear wise but need the materials to be brewed.. might be good use of berry season this year instead of quite as much jam as I made last year.

The melomel has another 3 months or so. There's a whiskey stout that's getting started in the next week or so, and a honey mead (local honey) that'll get cooking as soon as the yeast comes in.

Have to look into your other suggestions. Not sure if we have a ban on "stagnant water" in rain barrels and the like, because of mosquitoes. I certainly don't want to contribute to THAT. You did get the wheels turning though... Hmmmm...

Hi Everyone, I am Emelia. I am so glad I found this group. I am more of an urban homesteader these days. We moved from the country to a house in the city last year. We have(had) chickens. We are having to go through major permit hoops to get our girls back. Right now they are residing at my man's mom's house. I REALLY miss them. We also have bees. Right now they are living in the back yard in front of the electricity meter. I busted out laughing yesterday when I saw the meter man reading our meter through binoculars in his truck. Our neighbors are very happy that we have the bees and are excited for us to get our chickens back.

I also knit, make soap, bake-I cultivate my own sourdough starter, and various other fun diy activities.

I am glad to be here!

, aspiring yurt dweller (it's almost finished)

I would love to see some photos of your yurt. Before we had to move to the city my boyfriend really wanted to build one. Hopefully someday we will be able to get back to it.

Hi Everyone!

I am a city girl gone cattle rancher's wife about 20 years ago. We live 40 miles from the nearest town and I love it. I do drive to town each day during the school year. My oldest son has special needs and my other boys also go to school in town. I also teach a SE K-2 class (not going to drive back and forth twice in a day, and I am close to my boys if they need me). I'm off for the summer and enjoying the "country girl" side of me again. Just helped build our chicken coop (hatched 20 chicks in my school class for a science project, fell in love with them) and can't wait for eggs! So we have cattle (only a couple 1,000 head- lol) chickens, cats, and dogs.... oh yeah, and boys and all their teenage friends. Always so much going on!

Started my weight loss journey several times over the past 10 years, but it seems to be sticking this time. 39 lbs gone since Feb. still a long way to go, but I am learning to put myself on my daily To Do List. I am having success on a low carb diet. Hard for me because I still cook from scratch for my family and the cowboys that work so hard on our ranch. I've learned to be a great southern cook and I am known around here for my baking...... I've just had to learn to pour myself a sweet cup of Joe and not lick my fingers! Today we are picking cherries off our trees, cutting out the rhubarb and picking raspberries off the bushes for jam making tomorrow. Should be interesting for someone who has sworn off sugar!

Seems like a great group concept.
Lynne

Hi Ya'll,

I am Tahleel from Texas. I love to garden, juice, pickle and can. This week I got the vegetable beds ready for spring planting, the cold frame set up in the yard and the seeds in the peat pots. The cucumbers, squash and tomatoes have already germinated and are under lights, as I post...hooray! This year, God willing, I intend to add a few backyard chickens and maybe some rabbits. Also, very interested in learning about beekeeping, someone please start a thread on that.

All the best!

Hi Everybody!!!
My name is Lisa. I'm a 48 year old mother of 2 grown (and gone) now adults. My venture into "homesteading" started about 8 1/2 years ago when I quit my job and moved to the middle of nowhere (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) to live w/my hubby (of now 9 years).
Almost 5 years ago I got 3 baby (month old) Holstein calves -- 1 heifer and 2 bulls.. Today my "herd" numbers 19 -- 9 fulltime cows/heifers, 2 Holstein bull calves that I hope to train to become oxen, and 8 steers (7 Holstein, 1 Holstein/Angus cross) that are destined for the sale barn this fall.. LOVE my cattle!!! Haven't raised any of mine to butcher yet cuz my FIL also has cattle and butchers at least one every year.
I've raised pigs every year for the past 5 or 6 years. I've had laying chickens for at least 7 years now (on my 3rd batch) but last year was the first year that I raised meat birds. The cornish rock crosses kinda grossed me out (they could barely move) so I'll be trying a different meat breed next time. LOVE the fact that one freezer is full of home-raised (better than organic) meat.. My other freezer is full of fruit and berries that get turned into lots of tasty things.
The garden thing hasn't worked out to well the past couple years but I'm looking forward to this year. Gonna downsize they number of things I plant just to the things we love -- cucumbers (eat raw and gonna pickle), green beans (raw for me, dilly beans for hubby), tomatoes (raw and to can), corn, and maybe 1 or 2 other things.

Lisa