Goals
Our primary mission is to develop and improve the quality of silvopasture forage and sustainable foresty management.
We also intend to focus on heritage and at risk varieties of livestock- We prize these breeds for their adaptability, meat/egg/wool qualities, personality, what they can give back to the health of the land, and preserving good genetic stock.
Follow our journey:
2023 Goals
Increase forage quality through intentional and rotational grazing.
Create additional usable pasture.
Construct long term hay storage
Move woodshed
Future large barn
2022/2023 - Harvest timber on site and plan structure
Prepare landing area and site plot
Expand ducks & more permanent location
Perform release cuttings in certain zones of our forest
Promote succession
Improve wildlife habitat (leaving standing snags and dropping tops)
Learn to spin wool (Lessons at Two Sister Mill and Mercantile
Create "Vegetarian" sheepskins (felt shorn sheep skirt rather than skin, allowing multiple "pelts" from live animals over their lifetime).
Breed/expand Shetlands in the fall??
2022
House Addition (primary focus and main revenue/time drain)
Expand garden
Increase forage quality through intentional and rotational grazing.
Create additional usable pasture.
Utilize poultry in rotational grazing.
Sell woolfelt crafts
2021
Created usable pasture (+3 acres)
Through intentional and rotational grazing and release cuttings
Added Shetland ewe foundation stock (Fine Fleece Shetlands)- Sienna and Sedona
New/Improved animal shelters
Duck coop
Ewe shed
Enclosed and secure chicken patio
Raised and harvested organic meat chickens
Hatched new breeds of duck: Ancona, Cayuga, Swedish Black/Blue, Rouen, and Welsh Harlequin
Added Toulouse Geese (Abaigeal, Amelia, and Uncle Waldo.... yes the Aristocats geese)
Harvested and sold 10+ gallons of honey
Built a pool (for the humans)
Generated 15cu yd from collected food scraps and animal manure
Removed problem/unhealthy trees
Pruned apple trees
The great sheep chase ended after 6 weeks to the day - Welcome home Bobby!
Welcomed Finn the Perendale
Goodbye Buster (13 long (and spoiled) years)
2020
New Additions!
Added ducks
Added Shetland Sheep (Bobby and Blueberry)
Added beehive
More chickens
Massively expanded the garden (+1,000 sq ft)
Winterized goats on proposed 2021 garden space
Utilized goats to massively control invasive Japanese Buckthorn
Requeened the bees - Queen Fleur
Fermented 15+ gallons of hard cider from apples
Fermented 5 gallons of wine from our grapes
Harvested 5 gallons of honey
Improved overgrown apple orchards on-property
Rotated chickens
Improved our canning skills
Added Klaus the Rooster
The great sheep chase began
2019
Added Alpine goats (Buster + Tassel) and goat shelter
Purchased Kubota Tractor
The start of fencing adventures (and continuous improvement)
The start of using livestock to control invasives and clear land
Last year with raised bed gardens out back
Harvested firewood from trees needing release or problem trees
More bad chicken math
Adopted JoeJoe (the dog)
Improved drainage
2018
Forest management through selective cutting
Manual control of invasives
Brush clearing
Removed stump obstructions
Large garden crop
Added Hank the Rooster
Added pollinator garden with native varieties
2017
First chickens - Added a dozen layers (Rhode Island Red + Barred Rock)
Created "Fort Knox" Chicken Coop
Manual control of invasives
Cleared future sites for animal pasture
Let in more sunlight for solar array
Filed forestry management plan with state and county forester
Raised bed gardens
2016
Purchased property
Got Married
Added Freya the Husky
Began clearing encroaching brush around house-site
Laid the foundation for forestry management plan
Raised bed gardens