The Prairie Wife: January 2017

Homestead Production 2020

Cut and stacked 2 cords of Firewood
Planted fruit trees (2 apple, 2 pear, 2 peach, 1 mulberry, 1 tangerine)
Moved 1200 gallon water container to barn, along with 55 gallon barrel
Added 300 gallon water container and gutter system to house
Planted 30 X 80 garden
Sent 1 steer and 2 pigs to butcher
Added duck flock (Rouen and Muscovy)
Purchased 2 unrelated male Kune Kune piglets for breeding
3 sows gave birth to 15 piglets total
Cleaning and organizing barn for future livestock use
Hatching out quail for food and sale
Built two new pens (chicken and quail)
2000 gallons of rain water collected
Harvest 5 deer and 1 Nilgai quarter

Homestead Production 2014

Juniper Berries (dried) one spice bottle full
American Beauty Berries (dried) - 1 tsp
Chaste Berry Seeds (dried) one spice bottle full
Rosemary (dried) - 1 sandwich bag full
Parsley (dried) - 1 gallon ziploc full
Spearmint (dried) one large 1 gallon ziploc full
Mullein Tea (for coughs) - dried 3 baggies full
Picked 40 lbs of Bartlett Pears (local tree)
Salsa (Hot) - 8 pints
Black Broilers - Butchered 30
140 eggs (so far) - two hens and one duck
Pickled Jalapenos - 12 pints
Freedom Ranger Chickens - Butchered 15
Cornish Cross Chickens - Butchered 15 (approx 75 lbs meat)
Duck Meat - Butchered 2 ducks (approx 6 lbs)
Two yearling pigs (approx 60 lbs meat)
Queso Blanco cheese - 10 lbs
Pickled Pepper Medley w/ Garlic - 3 jelly jars, 1 pint jar
Stinging Nettle Tea (dried) - 2 quarts
Spotted Bee Balm Tea (dried) - 4 quarts

Homestead Production 2013

Grass-fed Beef - 100 lbs
Ranier Cherry Vinegar (Marinade) - Six 1/2 pints
Ranier Cherry Liquer - Six 1/2 pints
Bing Cherry Liquer 1 half pint jar
Pecan Bourbon - 1 pint
Ranier Cherry Jelly - 12 1/2 pints/12 jelly jars
Bread and Butter Zuchinni and Onion Pickles - 2 quarts
Spiced Vanilla Bean-Bourbon Pear Preserves - 3 pints/1 1/2 pint
Pear Preserves - 4 1/ pints/1 jelly jar
Basil-Garlic Tomato Sauce - 8 pints
Roasted Red Pepper/Tomato Sauce - 2 quarts/2 pints
Kosher Dill Pickle Slices - 24 quarts
Kosher Dill Pickle Spears - 12 pints

Homestead Production Stats - 2012

Kosher Dill Jalapenos, Garlic and Onion Condiment - 12 jelly jars
Kosher Dill Onions - 2 quarts, 1 pint
Kosher Dill Pickles - 2 jars
Pickles - 12 jelly jars
Hog Butchering - 80lbs of meat
Corn - 8 quarts
Beef - 110lbs (1/4 share)
Pear Pie Filling - 4 pints (2012)
Pear sauce - 7 pints (2012)
Apple Jelly - 12 1/2 pints (2012)
Tomato Sauce - 5 pints (2012)
Eggs - 570 (2012) so far
Diced Carrots - 12 pints
Chicken (Freedom Rangers) - Butchered 18, approx 80 lbs total
Chicken Stock - 2 quarts, 12 pints

Goals for 2015 (updated from 2013/14)

Organize container-started
Clean Out Barn
Split and Stack Firewood
Build Outdoor Oven
Wood Shed for Wood Pile
HAM Radio System Setup - DONE
Add Beehive and Bees- DONE
Organize/Clean Land
Organize Cabin
Restock Food/Meds
Complete Composting Toilet
Spay dogs/cats - 4 down, 10 to go :(
Build Covered Chicken Coop
Fill Fuel Tanks w/ Gas/Diesel
Install Large Propane Tank
Install Solar Panels for House
Install Windmill for Water Well
Plant Winter Garden
Expand Garden Size
Purchase Wood Cookstove
Build Hoop House for Meat Chickens