Getting Off The Grid - Wintertime

December 9,2016

This is the first weekend of extremely cold temperatures in my area, Anniston, Alabama. A couple days down into the 40`s and nights around 25 degrees but being Alabama we will recover and have the normal temps back in a couple days, those would be in the 50`s and 60`s for daytime highs and 30`s to 40`s for nighttime lows. Actually its not uncommon to see the 70`s around Christmas and of coarse the rare snow flake is also possible.

After not having rain for so many days the rain finally came when December arrived. With that rain I now have the greens coming up, only to get killed back by the deep freeze. I am hoping that some of them make it and I can have a good mess of greens grown on my land.

With the rain the sweet gum trees dropped their leaves, leaving behind the pods.

The hickory tree also dropped its leaves and a few nuts, they are not huge but to a hungry nut eating animal its food. I love them but they are so hard to break and pick, I have not learned an easy way to remove the nut, yet. I am thinking about collecting all the nuts I can and taking them into the woods and planting them, make for some really good lumber one day.

Back in the fall I had to chose my job over the homestead, something I did not want to do, because of the drought I needed to stock a few things for wintertime and I had sickness to hit the family hard. I did not get the greenhouse up as planned.

What should I do this winter to help myself for the coming spring? 

I will plan the food plots. I am almost 100% sure I will be doing the planting alone the upcoming year and I can adjust the growing to my needs. There is no sense in growing only tomatoes when I need green beans and other vegetables, plus I am not in need of hot peppers so a couple of plants will be enough.

I am learning how to grow just the right amount of plants for my needs, I am used to growing a lot and giving plants away, I need to think wiser and not be so wasteful. 

As far as getting the solar power bought and installed I have not done either. I have to make sure I will live here for a long period of time before I make that huge leap and investment. I am still thinking I need to down size my space.

Many things to think about because life throws in many curve balls.

Have you accomplished anything on your homestead this December 2016?

http://getoffthegrid2.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-much-food-is-needed-getting-off-grid.html

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry