Getting Off The Grid - Working In The Winter

November 16, 2017

When Winter comes around most people think about gardening time being over completely and they buy what fresh produce they want at the grocery store but when the goal is to be off the grid there is no grocery store and you keep growing food year round. 

It has taken me much longer that I have anticipated to get the green house together and with things living and growing. 

Progress Around The Homestead :

When I got the white plastic barrels home I still had to paint them and I knew it would take a lot of spray paint and at $1 per can.  I could estimate that I would be spending to much for such a small amount of paint, I also looked at the quarts of black paint and once again $9 seems liked to much plus it was enamel so I opted for a gallon of black paint, while is still is costly at $18 per gallon I have so much left over for other up coming projects.

 I finally got a day off, Wednesday, and I used this day to work on the greenhouse needs only, since I knew colder weather is headed in next week I wanted to get a heat source in place.

First I got the barrels painted, I gave them two coats, and got them inside and filled with water. I placed three in the back so that the morning sun hits those and one by the front so the evening sun hits that one.

Next I placed the table I will use right now inside and I potted up my first greenhouse project, Confederate Jasmine cuttings. This will be a way to make money in the Spring. I already have Confederate Roses rooted and they have new leaves. 

From the Garden / Greenhouse :

I have not harvested anything this past week but a mess of greens for a meal. But I can see the Swiss chard / Beets growing and I am excited because this is my first time growing these. 

In the new greenhouse I have a baby tomato and one turned red already, soon more will be re-potted so they will grow better.

The Stockpile :

I was lucky to get a couple of cabbages from Aldi grocery store for .69 each, I sliced them up and froze those, I will have cabbage when I want it, I also bought 20 pounds of Irish potatoes for .19 per pounds and that is cheap taters around here! I plan to put them into jars, just potatoes and also in soup. I have ate all the soup stock and now I need to take a day and make more.

Learning :

I am at it again with the books, as I get older I need the books, the real in my hand paper books, so I bought how to deal with diabetes off grid. Now I know I can cure myself, the Doctor even told me how, with food. I am often thinking about, if I don`t know my numbers how would I deal with it?  I am not so sure there is an answer for that question. So now I am learning more about vitamins and what I need to eat to keep up those vitamin in my system so that my blood sugar will stay level.

I am also waiting on another DIY homestead book. What can I say? I like to build things :)

Do you have plans for your homestead this Winter? 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”