Getting Off The Grid - Its Tomato Time

Back in December I started seed in the house using the southern windows sun and now that its March they had began to bloom, with no bees inside I had to pollinate each flower to make the tomatoes.

I looked at the calendar and it was the perfect day to plant, sow or whatever. So I ditched housework and went outside with the extra tall tomato plants and a shovel.

The Homestead :

Seems like the homestead knew that March 20th. came and when it did the place took off, its green and getting greener.

March winds have decided to show up as well, I opened the greenhouse to vent and in no time flat the wind had blown the plastic off! So that will be a problem that I will have to deal with, find a solution or maybe move it all together.

The grass was mowed, I even got caught up from last years over grown mess when I was down to only a push mower, the fields are clean. 

From the Garden :

Well, I cannot say that the tomatoes made it into the garden but they did get planted. I do not have the garden plowed yet so I did the next best thing, I planted the tomatoes in the flower beds around the deck. After all its full sun and one year I has a bumper crop of tomatoes from that area. I planted eight around the deck and replanted two and brought those back inside because they are smaller and not blooming yet.

The bell pepper plants are ready to be put outside but I will have to till a spot for those.

The eggplants are still a ways from being big enough to transplant.

The apple tree is finally blooming and I have to say the blooms are so pretty, first pink and then they turn into white.

The spearmint is back! Yes its already up and ready for kitchen use.

The sage wintered over well, I do not think that it died back at all.

And I am now getting more kale. I will pick it this time and then mow down the patch, it will put back out and I wont have to fight weeds to get to it. I should be able to harvest till May. 

The stockpile :

I have not picked anything to home can or freeze. But... I did cook up a huge pot of pinto beans and I home canned seven pints. As for the large Lima beans (butter beans) I froze those and I got four quart bags and that equals pints because I fill them half way and then flattened them.

The Learning :

The biggest part of learning is when you have enough. I do have enough, actually I have to much and I need to down size.

When you learn you do not need much and that things are just things that will not last forever, you are on your game.

What is important in life is food and shelter, a few clothes and that is about it, oh and coffee! Love too, everyone needs love.

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

Time, time is passing so do not forget to check out this gardening stuff. Its easy to shop online and have it delivered right to your door.

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Getting Off The Grid - Getting started Or Starting Over

Taking the plunge! In more than one way, or am I starting over? After all it is a new way of thinking, out of the box? No, off the power grid.

Around 10 day ago I bought a 100 watt solar power kit, you can read more about that here, but I have not opened it yet.

Why?

Well, I needed the battery!

So over the weekend I bought the battery. The battery made to be used with the solar panels. The battery that will give me 100 watts of free power.

I am excited and scared all in one, because I am taking the next step, although a little step, its a big deal to me.

And ya know what? It did not cost as much as I thought to get this started, I do want to make sure its for me so starting little is the way to begin.

Want to see how cheap it can be to try out solar power? Click Here and Here, I will show you.

On The Homestead :

The grass has grown up, weeds included, The rain has came in along with a few nights that were very cold. It is March so the winds are up as well as the flip flop temperatures, Spring indeed.

I have pears blooms and I hope that I will get pears this year, its been two years since the last crop of pears. 

The peaches are also blooming and the cold nights are good for them. 

I have not noticed any on the apple tree , yet.

No I have not set out the grape vines yet, The area I will plant them has to be cleared, probably one days work, and that will come next week, hopefully.

Since I have finished the "away from home, go make a living work" I can now get back to my plans for the homestead.

I intend to build a small guest house, old fashion, old western movie type. One big room but with a sliding wall to a sleeping area and bathroom,the purpose of a sliding wall is that can be moved at night to receive heat, and closed off during the day when you may have company. I would like a wood cooking stove, to use as heat as well as cooking. 

However, I do have a building and if I can, I may move it cheaper so that may be the way I will go. As for power, if you thought solar you are right. Water? I have not gotten to that part yet.

For The Garden: 

I have not planted anything outside yet, I had planned to put a few of these very tall tomato plants out but we are having a few cold nights that would just kill them, after taking care of them for a couple months inside that is the last thing I want to do, I will wait another week. 

However I do have baby tomatoes, several and they are blooming most every day. 

The bell pepper plants, eggplant and more are all growing very nicely, they will be ready to get out in the garden soon as well.

I do not grow all my garden plants inside to transplant, I do have packets of seeds ready to place straight into the ground, I am truing my best to learn how to grow what I eat year round.

To check out more seeds that can be delivered straight to you through the mail click here. The world is changing and I do not have to worry about the stores being sold out by time I make it by there.

The Stockpile :

I have to say that I am slacking on restocking the pantry with my homemade goods but I am not finding any deals at the moment. I did buy a couple clam shells of strawberries but those two will go into the freezer for smoothies or to add to ice cream.

Maybe next week something I need to can will be on sale. Till then I will continue to enjoy the stockpile.

Want to get everything together to home can this Summer?  For the pressure canner click here. For the canning jars click here. For the "how to home can " click here. This is how I learned to home can and in no time you will be reaping the benefits of the best food you have ever tasted.

The Learning :

I am learning so much! Its all about the solar power kit and what I need to make thing thing start paying for itself. This week I plan to connect this up and get something, anything! plugged in to see how well it works. 

Life is changing around this homestead and for the better. 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

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Getting Off The Grid - Solar Power Baby!

Plum blooms

I can talk all I want about getting off the grid. I can apply the "power saving" techniques, I can do so much before actually taking the plunge. 

Then I have that little voice in the back of my head, some call it the part that is reasoning with me to stop this madness, and I think, what if I do not like it? What if I spent all that money for something I absolutely hate?

Next comes that "other" voice that says "shut up and just do it already!"

So I decided to obey the voice!

On The Homestead:

There is a reason I have not written in two weeks, that reason is one of why I want to get off the grid, working away from home. I have had to devote almost all my time to getting one of the rental houses ready to put back on the market. I could have skimmed over it and listed it but I am going that extra mile, what had began to look ran down, with the trim painting outside was peeling or getting dull, the siding was turning green on the north side and a small overhang porch was falling apart. Now that its almost all finished I can get top dollar again. 

The homestead is supposed to be the big investment and then to live almost free, that is the goal, not working a month away from the homestead. 

Plum tree in full bloom

Spring has came to us a month early, and now a cold front that might kill the blooms ( fruits) from all the fruit trees.

Dandelion in the middle of the weeds

The grass is green and the weeds are greener and blooming, knew high and ready to be mowed away.

The old hedge bushes have their leaves, making a shade for the dogs.

For The Garden :

I have tomato plants ready to go into the ground, I am thinking about trying a couple out this early and making a cover for the cage to protect them if it gets colder, but I would wait another week just because I know a couple nights will make it down into the upper 30`s and/ or the lower 40`s.

The lemon tree is in full bloom inside the house, once again we are making the lemons since there are no bees to do it, mixing the pollen up from one bloom to another with a q tip.

The Basil, Garlic and eggplants are doing awesome and all awaits a place out in the garden.

Seeds are life. Without seeds we would not have food. Even growing a plant in a five gallon bucket will save on your grocery bill! Click here to see how cheap it is to get started. 

The Stockpile : 

I have not home canned anything but I have been living off the home canned foods, It is very nice to come home from work and just opening the food, heating it and that is dinner. The best part is knowing that I made it and it has no added preservatives or unknown additives. 

It was so scary when I first began to home can, I was so unsure of myself but with this shared knowledge I now home can fruits, vegetables and even meats. Click here to learn for yourself.

The Learning :

I have not taken on anymore knowledge, that I can remember, this month. I have worked away from home so much that learning has been on the bottom of my to do list, however, I do see a light at the end of the tunnel and soon I will be back to my normal homestead routine. 

Knowing before you start something is the way to go, Whether its about greenhouses or just growing tomatoes. Click here to see what the world has to teach me and you.

~~~~~~~~~~~Now to the big announcement~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did it! Its the beginning ..... its a start toward my lifelong goal.

I bought a solar power kit.

A 100 watt solar power kit that includes: 4 panels, 6 panel braces, 2 LED bulbs, Dc connector cable, battery clamp connection cable,10A charge controller, 4 in 1 connection cable.

Next I will a battery, they are only $70 and then the decision will be what to hook up to start saving me some money.

How about you? Ready to buy something solar? I started with the night lights and I have to say I also used them inside when I lost power, click here to check the out.

Life is getting real around this homestead!

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

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