Getting off the grid, sounds nice and will be so easy, right? Not really.
In the last couple of years as I am slowing learning and converting my ways to get off the grid I have learned many things and one is that its a full time job. But what was expected? No work just because of solar power meaning no huge power bill, not having to have money to pay? Plant the veggies and they just grow?
If you have a vegetable and herb garden, If you have livestock for meat, if you have fields to keep up on your homestead its work, If you can and freeze your own food, its a full time job.
Seems there are factors that have not been thought about when I began to plan this journey of getting free power and water, growing my own vegetables and fruits, etc.
That is sickness
Last week one of our own was in the hospital and I had to hire someone to just come by and feed the dogs and cat. The grass has grown up, everywhere, vegetable garden as well as in the backyard where the dogs live.
The Weather
Next I need to think about the rain and/or drought, these are acts of God and cannot be controlled.
Regroup and Plan
While I will be off the power grid and on well water, soon than later, it may be at a smaller place and not to far from town. A large homestead is not needed to accomplish the goals you make in life, I wont leave the property vacant but I would rent to other like minded people, that will make it a farm. I will be thinking a lot about this part of life this year.
While home canning seems to be the way to go, I also think that having a greenhouse to grow fresh foods all year round is idea for my needs since I eat many of my vegetables raw.
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Its May 29, 2017 and I just got back home from a four day absence, this place is grown up! However, I still walked the dogs, took a little time to show them I missed them as well as all the love they were showing me.What was disturbing was when I put them into the back yard after our walk I had to stop and pick off all the ticks that were climbing my socks.
Around the garage I am getting the smell of death, not all the time but more than not and that is the sure sign I have a snake there and he is letting me know to back off. Not happy about that!
The vegetable garden needs the grass and weeds to be pulled or mowed down, I think it rained a couple of those days, plus an all day off and on rain today.
The GOOD!
I have plenty of tomatoes and I am now seeing baby bell peppers.
The cucumbers are looking like cucumber plants now as well as the okra.
The squashes have really grown, but they are fast growing anyways.
I have three different plantings of sunflowers, all look so healthy. The marigolds will soon need separating.
The sage I transplanted has taken to the area really good and looks better.
The third sowing of bell pepper seed has nice small plants, soon they will go into the garden for bell peppers till frost.
Ahhhh, blackberries! They are beginning to turn, Yum!
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The power bill
I have been tracking the cost of power for a while now and finding ways to cut back as much as possible, being this is a large place I do not expect it to get to low.
BUT.........
I never expected for this bill to be $26 cheaper than last month. I am happy that my efforts are paying off, I owe $130.25 for 30 days of power.
Now if I can make it get to be 1/2 of what it is now I can say that I have accomplished something huge.
What is going on around your homestead?
By Andria Perry
Photos By Andria Perry
Raspberries are ripening. Bills go down when someone's in the hospital and people spend more time there than at home. They may go up if he needs electric gadgets when he comes home. Even so you're gaining on it! Every little bit helps...
ReplyDeleteOh this was before the hospital, na he is good.
DeleteBeen a long time since I have heard from you, its nice.
If you are planning on drilling a well, I hope you find water that is better than ours. Our water is so bad we have to buy a $10000 water system to make it drinkable and able to water the garden. Sometimes off the grid is not all it is cracked up to be.
ReplyDeleteThe water in this area is good, Tony`s sister has a well.
Deletewow, I just planted ... envious of your garden! Our utilities continue to climb :(
ReplyDeleteBut you are "very" north of me.
DeleteI unplug everything while not in use.
It is finally warm enough here, consistently, to put in a garden, so I've been planting. I have 2 eggplants in, 3 tomatoes planted with 6 more to plant, zucchini seeds have been put in the ground, but that was just a couple days ago so they aren't up yet. I have a dragon cayenne planted, but probably won't do bells this year. Cucumbers will be planted soon and maybe a couple of cantaloupes. The peppermint is already about a foot tall and the spearmint and lemon balm are just a little smaller. I potted a sage plant since the winter was so bitter it took out all but one sage. I have basil to plant yet. I've already planted curled and flat parsley. Despite the winter, the oregano came back and it did so with a vengeance. The most exposed plants are a little more than a foot tall. We already planted cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, onions, and the asparagus has already gone to seed...what we didn't eat. The chives are blooming like crazy (both here and at church). Lilacs, irises, day lilies, bleeding hearts, and dandelions are all beginning to bloom. (Okay, the dandelions have been blooming for a while, though I wish they wouldn't and didn't plant them.)
ReplyDeleteAt church, I put in snap dragons, ferns, marigolds, petunias, begonias, bleeding hearts, and fuchsias. I still want to put in some columbines, but I can just transplant them because ours self seeded like crazy. Pansies there and at home came back up.
Our strawberries are packed with blossoms so we'll have fruit before too long. Our rhubarb is also doing exceptionally well, so I foresee strawberry-rhubarb pie in the future, God willing.
Wow, that is awesome! But since you know about the sickness here I think I put out enough for just me to handle. I have one eggplant about to bloom and one baby. My pumpkins did not come up so I will replant those, up close to the house so I can water them better.
DeleteWow Angie your plants look so healthy..Us we have a river both sides of the rice fields and we have had massive rain which means holes appear the water rises and finds its natural path so lots of hole filling and it is very hard work ..we are looking sand bagging the banks as some of the rice floods with too much water and some where it drains away is too dry. But like you lots of plants are coming up and my tumeric I planted is sprouting and my strawberries have lots of runners which is good.
ReplyDeleteYes the runner make new plants. I would love to see photos.
DeleteYou plants look good. I can't grow anything around here.
ReplyDeleteMy sister will grow in 5 gallon buckets, the past 2 years I sow the seed and give her the plants, for a couple tomatoes and a bell pepper. They make a lot!
DeleteYour plants are healthy and growing well. I am very far from my tropical garden now and so I am just here in my German balcony and planting a few flowers.
ReplyDeleteYou plant those on containers?
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