We're Stumped!

So much going on!  Kenn and I have been busy working on projects that we have been wanting to get done for some time now.  With our new, little homesteader on the way it's high time to get this stuff done!

This weekend was spent grinding stumps in order to clear some space for a few new farm items (and to keep rotting stumps and termites away from the house).  Grinding the stumps also created a secondary benefit: wood chips to keep weeds down around the garden beds.  I'm still working on shoveling and transporting wood chips to the garden, but with all of the necessary stumps ground down we are ready to level some land with the loader next weekend.

Since I'm sure I've got a touch of OCD, the project that excites me the most is building the tool shed next to the barn coop.  Having all the garden tools, mowers, and garden starts station organized into one place will be super convenient (and will keep me out of Kenn's messy shop).  Unfortunately, the tool shed isn't first on the list of projects to complete post-stump removal but at least the land is ready for leveling!

Site for future tool shed/garden starts station

The first project we are going to work on will be the orchard.  Each year we can and vacuum seal a lot of vegetables, so it will be nice to start getting some fruits stored away too.  With all the stumps in the orchard site pulverized, we  can work on leveling.  We had to order 26 yards of fill dirt to overcome a dip in the land where we plan on planting most of the fruit trees.  After leveling the orchard site next weekend we can finally get our trees on order and get them in the ground this spring.

Kenn working on grinding stumps in the soon-to-be orchard

In addition to creating spaces for the orchard and tool shed, Kenn was able to grind some stumps in an area we have set aside for a blueberry patch.  With so many projects on the horizon, we may not get to planting the berries this spring but at least after next weekend the land will be stump free and leveled.

Future blueberry patch site

Lastly, and this really has nothing to do with grinding stumps and leveling land for future food, I finally got some use out of the beeswax we pulled from our hive last fall.  Over Christmas my mom got me some candle-making supplies so I decided to make some candles with our beeswax.  After melting the wax, some sandalwood scent, and color cubes in a crock pot, I poured the wax into a few small jars (and the extra into a foil cupcake container) and added wicks.  We burned our first homemade candle last night!

Homemade cupcake candle

Winter Chores

What a busy fall and winter we have had!  With our german shepherd on knee surgery number two, work, the holidays, and getting ready for our little Savannah (yep, baby Stinson is a girl) to arrive, we haven't had much time to write about our sustainable living endeavors.  Those endeavors have not fallen to the back burner though, like our writing evidently has.

Labor intensive bonfire/soon to be orchard

 After a scorching summer many of our trees died and Kenn has been endlessly chainsawing to get them all down before the next wind storm.  Good news for us, this provides for a lot of firewood and an empty space for what will be an orchard in the spring.  Bad news for me, this equals a lot of property cleanup for a five month pregnant me.  Having a bonfire has never felt so labor intensive!

Kenn hauling rounders to the woodshed

Since Kenn won't let me chop wood in my pregnant state, I've been banished to the woodshed.  He chops, I stack.  We were able to sell all of our firewood out of the shed over the summer for some extra cash, which was great.  Procrastinating with refilling the shed over the summer wasn't as great of an idea.  We're trying to get caught up so we can keep our house cozy warm this winter.  Some good progress was made today!

"We're going to need a bigger boat"