Peter George

I planted a couple of hardwood trees with the Ellen White method after listening to her relative Herbert Clarence White espouse its benefits in a podcast. My trees died within a couple years in my cool, 45 degree latitude, high water table microclimate where I planted them. Site or method? Afterwards I learned that many of her gardening methods were adopted from Australia. Arguments continue to rage (pro- and con-Seventh Day Adventist) as to how much and what inspiration she gleaned from other non-attributed figures.

This stuff--although purchased and maybe hard to source--has great texture and dryness. Great for animal bedding, avoid any types with pellets for plaster: https://www.facebook.com/576395582542310/posts/flax-bed-animal-bedding-12x-more-absorption-than-straw4x-more-absorption-than-wo/1008033489378515/

You probably have considered chipping the aspen? And this gizmo? I'm not associated with it at all, just curious. https://www.farmtechcanada.com/mini-silage-bagger.php

I think this is as of yet unsaid: Cloaks do offer the ultimate in portable spontaneous toileting privacy. Unfortunately, the inherent poor lighting could result in undesirable consequences...

"Gravol" bedrock  is bedrock that needs to be "loosened up" a little bit! But seriously--this is a gutsy and intriguing floor--way to go Kristin!

I agree and sympathize with almost all of the ideas and approaches on this feed following the first 5 days. I've lost too many hours trying various approaches, but I'm feeling good about this summer's approach. In 2019 for one of our market gardens 50' X 100', we tilled and mulched the perimeter. Grass snuck in from outside the perimeter and proliferated a bit from pieces we missed within. It always wins when you don't weed. And not weeding just leads to perennial weeds that gradually get even more established ("Succession") that outcompete your annual veg. Which is fine if you're working on a personal or I-don't-care scale. We care about minimum-disturbance and biodiversity to a great degree, but context is key. Our annual veg garden already has diversity within, and is surrounded by biodiversity with more planned. 3 years on, our last approach has graded as, um, "AIN'T GOOD 'NUFF". So, the latest twist, which I'm pretty confident about:

#1: Weed the perimeter, making sure every PERIMETER bed has at least 2-4 feet of path around it. Shovels, digging forks, whatever needed.  
#2: Till the perimeter path site. Then... weed it again! Shovels, digging forks, whatever needed. Note that weeding MAY require taking out productive edge perennials that do or will harbor perennial weeds. Rake the perimeter so that it drains slightly towards the beds.
#3: Ditch the eventual exterior edge as deep as you have equipment, soil, or energy for. I'm going at 4-6".
#4: Cover perimeter ideally in post-industrial pore-free sheet goods. Too many weeds will find their way through almost all (all?) fabrics with pores. Ones we've tried with success: Rubber mats tossed away by schools and businesses because they got too nasty, pond liner roofing rescued from commercial flat roof recovering jobs, industrial belts and *controversy warning* recycled vinyl billboard signs cut and folded as needed. Do NOT bring said materials right up to the edge of the beds. Leave 1 foot or so space unless you're also using some cardboard underneath.
#5: Cover materials with mulch to protect them from UV, make prettier, and allow for mulch to break down into compost which you can push onto beds over time.
#6: Consider covering exterior edge of perimeter material (under the mulch) with some sort of edging--scrap wood, aluminum, whatever you have or can justify--to help fight edge degradation, assist in pegging it all down if needed, make any mowing easier, and retain the mulch.
#7: Maintain. But addressing weeds only within the garden is WAY easier than dealing with those AND ones sneaking in from outside.

American foods that Europeans might not be exposed to? How about Canadian/American Chinese food--the 1970s version still available in cheap redneck venues and small town Chinese restaurants? Conversely: Haudenosaunee Soup (see bottom of web page) https://www.conflictkitchen.org/past/haudenosaunee/.

Of course, none of this is new--most of our ancestors did it--Africa, Asia, Europe, etc.

Nice job Ashley and hubby. I second Grant's advice about on-board water and exterior nest boxes. The change to mine from what I have pictured is that I need to make it roll-way as per Grant's best nest variety or Ridgedale's home-built wood variety. Exterior storage for scratch grains, etc is nice, too. And four wheels, not two--be very thankful you have four! I gang mine to another small livestock trailer so need to move it with a vehicle anyway.

Separate Q: wondering if anyone has experimented with making or buying flat-free tires--especially 14" diameter or larger--for their mobile coop. I agree that the PITA /Ick factor in refilling tires under a coop is often significant.

L Leland: Did you try anything? We've had similar ideas.