C Oakes

Hello, I'm creating a homestead in Eastern Tennessee based on vegan and ecology minded principles with the hope of attracting and building a community. Have you ever considered walking the vegan path? I created a thread in the intentional community subforum with more details about my vision and experiences so far. I could use some help with permaculture design.

Squash ladybug

Sorry I wasn't notified from additional posts for whatever reason. Today I removed some wasps from my greenhouse. I've gone against my vegan values and took a vacuum to the yellowjackets that made a nest in my wall. I spared the paper wasps by taking down their nest and moving it outside. There's still a few nests that I need to remove which I will finish up tomorrow. Hopefully afterward I can work in my greenhouse in peace. I've started ripping logs using my chainsaw to make lumber and then I will dry them in the greenhouse. While the lumber is drying I will start digging for my underground shelter. I've been busy taking care of my dogs. One bit the other in the eye and her eye became infected, then she scratchrd it and ruptured her cornea. When it happened I saw her eyeball fluid leak out and I thought she had popped a cyst or something. A week went by before I took a good look at her eye and realized what had happened. She ended up getting a corneal graft done. That sirgery was almost a month ago now, she is still wearing a cone but I plan to take it off soon. This year was lackluster in the garden. I tried planting melons and I have only harvested three tiny melons. I received a handful handful of blueberries from the plants planted from last year. I planted tomatos from starters and have had a handful of those so far. The squash and cucumbers were decimated by pests before they could give me fruit. I had high hopes for them becaise they were growing so fast and getting big. I started seeing squash ladybugs and their larvae, then squash bugs and cucumber beetles. I tried flciking them off but there were too many of them. I've been a bad vegan killing the insects this year.

I tied the vacuum hose to a scrap piece of plywood and screwed the plywood into the wall directly underneath the entrwnce to the yellowjacket hive. I've ran the vacuum 4 or 5 times now for at least an hour each time and I still find more yellowjackets being sucked up. When I stop finding yellowjackets in the vacuum I will have to open up the wall and vacuum the hive out. I don't want rotting larvae in the wall.

These paper wasps look ready to pounce on me

I have a bit of a wasp problem in my small greenhouse. There are a handful of paper wasp nests and yellowjackets that have built a nest in the wall. At first I wanted to leave them alone because they weren't bothering me, but now I've been stung more than a few times. There is no way for me to relocate the yellowjackets so I decided to put a shop-vac hose right underneath the hole where they enter the wall. I have a few paper wasp nests that I want to relocate but one of them is rather large and I am afraid of getting stung repeatedly. I watched a video by SuburbanBiology where he puts the wasps to sleep using carbon dioxide and then moves the nest. Maybe I should do that? It would cost a couple hundred dollars at least for all the equipment though. Another option is to go and remove the nest at nighttime? Maybe just wear thick clothing, goggles, etc and cut the top of the nest and have a large plastic bag ready to catch it? I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to kill them all that's for sure. But I want access to my greenhouse without having to duck for cover.

Hi Victoria, I'm a 34 years old male, currently building a homestead in eastern tennessee. I'm looking for others who share similar values, veganism, ecology minded living, self sustainability. So far it is just me and two dogs. There is still much to build and grow, and this place could use a feminine touch. Hope to hear from you

Here are some photos of the homestead

I think my biggest obstacle is myself, I jump into projects without fully planning everything. As a result, I have spent a lot of time making changes to things. Like my greenhouse, which initially just had one room, until i decided to knock out the back wall to extended the space. I've spent a lot of time trying to grow melons but haven't had much success with them. The plants that are doing well are ones that I've bought from nurseries/hardware stores. I have a fig, two plums, and 4 blueberries that seem to be doing alright. I planted them last year and the blueberries have given me some fruit this year. I bought some tomato plants and those seem to be growing well too and I expect to get some fruit from those. I have started to amend the soil with biochar that I've made in a 55 gal drum and goat manure from the neighbors. I spread those out ontop of the soil where some of the existing plants are growing. I think biochar will make the soil alkaline so I haven't placed it near my blueberries. I know if I keep at it I will eventually get some returns, but I know things could be much better. Somebody recommended that I do a soil test and send it to the county to get a precise analysis. There are a lot of wild plants that I continually destroy to make space for my domesticated ones, like wild lettuce and giant ragweed which I've learned are edible. I've tried the wild lettuce but it is pretty bitter and I don't particularly like it. The giant ragweed supposedly produces tasty edible seeds but I haven't tried it yet. I feel like I am being counterproductive by destroying edible plants to grow domesticated melons and not even having success 😅. I am trying to dry lumber in my greenhouse which is now overrun with wasps haha! I wanted to leave them alone until I got stung. There are 5 paper wasp nests and yellowjackets that built a nest in the wall. I watched a youtube video by SuburbanBiology where he puts the wasps to sleep using carbon dioxide and relocates them. I was considering trying this but the setup will cost me a little bit. Ontop of this I'm trying to figure out a better living situation because my camper isn't the most comfortable, especially in the summer.

Fred Frank V Bur wrote:With the way I live now I have most of the time one cooked meal of the day, besides having a burrito I make myself heated up, but never more than that each day. The cooked meal has all the vegetables I would use then, along with something whole grain or with potato. All that I eat are from vegetation that I would grow for myself, that could be with others, who I seek. I would want to make certain things from what is gathered, like hummus. I would then pickle things too.

That sounds tasty. I would also like to try fermenting and pickling. Right now I'm eating 1 or 2 raw meals a day like a smoothie and salad, and eating cooked chickpeas and sweet potato.