New Homestead in the Washington channeled scablands

Hello, this is my first post here though I've been lurking for years.  My partner and I got extremely lucky this last November and closed the purchase of 20 acres.  We we're shocked when we won the bid tbh. While we are new to having this much space, we have been doing as much of the self sufficiency thing as possible on our rented city lot for the last four years.

It's bitter sweet to bid the big apple trees and the cherry good bye, though I will be taking and attempting to root a few cuttings. There will be no vegetable gardening this year as there's no plots ready at the new place and anything planted here we will never see the fruits from.  I'm still undecided on if I'll be digging up the potential herb bed.  I grew the chives, oregano, sage and rosemary from seed.  The raspberry canes and strawberry plants were gifts.  They're special to me, but I know they'll bring the next occupants joy as well.

The chickens of course are coming with us and they will be very rapidly joined by new room mates.

This is a dream come true that we have been working toward for almost a decade.  It still feels a little unreal at times but it exists and it's ours

Hello.

Welcome,

Congratulations!

Your own little slice of heaven. Were you around a week or two ago when we had the author of "5 acres and a Dream" on board for questions? Leigh Tate, she had many wonderful posts.

These threads might prove useful.
5 Acres and a Dream posts

Sounds like you are sad about the things you love and will be leaving behind, AND so much to look forward to.

What are your plans besides, chickens, raspberries and some cuttings?

All the best on your new journey.

Lee Gee wrote:Hello.

Welcome,

Congratulations!

Your own little slice of heaven. Were you around a week or two ago when we had the author of "5 acres and a Dream" on board for questions? Leigh Tate, she had many wonderful posts.

These threads might prove useful.
5 Acres and a Dream posts

Sounds like you are sad about the things you love and will be leaving behind, AND so much to look forward to.

What are your plans besides, chickens, raspberries and some cuttings?

All the best on your new journey.

Hello, and thank you, Lee!

Unfortunately I was busy with the last week of work at my office job and packing things up to move that week, so I don't get a chance to participate, but I will be checking out the threads!

As for our plans, short term we will be getting new chicks- blue and black copper marans, ameracaunas, and barred rocks- plus adding a half dozen or so embden geese to sell hatching eggs and chicks/goslings. We are also anticipating or first bees, which is exciting!  The long term goal is to have a permaculture apple orchard food forest with oak, birch and chestnut trees.  The honey and apples will be made into mead, cider, cycers, and some melomels, and we'll be finishing hogs on the acorns, chestnuts and apple pommace from the pressings.

For personal use, well be getting meat rabbits and a small herd of dairy goats.  Daughter ( just turned 10) loves birds of all kinds and has expressed interest in raising turkeys and quail. Middlest (boy, about to be 6) only has eyes for a horse.  Youngest (boy, 2.5) just loves everything, he's got time to find his passion projects lol.  And given my addiction to fiber crafts (I spin, knit and crochet) we'll probably end up with a mixed fiber herd (alpaca, merino, Shetland and babydoll Southdown sheep, plus some angora rabbits).  

I also couldn't stop gardening if my life depended on it, and dose and I both bow hunt.  I think we're set for this to be a forever home for the next few generations tbh.

Hi Louis;  Welcome to Permies!
Congrats on getting your land!  You haven't mentioned what your living shelter is, but no matter.  
Do you know about rocket mass heaters?  Use one tenth the wood, no smoke from your chimney, no creosote , almost no ash and no fire all night long!
Sound to good to be true???  
It's not!
We have a forum here at Permies all about them.  You might consider one for your home or shop.

Louis Fish wrote:
Hello, and thank you, Lee!

Unfortunately I was busy with the last week of work at my office job and packing things up to move that week, so I don't get a chance to participate, but I will be checking out the threads!

As for our plans, short term we will be getting new chicks- blue and black copper marans, ameracaunas, and barred rocks- plus adding a half dozen or so embden geese to sell hatching eggs and chicks/goslings. We are also anticipating or first bees, which is exciting!  The long term goal is to have a permaculture apple orchard food forest with oak, birch and chestnut trees.  The honey and apples will be made into mead, cider, cycers, and some melomels, and we'll be finishing hogs on the acorns, chestnuts and apple pommace from the pressings.

For personal use, well be getting meat rabbits and a small herd of dairy goats.  Daughter ( just turned 10) loves birds of all kinds and has expressed interest in raising turkeys and quail. Middlest (boy, about to be 6) only has eyes for a horse.  Youngest (boy, 2.5) just loves everything, he's got time to find his passion projects lol.  And given my addiction to fiber crafts (I spin, knit and crochet) we'll probably end up with a mixed fiber herd (alpaca, merino, Shetland and babydoll Southdown sheep, plus some angora rabbits).  

I also couldn't stop gardening if my life depended on it, and dose and I both bow hunt.  I think we're set for this to be a forever home for the next few generations tbh.

Hello again,

You are going to feel right at home here. So many interests in common, and I think values too.  We have an outstanding "Be Nice" imperative, your kids can read and post with you about chickens and horses and bees oh my. I'll bee curious to see how your mead made with honey turns out as the antimicrobials in honey can impact the fermentation process. Keep me posted.

Check out r ranson's posts as far as weaving is concerned, she works in wool and flax and was making an indigo dye not too long ago that she shared, blue fingers and everything if I remember correctly. There is a whole section in the forums on Critters and Growies. There is a lot to explore on this site.

I'll leave you to settle in and explore. Happy to point you in the right direction if you have questions.

May you and your family bee very happy in your new home.

~

thomas rubino wrote:Hi Louis;  Welcome to Permies!
Congrats on getting your land!  You haven't mentioned what your living shelter is, but no matter.  
Do you know about rocket mass heaters?  Use one tenth the wood, no smoke from your chimney, no creosote , almost no ash and no fire all night long!
Sound to good to be true???  
It's not!
We have a forum here at Permies all about them.  You might consider one for your home or shop.

Hi Thomas, and thanks!  Researching rocket mass heaters is actually what led me to Paul and permies.com haha!  I have been considering building one for the structure that will become our shop; its a wide open space, and uninsulated so a rmh would be great for keeping it warm in our winters.  For our current living quarters we're converting a 10x20 dry camping cabin that the previous owners built into a full time living space.  You can see a could of the videos I did on it on my YouTube channel!

Rn I'm getting one of those old woodcook stoves to serve as both heat and cooking in the winter in the cabin.  You know the ones, people post them all over Craigslist in varying conditions all the time around here.  I got a welding buddy and enough know-how to fix one up nice.  I love restoring or repurposing old things.  Also trying to figure out exactly how to attach a hot water heater so it's also using the wood stove heat.

Hi Louis;   I know the old cook stoves well, I live with one!  Admittedly we don't cook on it much anymore, but its great for heating the far end of our small home.
The big thing you will find, is how often you must add wood. That and a few hours after it quits burning it cools off.  
Post some pictures here at Permies of your new place!

Oooh yeah I want a big ol' guy exactly like that!  Thankfully the space it has to heat is not very large and is well insulated.  I've been trying to brain storm a way to rig up copper pipe and a water heater that circulates based on thermal motion alone.  I've seen a couple people DIY something and I have ideas.  My main addition I'd need to figure out is some kind of condenser so that it can vent steam pressure but not lose that water.

Welcome to the channeled scablands! That's a great photo, I'll be interested to hear how your growing goes in this sort of soil.

Grady Houger wrote:Welcome to the channeled scablands! That's a great photo, I'll be interested to hear how your growing goes in this sort of soil.

You and me both ahaha!  

Oh shoot, I forgot I was taking pics this weekend!

Here's the cabin:



10 x 20 with loft.  You can tell that the guy who put it together didn't.... really know how to do roofs.  Going to take it down as soon as the weather gives us a good break and replace the OSB that's already weather and UV damaged, then put the metal back up with proper fascia trim, soffits and flashing.  May also extend it to have the deck area covered.

and here is one of my favorite features, a steptoe the rises up at least 20 feet over looking the gravel drive.  We've named it Dragon Pointe, and yes, we do plan on putting a big dragon statue on it so that visitors will pass under its hungry gaze....


And a bit south of the cabin over a small ridge is our daughter's favorite place; a black hawthorn thicket she calls the Dragon's Nest.


It's a mellow, inviting place that's perfect for kids to run around and lose themselves in imagination.  Sheltering from wind, sun and rain.  Perfect little hidey spot.