Amy Christensen

Hey Jenny,
Curious what, if any luck you've had here. You can chat with me on Facebook if you want or telegraph. Whatever easier...
Have fun,
Amy

paul wheaton wrote:

permutations wrote:
What's PDC (Professional Developers Conference, Pacific Disaster Center, Public Disclosure Commission, Primary Domain Controller, Pioneer Drilling Company...)?

Permaculture Design Course.  Typically 14 very long days of intensive study in permaculture.

Is there a PDC that you recommend around this area? Are you hosting one perhaps? Or is someone looking for a place to host one? I'd gladly host one at my place!

You know the holidays are the hardest for anyone with grown kids (or almost out of the house in my case) or that are alone for that matter...

Here's a little back story in case you don't know me, yet. My name is Amy. I work full time, 12 hour rotating shifts, and hate every minute of it. I also own a soap company, a face and body art company (face painting), and a soap supply business. Whenever I can't go outside to work on my projects (re-roofing the shop next to the house at the moment), I spend online researching ideas (rocket mass fireplaces, wind turbines, water turbines, off grid stuff) and connecting with like minded individuals like myself.

It's definitely not a simple idea to do alone, let me tell you. My current hold up, aside from the weather (brrrr), is trying to get the lumber my mother gave me today, up on the roof to replace three rotten boards. I have to replace those in the morning before I can start laying down the OSB, then tar paper, then the metal roof. I think I have a system of pullies that I've got worked in my head to get it done. But if all else fails, I'll call some friends up and invite them over. They like when I cook...

Once the roof is completely done and not just the section I'm working on (check out  Instagram @mysliceofidaho to see short clips I took with my phone), then I want to tackle the rocket mass fireplace in the front room. My mom thinks I'm nuts to take the natural gas fireplace out and deal with wood and ashes. But no matter how many ways I try to explain why I want to do it, she doesn't get it. It only took the one time for the gas to not work (my house has a natural gas furnance and stove) for me to get that I need an alternate source of heat in case something happens again. Yes I can cook over the fire pit out back, but that's not fun in freezing temps.

I also have to save like crazy to get the electric poultry fencing if I want to let my chickens free range. In the last two years, neighbor dogs have killed no less than fifty chickens here. Yes I can shoot them, if you can 1) catch them in the act and 2) make sure they're dead on your property...which I couldn't. I had one dog in my sights but it hid behind my horses...grrr...

My plan is to have my place paid off in 8-9 years and have enough chickens to fill my freezer in the winter, eggs all year and for sale. A simple sign outside the house was getting $3 a dozen (back when I got three dozen eggs a week). And turn the shop next to the house into a farmer's market/craft market (no MLMs allowed).

I just wish there were more like us (permies) close in my area. Anyone ever thought of a meet up? I'm in Blackfoot Idaho by the way....and this is my little hello, how y'all doing, care to chat a spell....

So our home is a conventional house. It has two septic tanks and one well. However I want to eventually have a grey water system so that we aren't wasting so much water. The original part of the house was built in the 30s and is made with lava rocks, the addition was put on in the 50s and is cinder blocks on the outside. In the addition, is the front room and has a natural gas fireplace (behind the big window on the left). I have been collecting all the materials to build a rocket mass fireplace, but I worry that the floor won't be able to support the weight of the cob/bench.

All the earthships have amazing ideas that I would love to incorporate into our house, like solar, grey water collection, rain water collection etc. But my family is completely clueless as to what I'm looking for. My building skills are very limited. All the ideas I have, would cost a fortune for an architect/builder to help me with. Is anyone here knowledgeable? Hire-able?
Thank you in advance for your ideas and input.
Amy
www.magicvalleysoap.com

Deborah Niemann wrote:There is no single recommendation on number of goats per acre because an acre in Idaho is not the same as an acre in Arizona or Florida. In fact, my acres are not even the same as someone a couple miles down the road from me. Also, goats are not grazers like cattle, so if you have an area with brush or baby trees, they'll love that way more than a pristine pasture! Goats are pretty adaptable, and I know a family in Chicago that has three milkers in their city yard. Of course, they are feeding hay year round, but it works, and they get fresh milk year round.

If I'm understanding your post correctly, that's pretty amazing that your mom was able to find a goat that would let a calf nurse! I wouldn't count on being able to do that reliably. Most goats will not let another kid nurse, so another species is really unusual. Also, calves are VERY rough on the udder. We also have had a few cattle over the course of 10 years or so, and I'd be worried about a calf damaging a goat's udder and/or teats, and you could wind up with mastitis. This is actually one of the arguments you hear for cow dairies removing calves at birth, but it doesn't happen nearly as often with goats. In fact, I've never had it happen with 450 kids born here.

Hi Deborah! Thanks for the reply! Yes that makes sense about the number of goats per acre. I currently rent pasture for my horses as the whole place with house, shop, and outbuildings comes to almost two acres. Not nearly enough for my plans lol. As far as mom, she would put two goats in the milking staunches and let the calf nurse while the girls would eat their grain. She weaned the calf at a couple months old, and then sold the goats. She never wanted to be a goat farmer, she just needed an inexpensive way to raise a calf to a butchering weight. Yes I understand about mastitis. I think I just want a couple for goat's milk for my soaps that I make. Vs going to the store for that canned crap. Lately I've been trading a friend of mine for her fresh goat milk with soap, so the purchase/implementation of goats around the place has come to a stand still. I do think they would be beneficial ditch weed eaters lol. I may have to borrow a couple to stake out along my over grown ditch banks.
Thanks again! Amy

Hey everyone...even though I'm not in Boise, but rather Blackfoot. I thought I would chime in with a hi, how ya doing?! Seems really quiet here for sometime...any updates since you haven't been here in so long? I'll keep up when I can, working 12 hour shifts bites the big one. But you do what you have to right?! lol

So I'm starting to learn about goats, as a child, my mom would buy a milking doe to raise a calf on a pair of them, then sell the goats. The next year the calf would be ready for slaughter. Saved us from having to make bottles/milk. So how many acres do you need per goat?