It’s Been One Year on the Homestead

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It’s been a year since we moved from our hobby farm just outside a city to our beautiful homestead in the holler!  We’ve gotten a lot done, yet the to-do list is still a mile long.  I have a feeling that the to-do list is going to be constantly growing as we think of more things to add and make improvements to what we’ve done.  We’ve learned a lot this past year and will continue to learn as time goes on. So what have we learned?

• Building infrastructure takes time.  A LOT of time.  Repairing old buildings, running water lines and putting up temporary fencing until we get can new perimeter fencing up will keep a person plenty busy!

• Changing USDA growing zones is a challenge.  Figuring out what to plant and when to plant it has been the biggest challenge.  I find myself going back to what I’ve done in years past in Colorado, but that just doesn’t work here.  But with the long growing season and how well things grow here, this is a challenge that I’ll gladly take on!

• Everything seems to grow well here in Missouri, including weeds.  Weeds here are monster weeds!  Mulch is absolutely necessary in the garden, otherwise the weeds will grow taller than you are.  Thankfully I mulched the garden beds, but in the walkways and all around the garden there are weeds that would need a machete to cut them down.  Those monster weeds should be bringing up some great minerals with their roots, right??

• Good neighbors are crucial.  We are very fortunate to have some very good neighbors.  It’s always a good feeling knowing that you have somebody to call if help is needed.

• A family of 5 can live in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath trailer house without killing each other. However, there will be clutter and that may drive you crazy.  Thankfully we all spend as much time outside as possible.  We are all looking forward to building our house this fall/winter!

• You can have bug bites upon bug bites. Yes, you really can!  But when you live in a place as beautiful as the Ozarks, a few bug bites won’t ruin the day.

• Guineas on tick patrol is essential.  Ticks are never fun to deal with, but they are a part of daily life here.  We’ve seen a drop in the number of ticks on us since moving here a year ago.  The tick population should continue to decline thanks to our feathered friends.

The Missouri Ozarks are just as beautiful to us as the day we moved here.  When you first move to a new location, people often say there is a honeymoon phase, where everything is rosy until reality sets in and you discover that you aren’t really in the garden of Eden.  Maybe we’re still in the honeymoon phase, but we’ve worked hard and have had disappointments and successes.  We’ve dealt with bugs, snakes and humidity.  The Ozarks are still beautiful and definitely feels like home.  We’re eager to see what this next year on the homestead will bring!

Janelle

Hi!  Around here I wear many hats. Homesteader, farmer, homemaker, homeschool mom, gardener and builder.  We strive for a simple, self-sufficient life on our little piece of paradise.  Read more