Hello 2023: New Year, New Goals
On January 1, 2023 by MaryHappy New Year, everyone!
What a wild ride 2022 was for our little homestead. We had so many ups and downs, and the last few months of the year were difficult and stressful. (If you didn’t catch the last update, you can find it here.)
2022 Recap
Last January, Calvin and I came up with four broad goals for the year. We wanted to clean up our yard and woods, improve the animals’ living areas, and plant a garden. I’m happy to say we did pretty well with all of that! The woods can still use a lot of love, so that will be an ongoing project- but we enjoyed several great bonfires with the fallen trees Calvin got out of there. There are still more stumps to be pulled as well, but the main part of our yard is finally clear!
One of our best achievements was the garden. It was a learning experience for sure, but we still got a huge harvest, and were able to freeze and can lots of home-grown goodness.
Another area we made lots of progress in was the barn. After our chicken fiasco over the summer, we decided to start from scratch and build a super sturdy, predator-proof coop inside the barn. We also improved the piggy area to work for our newest endeavors. Our boars and gilts (females that have never been bred) are in separate pens until the females are old enough to breed.
We made the switch to electric fencing for their outdoor areas, giving them lots of room to run around. They seem quite happy with the setup, and so far we are, too!
New Year’s Goals
Moving into the new year, we’re pretty much sticking to the same goals. With baby #4 arriving in a few months, I’m trying not to pack my days with extra to-dos. Preparing for a healthy delivery and soaking up the newborn days is a priority for me.
As far as the homestead goes, our main focus will be on breeding our pigs. It’s a completely new venture for us, and we’re excited to learn the ropes and see how it goes.
And of course, we’ll be planting another garden!
Here’s to hoping this new year brings lots of new opportunities and happy moments with friends and family. Happy 2023, everybody!
Onward and upward!!
Exactly!