Big decisions!

So, I've made a huge decision. I have decided that after I graduate from HACC, I need to grab a few acres and truly make Homesteading on the Small Scale happen on some property and not just in a condo.

I love small and simple living, and while I've toyed with going over to New Mexico, I realized I really love the East Coast, I don't care for sand, or scorpions, and my dog would be VERY unhappy in that kind of climate, and so would I. I then remembered fonder times in a little area called Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and that is where I am looking into making this happen, but I am also keeping options open in another town, Gretna, VA.

My goal with this plan is to obtain less than 5 acres, clearing only what I need (1 acre) for gardening, a tiny house for a homestead and a barn for the livestock, mainly alpacas and goats. I'd like to leave the rest wild, and find a teacher who can show me how to properly forage without poisoning myself and without causing great harm on the environment.

Picking up and moving and downsizing even further than where I am now; 800 square feet to 200 or less is a HUGE thing and I'm not going to kid myself at complete self sufficiency, or even being completely off the grid, especially all at once. It will have to be a process, but once I make this transition, I don't plan on turning back. I'm ready to set down some roots in my own part of the country side.

Crowd-funding is the only way I'm going to be able to make this move with the overhead of building the house, buying the land and getting things going a bit. On the side, I've placed my indiegogo widget and you'd consider making a tiny donation to help make this happen, it would be so amazing. I would love to take this blog and make it better by bringing my knowledge into a more complete practice. I'd also like to be able to organize workshops and classes for others who may be interested in a similar lifestyle. The best that could come from this is immense; learning to live in a way that is more in tune with mother earth, with each other, and with oneself.

All it takes is your spare change in combination with what I'm able to do on my end, and we can add more forward momentum to the tiny house and homesteading movements.

Thank you for your donations and your support! I hope to see you all soon with a new entry. If there is a topic you'd like to read about, let me know.

YouTube Channel Review: RickVanMan

I don't do this often, but I'm thinking I might. There are so many brilliant people on YT that it may require a thought...

RickVanMan's channel on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/rickvanman) This guy is awesome. I really like his style. He's easy to understand, easy to follow and VERY informative.

His channel is varietal, however he focuses on a lot of the homesteading things that we do. He has instructional and informative videos ranging from herbalism, how to make tinctures, and creams and other useful things with your herbs, foraging, and even gardening. He has many other things on there too. I find him very entertaining and chock full of information. He also answers questions in his comments sections, and is very knowledgeable!

Here is just one his videos about How to Make a Cream.. This is part of a series about herbalism basics.

Do you have other YT channels you enjoy and would like me to check out? Put it in the comments section!

In the Garden: Laying Down Roots

Did you know that you can grow some veggies from the root ends that we usually discard? In the photo above I have planted garlic, celery and romaine lettuce. Last year I grew ginger this way as well.

After you've used the bulk of the vegetable, bury the root end into the soil. Keep it watered, and wait for the magic.

What can I plant?

You can plant anything that has root ends or eyes. Among these are;

• Lettuce (I used Romaine, but I'm sure you can try other kinds)
• Celery
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Onions
• Ginger
• Potatoes
• Shallots
• Beets
• Rutabagas
• Turnips

Root vegetables need to be completely buried like potatoes and turnips, while the more leafy things like celery or lettuce, only the roots need to be protected by soil.

You can also try planting seeds from other things.

• Stone fruits (Cherries, peaches, apricots...)
• Apples
• Grapes
• Avocados

Experiment and see what will grow for you. Many fruits grow on trees, so you'll want to transplant it to a larger space if starting them in a pot. However, you can find many variety of fruits and veggies that are bred for planter life.

Have you done things like this? What have you planted? Tell me about it.