Hobby Farm Transformation

It’s been just over eight years now living on this slice of the country we call Five Feline Farm. At first it was just the “farm”, a tongue-in-cheek expression of this postage stamp sized property in the midst of large acre farms. Now it is becoming much more than that. Slowly, with the requisite blood, sweat and not a few tears, it is transforming into a hobby farm. A place to host the next phase of life.

But the transformation goes beyond the land. In this process of making something new, we are being transformed.

Beekeeping has changed our perspective on many things. We are trying to be better consumers and more aware of good practice in land management. Our focus is more basic than sustainability, settling into the more practical mantra: “if it’s good for the bees, it’s good for us”.

Then there are things that we have learned intuitively or by observation. Yes, these are things that can be read in books and maybe everybody knows it. There is something about the experience that anchors the lesson.

Things like the moon rising an hour later each night, until finally it rises unseen in the daylight. Birds begin their nesting just as the fur bearing animals, like our cats, start shedding their winter coat. Cat fur surely makes a comfortable place to lay an egg. Noticing that the Juncos leave just before the hummingbirds return for the summer.

Through these experiences comes a deep soul satisfaction. A oneness with the land and nature that just feels right.

It is right to take care of the land that will provide food for us and wildlife. Right to reduce or eliminate chemicals used on property we control. Smart to reduce the need for artificial amendments by moving to a no till garden with careful crop rotation and green manure.

It is a lot of work to reconstruct this once forgotten land. Our passion for what it can become makes it less work-like.

Five Feline Farm is already growing beyond our wildest dreams. Follow us on Facebook. Signup to get blog posts delivered to your email inbox.

You never know what may happen next.

Winter Preppers

Yes we are prepping.

Not the kind of long term stockpiling that most people think of as prepping. Not building bunkers anticipating a nuclear holocaust.

We are prepping for winter.

There are things that you must consider living in the country. Each year we learn another lesson. We may or may not have power. The road to town may be impassable. So, we need to be prepared. That’s what prepping is after all. A state of preparedness for whatever life or the elements may throw at you.

Winter 2015 Prep List

1. Power

At Five Feline Farm we have upgraded a few things to help us through the winter. First and foremost was installing a whole house generator. Winter storms taught us that power is a critical element. It has been frightfully cold when the power has been out for hours or days at a time.

We have no plans to go off grid, but we do now have a back up plan for power outages. Even though the generator and 500 gallon propane tank should keep things fully functional for a week, we will still go into conservation mode. A few lights. The refrigerator and freezers. Water heater. Lower the thermostat. Doing all of this will extend the tank of propane for as long as possible. The supplier states they can get us a refill within two days of calling, but if the road is drifted shut, that may be an optimistic estimate.

2. Food

Summer’s bounty plus a few items from the store are stocked. The pantry is loaded with canned goods. The freezers are packed with meat and vegetables. We may need to get creative with meals, but we could easily manage a month or more of keeping body and soul united.

3. Outside Chores

Set up the Christmas decorations. Yes, you read correctly. It is much nicer to set up the outside decorations in early November before the weather gets brutal. There is no need to turn everything on, but at least it is ready at the flip of a switch. This isn’t rushing the season. It is being planful.

Winterize the camper. Bring in the pond pumps. Drain the water hoses. Mow down the garden. Put the snowplow on the Mule. These are just a few of the outside tasks that need to be completed before a freeze.

At this writing, the first flakes of winter snow are falling. It is good to have the winter prepping completed. We can sit back and enjoy the beauty of winter without worry.

What winter prepping have you done? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

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Spring Begins at Five Feline Farm

This past week Five Feline Farm hosted a booth at the Lake Land College Innovative Energy Conference. Keynote speaker Ed Begley, Jr. gave great information about living more sustainably by doing what you can. He suggested that every person can do something to conserve by taking just a few steps such as changing to LED lightbulbs or having a home energy audit.

So, what can we do at the Farm?

The goldfish pond uses two electric pumps during warm weather. One is a continuously running pump that powers the filter and waterfall. The other runs a few minutes a day to add water from the well. Plenty of sunshine is available in this area so a solar collector is the goal to power both pumps.

Shouldn’t be too hard. A little study, invest in materials, and the pond goes off the grid.

The next task will be to add some insulation to the greenhouse. The new greenhouse was built on a deck for a secure base that allows drainage. However, it also allows heat loss overnight. Insulation on the deck walls will curb some of this loss. Electricity will be installed so tender plants can stay warm enough overnight to survive. Perhaps next year, this will be converted to solar power for the auxiliary heat source.

With the promise of Spring, outdoor activities around the Farm kick into high gear. We are energized to complete those tasks we have only dreamed about through the long cold winter.

Five Feline Farm Spring task list:

-pick up downed branches in the woods that have fallen or broken during winter storms

-repair any structures that sustained winter damage

-establish new garden areas and install edgings

-run electricity for greenhouse heater

-install solar power to the goldfish pond pumps

-attend Indiana Flower and Patio Show

What spring tasks will you be doing?

Dormant Oil Spray

Like the rest of the Midwest, Five Feline Farm has experienced a brutal winter. Temperatures below zero much of the time, relentless snow and today there is sleet.

There is usually a window of opportunity in February when temperatures climb above freezing. The buds of the fruit trees begin to show signs of swelling but are not yet opening. This is the time to use a dormant oil spray to help prevent some of those pesky insects that tend to infect fruit trees.

The spray helps prevent fungi, mites, aphids and other diseases. It works by cutting off the air supply to insects or eggs that have been laid in the bark. Similarly it cuts off oxygen to pathogens that have attempted to infiltrate.

Dormant oil spray can be purchased but who knows what is in that bottle. Just like food (and fruit trees do produce food) if there are ingredients you can’t pronounce or your grandmother didn’t know, is it really something you want to spray on your trees? Here on the Farm we are trying to use as many natural products as viable. We are working to create an ecosystem that is sound, sustainable and chemical free where possible. Economical is also a good thing.

Spray each fruit tree coating the trunk and branches. A second treatment may be applied just before the buds start to open to ensure that all areas of the tree have been treated. This also helps to replace any of the spray that has been washed off in rain or snow.

Dormant Oil Spray

1 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Dawn dish soap
1 gallon water

Mix oil and dish soap thoroughly in water. This may be doubled or tripled as needed. Pour into a pump sprayer.