Monsoon rains on the homestead mean life is abundant. While the temperatures are starting to feel like fall, the view looks more like spring. Prairie grasses are growing like crazy. Desert plants are blooming. Wildlife roams the grounds. In fact, I saw 2 beautiful does and a buck which is something I haven’t previously seen at our place. It all makes me smile.
Last week, I spent some time on the homestead planning for future projects. We have all of these plans, but it will take some time to implement the changes and updates. We’re trying to set some priorities and find different ways to do things right without breaking the bank.
Some things don’t require money, but they do require hard work and time. I don’t mind the work as it’s always rewarding to see the end result. Setting up gardens, planting fruit trees, and moving around rock and soil take time. It’s hard to be patient as it slowly comes together. We’re also trying to figure out the best placement for the new gardens and small orchard.
I’m still trying to decide where to set up the permanent chicken coop and yard. I also want to have a brooder area and quarantine area for the new birds. Since we plan on raising meat birds as well, I’ll probably want an area where they can be raised separately from our other chickens. Since I’m still fairly new to this whole chicken thing, I’m making some adjustments to plans and expectations as we go.
Gardening in the high desert is interesting as you have a wide range of temperatures. The higher elevation means some things just don’t work. I’m still researching what plants and fruit trees will work best in our area. We have really rich soil, but it’s also rocky. I’m trying to decide if I should do all raised beds or a combination of raised beds and regular gardens.
Patience, hard work, and time will be our friends as we develop our homestead. It’s going to be a real adventure.
