Goals

This page will outline some of the goals I have for our property.

GOALS:

Feeding myself and my family from the property as much as possible.

Growing more nutritious, better tasting food than is available in markets.

Minimizing wasteful energy use and carbon emissions (food transportation and local energy use).

Increasing bio-diversity on site - in plant, animal, soil organisms, biomass.

Improving the quality of the soil.

Providing a nice and enjoyable place to live, play, work, and realize our dreams and beliefs .

Inspiring others by example. 

Reducing dependence on middle man - instead of work to buy food, work in growing food myself. 

Harvesting natural resources on site - sunlight, rain, wind, foods, materials, waste.

Seed saving and seed development. 
Closing the nutrient cycle as much as possible.

DESIRED PRODUCTS:

Vegetables 

Fruit

Flowers - for pollinators, cutting, medicine (I.e. echinacea), beauty. 

Grains - what grain is easiest to grow in our region?

Eggs

Manure

Compost

Honey

Nuts?

Pollination/Pollinator Habitat.

Responsible use of natural energy

Less usable resources leaving the property unused 

Less trash/pollutants on or off the property

Enjoyment, fulfillment, a lovely place to live.

Educational opportunities

A place to work

LIVING ELEMENTS

Vegetables

    Perennials and Annuals

Fruits

     Trees (Apples (early, mid and late), Peaches, Pears, Apricots, Plums, Seaberry/Sea Buckthorn        Persimmons)  
     Shrubs/Vines (Strawberries, Raspberries, Grapes)

Flowers 

Chickens

Bees

Wildlife

Birds, Squirrels, small rodents, insects, spiders 

Grains - varieties that do well in the region. 

Pond/wetland? either from full swales and water catchment systems, or from gray water filter system.

Nut trees?

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

House

Studio

Shed

Chicken Coop

Carport
Bird Bath

Deck

Fire pit - maybe combined with brick oven?

Outdoor brick oven 

Swales
Compost toilet?
Detached Glass House or Glass room addition to house which adds heat in winter.  

Some concerns: is there room for all this?  Can the bees be placed so that they are not bothered all the time or where they won't bother the neighbors?

We need to use vertical structures wisely.  Grapes over the deck for shade and for ease of picking.