Goats and milk.

I've started hiking around the property in the mornings and evenings before it gets too hot. I carry little Callum on my back in a backpack and he's calm and happy the entire time. It's a good way for me to get exercise without leaving him behind. Plus, now that he's older he can really enjoy the sights and sounds.

My primary goal out here is to be able to feed my family, and maybe a few others, when SHTF, the depressions really hits, the apocalypse comes, or whatever it is. Having well-established livestock and fruit trees as well as a few native edibles and perrenial food plants will be crucial in making this happen. Food stores of grains and staples will help hold us over until we are someday able to grow our own.
Taking a look at my goals and what we have done so far, I'd say we are well on our way. No, we're nowhere near self-sufficient but we have a lot of things in place and we're adding more and more as time goes on.

I have to have a few long-term plans too. You know, if 'S' doesn't 'HTF', the depression doesn't hit and the apocalypse doesn't come... we're probably going to want to generate some sort of income as well. I'm looking at a lot of ideas as far as this goes.

It seems to me like internet retail is pretty saturated. While that may be a component of what I plan to do, I don't think I could ever rely entirely on internet sales of any product. Since we'll be working with livestock anyway, it seems natural to look in that direction for some possibilities.
I've been researching a bit into the market for goat meat and dairy products. That really appeals to me but what I've found for business doesn't sound too promising. As with most things, though, it is what you make it. I'm not expecting anything to be easy nor do I aspire to create an empire of wealth, I just want to make enough to meet some of the 'outside' needs-- such as health insurances, transportation costs, taxes, things like that.

Locally there doesn't appear to be much available for processing goat dairy or meat so that's another option-- an actual (small) processing facility which could offer potential growth for other local goat farmers as well.

This would be a huge task to take on, on top of the self-sufficiency project, but it may very well be worth it.

I have to admit, Seth and I are considering another child within the next year or so and that would mean that *my* work on the farm would be pretty well hindered for quite awhile. Perhaps with Callum, that's already the case (it sure feels like it), but at the same time... maybe I'm more adaptable and more accomplished than I imagine.
I do have a tendency to feel overwhelmed, but progress is being made around here so I can't really say that I'm not getting anything done.

I have a passion for goats and animals in general. Even if it didn't turn a big profit, if it kept us afloat it would be more than worth it. Everytime I see one of these animals I get giddy, I'M SERIOUS! They are so cute and stinky and mischeivous. I love it.

Aye, but I don't know about the meat part. How will I keep from falling in love with every one of them?

As usual.

Slow and steady as usual. I've been putting a lot of energy into helping Seth with a job, getting things around the house to go more smoothly, daily chores, and recently I've been browsing the forums at survivalistboards.com. There are a lot of bright individuals over there with quite a bit of good dialogue. I'm also reading some fiction and listening to audio lectures online. (FYI: I'm "ss834" in the forums)
A lot of intake, not a lot of output.

Okay, I have a big galvanized wash tub to use for outdoor washing... dishes, laundry, whatever. The chickens are doing well. I want to get serious about creating a big run for them and when they are old enough I may recruit Ronnie's rooster to breed and start some new chicks next spring. Ronnie has also been talking about mating the pygmy goats. Seth says he heard that pygmy milk is no good, but I read the opposite, so I think it's worth trying.
We'll get a goat yard set up and maybe take a nanny and her kids. That'll do it for animals for awhile-- goats and chickens were our primary interests. Oh, and the rabbits! We have rabbits and Ronnie has quail.




Other than that I've got to get the vegetable bed going. I am thinking about starting with intensive potted veggies and a deep raised bed. I know I need to start small for now, since it is only me, and if some people can do it on 1/10 an acre then I should have no problem growing right off the porch.

The rest of the figs will go in the ground this weekend and that'll be it for my trees that have needed planting.

The other plants have suffered from the heat wave of the past 3 weeks. Though the chives, the trees, the mint and the wildflowers are still doing well.

I'm going to start some tomato seed this weekend as well and whatever else I already have. My compost is getting pretty nasty and awful. I think I'm either failing miserable or succeeding. Its got grubs of all sorts in there and tons of fire ants because they are everywhere and they get into everything. They eat about half of what I put out there.

... sigh...