With Spring comes work.

I love how a fresh snowfall can make everything look so beautiful and untouched, and how relaxed and at peace it can make you feel. Especially first thing in the morning as I rise out of my toasty warm bed, grab a hot cup of coffee and sit looking out the patio doors to our acres and acres of snow covered fields. But at the same time I find myself anxiously awaiting the spring thaw...oh how I cannot wait for the melting snow, the muddy walkway, the sounds of the birds chirping, and I shall not forget to mention my most favorite thing of all, that crisp fresh air smell spring brings.

But with Spring so very close our work loads get even busier, fences need put up not only for our animals but also for our children. Chicken, Duck and Rabbit tractors need to be built, our fields need to be cut and prepared for planting, and the rest of our seeds need to be started.  From dusk till dawn we will work non-stop, sure from time to time you may hear us mutter something under our breath but everyone has their moments!

When we started our journey two years ago with very little money we thought we might be kidding ourselves. 
Becoming self-sufficient does not happen overnight, it is not something you can just say your going to do and expect it to happen. No, in order to become self-sufficient you have to work hard and be committed to your goals, and it can be back breaking at times, but if you work your butt off eventually it will pay off. It may take a few years but once you master your goals its rewarding in itself.  

We have yet to accomplish a perfect garden, but we have been lucky enough to bring in enough vegetables that we don't have to rush out to buy any.  With a family as large as ours it takes a lot of planning in order to make sure we can feed ourselves throughout the winter and into the spring.  This past year we did not get to preserve as much as we needed, due to the great amounts of rain we received last season and the fact that we moved quickly during harvest season, to beat the snow.  The one downfall to renting your homestead is you really never know how long you will be there and this is why we have our goal of finding a cheap but useful plot of land up North of us to call our own.