Homesteading

My breakthrough this week was figuring out that my farm goals for this year can be broadly classified as "homesteading".   It all started when one of our relatives described to us how they explain our farm to others, "It isn't like they are homesteading [said somewhat distastefully], they go to Costco."  This, coupled with hearing stories from GG (my paternal grandmother) about growing up during the war on a farmstead outside Kingston, ignited my interest.  I googled "homesteading" and lo and behold this is exactly the kind of thing I am interested in!  

Cheese, yogurt, and soap making, turning my sheep's fleece into yarn, capturing wild yeast for sourdough bread, raising goats for milk, animal husbandry, butter churning, rendering tallow and lard, etc.  We already make our own bread; can, dehydrate, and freeze much of our produce; bee keep; ferment fresh foods; make maple syrup; make beer, mead, and kombucha; grow our own bean sprouts; raise chickens, ducks, and fibre animals; and eat from our freezer, garden, orchard, and pantry.  It seems that we are well on our way to being a modern homestead.  Yet, there is so much more to try!

For the next several months, I have decided to try a new homesteading task each week.  Then, in the summer when our garden is in full swing, we will have "Homesteading Week" where we will try to cut out as many modern conveniences as makes sense in an effort to really live off our land.  I am so excited!  

Aside: both my mother and mother-in-law think I am crazy and have asked to be told in advance about Homesteading Week so they can plan NOT to visit.

In honour of my aspirations to one day to be making my own goat's milk soap, this week we decided to get acquainted with the task of soap making using a starter kit for children.   Here is to learning about soap making with some help from my mom and kids, of course.

Watching the microwave very closely.
Yes, I am aware that homesteaders in my Grandma's day did not use microwaves to make soap.

Stirring.

What fun!  The best part was that the boys were begging for bath time and did not need to be told twice to scrub under their armpits.  I have never had cleaner children.