Goals for 2013

It's not January 1st yet, but I feel like New Year's Resolutions never really stick anyway, so I thought I'd list a few things I hope to accomplish/do/build in the next year. The goal being to promote my personal skills in providing for me and mine. In slighty particular order:

1. Build a Solar Dehydrator
I'm planning on buying this particular book, recommended by Jane at Hard Work Homestead. Her husband and her built their dehydrator and it seems to work wonderfully! Building it will be much easier when I figure out what materials I need to find and purchase.

2. Fence in and Prepare the Designated Garden Space
I've got all the tools to prepare the soil. We have a great assortment of old hoes, rakes, shovels, a wheelbarrow and the like. It will be hard work; our soil is 98% rocks. Not really, but it sure does feel like it whenever you try to dig! Fencing in another beast all together. Deer, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, and especially rabbits are very prevalent in our area. Our property backs to the woods, so fencing is important.

3. Plant a Varied Garden, and Harvest From it
I've got a jump on this one with a spread sheet of the seeds and varieties I'd like to purchase. As I add I also make note of prices, days to maturity, and what company offers the seed. Next I need to measure the garden space and create a planting guide based on my zone and individual needs of the plants.

4. Attempt to Save Seed for Next Year
Self explanatory, really.

5. Find a Place to Store Canned Goods Long-Term
There are a few places like the garage and the shed that I have my eyes on, but I need to take temperatures in these areas and keep a log so I can get an average temperature. An average temperature will tell me if I've found a suitable place or not. There is also the far left of the pantry cabinet but it slants funny because it's underneath the stairs. It's hard to get to, but with a little cleaning and rearranging it might be perfect.

6. Obtain Pressure Canner; Can Garden Bounty
I've never pressure-canned, and I don't have one! Go figure. I have my eyes on one from Lehman's I'm particularly interested in. I want to be more self-sufficient, and providing some percentage of our food is a step in the right direction.

7. Render Lard, Sucessfully
I tried it earlier this month. In fact, it was right before Thanksgiving because I wanted to try lard in my pie crust. However I made the small but DRASTIC mistake of not cutting all meat particles from the fat. It ruined the whole thing and stunk up the entire house! I still haven't had the courage to clean out the canning jar I stored it in!

8. Process a Chicken
I want to learn to kill, de-feather, gut, and otherwise prepare for the table, my own chicken. I'm still working on the property owner (Gramma!) to let me have chickens, but it's not going anywhere. I may have to do it somewhere else or bring home one chicken and process, one chicken and process, etc. I am actively looking for somewhere to attend a workshop. They had one last year through the Extension Office, but I don't see one this coming year yet.

9. Homestead Journal
I would truly like to be more vigilant with my journaling. Noting what kind of day (weather-wise) it was and what was accomplished on that day. I think my future children and relatives might be happy to read it, and it'll be nice to look back for myself.

I am going to post updates to this list as I complete them (as long as I remember to). I already finished one of my big goals: the composter! I made a compost bucket out of a plastic tote bin with a lid. We finally can begin to reuse the produce refuse, and keep it out of the landfills! Hooray for small victories.