This project is a labor of love for my husband and me who are hard-core DIYs! We purchased an old homestead built in the 1930's in December of 2006. Our goal is to up-date the old house and make it as energy efficient as possible using environmentally sound construction and renovation techniques. We are also starting natural farming (permaculture) techniques to enhance the environment through increased biodiversity, creation of top soil, and stopping erosion. We hope to be able to sell our naturally-grown products to local restaurants, residents, and at farmers markets while still providing for our needs and decreasing our consumerism. So far we have replaced the contaminated well, planted 50 trees, have the natural prairie restored...and have so much more to do like solar installation (staying on grid), a passive solar sunroom, a rain catchment system, and constructing out buildings for future farm animals... It's a lot of work, but The Homestead is a lifestyle, a love, and a lifetime of environmentalism that will have a local and global impact.
Hello! Just brief update about a small project we completed over the weekend...
About 4-5 months ago our mailbox was attacked. Mailbox bashing occurs occasionally in rural areas and ours was a victim. It was mounted a sturdy post which was broken off at the base. This isn't typical of most mailbox violence. Many times teenagers/young adults will use baseball bats to hit the mailbox with while driving by. Our mailbox didn't have a scratch on it. We still can't quite figure out how it happened.
As a quick fix we filled a large bucket with sand and rocks and placed the remainder of the post in it. We then tied it with twine to a metal fence post. This worked well for a month or so, but the top heavy mailbox soon began to lean to one side. We decided it was time to fix it before the mail carrier became too frustrated with us. :)
So last weekend, we spent a few hours digging out the old post and mounting the mailbox on a new post. The didn't take too long and only cost a $2.00 for new post.
On Monday when Greg picked up the mail there was a little note with a big smiley face on it. It read, "Thank you!" and was signed by the mail carrier. Sometimes simple things make someone's day.
Now we are preparing to add on the sun room! More on that later.
Take care, Jayne
We have learned many lessons in the last year. I hope our lessons will help you make your DIY fantasies come true while keeping them realistic!
http://www.celsias.com/article/homestead-emerging-hibernation-guide-diy/
This was an amazing find! Hope this inspires you to find reusable treasures. Enjoy. :)
http://www.celsias.com/article/the-homestead-free-cycles-rural-style/
Fluffy Grass by the Woods
Our Upright Mailbox
Bull Thistle Fluff
Tall Smart Weed
Tall Grass
Grass and Sky
Flowers and Grass
Native Fowers of Wisconsin
Greg H. 30°
Jayne Bielecki 275°
Julie Reitz 15°
Marcel Dubois 91°
Matthew W. 430°
I admire your ambition! Good luck!
Hello all, I have just added a wonderful and new selection of photos from our backyard or the "back 40" as they say around these parts :) Enjoy, Jayne