…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God… Romans 12:1-2
Hey Guys! Check out our YouTube channel. We’ll be documenting the building up of our one acre property in North Idaho.
Please consider Subscribing to the Channel and remember to Like and Comment (it really helps).
THANKS and We hope you Enjoy 🙂
After 3 years of being on the market our Home in Kentucky has SOLD!
Just when we were ready to give up. We thought we were following the right path, we thought we had been led to sell our home and move to North Idaho, but was it all just a distraction?
Where we just dreaming? Chasing something that would never become reality?
Those were our thoughts and conversations the last year we were on the market. It seemed like every deal, every offer we’d get, something would always go wrong.
The final offer came and we’d decided that if it didn’t work out, if something happened and the deal just didn’t go through, that we would revisit our plans and prayerfully reconsider what we wanted to do moving forward.
But it Happened. It really SOLD! And not just sold but everything seemed to work out just perfectly.
“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel – that will stand”. Proverbs 19:21
There was no way we could leave the East Coast without visiting Polyface Farm.
A few years after beginning our Healthy Life, Healthy Food Journey, we came across the Lunatic Farmer, Joel Salatin. He was doing everything we wanted to do and so much more.
His passion for respecting and caring for all God’s creation, “healing the land, one bite at a time” was inspiring! Over the years we had talked about visiting many times but never made the trip.
So here we are with just few weeks left before finally moving West and we couldn’t leave without seeing it. Polyface Farm, the farm of many faces, just a 5 hour drive away.
Was it everything we imagined?
Absolutely. It was Beautiful!
At Polyface, the Salatins have an open door policy. Anyone can come anytime and no place is off limits (besides their home).
Once we arrived, we had a short visit in the store then started our self-guided tour. We were awkwardly free to explore Polyface. The farm was busy but peaceful. We walked around for hours admiring the simple beauty.
It was a blessing to see this place in person.
With the upcoming Homestead Move and the recent goodbyes to our livestock, the homestead kids were definitely feeling the emotions pretty strong. Besides my oldest daughters’ working dog Cami, they’ve always had animals to care for, play with and love!
What could we do that would occupy their thoughts and time, would benefit the homestead and be small enough to travel with us?
A cat, of course!
…So meet Tiger- Our newest addition to the Homestead. He’s the perfect feline friend; loves attention, but wants his freedom.
Not only has he been great for the kids but we’ve come to learn that there’s actually many benefits in having a homestead cat:
Mice and rats. The most obvious job of a cat is to control the population of rodents. Every homesteader at some point while storing livestock food has had some trouble with mice and rats. But no sign of any now that Tiger is here.
Very low maintenance. Feed once a day and he gets his water from the creek. Tiger stays outside so there’s no need for a litter box. And unlike my oldest daughters daily dog chore of the ‘poop scoop’. My youngest daughter, caretaker of Tiger, doesn’t bother because he buries his.
They eat bugs! Yes, Bugs. I couldn’t believe it either until I seen Tiger chasing a bug. Not only beneficial if your overrun with pests but highly entertaining to watch!
We recently had to say goodbye to some very close friends, our goats…
And let me be the first to admit, it was hard. My heart still hurts just thinking about them being gone.
Years ago when we started homesteading we bought a pregnant nanny at the local flea market, brought her home and two days later she gave us two beautiful doelings.
My girls pick out which one was whose and named them. We watched them grow into beautiful mature does and become mothers.
Later we added more goats to the herd and ended up with a hardy group! They were our strong, free range, friends. They had become part of our family and have given us some great memories!
But to live the life we’ve planned, we had to relocate them while we had the chance to give them a good home.
Driving cross-country with six kids and a dog is going to be adventurous enough, there’s no way we could’ve taken the goats with us, but I’ll admit, it was planned out a few times!
…It’s hard letting go…but we’re one step closer!
For those of you that may not know us personally, here’s what’s going on and a bit of the reason we’ve not been as active on the website lately.
Our home is selling and we are preparing to embark on a journey that will change everything. We are leaving Eastern Ky and going to the Northern Rockies in hopes of going off the grid to live a more self-sustainable lifestyle, Lord willing!
The process, however, has been… complicated.
We’ve had some setbacks (to say the least) but whenever we begin to question our goals and our hopes for the future, the Lord always makes a way to show us that we are on the right path.
We just have to remember that it will be in His time, not ours. To put Him first in EVERYTHING and HE will not let us down. He knows what we need more than we know what we need.
So, we’re Trusting in Him!
…We’ll be sharing more as our story continues.
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
To go along with our last post ‘Our Homestead Secret’ here is a list we have printed out and posted with our important things to keep in mind!
| 1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy…target of thieves; maintenance etc.) 2. Water Filters/Purifiers 3. Portable Toilets 4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses. 5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!) 6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much. 7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots. 8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks. 9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar 10. Rice – Beans – Wheat 11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,) 12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly) 13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking. 14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won’t heat a room.) 15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric) 16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur. 17. Survival Guide Book. 18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.) 19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc. 20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry) 21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene) 22. Vitamins 23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item) 24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products. 25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms) 26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil) 27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item) 28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal) 29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many). 30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels 31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months) 32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST) 33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST) 34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit 35. Tuna Fish (in oil) 36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room) 37. First aid kits 38. Batteries (all sizes…buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates) 39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies 40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food) 41. Flour, yeast & salt 42. Matches. {“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first 43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators 44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.) 45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts 46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns 47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times) 48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels) 49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc 50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient) 51. Fishing supplies/tools 52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams 53. Duct Tape 54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes 55. Candles 56. Laundry Detergent (liquid) 57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags 58. Garden tools & supplies 59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies 60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc. 61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) 62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax) 63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel 64. Bicycles…Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc 65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats 66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered) 67. Board Games, Cards, Dice 68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer 69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets 70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks) 71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water) 72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc. 73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave) 74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels) 75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase 76. Reading glasses 77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers) 78. “Survival-in-a-Can” 79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens 80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog 81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO) 82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky 83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts 84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras) 85. Lumber (all types) 86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from) 87. Cots & Inflatable mattress’s 88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc. 89. Lantern Hangers 90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts 91. Teas 92. Coffee 93. Cigarettes 94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,) 95. Paraffin wax 96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc. 97. Chewing gum/candies 98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing) 99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs 100. Goats/chickens http://www.thepowerhour.com/news/items_disappearfirst.htm |
Okay, so we’re gonna share a little secret….we’re preppers!!
Not weird, antisocial, really paranoid preppers; although I’m sure some people would argue with that, but preppers out of necessity.
Like, a hundred years ago when everyone had to be a prepper.
People back then had to prepare for the seasons. They would plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. They had to can, pickle and preserve.
If they didn’t…they starved!
Here at the Pilgrim Homestead, it’s that type of prepping that we do; well it’s what we want/try to do!
I guess you could say, that’s our goal.
Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
We’ve had a few experiences that we wish we would have been prepared for.
A few years ago, there was a big ice storm that hit our area. We were without power for over a week. We didn’t homestead at that point and had maybe a week’s worth of food for our family.
Next, a major snow storm took out power for over a week. Another was a tornado that took power for days. More flooding and power outages. And recently it seems as though we’re losing power or water at least once a month.
If we were prepared with certain skills, along with enough food and water we would have been more comfortable during these disasters.
I hate to admit it but when some of these disasters hit, we just packed up and got a room in the next town.
This got us thinking….
What if we didn’t have the money for that?
What if we couldn’t get out and we were forced to stay in our home for an extended time?
We had a fire place, but no wood!
We barely had flashlights and no candles.
What if we couldn’t get to Wal-Mart, or anywhere else for that matter?
When the lights went out, we were completely helpless!
So that, along with some other things have prompted us to be more prepared.
We got to thinking…with all the uncertainty in the world there are any number of things that can happen that we should be prepared for.
Natural disasters, economic hardship or collapse, terrorist attacks, etc, ect.
If you think about it, it’s really just a smart way of living and if nothing ever happens, you’ll have a few extras. BUT if something does happen, you’ll know that you’ve done all you could to see that your family is taken care of.
Here are some steps we took to better prepare ourselves:
1. Started homesteading, raising animals, hunting and planted a garden.
2. We stocked up on flashlights, oil lanterns, batteries and candles.
3. Bought a generator to run our freezer if the power outage last for more than a day.
4. Learned simple survival skills, things like making fire and cooking without electricity.
5. We converted our heating and cook stove to propane and always keep a few extra tanks on hand.
6. When we go to the store we always buy extras and shop sales.
7. We also bought books, lots of books about living off the land, survivalist skills and how-to.
We want to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and take a look at the world and ask yourself, IF…
If something does happen, am I prepared?
While making dinner tonight I reminisced about our first milk cow and dreamt about getting another one.
Her name was Goldie. She was a beautiful Jersey-Guernsey Mix. A great starter cow. More like an oversized puppy than a cow. She was spoiled, and demanded our attention, which often included just a hard scratch on the head and she was happy.
Goldie was four years old and bred, when we got her. She had always been hand milked and like I said, very tame.
I remembered our first time milking Goldie. We had milked goats before and assumed it would be practically the same.
Udders, Teats, Grab, and Squeeze…. No Problem!
So we brought her home late one evening after she had already been milked. We settled her in for the night and the transition seemed to go well.
That night I could hardly sleep. It was so exciting!
We had waited so long and finally had gotten our very own milk cow!
The next morning, I got my bucket, my cleaning solution and rags. All the kiddos were up and followed me outside for our very first milking.
We were really farmers now!
I sat on a stool, cleaned her up, and grabbed a teat.
Gave it a firm squeeze…AND…Nothing!
I tried again, just like I had done on our goats.
I squeezed, moving my hands around switching positions from one way to another. Some squirts would come out and as soon as I thought I was on a roll, Nothing!
Minutes turned into hours and I started to cry.
My husband helped.
My kids helped.
After 3 hours of begging this cow to give us some milk, we stopped!
We were defeated.
We tried and failed miserably!
We took our hard earned half-gallon of milk into the house and savored every drop.
My hands were tired! I had used muscles I didn’t know I had. At that point I was afraid that I hadn’t milked her out enough and she was going to dry up.
I thought ONLY US!
This stuff only happens to us.
We bought a perfectly good milk cow, get her home and she dries up.
Really?
By that evening, all of my excitement had turned to dread and I wasn’t sure if I could handle this again.
We did fine!
And Goldie did just great!
It took us (as a family effort) a full hour to milk her out completely but we got the hang of things quick. She really let it go!
She had given us well over a gallon and a half.
I guess she was just stressed. Or maybe she sensed that I didn’t have a clue…either way we were blessed to have her with our family for a year.
She gave us many, many gallons of wonderful, healthful milk that we miss so much.
We’re well into spring and for us on the homestead that means new kids.
Goat kids!
Last year our goats kidded at the end of March but this year it’s been the first week of May with one momma yet to deliver.
So, I thought I would share some of the signs we look for to let us know their time is getting close.
There you have it, a few signs to look for as you’re awaiting the arrival of your new kids. Just remember every goat is different, what happens with one may not be the same with another. Just be patient.
By the way, be sure to keep a Homesteading Journal to document your experiences during your journey.
Happy Homesteading!
The Pilgrim Homestead 