Behind the Scenes: October 2019 – A fast recap of a few of the homestead happenings that occurred this month, together with: prepping our homestead for winter, transitioning to fall consuming and savoring the autumn season!
Sluggish dwelling throughout Fall:
Fall is such a stunning season on the homestead. As quickly because the cool climate hits, my ambition to do a whole lot of issues begins to dwindle! Sadly, most of these issues are chores that must get achieved earlier than winter comes! However, even with all of the chores, fall is a incredible time to observe “gradual dwelling”.
What’s gradual dwelling? Sluggish dwelling is a way of life that values embracing every season, dwelling deliberately, and dwelling in as pure of means as attainable. Sounds quite a bit like homesteading, huh?
It’s true! I feel that homesteading is the epitome of gradual dwelling! Nonetheless, whilst homesteaders, it’s good to take a while to deliberately observe gradual dwelling. It’s so very straightforward to get so caught up in every little thing that we “have” to get achieved on a homestead that we barely discover or take pleasure in this loopy, adventurous life that we dwell!
So name it gradual dwelling or seasonal dwelling or something you need! However, we guarantee that we carve out a while every fall to deliberately take pleasure in the good things in life! Listed below are just a few of my favourite methods to savor the autumn season!
Methods for homesteaders to take pleasure in gradual dwelling this fall:
- Go for a stroll in nature (we do that a TON in fall to benefit from the foliage!)
- Bake for the enjoyment of baking, not simply to place meals on the desk
- Sit by the fireplace, flip off the electronics and browse a guide as a household or couple
- Take a stroll round your property with the only real goal of having fun with the way it seems throughout autumn
- Bonfires with scorching apple cider and household and buddies
- Cuddle together with your pets and drink tea
- Take a morning to sleep in and totally savor it as an alternative of feeling responsible
- Bask in a particular seasonal deal with – like pumpkin scones from a bakery or recent apple cider from a neighborhood orchard
- Listed below are even more ideas from considered one of my favourite blogs, Homespun Seasonal Residing!
Getting ready for winter on the homestead:
Talking of all these chores we have to get achieved within the fall…
Yearly, I’m shocked by how a lot work it’s to get every little thing prepared for winter! I actually suppose that fall is simply as busy as spring… besides that I’ve far much less power by this time of the 12 months! ? Critically, there’s simply so many issues to select up and put away! I by no means really feel extra messy than within the Fall after I understand what number of issues we have to clear and put away!
With October coming to an in depth, we’re nonetheless removed from completed! However hey, I simply preserve reminding myself of that quote from Lao Tzu: “Nature doesn’t hurry, but every little thing is completed.” That’s my perspective this fall! No must stress or rush. It is going to all be completed in time!
That being stated, listed here are a few of the issues we truly did accomplish in October:
- Canned and preserved the produce we introduced in earlier than the primary frost
- Cleaned and picked up the remaining seeds from vegetation that we had dried
- Completed drying herbs
- Deep cleaned the rooster coops
- Ready goat barns for winter
- Put out the heated waterers for animals & cleaned and put away summer season waterers
- Deep cleaned the home (trigger everyone knows there’s no time for that nonsense throughout gardening season!)
- Cleaned chimney and wooden range (after which deep cleaned the home once more after getting ash on every little thing ?)
- Had computerized sprinklers blown out
- Put away hoses
- Cleaned and put away nearly the entire pots, backyard markers and backyard instruments
- Started eradicating stepping stones and sprinkler traces from backyard beds
- Eliminated lifeless vegetation and pulled weeds in backyard beds
- Started mulching backyard beds with leaves and compost
- Turned and watered compost piles to warmth them up earlier than winter
- Planted cold-hardy greens within the chilly frames
- Cleaned and arranged the hay barn
- Started choosing up fallen leaves and apply them to backyard and flower beds
So, clearly there’s nonetheless quite a bit left that we have to get achieved in November! You’ll be able to learn all the main points about how we put together our dwelling and homestead for fall in these posts:
Transitioning to Fall Seasonal Consuming:
I actually imagine in seasonal consuming. I imagine that our our bodies want completely different meals throughout completely different seasons. And I imagine that if we take note of what nature gives, our our bodies will profit vastly from it! Due to this, I attempt to eat as seasonally as attainable. And one of many best methods to do this is by merely consuming what we develop proper right here on our homestead!
Nonetheless, for me, one of many hardest seasonal consuming transitions is throughout the fall. It’s very exhausting to regulate to not having a backyard stuffed with meals proper exterior the kitchen door! Whereas we nonetheless have some chilly hardy vegetation, like carrots, kohlrabi, onions and kale out there all through October, the vast majority of our recent meals is gone for the 12 months.
October simply appears too early to already be consuming our winter meals provide! I hate having to interrupt into all of the produce that we’ve labored so exhausting to can and put away throughout the summer season when the autumn season is simply starting! Normally we pig out on all issues squash throughout October and November. Sadly although, this 12 months we didn’t develop hardly any squash in an effort to fight final 12 months’s overwhelming squash bug infestation.
Due to this, I’ve been relying extra on baked meals this fall to assist compensate. And I’ve been totally using the kohlrabi and carrots in every little thing from pasta sauce to fritters and fried rice! And I’ve needed to give in and begin utilizing a few of our preserved meals. Fortunately, we had been capable of protect extra meals than ever earlier than and our cabinets and freezer are totally stocked this 12 months!
You’ll be able to learn all about how and why we eat seasonally right here and in addition get a free printable information to get began with seasonal consuming!
Kaylee is the Founding father of Rootedrevival.com. She has arrange and run two homesteads, a one-acre in Idaho, and her present two-acre dream homestead within the Pacific North West. Her {qualifications} embody a Permaculture Design Certification from Oregon State College, and she or he is a Gardenary Licensed Backyard Coach. Kaylee at the moment produces at the least 80% of her personal meals. She contributes to our web site by articles, coaching and training to our shoppers. You’ll be able to learn extra about her at rootedrevival.com/kaylee-vaughn
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