POWER
We realized that power is a huge issue in a home like this. We upgraded the the heating system use heat pump and propane and is convertible for geothermal. After energy audits, we replaced all the light bulbs in the house with LEDs - hurray! They are a good light source. We added foam insulation in the crawl space, had all the chimneys and eaves sealed,and applied mastic to all the ductwork, and layers of cellulose blown in the upstairs attic (way above the recommendation). I also bought thermal curtains for all the upstairs rooms. A huge improvement! (Oh - we also figured the entire circuitry for the house -- so the panel looks a little more informative:))
FOOD
This property has an abundance of food sources and potential for more.
We pruned the apple and peach trees (and they still need lots more). Even with our minimal skills, we produced bushels of peaches and made an entire year's worth of peach spread (it's like a jam) -- very flavorful. The apple trees are too out of control to bring back to production but I ate some of the fruit, and it tasted yummy. The mulberries are awesome and make some good pies and juice. I froze gallon bags filled with them. We also have blackberries in the bee & butterfly field, and rasbperries.
We started moving the edible garden to the mulched area behind patio bed -- it has a cherry tree at the corner and herbs are happily producing aromas that scintillate all when you walk by them. The raised garden beds have been somewhat productive but we realize we need an entire field! These are best for melons and strawberries!
We pruned the apple and peach trees (and they still need lots more). Even with our minimal skills, we produced bushels of peaches and made an entire year's worth of peach spread (it's like a jam) -- very flavorful. The apple trees are too out of control to bring back to production but I ate some of the fruit, and it tasted yummy. The mulberries are awesome and make some good pies and juice. I froze gallon bags filled with them. We also have blackberries in the bee & butterfly field, and rasbperries.
We started moving the edible garden to the mulched area behind patio bed -- it has a cherry tree at the corner and herbs are happily producing aromas that scintillate all when you walk by them. The raised garden beds have been somewhat productive but we realize we need an entire field! These are best for melons and strawberries!
RESOURCES
As funny as it seems, we consider the gravel bed somewhat of a resource. We used the corner space to build five raised garden beds. You can see Noah and Tim at it -- it took lots of hours to put these together. We will keep expanding and eventually fill in the space between the garden beds with mulch. This is a good place for a water barrel too! We have a tap and power at this part of the property -- that's cool!
Other resources: slate tiles, brick pavers, lots of wood, old tiles, and odds and ends. Some things that would work well on this property are: raising sheep, llamas, food stand, selling textiles, hay, wheat, and natural resource management support.
Other resources: slate tiles, brick pavers, lots of wood, old tiles, and odds and ends. Some things that would work well on this property are: raising sheep, llamas, food stand, selling textiles, hay, wheat, and natural resource management support.
RECREATION
What's the use of all this hard work if we cannot enjoy ourselves too! Here Noah is splashing in the spa with some friends. This is a favorite spot in the cool evenings! The pond is a great source of recreation too -- from watching the baby goslings and ducklings, to purple martins that live in the overlooking house, the redwing blackbirds hovering along tall grass blades on the nearly 1 mile walking path in the back, to playing frisbee golf on Tim's new course. Oh yes - archery in the woods, bocce ball, badminton, ladder ball and horseshoes are tempting too.