It is a beautiful morning at Wisteria Cottage! The sun filters through the leaves one of my beautiful Oaks, and again through the heavy lace curtains on the sliding glass door in my bedroom.
Let me tell you something about my small farm. Wisteria Cottage sits on three acres, much more than many sustainable farmers are limited to, but much less than someone one with an entire herd of sheep might want. For my husband and I, it was perfect.
There are 2 pastures, of 1 acre each. One pasture contains a barn/storage building. The storage room is in the middle. A chicken coop is attached to one side and a small barn or stall area to the other.
The third acre contains the house, which sits at the back of the property and at the top of a gentle hill. There is my studio, which sits at the front of a long structure containing a garage area and a lean to at the back. Both structures are surrounded by gorgeous Oak trees. (My favorite is a White Oak.) A third building, currently serving as storage stands along the back property line.
Along the dirt road and at the front of the yard is another fenced in area. Die hard farmers will say, “Ah the perfect place for a small pasture or the fruit orchard. No. At first sight, my two granddaughters dubbed it their secret garden and that it has remained.
This is our original list of what we wanted on our farm:
I am not a novice and some items were begun years ago. Yet, I must admit, there are many deterrents to what I want. First, the animal housing has to be refurbished or re-invented from scratch. Second, the proper animals have to be found and purchased. Third, and most importantly, I now live on an extremely limited, fixed income. Lastly, I am disabled now and all plans will have to take this into consideration.
The house and studio present their own problems. Over a period of ten years, I have designed and redesigned my little cottage in my mind and on paper. The actual implementation of these plans has been spotty and minimal at best. My needs have changed, certainly. As I move between cane and walker I look towards implementing universal design concepts. As for the studio, I no longer practice or teach interior design. I concentrate more on my art and I design dolls and need a place for this.
Obviously, a long-term plan must be considered. It is important to decide what should come first, then how and when to implement each subsequent item on the list.
Follow me on this journey toward a self-sustaining lifestyle. I will share my thoughts, my successes and failures, as well as resources and materials that you might be interested in. I will also look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas along the way. Let our journey begin. . .
KMJ
Let me tell you something about my small farm. Wisteria Cottage sits on three acres, much more than many sustainable farmers are limited to, but much less than someone one with an entire herd of sheep might want. For my husband and I, it was perfect.
There are 2 pastures, of 1 acre each. One pasture contains a barn/storage building. The storage room is in the middle. A chicken coop is attached to one side and a small barn or stall area to the other.
The third acre contains the house, which sits at the back of the property and at the top of a gentle hill. There is my studio, which sits at the front of a long structure containing a garage area and a lean to at the back. Both structures are surrounded by gorgeous Oak trees. (My favorite is a White Oak.) A third building, currently serving as storage stands along the back property line.
Along the dirt road and at the front of the yard is another fenced in area. Die hard farmers will say, “Ah the perfect place for a small pasture or the fruit orchard. No. At first sight, my two granddaughters dubbed it their secret garden and that it has remained.
This is our original list of what we wanted on our farm:
- A Place for the Grandkids to Play
- An In-Ground Pool
- Fruit Orchard
- Vegetable Garden with Raised Beds
- Herb Garden
- Cold Frames
- Small Green House
- Lavender
- Various Flower Gardens
- The Secret Garden
- 2 Milk Goats
- Bees
- Sheep
- Chickens
- Rabbits
- Geese
- Squab
- Root Cellar
I am not a novice and some items were begun years ago. Yet, I must admit, there are many deterrents to what I want. First, the animal housing has to be refurbished or re-invented from scratch. Second, the proper animals have to be found and purchased. Third, and most importantly, I now live on an extremely limited, fixed income. Lastly, I am disabled now and all plans will have to take this into consideration.
The house and studio present their own problems. Over a period of ten years, I have designed and redesigned my little cottage in my mind and on paper. The actual implementation of these plans has been spotty and minimal at best. My needs have changed, certainly. As I move between cane and walker I look towards implementing universal design concepts. As for the studio, I no longer practice or teach interior design. I concentrate more on my art and I design dolls and need a place for this.
Obviously, a long-term plan must be considered. It is important to decide what should come first, then how and when to implement each subsequent item on the list.
Follow me on this journey toward a self-sustaining lifestyle. I will share my thoughts, my successes and failures, as well as resources and materials that you might be interested in. I will also look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas along the way. Let our journey begin. . .
KMJ