Beginning with the End in Mind

Ok. So we're going to have a backyard homestead this year.  What on earth does that mean?  I think that this could mean all kinds of different things for all kinds of different people.  It just depends upon your circumstances at this given moment.  The most useful thing you can do given that it is January 1st is begin by thinking about what you want out of your backyard.  Do you just want a garden with some tomatoes, garlic, peppers and onions so you can make your own salsa?  Or do you maybe want to dive into canning and preserving some fruits and veggies from your garden?  Do you have any animals in mind?  If so, which ones and how many?

I think the simplest thing to do is to start by thinking about what your family will actually use.  This is often dictated greatly by your resources for storing your surplus.  How much freezer space do you have?  Do you have a root cellar or cool basement?  Have you ever canned anything at home?  It is very, very easy to grow tons and tons of food in a back yard if you put your mind to it.  But, being able to store or use what you grow is a totally different matter.  

So, what do you want out of your garden?  Here is a sample list of things that I am considering for this year.  

1.     Canned Cherries

2.     Canned Nectarines

3.     Canned Tomato Juice

4.     Canned Jams (Raspberry, Blackberry, Cherry, etc. etc.)

5.     Canned Tomatoes

6.     Canned Green Beans

7.     Canned Peas

8.     Canned Whole Berries (to add to homemade yogurt)

9.     Canned Dill Pickles

10. Canned Pickled Jalapenos

11. Homemade Wine

12. Frozen herbs and Jalapenos (ice cube trays)

13. Frozen Zucchini

14. Frozen Soybeans

15. Frozen Salsa

16. Frozen Green Beans

17. Frozen Carrots

18. Frozen Corn

19. Frozen Peppers

20. Dried Cherries

21. Dried Strawberries

22. Dried Apples (Maybe)

23. Dried Tomatoes

24. Potatoes (Root Cellar?)

25. Onions (Root Cellar?)

26. Garlic (Root Cellar?)

So, you can see from this simple list that there is a whole host of options available from a back yard.  If I had nut trees then we could have easily added frozen nuts like walnuts or almonds.  Once you identify what types of food products you want from your garden, it is then time to determine how many of each you feel is reasonable.  For this purpose I created a spread sheet to both monitor and plan my canning resources.  Simple tools like this allow you to plan such things as how many cans and freezer containers you need to buy so that you are ready when the harvest time comes.  Planning this out ahead of time lets you make small purchases here at the start of the year and over the next few months, instead of having to do it all at once, when everyone else is, during the canning and bottling season. 

Take some time now and think about what you and your family might actually want from your yard/garden and write it down.  Look through your cupboards and see what types of products you are buying at the store and ask that glorious question….. What if I could make/grow this myself?  What you think you can and will use should drive your decisions when planting time comes. 

Happy Living and God Bless!!