I’m writing early this week because I am hopeful and motivated. The sun is shining, after 3+ feet of snowfall in the month of February, we were beginning to wonder if we’d EVER see spring. I’m not so naive as to think that spring is right around the corner, I haven’t yet packed away the hats and mittens….but I am hopeful that brighter warmer things are coming!
I’ve been up for about 4 hours. In that time, I tended to the dogs and the cat, made a batch of pancakes and a cup of coffee, but the rest of the time I have spent on my garden and preserving plan and homesteading blogs. Because I am a nerd, I have put that plan into an Excel spreadsheet, don’t judge me too harshly. It appears that I’m going to need a truckload of tomatoes. No joke. Spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup, and just plain canned tomatoes? I’m wondering if I should just can all of the tomatoes as they are and construct the other things (minus the salsa) as I need them…..Lest I overwhelm myself and do NOTHING.
So before I get on with my day (I’m going on a paranormal investigation tonight!) I want to record my Homesteading Wishlist of both things to get and things to do.
TO GET
- Pressure canner
- Dehydrator
- New freezer
- more canning jars and lids
TO DO
- get our chickens settled on our new land with a better enclosure system underneath the actual chicken house (new land is heavy with fox!)
- look into rabbits for fiber and design appropriate housing
- look into ducks for meat and design appropriate housing
- start pricing purchases of local, organic, no hocus pocus meats
- research making our own flour for our own baked goods
- add twenty more hours to each day to do my own baking, canning, freezing and critter tending.
Aspiring Homesteader 
You might wanna look into rabbits for meat as well as ducks! Rabbits are easier to care for, raise out and breed than any meat chicken and they taste similar (but better!) too!
I have often said that if I had to butcher my own meat for survival, I would become an overnight vegetarian, and I stand by that. I like meat, I would miss it, but I don’t love it enough to harvest it myself. I would have to draw the line at fish, MAYBE chicken/ducks but nothing cute. or Fluffy. My daughter and I would like to get a couple of rabbits for fiber. Thanks for the comment!
Ya it’s finally sprig. How many chickens, ducks and rabbits you have?