THE IMPORTANCE OF SYSTEMS

Many people romanticize the idea of moving out to the country to start a homestead. Currently, homesteading is experiencing an exponential rise in popularity as more and more people become fed up with city life.

The complications of living in the city such as traffic jams, noisy neighbors, cost of living, crime, etc. are assumed to be eliminated by living in a rural country-tpe setting. The assumption is correct for the most part.

Depending on how far out you move, crime may still be a problem as there are those who will come onto your property to steal whatever is visible. Traffic jams are minimized, but they still occur as the slow-moving tractor hauling hay makes its way over the hills and valleys in a long no-passing zone. Those who move to the country but still carry their hurry-up city ways add to the traffic jam with their anxiousness that cannot wait for a safe area to pass.

There are a multitude of trade-offs if you are used to the city way of life and then suddenly find yourself in the backwoods area of your state.

Probably the biggest trade-off that comes unexpectedly is the loss of recliner time in front of the tv. There is simply too much to do when you slow down to the speed of life.

In order to get most of it done without pulling your hair out, you need to have systems in place that help with the regular heartbeat of the place you occupy. That is why you need to think in terms of systems.

Before I explain the meaning of systems, it is important to know the kind of work that you will be doing.

Regardless of how small or large your homestead is, you will be occupied with chores, maintenance and projects.

CHORES

Chores are those tasks which are done daily or almost everyday.

Depending on the size of your family and the amount of livestock you have, chores are a significant portion of daily life.

For us, Gracie feeds the two dogs and the cat and prepares our morning health drink. She makes the bed and sweeps either inside or outside depending on need. During this extreme heat wave, the daily care of plants and flowers are added to the daily routine.

I take care of the night soil since we don't have a flush toilet. I also fill the 5-gallon water tank for the day's use of washing dishes and hands. I empty the two compost containers of vegetable scraps and coffee grounds as they become full.

When we add chickens and maybe goats, there will be daily chores associated with those also. Eggs will have to be gathered and milk will have to collected.

MAINTENANCE

After the chores are done we then have the time for either maintenance or projects, both of which are necessary to keep the place running smoothly.

Maintenance is necessary to insure that you don't have any breakdowns that throw a monkey-wrench into all your plans. For instance, a car break-down caused by failure to maintain it properly is a major headache when you live almost 20 miles from the nearest garage.

Keep ALL your tools--mechanical and hand--in top working order. Machines need grease and oil and air filters. Each machine probably has a regular maintenance schedule which should help you to plan your time. Hand tools may need to be sharpened and wooden handles oiled with linseed oil to protect from rotting.

Gardens require much maintenance to be successful at providing food for your family. Weeding, harvesting and next season's preparation are all a part of maintenance for your garden.

The grounds around the house also need the maintenance of mowing and trimming.

Maintenance chores are regular, but not as regular as daily chores.

PROJECTS

Projects are all the various things you want to add to your living space. This will probably go on until your last breath on your beautiful piece of earth.

For us right now, projects are the major aspect of our life. Gracie wants different flower beds developed. I am still building necessary aspects of our living quarters. I recently completed the first phase of converting the shed into a workshop.

I also need to build a chicken coop and install fencing for the possibility of goats.

A pole barn for the housing of tractor and acessories, hay and feed, and other items still needs to be built.

There are days when either Gracie or I slump down feeling completely overwhelmed with the enormity of what we have bitten off to chew in our golden years. Thankfully, it hasn't happened to both of us at the same time. One of us is always available to encourage the other in those dark moments.

SYSTEMS

Developing systems for all that must be done is mostly a trial-and-error process as you figure out what works best for you in your situation. Things will change--sometimes more than once--as your lifestyle takes on some sort of routine.

For instance, the first compost bins I built were close to the outhouse which was a source of some composting materials. That proved impractical for a number of reasons.

One, I built it small thinking I could turn the compost by hand like I did when I was 50 years old. Twenty-eight years later makes a big difference in my abilities in that area.

Secondly, not only did I need to make it large enough for the front-end loader, I needed to put it out by the garden area where most of the compost will be distributed.

Taking materials to the compost bin will take longer with this method, but the trade-off is worth it in the long run. Being able to access the bins for maintenance and use will save hours of time.

Our original thought for the chicken coop was to have it close to the house so that gathering eggs and feeding the hens table scraps would be easier. However, when I began to think about the maintenance of the coop, it made much more sense to have it out near the garden and compost bins.

I have a system in place for collecting rainwater, which is our main source of water for cleaning and irrigation at the time. We have a system for bringing in drinking water, but that is about to change and I will need to develop a new system.

Thinking in terms of "systems" will help to save much precious time for you to enjoy your homesteading journey.

In the comment section below, tell us about any systems you have discovered so far.

Until next time, enjoy your work, play hard and love those close to you.