For the past 3.5 years we have lived on a 5 acre property in the rural outskirts southeast of Kansas City. It is beautifully wild and untamed here. There is a natural spring fed creek on the west of our property, twisting around, flowing northwesterly.

The creek in late spring 2017

The South and East of our property borders are surrounded by open Missouri meadows that our neighbors lease out to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Once a year they brush hog the field to our East for hay bales, then let it grow wild again.

EAST

On the field to the South, it has been completely untouched the entire time we have been here.

SOUTH

This place is QUIET. It is PEACEFUL. It is HOME.

We moved here primarily because for decades we had been longing to move back to the country. You see, I grew up in a semi off grid lifestyle just outside of Springfield, Missouri in Greene County. We owned 8 of the 20 acres we lived on. Other than the electricity, we relied on a well, septic system, and propane. There was a small pond, spring fed seasonal creek, and wild edibles everywhere! A true paradise, with my great grandmother beside us on her own 20 acres. I had the wind in my hair as I explored every inch of that place. I must have had at least 8 forts. I will always have fond memories of that property.

As an 8 year old kid I was excited to move into the big city. Don't get me wrong, I loved the country, but was curious of the outside world which was so foreign to me. Well, I am an adult now; the older I get, the more I long for that environment again. That feeling grew so strong that around 2010 it began feeling less of a want and more of a need. At that time I was living the fast paced city life in Southern California but began having health problems. The need grew so much that at one point I even tried to purchase back the old homestead from the neighbors who bought it from us in 1989. Needless to say it was about 10 times more expensive and they were not interested in selling it. I don't blame them!

A series of unfortunate events eventually led me to find this peaceful property we are at now. My goal for this place from the beginning was to turn it into a permaculture paradise for several reasons. Permaculture allows for nature to do most of the work. It is efficient, cheap, resourceful, peaceful, beautiful, entertaining, & exciting. It will take some groundwork implementing my permaculture design. Eventually this place will become a self sustainable ecosystem independent of me. The end goal is one that will take years to come to fruition. No matter! I know it will happen, one baby step at a time. That's one reason I am both excited and nervous to participate in this 2018 #homesteadingchallenge. It is inspiring to read all of the goals of fellow homesteaders. Motivational. A nice kick in the pants! I want 2018 to be the breakout year for design implementation for this property. My homesteading goals for 2018 will go hand in hand with the #Healthy2018 goal challenge I hope to enter, as well. That post will shed more light on the particular obstacles that have slowed this vision down.

So, let me get on with it...

I have divided my overall goals for PheSustainable Farms in 2018 into the following 3 sections: Conservation/Food Forrest, Market Farm Infrastructure, Self Sufficiency

Conservation/Food Forrest:

I would really like to rehabilitate the creek as much as possible. This will include removing invasive species (winter creeper, multi-rose, briar, bradford pear) and aggressive native plants (poison ivy and water hemlock) which are either going to end up consuming all of the natural resources or make the creek too toxic for me to enjoy, such as the case is now. It will also entail planting native species to repair soil erosion to begin converting the rest of the creek to completely edible Food Forrest. Luckily it's naturally halfway there, already having black walnuts, pecans, hickory, mulberry, a few varieties of oak, and wild plum trees. Will likely not be able to accomplish all of these tasks without hiring some help. Some things I think are doable if, knock on wood (yes I'm somewhat superstitious), the circumstances allow.

Flooded Creek in the spring with bank erosion

The first baby steps to complete by early summer 2018 include marking/cutting the poison ivy and winter creeper vines growing up around the mature oaks. It must be done prior to the creek vegetation filling back out the end of spring while I can still get in there. If you notice there is huge patch of poison ivy on the other side of the creek. I will never totally get rid of it but I can get ahead of it to keep it controlled (hopefully!). It is a native plant, after all, which is good for this location, even though it is not good for me and is a rather aggressive native. It would be easier to control with goats but they are impractical at this time. This should not be expensive (other than a lot of zyrtec lol) but will be a time investment to be completed by early summer. The Missouri Department of Conservation has a few programs available which I will see if I qualify for, regarding erosion control.

All that understory vegetation is a huge patch of poison ivy!! YIKES

Next in the order of operations is to take cuttings from the wild black raspberries (which are unfortunately growing intermingled with poison ivy, also) to plant around the edge of the creek.

Native Wild Black Raspberries

I have a pound of hazelnut seeds chillin the freezer stratifying that I hope to germinate then transplant, too. It was exciting to learn this year Hazelnuts are native to Missouri! The MO Department of Conservation sells native plants every year on the cheap but they were sold out in 3 weeks this year apparently because the squirrels jacked half their nuts. HAH! I don't know if these store bought Hazelnuts will grow but I intend to give it a shot regardless. This fall I will put in an order Early for PawPaw, Elderberry, Witch Hazel and Sassafras. It shouldn't cost more than $50usd for a couple hundred root stocks. My goal for that is to get my order in before they sell out again because I don't want to miss out again. However, they will not arrive until spring of 2019. Inoculating some of the fallen tree trunks with native mushroom spores (lion's mane, reishi, oyster, shitake) is another plan. The spores will cost about $100 more than likely.

Turkey Tail growing on decaying Oak stumps

Reishi from the same Oak stumps. Reishi is no match for clover and Grass, apparently, which is why it seems best to start with fresh sterilized spores

More ambitiously, if I can raise enough money, there are half decayed felled trees along and within the creek which would be perfect for the hugelkultur beds that would need dragged out with a tractor or cut into manageable sections, neither of which I am personally capable of. I am not a wielder of chainsaws! There are trees needing cut down that are invasive or in a bad location for the permaculture design plans, which instead will make good hugelkultur foundation. I would need a few thousand dollars to hire a company to cut them down, chip the branches into green mulch, and move the logs into place.

Market Farm Infrastructure:

As you can see, there are materials strewn about littering the property in a semi-organized fashion that are patiently waiting to be put to use. The best branches will be for trellises/stakes. The rest will fill in hugel beds.

Some of the tires will be turned into planters. Not sure yet what the rest will be used for. Corrugated metal planters and beds will need assembled. Of course, planting will follow. The plan is for perennials and self seeding annuals to go in. There are 3 yrs. old blueberry plants that have yet to be put in the ground.

The pre-existing Pear and apple trees will need pruned/cleaned/disinfected prior to spring (they get mildew every year for some reason but they've been neglected the whole time we've been here).

The best of our 5 apple trees which I believe is a Granny Smith

Our Mature Red Pear and bounty from the other pear tree

There will hopefully be some of the beds setup for future micro polytunnels, netting, shade cloth. Planters along the length of the east facing barn wall need built. Preferably on the East side of the house, too.

East facing barn wall with a jute string trellis.

The start of a corn planting bed and hugelkultur beds need completed. There are aged logs from about 8 trees that were cut down when we first moved in 2014, ready to go.

Early site prep and construction of the east facing market garden that will include hugelkultur mounds

An experimental spiral garden from 2017 wasn't quite as functionally designed as expected, so that will need to be started over in another location. One of those snags was discovering the lack of good soil which caused the walkway to turn to mud.

Perculation Test FAIL

After the Spiral Bed was planted (late might I add. Wasn't planted until the beginning of June, well into Summer)

Midway into August

2017 Fall. Everything ripped out ready for winter

The first major freeze at 10 below during the first week of 2018

These tasks all will need accomplished by planting time in the spring. The materials are already here which will mean the elbow grease is what's needed. It would go a whole lot faster with more likelihood of getting completed if I could hire someone for 3-4 days because I am physically limited right now. Hoping that changes but help would be such a relief!! It would probably cost 4-5 hundred dollars to hire someone for a couple of weekends.

Sustainability:

Last year I scored a bunch of free deck trellis and rails off a local Facebook free-cycle group. Some of the rails will be used to make large passive solar dehydrators. Cleaning and processing stations will need to be built with whatever spare wood that can be sourced throughout the year. The compost bins will need to be built better in an enclosure to keep out the opossums, raccoons, and feral cats (not that I mind them doing the hard work of turning for me—I mean stealing all the goodies). Compost bins need moved to a better location and worm bins started.

**Compost Volunteer brown grape tomatoes **

2017 Mid Summer Composting progress. BTW we cold compost.

In the Dead of winter. Yes, I know, Very messy. If you are wondering what all of those white paper looking things are, we compost paper products if they are non glossy and recyclable. Waste not, want not, right? Right! The right bin is 2015's finished cold compost pile that the volunteer tomatoes grew out of. The Left bin is 2017's pile. Middle bin is the start of 2018. Needs screened, compost added to grow beds, then new pile started

**2017 First bin turned this one and only time (unless you count the critters digging through it) in late fall after everything was spent, **

The rainwater collection system that was finally setup last year hit a snag when the trenching to allow for gravity feeding was not able to be completed. If possible would like to put those on a sturdy raised platform against the barn so as to have proper water pressure anywhere on the north/east Zone 1 (there will be two zone 1's here because there are two living spaces).

These need moved down to the east barn wall, lifted, painted black or covered in black plastic, and reconnected

Additional projects to be completed where possible, as soon as possible:

-outdoor bathroom and kitchen built using gutted RV materials
-cob rocket stove with heated bench
-large outdoor covered cages for trash/recycling storage
-large cob chiminea style oven for burn pile
-root cellar
-passive laundry station
-screen in porch
-build shelves in sun room

As you can see there are quite a few things on my to do list. The list is so long because life obstacles take precedence which has left me behind schedule. No worries. I have not given up. I want 2018 to be the year of substantial progress. Time will tell how far I can get this year. I've enjoyed participating in this #homesteadingchallenge organized by @kiaraantonoviche. Look forward to future contests! Thanks for reading!

Why don't you join the community? We would love to have you along for the ride! I know I am enjoying it!