Fantasy:
Reality:
NAILED IT!
New challenges and new goals:
Next, we will determine, based on the property boundary, if/where to move our fence. If it's just a small amount, like 3-4', it hardly seems worth the time and effort to move the fence. However, if we're talking 20', believe me, that fence is getting moved! We do have quite a bit of chain link fence surrounding our property, and separating the farm yard from the people yard - I'd love to see that replaced with 6' goat friendly livestock fencing, but that's a whole other endeavor, and I don't even want to think of the expense involved in that project alone.
Then, we've got a LOT of trees on our property that need to be brought down, to clear the way for rotational grazing paddocks, raised vegetable beds, and our little fruit orchard. We can't put any permanent shelters in until the trees are gone, otherwise we'll just have to tear down the shelters again when we're ready for the trees to be removed.
These are the all-consuming goals on our farm right now - until these have been completed, everything else has basically ground to a standstill.
Underlying issues include me unintentionally sabotaging our farm from the very beginning: over-excitement. I've been wanting to be a real farm girl for so long, that when I finally got the chance, I dove in, head first in the deep end, screaming "YEEE-HAW!" the whole way...meaning, I didn't do enough research, I didn't temper my excitement with patience, and as a result, I've done an awful lot completely backwards, and wasted an unspeakable amount of money, time, and effort (mine and Andy's) in the process. Note to self, and all beginning farmers/homesteaders: you really really DO need to do a lot of research, build shelters, buy feed and equipment for your livestock - BEFORE YOU BRING HOME ANY LIVESTOCK. Period. End of discussion. No ifs ands or buts - you are not above these priceless gems of advice. DON'T DO IT! Well, I did it, and now I've paid dearly for it, and will continue paying for it until the problem is corrected.
I have now aggressively reduced the number of rabbits in my rabbitry, as well as other livestock, and refined those that we're keeping - meaning, I've tried out various species/breeds/varieties of livestock, and I now have a solid grasp of those that I want to keep here permanently, that suit our little farm and family well.
I MUST build up my savings for unexpected expenses on the farm (don't think it won't happen to you - it will, just buckle down and prepare for it, ok?), slim down the overall livestock, and improve future generations of the livestock I will be keeping. KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID!
After that, shelters, feeders, water troughs, nest boxes, etc need to be put in. Nice, sturdy, permanent ones.
Then, and only then, can I reassess my livestock, and make changes, WITHIN the boundaries of housing capacity and so forth that have already been established, preventing our little farm from being overrun as a result of my over-excitement again.
I have messed up royally, and inadvertently set our farm back. It hurts my pride, and hurts my heart, to know that I am the cause of this. The only good thing to such a humbling lesson is to realize that it's fixable. It will take time, and it will require patience, but it will be fixed, eventually.
Where the farm will go at this point is somewhat in question - not the farm itself, but the method of teaching. I had a vision of hosting people here, on site at our farm, helping them to learn from our mistakes and our successes, either on an individual basis or in larger groups, children to adults interacting with and learning from us and our livestock, watching that sparkle in their eyes as they were caught up in the same magical excitement I experience every time I look out over our little farm, and know that we can indeed raise and grow our own food. We are taking control of our lives and our future, and that delights me no end. Because of the rules, regulations, restrictions, and laws in our area, however, this part of my vision for our farm - being a hands-on, on site teaching farm - may or may not be. I still have an awful lot of research to do, to see if we'll still be able to fulfill that part of my goal. Due to the necessity for business licenses, insurance, and a host of other financially prohibitive requirements, I may have to stick with submitting my videos on YouTube, and hosting workshops off site.