Saturday 2 January 2016

My Nine Self Sufficiency Goals For 2015 - How Did I Do?

In January I wrote a post with nine self sufficiency goals for 2015, they were pretty ambitious. 
So how did I do?

Increase my growing area - Well I certainly did this. I created a whole new veg garden and although I didn't keep on top of it as much as I would have liked, it produced loads of produce with some food still being in the ground in there now (as well as 150 young apple trees growing on).

I also made some new raised beds in my main veg garden to grow more unusual veg.

We also rented an extra ten acres of land next door to our homestead so this has given us more opportunities to expand in other directions!


Produce more protein on the homestead - With the purchase of 32 sheep and lambs I think we've certainly hit this target, even if we've not tasted any of it yet! We also ate a few cockerels and I grew chickpeas (that the mice ate!).
Improve my composting and "loop closing" - Well I tried on this one but I don't think it was a total success. I made some great compost bins back in March but I haven't used them to their full potential yet and I need to rotate them more often.
Look at experimenting with growing staples - I did a lot of research into this area and read books about growing grain on a small scale but I'm not sure I did that well. I did grow a lot more potatoes this year and New Zealand yams, which are both a great source of carbohydrates. I also grew some chickpeas and sweetcorn but neither crop were successful. 

Increase my number of herbs and spices - I did manage to buy a few more herbs that we now use and grow. The best was the Vietnamese coriander which I'd like to grow each year now as a great addition to curries and salads. I also grew papalo but was somewhat disappointed with it, it was hard to germinate and then the taste wasn't what I was expecting as a replacement for coriander. 

Improve my food storage - This I have done in spades! I've done loads more preserving and also started to learn how to can fruit, My dehydrator has been on more this year than for any I can remember and although the dried apples don't last long the girls enjoy them! I have jars of raspberries to use in cakes and cookies as well. Maybe this year I'll buy a bigger one. 
I have also sorted out a dedicated area to keep the produce that we grow but more on that another time. 

Seed Saving - I said I wanted to save much more seed and start keeping plants apart to do this. I have saved quite a bit of seed from plants that we already grow but done little other than research for selecting plants and using biennials, I have brought two books on the subject and learnt a lot but I'm yet to put it into practice. I might keep my best parsnips from this winter and try to get them to go to seed this year to have my own seed that I've selected. 

Firewood - I increased the willow coppice this year and planted lots more varieties. they've all grown and done quite well but are a while off being firewood yet! My brother and I did pollard some trees and produced a lot of firewood from them as well as cutting up storm damage. I should have done much more with seasoning it though! We've certainly got enough for this winters firewood and some of next years as well, my job helps with firewood as well. 
Baking - Well I've baked more last year than ever before. The girls and me have baked dozens of cakes and hundreds of cookies and I managed to start and use a sour dough culture for the first few months of the year. Since my wife brought me a bread maker we've been using it most days and buy very little bread now, I love having fresh bread each day and can't imagine going back to buying it like we used to. 


So I don't think I did too bad with my goals although there's always more I could do and areas to concentrate on. I think this year I'll do goals to do with our home life as well, improving the house, the extension being a big one! 
What areas do you think I should concentrate on going into 2016?

29 comments:

  1. Sounds like you'll be a busy fellow!

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    1. 2015 was certainly a busy year! Let's see what 2016 brings! Thanks gorges.

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  2. You achieved so much what a great year, for this year you should concentrate on the new addition and the home the rest will fall into place :-)

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    1. Thanks Dawn, It's been a hard but rewarding year. When the baby comes I'm going to take off a bit of time if I can!

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  3. You've done brilliantly well. You achieved so much of your list and that you did it with the help of your two lovely daughters, baking, weeding, sheep watching etc is what it's all about.

    You ask what we think you should do for next year .... well I would say, carry on with the same goals, perfecting them and mastering them even more and take time to enjoy the new arrival that will be here any day now. You will have your hands very full with a baby and your two lovely girls, and of course helping your wife through the first few weeks AND once again being the main breadwinner.

    All the best for the coming year. Xx

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    1. They've been there for most of it helping me, everything takes longer but is so much more fun (most of the time!).

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  4. You certainly achieved a lot. Very inspiring. I am hoping to do similar, although on a much smaller scale. Self-sufficiency wouldn't be an option on our small plot, but I can make the most of what we have.
    Best wishes for 2016.

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    1. I don;t think scale is that important, but making the most of your resources is! Sounds like you've got the right attitude!

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  5. Well done Kev, you've worked really hard to achieve all of this.

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    1. Cheers Em, There's certainly been some late nights!

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  6. Be yourself, husband, daddy, provider, enjoy each moment as they happen, your family will grow up so quickly.

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    1. Good advice! I'll always be myself, not sure if that's a good thing or not though!

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  7. look at how much you have acheived! So much effort has gone into this, with 2 littles under your feet, you and Mrs Kev are doing amazing stuff. Hopefully if the planning comes through we will be building this year as well. It cant come soon enough. We have no insulation and I am scared the weather is going to turn.

    I will be very interested in any of your 'makes' you do for your work. I am also hoping to see your new storage for your produce. this is always something I like to read about and if possible see as many pictures as you can take. lol I am a very visual person and need to see pictures.

    Wishing you all a fabulous new year at the English Homestead.

    Sol xx

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    1. It's been a good year, if a little tiring!
      We did the smae with our loft and the weather did turn so we had three months of a cold winter with no insulation! I didn't mind though I like th ehouse to be cold!

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    2. Also Sol send me an email to kevalviti@hotmail.com and I'll show you some food storage!

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  8. I think you did fantastic with your goals! Yes, they were ambitious, but neither are they the kinds of things one would expect to get in one year. So much progress. It will be exciting to see what you accomplish in 2016.

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    1. Thatnk's Leigh. Its been a good one, I just hope this one is as good!

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  9. you've had a pretty fantastic year and got a lot of goals accomplished! congratulations!

    as for food staples like grains - one of the most nutritious and easiest to grow foods in the world is amaranth - i grew it in pots and you wouldn't believe how much grain (actually seeds) you get from just a pot!!! amaranth is gluten free and a full protein - it contains all of the essential amino acids including lysine! and the great news??? you can add it to your home-made breads! it is very nutty and can be cooked like porridge, polenta or added to soups and stews.

    i say get yourself a large pot and plant some amaranth. but between now and then buy a bag of organic amaranth and see if you like it. we love it!!!

    sending much love to the alviti family in 2016! your friend,
    kymber

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    1. Thanks Kymber! I think I've got some Amaranth seed from the swap last year so maybe I'll try it on a little bit of bed this spring. Sounds interesting.

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  10. Great work! I find worm composting easier than normal compost....

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    1. Every year I say I'm going to worm compost but don't get round to it. Maybe this year!

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  11. Great work! I find worm composting easier than normal compost....

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  12. You had a very good year I would say!! I am determined for 2016 to do better in the gardens! If the weather will cooperate I really need to have a super garden this year since last was so sad.
    This was my first year to do a winter garden and I am so sold on this! Growing under low tunnels. I am growing things I have never had do well before in the spring, we get to hot to fast.
    Beehives for me this year! Two, DH got them for me for my Christmas/Birthday gifties.. I have to get them painted and order the bees! This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I went to the bee classes a couple years back, hope I can remember stuff :O).
    I am also about to start my first batch of Blackberry wine!! Again new to me... 2016 is going to be a great year!!!
    Here is to us all having fantastic productive years!!
    Oh the incubator for this last year, its been great. I have already increased our chickens by 13. I now have 30 more eggs in it!!
    One thing I really want to do in 2016 is work on feeding the chickens as little store bought food as possible!

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    1. My garden suffered in some areas as we took on more building work and I did more paying work as well. Winter gardens don;t come to much over here so but I've still got lots in the ground ready to eat!
      Beehives sound like a good step for self sufficiency, I'd love to do it when the girls are older but I think it would be too much for me at the moment!
      I also want to look into using less grains to feed the chickens apparently acorns are good winter feed.

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  13. LIke you my largest shortage is firewood. I have very few trees on the Small-Hold and it takes so long for even the so called fast growing ones to get anywhere near large enough to burn. I have a woodlot I am attempting to grow but it's probably not something I will ever make much use out of.

    Good job on your growth!!!

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    1. Home grown firewood might not be possible here on the scale I'm doing it on but it#'ll help, also my job provides quite a bit some years but it's unpredictable as to how much we'll get from it each year as it depends on the jobs I'm doing.

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  14. I congratulate you, many of us have these aims, but we usually fail. You have made me realise that I need a new compost enclosure; this I WILL do.

    Last year I discovered Delicata Squash. If you can find seeds somewhere do grow some. They are small but delicious, and seem to last well. Worth growing.

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    1. Thanks Cro, I'll add that squash to the list of seeds to buy. I'm hoping not to buy too many this year, although I have a number of chilli seeds I want to grow for fun that I'll have to buy.

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  15. looks like you absolutely smashed your goals mate! well done

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