Simple Solar Homesteading

What should you be thinking about in May?  Here is a short video that shows where I'm at.  Maybe you will see some ideas or plants that you want to try.

Thanks,

Blair- "The Vegetable Gardener"

This is a fun, simple and inexpensive project to build a Horse Trough Planter.

It can be built for under $20 from new materials or free from recycled materials. Enjoy!

If you haven't started putting in your vegetable garden yet, it isn't too late. Some parts of the country are still too cold and you will need to know your seasonal timing to plant. Where I live, the weather is really nice and it is possible to grow a garden all year round. You do need to know the needs of the plants and when they grow the best. Also, if you plant a cold sensitive plant too late, it may freeze before you get a yield. All the details come in time and you will certainly learn by your mistakes.

There are some plants that you will want to get in the ground now (or soon) that are a real asset to your garden. Tomatoes are a good example. You can't grow them all year long but if you get them in early enough, (May is good), you will end up with bigger, better plants. Even if you get them in by June or even July, you will still get tomatoes, just not as many or not as big.

So, my goal in this blog is to help inspire others to get started and keep up the positive habit of growing your own food. I will continue to add to this blog and introduce you to my videos on different plants and different areas of vegetable gardening. I sure hope you enjoy watching them and please do leave comments, questions and just plain old good ideas!

We all learn from other gardeners and there isn't a gardener alive that can honestly say that he or she "knows it all"!

Blair

Come along as we prepare our raised beds for an early spring salad garden!

We go step-by-step through soil preparation, planting and even show you how to protect your plants with a simple yet effective greenhouse.

LaMar

I love raising chickens and have a flock of 6 hens that supply me with enough eggs plus extra for trading.

Chickens are relatively easy to raise and a simple coop or chicken tractor, a waterer, feeder, roost and laying boxes is all that is required.

Youcan get baby chicks at most farm supply stores in the spring or order them through the mail. You can even get fertilized eggs and hatch your own.

Chicks need to be kept warm and dry until they are feathered out which takes 2-3 months depending on the breed.

A simple chick brooder can be made from a wood box or kiddy poll covered with mesh cloth and a red brooder lamp.

Chicks should only be fed chick mash until they are feathered. grown chickens are fed laying mash and give them some oyster shell supplement for stronger shells. Chickens will start laying some time after 6 months old and first eggs will be small and soft.

Eggs do not have to be refrigerated if you will be eating them in 2 or 3 days. Do not scrub eggs and just brush and rinse them off gently.

Home grown chickens provide better meat nd can also be used for fertilizer for your garden but mix it with compost because chicken fertilizer is hot in nitroogen and will burn up plants.

So go get you some chicks!

Strombergs sells chicks by mail:  http/www.strombergschickens.com/

Do it Brooder Heat Lamp, 250W 10" BROODER HT LAMP $6.97

RED HEAT LAMP BR40 250 WATTS 5,000 HOURS LONG LIFE LIGHT BULB INDUSTRIAL GRADE INFRARED HEAT LAMP

Miller 9835 5-Gallon Galvanized Poultry Fountain

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In part one we discussed finding undeveloped land using Ebay but sometimes it is better to buy land with a home on it even if that home is in bad repair.

Property that has had a home on it has some advantages such as utility lines, water source, and septic system or sewer lines.

Right now there are many homes in foreclosure that are begging for some TLC from someone that can rebuild or repair them. These may need major repairs or minor depending on the home.

Thses homes may be in a location where work has dried up so you will need to asses the job situation or consider starting a business or homesteading for a living.

Forecosed homes are sold as is so try to visit the home and know what repairs will be necessary to make the house livable.

In some cases the home may not be saveable but if the land is good and has utilities you will be ahead of the game and you may be able to salvage a lot of materials from the old house to build your new home. Lumber, windows, doors, and fixtures can all be salvaged.

ALWAYS get a warranty deed on a home and check to make sure their are no leins or back taxes owed. Contact the county offices to verify the home is livable and what taxes are due.

So where do you find foreclosed homes ?

If you know where you want to live contact the realestate agents listings and the banks or you can use Ebay to find foreclosed homes all over the country.

Click here:  Foreclosed homes on Ebay

Just a brief look through these listings and I can see 4 homes that will sell for under $2000!

At that price you get a house or building material, land and utilities so it might be a better deal than buying undeveloped land and building from scratch.

ANY land can be used for homesteading if you have the desire and are willing to do the work.

LaMar

SINGLE FAMILY HOME- EAST CLEVELAND OH- NO RESERVE!!1588 E 133RD ST, EAST CLEVELAND OH- NO RESERVE!

Solar Dishwasher

Over the past year I have been learning about being self sufficient . Some call it alternative living , or being GREEN. One day as I was looking for solar panels to power a cabin , I ran across a site called , simple solar homesteading. It look interesting , so I clicked on it . I read through the site, watched the videos , and even bought LaMar's e-book. In his book he tells you how to make a solar dishwasher. At first I thought this was some guy going to tell me how to hook up a solar panel up to a dishwasher. But no, not even close to it . It was something so simple , I don't know why anyone else hasn't thought of this before.

So I ended up making one. I think over all I spent about $20.00 .

The Link Below is to more photos of the solar dishwasher.

http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/maidmercy/Solar%20Dishwasher/

You could probable get away with making one for less. When I first made mine , I didn't think I would use it all that often .My main reason for the build was to have it in case we went camping , or if we had no electric . But as time has went on I find myself using it almost daily. I'll tell you why. You may laugh ,but here it goes.

My automatic dishwasher if 5 years old , it still works , but It's kinda noisy . When it's on . I'm fighting with my husband over the volume of the TV "TURN IT DOWN! ARE YOU DEAF?"

I'm sure it's like that for many of you. If it's not that ,

when I have a load in the dishwasher going, and my husband comes home for lunch.He will open the door on the dishwasher , which stops it , and will watch TV ,eat , and then go back to work. When I got to put the dishes away I find out that the dishes are really dirty because he didn't shut the door on it and let it finish washing them. Then we have the problem with it sometimes not getting the dishes clean enough. This is due to me not buying the $4.00 bottle of Cascade that the dishwasher is suppose to use. I don't see the point in paying $4.00 for dish soap when I can get reg dish soap for $1.00. So I buy the off brand , and use it .

Then over the summer I had 5 kids to watch almost everyday . During the week, I was making 2 meals a day for them. Which dirtied up a lot of dishes. I had my auto dish washer full of dishes , and still had a sink full. So I pulled my solar dishwasher out for the first time. I placed my dishes in it , squeezed some reg. Dawn dish soap on them . Then I picked it up , and took it outside and filled it up with water , using my water hose. I placed the lid on , and cooked the dishes with the sun for a few hours. Smile I know that sounds funny . Cooked my dishes. lol I went back a few hours later , and dumped the water out in the yard , picked it up , brought it in the house. I rinsed , and dried the dishes and I was done.

It wasn't until the weather turned cold that I tried it out in the house. I did the same thing , but I used a 1 gal bucket , and the kitchen sink to fill it , and empty it when I was done. I got the same result. CLEAN DISHES!

I was surprised that the hot water stayed hot for soo long even in the house. I put dishes in it around 2pm, and it was still warm at Midnight the same day. I have noticed that the water being use is less then a reg. dishwashing machine. I only use the water I need. If the water is still clean , hot, and soapy I have reused the same water. Then there is the other plus. I am not using any electric while washing dishes.

The only complaint I have gotten from my husband , is the plastic dishes taste soapy. I think that is my fault. Either not rising them well enough , or adding to much soap is seeps into the plastic.

I do need to warn you on rust. I had some cheap pans , and left them over night in the solar dishwasher. The next morning they had rust spots. This has also happened on cheap silverware. I have mainly seen it on a few of my knives. But it's not a biggy. Same thing would happen if left in the sink over night.

Tip  to help with moving it around I suggest getting a flat , 4 wheel ,furniture dolly. I found one for my brother for $10.00 at Big Lots. I was lucky enough to find a wooden drawer with wheels for $4.00 at my local Salvation Army. Thrift Store. It's made life a lot easier when doing the dishes in the solar dishwasher.

Now go forth , and go built your own to be a little greener , and maybe have a

happier husband.

-Mercy

If you would like to read more of my blogs. You can find it here http://simplehomestead.tumblr.com/

1 AC TIMBERON NEW MEXICO,POWER,WA​TER AT LOT,NO RESERVE1 AC TIMBERON NM, BIG TREES, ROAD FRONTAGE,POWER​,WATER

One question I get asked a lot is where do you find cheap homesteader land so i thought I would show you how I have purchased land using Ebay.

Here is a current feed of land on Ebay with No Reserve price which means it will sell for whatever the high bid is regardless of bid. You can get some great property at ridiculously low prices by watching the Ebay auctions for the last minute bid. Click  on the links and check out the prices and listings:

EBAY LAND NO RESERVE

It is important that you read the listing carefully!

Is the auction a true No Reserve or are you bidding on just the down payment ?

Look through the listing for the land description. How many acres and what are the dimensions. What is the zoning. Is their a right of way. Does the land have utilities near by. Can you have a water well and septic system.

Those are questions a good listing should include and don't buy without that information.

Next I write down the county name and google the county website. Go to the county building department website and mosthave a copy of building codes available. READ THEM!

You can use google maps to find the exact location of the property from the GPS coordinates and visit all the community websites for that county  to see what is available, the population, working conditions, recreation etc.

Now go to the sellers feedback and read what other buyers have said. I never but from any seller with less than a 98% positive rating.

If there is a bbuyer in the sellers feedback that has purchased land in the area you are looking at contact them through Ebay and ask if they have visited the land and what they thought.

If the land is close enough I highly recommend you visit the area before you buy and spend some time on the land, talking to neighbors, visiting the town and recreation sites to get a feel for the land.

WHEN you have done that you are ready to bid on a piece of land and as always you are expected to do your due diligance before purchasing.

So have fun looking through the Ebay land listings and I hope you find your dream homestead!

Next itime we will discuss foreclosed homes:

NO RESERVE~TWO STORY 3 BED HOME IN INKSTER,NORTH DAKOTAJUST 40 MI FROM GRAND FORKS~INVEST NOW~HIGHEST BID WINS Enlarge9  Bids$1,136.

LaMar