In a little more than a year, we’ve accomplished quite a bit. Our constraint is trying to not outspend our limited retirement income. Even so, I think we’ve made considerable progress. Here is what has been completed so far.
(Some of these are displayed on the “Tour” pages).

  • FENCING
    Immediately after the move, we added fencing to keep our domestic animals in check. Mostly due to the fact that the previous owner (Harvey) mentioned losing 2 dogs to “the highway”. Even though that is a considerable distance from the house, we couldn’t live with losing one of them so the 1st order of business was putting up fencing around the farmstead (farm buildings) perimeter. The dogs are now contained but Lola and Luther (the cats), can still jump through the gates but they never venture far.
  • MORE FENCING
    To accommodate the 1st batch of chickens, we added a chicken run to the front of the coop and covered it with netting so they are well protected from critters (both winged and not) that may be out to get them.
  • ANIMALS
    We moved in with 1 dog and 2 cats. Since then, we’ve added 2 more puppies and “nature” provided us with an additional 6 feral cats. We also started with 12 baby chicks this past spring that resulted in 8 roosters and only 4 (laying) hens. We added a 2nd batch of 10 more hens and culled/sold a few of the roosters so now at 18 birds in total.
  • WATER ACCESS
    With a single outside spigot available, we’ve added significant water piping (pvc) with valves at numerous locations to fit our needs. The only downside to this is the need to be diligent protecting against freezing. I intentionally put a slope in all piping so when needed, turning a single faucet will drain the entire system.
  • MOWING
    With about 4-5 acres or so to keep in check, I rented a zero-turn mower for the initial mowing last August as my 2 lawn tractors are in various stages of disrepair. That convinced me to bite the bullet and purchase a new zero-turn mower that makes the job much easier and quicker.
  • SPROUT HOUSE
    To get an early start on planting, we used the (currently) unused but insulated shop space to build a small Sprout House, complete with grow lights. Plans are eventually to put up a greenhouse to extended growing season even longer. We also still have live veggies growing (in January!) by keeping them on a trailer that is wheeled in and out of the shop each day.
  • COMPOST
    We now have 3 compost bins going. Fueled with kitchen scraps, chicken manure, leaves and an ample supply of sawdust, these are rotated so we always have some available for our needs.
  • HAYLOFT > THEATER
    Moving in with an empty hayloft (and no way to load it up again), we emptied it, cleaned it up and turned it into a movie theater w/surround-sound that we can use when the temperatures allow.
  • WIFI/NETWORK
    Using a cellular modem for internet connectivity, I’ve extended WIFI capability to all 4 farm buildings when we need it.
  • GENERATOR
    Anticipating frequent power outages, we purchased a good sized generator to keep everything up and running. Luckily, the grid power has been surprisingly stable (so far).
  • POOL
    We always have a swimming pool. For this spot, we purchased a 12’x20’x48″ above ground that worked well this past summer. Plans are to bury it halfway in the ground to allow easier access.
  • RAINWATER COLLECTION
    When we do the digging for the pool, we’ll also put in some piping for rainwater collection. For now, we collect from the gutters into individual tubs that are used for the plants around the house as well as the favorite drinking water source for all the pets. Those gutters will be redirected to fill our pool during the spring rains.
  • SHOOTING RANGE
    We found an area behind the shop that is ideal for target shooting. It is out of the wind and protected from the rain.
  • FLAGPOLE
    Finding an old 1″ iron water pipe in the barn (I reuse everything), I got it anchored/cemented into the ground and now serves as a flagpole at the front of the farmstead – illuminated overnight by solar lights.
  • FIRE PIT
    It has moved a few times but we finally determined it’s where we want it so I build a brick enclosure to make it permanent.
  • WOOD SHOP
    Part of the decadence of this property is SO MUCH ROOM!!! With that, a section of the 6-car garage now houses a sweet wood shop where I can finally utilize all of my tools without rearranging cars and junk to get at them. Another bonus is an Amish sawmill across the road that keeps me in building materials. They also deliver my goods via a horse drawn wagon.
  • MARTIN HOUSE
    One of many creations now that I have the time and space to complete them. I’ll be adding a few more of these to help control the bugs.

That’s a pretty good start. Listing all them here wore me out though. I think I need a nap. There will be plenty more projects in the future to keep us busy.