Steps towards North Carolina

Okay, not really huge steps, but maybe a few baby steps to get me in the right direction…  Today I ordered three gardening books that I’m hoping will help me with the beginnings of a successful, bountiful, self-sustaining edible landscape.

1.  “The Berry Grower’s Companion” by Barbara L. Bowling
2.  “The Backyard Orchardist:  A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden” by Stella Otto
3.  ” The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible (10th Anniversary Edition)” by Edward C. Smith

I’m having them shipped directly to my husband’s office in Charlotte, so they will be waiting for me when I get up there.  I think these three books along with several herb books I already have will really give me a rounded education in setting up my garden to fit my family’s needs.  The only other thing I’ll need to get information on is growing my own wheat and/or other grains.  I have an interest, but I don’t know how feasible it would be at this point.  I guess I’ll have to look into that, too.

Tomorrow I will be calling some freight companies to find out the pricing and process for shipping some of our things on pallets right to my husband’s office.  There is warehouse space available to us, so we will be able to ship our belongings and utilize free storage, enabling us to take our time in moving things into the new house.  I love the idea of doing it a couple of boxes at a time instead of having one room full of boxes and feeling overwhelmed at getting everything unpacked at once!!

Moving into a new house with NO CLUTTER!!!  Talk about freedom!

So Hard Not to be Digging…

I finally got around to visiting one of our local Farmer’s Markets for the first time this morning and really enjoyed the educational presentation given by the Market Manager and professional gardener.  It was basic container gardening concepts from seed starting to transplanting seedlings to fertilizing.  The best part was his organic techniques using worm castings, worm teas, and mulch to promote healthy growth and food we can feel safe about eating and feeding to our families.

After watching his presentation, I am practically jumping out of my skin wanting to get into the dirt.  I have a stash of seeds, a raised bed enriched with rabbit manure, trowels and gloves…  AND it’s prime time to start seeds in southwest Florida.  But I am forced to contain myself, to be patient and save my gardening energy for our future homestead in North Carolina.

My husband left to start a new job near Charlotte about 3 weeks ago, and I am here with the kids, the animals and the “stuff” awaiting good news about his successful house hunting.  I am in the ongoing process of packing and purging, and the Goodwill donation center practically knows me by name.  I’m happy to say we are NOT taking everything with us.  I’m hoping to significantly lighten the load and focus on taking only the things we love and use, but I tend to have a hard time letting go of certain things, especially books.  They are one of my biggest weaknesses.

We’ve actually found a house we like on 2 mostly-wooded acres, so now we patiently await good news about financing.  Assuming we move forward with this property, I will be magically hauling 11 rabbits, 11 chickens, 6 ducks, 4 gerbils, 3 cats, 2 dogs and 3 children north in a 12 hour straight shot with minimal bathroom and coffee breaks.  Yes, I will be documenting the move with lots of photos…  I can’t even imagine what this is going to look like yet, but I know it will be memorable!

Once there, we will get our current animals set up comfortably, and then I can start learning all there is to learn about edible landscaping, vegetable gardening, and growing fruit and nut trees in North Carolina so I can get my hands really dirty in the spring.  I will also be setting up my first bee hive and adding two Nigerian dwarf dairy goats to the mix.  Down the road I would also like to add one milking cow and two to three horses.  I know I won’t have much of a social life, but I’ll be living my dream:  A Farm Girl by the time I turn 40.

Fit by 40??

The intent of my blog is to tell the story of how I will become a real farm girl by my 40th birthday. This new (sort of) venture is currently a work-in-progress, and I’m sure I’ll get into that as I continue to write.

In the meantime, my main concern at the moment is my health. I’ve noticed swelling in my feet and ankles over the last several days, and I know I’m obese with possible high blood pressure. I finally went to the local pharmacy and checked my blood pressure at the free testing machine. Yikes! 155/96 is quite a bit higher than the typical 120/80 most physicians like to see. Then I forced myself to do a quick weigh-in at the scale by the door. As soon as I had a brief moment of privacy, I hopped on to discover the horrific 250 pound mark. I’m at my all-time high as far as my weight is concerned.

Time to make a new plan, Stan! To start on the path to creating new healthy habits, I want to focus mainly on increasing my daily activity and minimizing processed foods. My personal goal is to do something active for at least 30 minutes per day, every day. This may include walking, bicycling, WII Fit Plus exercises, Just Dance, or playing outside with my kids. I will have to schedule it in my calender, as though it is an appointment, in order to make sure it happens.

I have a lot to learn when it comes to food. After watching “Food, Inc” and other such documentaries, I’ve become very aware of how careful we need to be with what we put in our bodies. I’ve actually become kind of a “food-aphobe” and actually experience anxiety when entering grocery stores. Rather than trying fad diets, low-carb, or whatever else is out there, I’m going to start with lessening my processed foods intake. I can’t say that I’m ready to cut them out completely… Not just yet. But I do know there are real health risks associated with so many of the chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients found on these boxes and packages.

I will continue to take my daily vitamin and add an extra B-complex to the mix in hopes of gaining some extra energy.

I’m hoping to make these changes in order to make my body stronger so that I can not only feel and look better, but so that I am more ready to tackle the physical labor involved in running a family farm. There will be a lot of work ahead of me: construction, digging up garden beds, planting trees, taking care of multiple animals, keeping up with my husband and three boys… I need to build up my endurance, and I know I will by making small changes in the right direction.