Homesteading During the Covid-19 Virus

I will be the first to tell you that getting a homestead up and running is hard work. There are so many tasks to get done and obstacles to overcome. They say that nothing worth it will be easy and that is so true. We are on this journey now and every day is proving more difficult, especially now with the COVID-19 virus in full swing, the idea of homesteading was to get us prepared and self-sufficient, but what if we started our homestead too late do we still have time to become a successful homestead; we're not exactly sure of that answer yet.

With all this ongoing fear of the COVID-19 virus, it has slowed our progress. With recent regulations set in place on schools and public outings. People are panicking; it has become harder to get essentials. We live relatively far from areas to get our building supplies, feed, and animals. Before this outbreak, we had plans to build another chicken brooder and get another batch of chicks. Currently, we are trying to stay home and limit our contact with anybody else, per the recommendations of local authorities. Yes, we have considered ordering a batch of chicks online. However, we are uneasy about that. The same issue applies to supplies for building. Ordering online is an option, but we have to pick up in-store. The store is in a different county and has confirmed cases of COVID-19. Our feed situation is getting low. We have plans to call our local granary tomorrow and find out what they have in stock that we can get for our layers. We currently feed them a homemade mix of black oil sunflower seeds, whole oats and cracked corn. Since starting this mix, our egg production has skyrocketed.

With all that said how do we continue to become self-sufficient and get our homestead up and running; by not giving up and pushing on. Things in our life will have to change. We have already changed the way that we shop and how often we go into public. Going into public will get easier as we progress and we are less dependent on the store for our survival needs. When we do go to the store only my wife or I go in alone to get what's on the list while the other sits in the vehicle with our three children. We have also been working harder on being reliant on the grid, so now we rely more on our oil lamps when the sun goes down and less on the electricity. We will eventually be moving to solar power once we build our cabin which will make us less dependant. I have also bought a wood stove for heat to take our dependency off the propane company. All these things seem small but they will all add up down the road.

Now we are working on getting our brooder build for the new chickens we will get. I think the plan for new animals will be to quarantine them until we know they are healthy and then to go from there. Since I am now working solely from home with the Covid-19 virus sweeping the world I now have time to start building our cabin. See you can sit around and be scared or upset and worried or you can still do something to better your homestead even when things seem to be going the wrong way. Homesteading is full of challenges and that's what makes it worthwhile. Just because you might not have been ready for this virus doesn't mean you can't still achieve a great homestead. We were not ready and are still giving it our best shot. I will have the homestead of my dreams. That is why we named it Miracle Farms Northern Homestead because it is our miracle and our little piece of heaven. If there is another virus or any other threat be ready. Have a storeroom with all the supplies you and your family will need to ride out the bad times and during the good times enjoy your homestead and build your reserves. Don't give up homesteaders live your life the way you want to live it and to the fullest. Until next time we will see ya'll on the farm.