We’re going to be as open and honest as we can about our situation and what we’re trying to do! Here are deets on our Wildstead and plans for this upcoming growing season.
The Property
Honeybird Farm is about 25 minutes outside Grand Rapids in Sand Lake, a small town of about 509 people (yes you read that right). The land consists of 40 acres, about 25 of which are forested. Other features include: a spring-fed pond, an eight acre open field (was previously rented out to a local farmer), four acres of fenced paddocks, and a “yard” that is four “non-yielding” acres.
Home and Structures
There is a large pole barn, three car garage, a horse barn (with water and electricity), a small chicken coop, another large shed/open barn, a couple overhangs, and a sweet windmill. An interesting note about the housing situation, is that there are currently two houses on the property. The larger house is about 3,000 sq ft. which we rent out, and the other that we live in is around 1,000 sq ft.
We’ll be writing a journal post soon on why we chose Grand Rapids and this particular property.
Our Plans
Ok, right now we can tell you that this is A LOT, and we do have a history of jumping in over our heads. This method works for our personalities, but it’s not for everyone. This Spring we hope to:
- Put in a kitchen garden & herb behind our house
- Install bird and bat boxes
- Run electric fencing around the existing fence line
- Get two cows (set up waterers and paddocks for rotational grazing)
- Get a new flock of chickens and send the existing ones to the “other side of the road”
- Set up two bee hives
- Beautify (plant annual and perennial flowers and grasses)
- Create a natural fence line by the road
- Start an orchard (trees ordered!)
- Do the horizontal mambo and try for our second child
And of course we’ll be sharing both the failures and successes with you on the Farm Journal.