Category: [02-Shelter]

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Barakah Heritage Farm version 6.0

So here we are in Winnsboro, South Carolina, neck deep in the farm restart.

This time around is a radically different farm model.

We have moved to a VERY different climate in the deep south, after 50+ years of living in the northeast. The plants are different, the growing season different, the soil is different.

This is also our first time with a truly distributed farm model. In the past we did have horses split between

two nearby farms for a brief period, but that was the extent of spreading the work over multiple properties. Version 6.0 has the rabbits, livestock dogs, gardens (and pets) at the farm office (also our home and undergoing a complete renovation) while the goats and horses occupy a nearby farm. The farm has buildings but no fences, and the home office has fences but no farm buildings or established gardens. What an interesting new challenge!

I’m going to give a shout out to a software program. If it weren’t for Blue, I don’t know that I could juggle all these projects. I’m not getting any compensation, I just love the software that much.

So here’s what is going on right now:

Gardens are in various stages of being dug, edged, fertilized and planted. We are again creating a biointensive permaculture system, but blending it in with general

landscaping. Plants are doing double duty at this property, looking nice AND feeding the family. This season the focus is on producing our favorite heirloom

varieties for personal use. Any crop that we can buy relatively inexpensively in bulk at the grocery we skipped – onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, winter squashes. That means tomatoes, lots of greens like kale and chard and lettuces, and some basic herbs, all heirloom varieties for the unique flavors and colors. I put in a pollinator garden with a water fountain the first season we were here, and fluffed it up this spring. It still needs a low water dish for the insects.

Additionally we are planning out where key perennial food crops like hazlenuts and artichoke will go.

The bunnies are not currently part of Bunnyville, so they moved to headquarters (such a fancy name for a modest beginning LOL) and are happily eating greens from our yard and producing wonderful fertilizer for the new gardens.

We put poultry projects on hold, until we see if and how they might fit in with the new farm model.

Over at the 250 acre farm, everything happened and is happening in stages. The first step was basic shelter and containment, so wire mesh fencing beefed up with electric to hold goats and horses both. Stalls were cleaned out, repaired and set up. Once everyone had shelter and fencing that worked with or without power, then the bigger fencing projects and reopening the money-earning tours could start. Horses looked like the quickest win, so a tour pen and then riding area came first, followed by the first of the rotation grazing areas and the runway, in a layout that meshes with the current land uses. As I add each rotation, I’m also extending the perimeter to capture more land and eventually should have about 15 acres fenced for rotation and runways. I’m reusing a lot of the fence equipment that traveled with us, and taking the best of what worked before. T-posts and tape fencing for the perimeters, narrow tape and step ins for the rotations, and a very powerful DC energizer to keep the deer off the fences and the horses in.

For the goats, it started with the 2 pens and shelters. Next up was getting the tour area built. Concurrently, I’m designing their rotation grazing areas, making decisions on what has the best browse, will hold them, and will be easy to move them to. The goats must come back in at night because of predator pressure from local coyotes, black vultures and hawks.

So, how does this all get done? By setting aside a small block of time each day for each project – typically 1 to 2 hours, breaking the projects down into manageable steps, and keeping track of it all with due dates in the Blue software. Many of the projects must happen concurrently so keep the farm financially on track, so small steps forward rather than big pushes on one project at a time makes the most sense.

So that’s what’s happening these days at Barakah Heritage Farm. We hope you will come see us if you are in the area, and stay tuned for the first goat kids of 2024!

-Carrie and all the fur-kin

March 9, 2024
15 Winter Camping Tips

Winter camping is a unique experience that creates life-long memories. We love snowshoeing, building camps, and gathering with friends in our snow kitchens over steaming food and hot drinks. Winter camping might seem difficult at first, but it’s actually pretty simple and surprisingly comfortable with the right gear.

We hope these tips inspire you to get out and try winter camping for yourself.

1. Watch the forecast – It’s important to pay close attention to the weather and plan around it for a safe and successful winter camping experience. We prefer to find a string of days with clear skies or light snow. Sub-freezing temperatures can be great if you have the right equipment, but the key is knowing the limits of your gear and setting yourself up for success. Continue to monitor the temperatures, wind, and expected precipitation as your trip dates approach. If conditions look too intense, it might be best to reassess or postpone your trip.

Snowshoeing with a backpack on is a ton of fun, but it saps energy quickly, so keep mileage goals short.

2. Keep trips short & sweet – It’s best to keep daily mileage goals short for winter camping trips, even if you’re in good shape. Trekking through the snow saps your energy quickly, and you’ll need to save some pep to build your camp when you get there. It’s usually pretty easy to find a beautiful, snowy place to set up a dispersed camp within a few miles in National Forests and wilderness areas. It’s also smart to keep the length of your trip short if you’re new to winter camping. One or two nights out is a good test, because damp clothing and gear gets tougher to manage the longer you’re out in the elements.

Dress in wool or synthetic layers so you can adjust your temperature easily when your activity level changes.

3. Learn to thermoregulate – Thermoregulation is all about awareness and knowing how to proactively manage your body’s temperature. Food, water, clothing, shelter, and physical activity are all tools you can use to increase your heat production and stay in control of your body temperature. Wear performance clothing that’s made with materials that dry quickly (like synthetics and wool) and layer so that you can add or remove items easily when your activity level changes. You’ll overheat quickly if you’re overdressed while active, so dress accordingly to avoid sweating. If you’re cold, it’s time to add a layer of clothing, get moving, or fuel your body with food or a hot drink. For more information on layering, head over to our Backpacking and Hiking Clothing 101 post.

Sipping a hot drink is a great way to raise your body temperature and get your blood flowing when you start to feel chilled.

4. Know the signs of hypothermia – Staying safe and comfortable in cold conditions is easy, but it requires you to stay aware of what your body is feeling. Hypothermia is very serious, and occurs when the body’s core is losing heat faster than it can produce it. If someone is showing progressing like uncontrollable shivering, loss of coordination, or changes in personality, it’s time to get them to shelter to change out of wet clothing and hop into a warm sleeping bag.

5. Check temperature ratings on gear – Since you’ll be sleeping on top of the snow, it’s more critical than ever to have an adequately warm sleeping pad and sleeping bag to insulate you on winter camping trips. Most sleeping bags use EN or ISO ratings, which are standardized systems that keep temperature ratings consistent across the industry. The number listed with most sleeping bags (example: Magma 15) is the lower limit, which is the temperature a warm-sleeper will likely still be comfortable. We find that the comfort rating, which is the temperature a cold-sleeper will typically still be comfortable, gives a much more realistic idea of how a bag will perform. If no comfort rating is listed, we usually estimate an extra 10-15° to the lower limit for sleeping bags. Choosing the right temperature rating isn’t an exact science, but looking at these numbers is a good place to start. We like to use the REI Magma 15 or Western Mountaineering Versalite 10F sleeping bags with the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm sleeping pad for our winter trips.

6. Boost sleep system warmth – Wearing a down jacket with a hood inside your sleeping bag will significantly boost your warmth. You can also sleep in base layers, a warm hat, gloves, and even your raincoat and pants if things get truly frigid. If your feet tend to get cold at night, down booties are a real game changer. We love Feathered Friends Down Booties because they’re super warm and they have a removable weather-resistant shell, so you can wear them around camp and in your bag. For particularly chilly trips, we also bring the NEMO Switchback closed-cell foam pad to throw under our Therm-a-Rest for extra insulation.

A foam pad, like the NEMO Switchback, can be used with an air pad to maximize the warmth of your sleep system.

7. Insulate yourself from the snow when inactive – A lightweight closed-cell foam sleeping pad, like the NEMO Switchback, can be used in conjunction with an air pad to maximize the warmth of your sleep system, but it’ll also come in clutch when you’re outside of your tent. Standing, sitting, and kneeling on a foam sleeping pad or sit pad avoids direct contact with the snow and prevents heat loss.

the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 is a bit heavy & has less headroom, but it’s strength & weather protection are excellent for winter trips.

8. Use a 4-Season tent – Winter camping requires a strong tent with stout poles and thicker fabric that can withstand strong winds and the weight of a snow load. Snow is very heavy, and even a thin layer of it weighs enough to buckle many 3-season backpacking tents. 4-season tents are usually heavier, have less headroom, and aren’t as breathable as 3-season tents, but the superior durability and protection they provide is worth the tradeoff in harsh winter conditions. We recommend the Mountain Hardwear Outpost 2 and Trango 2, which have a great balance of weight, strength, and weather protection. If you’re looking for an ultralight tent that can be used year-round, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 is a great option, though it takes a little practice to set up since it’s not freestanding.

9. Prevent important stuff from freezing – The temperature drops dramatically once the sun goes down, leaving drinking water, wet clothing, boots, and liquids (sunscreen, etc.) susceptible to freezing. Batteries also tend to function poorly in sub-freezing temperatures, so you’ll want to keep your electronics (like your phone and headlamp) in a warm pocket close to your body to prevent them from becoming useless. We keep small items under our hats or in inner jacket pockets during the day, and use trash bags or waterproof stuff sacks to store important wet gear close to our bodies in our sleeping bags at night. You can also tuck damp items, like socks and liner gloves, between your skin and your base layers to dry out. This is slightly uncomfortable, but it’s much better than putting on frozen clothes in the morning!

avalanches can occur on any slanted surface in the right conditions, so it pays to be aware and know your stuff

10. Know avalanche safety basics – Avalanches are masses of snow that flow rapidly down a hill or mountainside after being triggered, and they’re one of the biggest threats to winter backcountry travelers. It’s important to know how to spot the red flags of avalanche danger so you can avoid putting yourself and others in a dangerous situation. That said, avalanches usually happen on steep slopes and are much less likely on gentle aspects. So if you’re just getting started with winter travel and camping, you can gain some experience without worrying about avalanche danger in areas with flat or rolling terrain. Take a look at your map before you head out. If your route traverses steep terrain, you should carry an ice axe and know how to self arrest. Avalanches can occur on any slanted surface in the right conditions, so it pays to be aware and know your stuff.

11. Take a shovel – A lightweight snow shovel is one of the most essential items for winter camping. Having a shovel could save lives in an avalanche situation, but it can also be used to level and pack tent sites, build a snow shelter, and create a group hangout area to cook and gather in. The blade of your shovel can also be used as a platform to stabilize your stove. The sky’s the limit when it comes to designing your snow camp, and it’s a lot of fun to build elaborate camps as a group with features like a cooking area with a counter and a seating area with a wind block.

The sun can be really intense on snow camping trips, so make sure to protect your skin & eyes with sunscreen & sunglasses.

12. Wear sunscreen and sunglasses – Don’t underestimate how powerful the sun is, even during the winter. The sun can be extremely intense at high elevation, and it’s magnified as it reflects off the bright, white snow. Sunburns and eye injuries are common pitfalls of winter adventures and the damage can last a lifetime. Thankfully, these hazards are easy to prevent with a bit of diligence. Apply a high-SPF sunscreen to your face, lips, and any exposed skin every day. Protect your peepers with quality sunglasses, preferably some with coverage at the sides.

An insulated water bottle, like the Lightweight Hydroflask is a luxury item you won’t want to live without on winter camping trips.

13. Eat, drink, and be merry – A hydrated and well-fed body is far better at staying warm. And, you’ll be burning a ton of calories while winter camping, so it’s a great time to indulge in your favorite rich foods. Keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders by eating plenty of snacks throughout the day and chasing them down with several liters of water. A hearty dinner and a high-calorie snack at bedtime will help keep you nice and toasty. Just remember, food weight adds up quickly, so be choosy about what you bring. Check out our Best Trail Food Guide for all the meal-planning tips you could ever need. If you tend to get cold easily, sipping warm beverages will warm you from the inside out. Consider bringing an insulated water bottle, like the Lightweight Hydroflask, and plenty of stove fuel so you can keep the hot drinks flowing. Learn which stoves work the best in the snow on our Winter Camping Checklist page.

A Nalgene bottle makes an excellent space heater for your sleeping bag.

14. The hot water bottle trick – A plastic water bottle with a screw-top lid, like a Nalgene, makes an excellent space heater for your sleeping bag. Boil a liter of water, pour it in, and you’ve got a new winter camping snuggle buddy… just make sure your bottle is heat-resistant and always test the lid for leaks before you get it anywhere near your sleep sack. Place hot water bottles in strategic areas where deep blood vessels pass close to the surface of the skin, such as the groin, hands, feet, or armpits for rapid warming. Make sure your water bottle is BPA-free, so you can drink the water in the morning without harmful chemical leaching.

Stay busy & upbeat on winter camping trips to combat the cold.

15. Have a good attitude – Having a positive outlook and a sense of humor makes hiking in cold winter conditions much more enjoyable. You might be a bit uncomfortable at times, but trips with challenges tend to be some of the most memorable. An extra dose of enthusiasm will go a long way to lifting you and your campmates’ spirits. If you’re struggling to stay warm, keep in mind that you can always adjust your clothing, get moving, take a break to make a hot beverage, have an impromptu dance party, or hop in your sleeping bag if you need to.

Check out our Winter Camping Checklist for more details on gear that performs well in the cold

WINTER CAMPING GEAR

Not all gear performs well in the cold. Check out our Winter Camping Checklist for recommendations for the best 4-season tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stoves, headlamps, clothing, and more to get ready for your next winter adventure.

Gathering in our snow kitchen in the evening for food, hot drinks, and good conversation.

Featured

Heather Eldridge is an accomplished backpacker, having walked over 6,000 miles through the country’s most beautiful wild places. She met her husband on her solo thru-hike of the PCT and they went on to hike the CDT together. They now live in a converted school bus with their cat in Sandy, Oregon.

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if purchases are made through those links. This adds no cost to our readers and helps us keep our site up and running. Our reputation is our most important asset, which is why we only provide completely honest and unbiased recommendations.

This content was originally published here.

March 5, 2021
Barakah Farm’s Un-heritage Muscovy Ducks

[Viewer caution: Some of the resource videos contain music and/or uncovered women]

Our farm normally works with heritage and heirloom varieties. We made an exception for these ducks.

Muscovy ducks are not a heritage breed. They are not rare (in fact, some consider them pests and for sure they can be invasive) However, our particular muscovies come from homestead-suitable bloodlines carefully selected on a friend’s farm over many generations for foraging ability, quick gains, large size and temperament. These are known as meat ducks but are also decent egg layers. They are quiet, do not require a pond, roost high, raise several batches of ducklings annually (usually 10+ ducklings per nest) and the adults will eat up to a pound of flies daily – each. Ducks are generally more gentle to garden plants (except greens) and will not uproot or eat plantings the way chickens will. The meat is dark, more like roast beef, and lean. These ducks have large claws for tree climbing, and they know how to use them. Between the claws and the large size, they are more resistant to the smaller predators. We keep our muscovies for insect control and eggs.

Muscovies can be a very efficient and useful homestead addition, and can also be part of a nice homestead income. Below is a collection of our research on muscovy care, efficient feeding, and business building.

Tip: Plant trees that will provide shade and feed for the ducks and for you. Set up your water stations next to the trees on some pavers. Dump the dirty water to water the trees.

For a no soy, no gmo corn, no gmo system, consider peanut meal, black oil sunflower seeds, blackfly larvae. You can grow your own heirloom corn. You can sprout grains and sunflower seeds for more efficient digestion.

This is a great video on blackflies for food, including an easy farm unit you can build yourself.

This is a good video about sprouting seeds.

We made our own rolling sprouting system to put in the downstairs shower using an inexpensive rolling metal utility rack, and the some plastic containers with holes drilled in the bottom. We currently plan to sprout only sunflower seeds in 2020, and add our own heirloom corn in 2021, God willing.

Before assuming that organic is best, look at the care, the facility, the food choice. Educate yourself and your customers about humane husbandry and natural feed. Feed is your biggest expense. Ducks can be organic by feeding organic feed, and yet live in factory conditions. Clean healthy feed and a humane life matter more, in my opinion.

You can run ducks in your garden around mature crops and perennials. Do not run ducks with your young sprouting plants or your greens. For those of your raising goats or other livestock that get meningeal worm, ducks control the snails and slugs that host the parasite.

This article from Milkwood has some great information. “For someone raising ducks for meat, the ducklings grow out to a good size (but not full size) by 10-12 weeks, and it’s at this time, before they get their full set of adult feathers, that home harvest makes the most sense from both a practical (plucking) and a output-for-input point of view.”

We converted an old corn drying barn into a night shelter and laying area for the ducks, and during the day they free range (thank goodness for tolerant neighbors during our learning phase). To prevent wandering, we make sure the ducks get treats during the day and feed the main meal in evening to lure them back to night shelter. We clip the wing feathers of the adult birds after each molt to keep them walking, not flying. If the ducks have enough space and enough food, not too many males competing for females, and have formed the habit of staying around, they generally stick to a couple acres here at home. The ducks are big enough to discourage smaller predators, though eagles find them tasty and easy to grab, and loose dogs or larger predators will still take one if given a chance.

Please reach out to us if you would like to learn more about our system or visit the farm.

Coming this spring! Free-range duck eggs for eating, hatching eggs, and starter flocks of adult birds. Local pickup or delivery (with appropriate safety measure and distancing) and we can ship! We do not offer meat ducks. Please call/email for referral to separate local meat share business, including halal. Online ordering coming soon.

Eggs for eating $1/each $7/dozen

Hatching eggs from select hens $2/each $20/dozen

Adult starter flock (1 drake, 2 hens) $100 (includes mentoring)

Email us to get on the waiting list!

March 29, 2020
Passive Passion

Throughout Europe, thousands of Passive House buildings are constructed in such a way that they require 90% less energy for heating and cooling than a traditional structure. As global temperatures and fuel costs continue to rise, so too does interest in this design method. But while Passive House architects in Europe build mammoth complexes and…;

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Throughout Europe, thousands of Passive House buildings are constructed in such a way that they require 90% less energy for heating and cooling than a traditional structure. As global temperatures and fuel costs continue to rise, so too does interest in this design method. But while Passive House architects in Europe build mammoth complexes and breathtaking villas, the idea has been slow to catch on across the Atlantic. In Passive Passion, we meet the American builders hoping to open eyes with ambitious projects, including the first Passive House apartment building in the United States, as well as the European experts that helped launch the idea decades ago and continue to improve upon it today.

When sold by Amazon.com, this product will be manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.

Full Customer Reviews:

March 15, 2019
The Made-from-Scratch Life: Simple Ways to Create a Natural Home

Do you long for simpler days? Do you wish you had the time to offer your family home-grown meals? Does your heart cry for a quiet place in this fast-paced world?Blogger and homesteader Melissa K. Norris inspires with practical and easy methods to help you cook from scratch, garden, preserve your own food, and see…;

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Do you long for simpler days? Do you wish you had the time to offer your family home-grown meals? Does your heart cry for a quiet place in this fast-paced world?
Blogger and homesteader Melissa K. Norris inspires with practical and easy methods to help you cook from scratch, garden, preserve your own food, and see God’s fingerprints in your everyday busy life. You’ll learn how to
plan, plant, and harvest for eating and preserving
troubleshoot common gardening problems with natural solutions
improve your family’s health with natural cooking and cleaning methods

Whether you live in the middle of the asphalt jungle or on the side of a mountain, you can experience the pioneer lifestyle and start your own homesteading journey. Because when you surround yourself with things made from the hand of God, you can’t help but see Him.

The Made From Scratch Life Simple Ways to Create a Natural Home

Full Customer Reviews:

Six years ago, Tammy Strobel was unhappy- “I was commuting 2 hours a day, going to a job I hated, overweight, unhappy, kind of middle class plight”. Then she watched a youtube video featuring Dee Williams and her tiny home- a moment she calls her “turning point”- and she began to dream about less.

Prior to downsizing Tammy and her husband, Logan Smith, were living in a two-bedroom apartment, driving two cars, commuting long distances and $30,000 in debt, but they were hesitant change the status quo. “Initially, we resisted the idea of moving into a smaller one-bedroom apartment because we were more concerned about appearances and space for guests than for our financial well-being. We decided something needed to change once we realized our debt was causing us so much stress.”

Tammy and Logan began with small steps. They sold one car and moved into a one bedroom apartment. Next it was a 400 square foot home. Today they are car-free and living in a 128-square-foot home on wheels (designed by Dee Williams’ company PAD). Along the way, the couple shed weight, stress, debt and the unhappiness they felt being tied to jobs they didn’t enjoy. Today, Tammy is a full-time blogger/photographer/teacher.

Tammy recently published a book titled “You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap)”, but she explains that it’s not exactly happiness that she pursues, but resilience. “Jobs move, people lose jobs, people die,” she explains, “So how can you structure your life so that you’re more flexible and embrace the good stuff even when loss makes it really really difficult?”

One of the biggest side effects of living in a small, mortgage-free home on wheels is the freedom to move, something that has served them well in the past year. When Tammy’s father had a stroke, unfettered by home or car loans, Tammy was able to be with him during the last months of his life. When Logan lost his job (it was transferred to Boston), they were able to pick up their home and move from Portland to Northern California to be closer to family.

For their first move, they attached their tiny, wheeled home to the back of a pickup truck and drove the 400 miles from Portland to Logan’s family cattle ranch in Montague, California (in exchange for free rent they put in “workshare” hours). Within the year, they moved again to be closer to Tammy’s mother: this time they parked in her yard in Red Bluff, CA. Again within the same year, they moved to a more permanent home in Chico (their college town and still close enough to family) where they pay $500 in rent for an empty lot and hookups (it was previously occupied by a mobile home).

“Even though the past year has been a lot of upheaval with moving the house, like it’s harder than you think to move the tiny house and stressful and all that, but I’m really grateful for that because we’ve had that flexibility to really be there for family”, explains Tammy. Her father’s death “was part of the reason we decided to move back home just to be closer to family and really focus on that because that’s what matters, you only get one shot.”

Photo credit: Tammy Strobel. She teaches e-courses on how to photograph everyday life: http://rowdykittens.com/everydaymagic/

“You Can Buy Happiness (And It’s Cheap)” http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Buy-Happiness-Cheap/dp/1608680835

Original story: http://faircompanies.com/videos/view/debtcar-free-tiny-house-couple-simple-living-resilience/