With rising energy costs and uncertain prices, we've planned our Sustainable Food, Fuel & Fiber Hobby Farm for the future as a Zero Energy Operation. We've utilized grass fed animals, permaculture practices, low to no mowing lawns as well as some wind, solar and bio-gas home-made fuels making for predictable future costs. By Doing this - we have locked in our present day costs and can develop more control over our input expenses.
Listen to the podcasts and see our videos for more details on our journey to Sustainable Hobby Farming. Now, if we could just do something about the weather!
Living on a Zero Energy Hobby Farm (ZEHF) can take a little thinking through. We had to figure out a Smart Energy System by sending power from wind, solar and co-generation power only to places when it is needed. We also had to re-think our "short trips" to town as well as rain water systems and space heat instead of heating/cooling the whole house. Ultimately, once the hobby farm is all running - we won't feel like we've given up a single comfort of modern living. I must say though - it can take a lot of personal energy to get the laundry out in sub-zero temps!
MyBackAchers Podcasts
We wanted our sustainable hobby farm to produce 80%+ of our food, 85% of our fuel and 5% of our fiber so that included orchards, gardens for veggies & fruit plus a personal size dairy for milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter and meat. We didn't think we could manage large expensive animals to start so we got dairy goats, dairy sheep and chickens for meat and fresh eggs to meet our needs. Being sustainable also means the hobby farm will eventually produce enough food, fuel and fiber for a sustainable income.
MyBackAchers Podcasts
You have to admit - food has changed dramatically in the past 150 years. Few people understand the nutritional value difference of food grown with chemicals verses food grown in rich live soil. If "you are what you eat" - then plants grown with chemicals are the chemicals!
These pages & podcasts are about gardening, soil, seed saving, mushroom growing and putting food up without the high energy input.MyBackAchers Podcasts
