Start Small

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been reading a lot about Permaculture.  I've really liked what I've read.  A lot of the books were on planning how to set up your land for the best yields and ease of use. 

When we arrived at our place in Idaho we had no plan.  We were immediately in survival mode.  And that's where we lived the whole time.

Now, we're planning how we want this place to be.  I don't know if all our plans will come to be, but adjusting the plan is a part of it all.  One of the ideas of Permaculture is, "Start small and work out from well-managed areas." 

Yes.

So even though I have a larger plan inside my head (that will hopefully make it onto paper soon) we are starting small.  This year it will be two manageable raised beds.  We'll do deer & chicken fencing first that allow for future garden growth, but we're not trying to plant the entire acre this year. 

We decided to wait on the bees this year.  They need to be close enough for weekly maintenance and for daily shovelling out in winter, but we don't want them right here by the house we are currently living in.  We could put them out in the back acre where they will probably end up, but it would be a real pain come winter.  As bees are notorious for not wanting their hives moved, we will plan for them for next year when we have a better sense of how things will lay out. 

We'll probably end up with chickens soon, but I want to have good, secure housing and a safe, dependable chicken run first.  As that isn't ready, I'm not buying chicks.  If it doesn't happen until next year, I'm good with that, too.  I do miss our little feathered friends (and their eggs) though.

We've jumped right into so many things.  It's not all together a bad thing, but depending on the situation it can be quickly overwhelming for me.  I've discovered I don't like being overwhelmed. 

That said, I can get stuck not trying new things by waiting for situations to be perfect before I begin, so sometimes it is good to be pushed out of my comfort zone.  I've certainly learned to do a lot more than I would have otherwise.

I think this way of thinking may help me in so many areas.  We'll see.

"Start small and work out from well-managed areas."