2014 goals

Before I started writing a blog I read a lot of blogs.  I read gardening blogs and decorating blogs and food blogs.  All kinds of blogs.  Through pinterest I found a blog written by Jim and Mary who are building a small farm from scratch.  I originally found them because of a pin with a cute barn door that we eventually copied to make a replacement door for our granary.  If you are not familiar with their blog and want to check it out there is a link to it on the right side of this blog called "inspiration".  They are doing a lot of the things that I am trying to do and they truly are inspiring. 

One of the things that they do each year is set goals for the upcoming year.  They do this about this time of year and they just published their goal list for 2014.  This has inspired me to create my own list.  The process that Jim and Mary say that they use is that each of them separately makes their own list and then they compare lists and create a joint list.  They then print the list and place it on their refrigerator where they can check off items as they accomplish them.  They have been doing this now for four years and it is amazing what they have been able to accomplish.

Since I am the lone list maker at Mom's Hobby Farm I only need to brainstorm a bunch of ideas and then fine tune the ideas into a list that is both ambitious and mostly doable.  I am choosing projects that require limited resources, mostly labor with little financial input.  I am going to have some farm goals and some blog goals.  I also have a few things that I do but would like to do better and I will list those as "15 minutes every day" goals.  Jim and Mary were able to accomplish much of their projects by doing a little bit at a time until all the bits became a finished project.  I plan to use this approach to do a better job with big, ongoing tasks--things that are never really 'done'  but would definitely benefit from some daily attention.  So here is my list--

Farm goals for 2014

Garden goals

Complete the south side of the cornfield in raised rows

Complete the line of posts dividing the south cornfield from the north cornfield and number

Construct the post rows in the north cornfield

Transplant raspberries to the dividing row

Plant asparagus in the dividing row

Plant cranberries in the sandbox

Replace last two long raised beds in the potager

Build trellising for the cornfield

Leaf storage

Purchase a chipper/shredder

Plant grapes to train on wire

Greenhouse goals

Four more tables for the greenhouse

Three more pairs of chains for hanging gutters

Rod for hanging pots

Farmstand goals

Six tables for the farmstand

Awning on the farmstand

Recipe storage

Sell excess seedlings in spring

Sell winter greens

Host a harvest meal for family July

Host a harvest meal for family August

Host a harvest meal for family September

Host a harvest meal for family October

“15 minutes every day” goals for 2014

Compost turning

Weeding the gravel and cement areas

Weigh produce harvested/sold

Blog goals for 2014

Cookbook reviews

Link posts of completed projects to parties

Link posts of harvest meals to parties

General goals for 2014

Grow more

Sell more

Preserve more

Eat healthier

Keep better records

Expand perennial fruits and vegetables

Add laying hens

And here is a picture of a Christmas present that will help me achieve one of these goals :

an antique scale from the 1940's

It might just be too beautiful to use. 

I am joining Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.