In December 2020 we decided to give Pioneer Mountain Homestead a makeover.  We were finding inefficiencies in the way we were working at the property and decided to do a major overhaul.  The sawmill business was outgrowing its space.  The goats were outgrowing their space, and the raised bed gardens were showing deterioration and in need of some costly repairs.  It was time for changes to occur especially since we want to expand what we do. 

We will be adding a new sawmill building and lumber storage building.  When this is complete, the sawmill will be moved to its new location so that the existing sawmill building can be renovated for the new goat barn.  Once we complete the new goat barn, the existing goat barn will be converted into Chuck’s new woodworking shop. 

In the meantime, the garden area will be expanded to 5,000 square feet.  This required us to remove the existing raised beds.  Around the raised beds, a new horseshoe-shaped pasture area will be erected.  Having the pasture surround the garden on three sides will hopefully deter the deer from eating the garden, but time will tell if this methodology will work.   

All these projects required a large amount of site preparation work.  Trees and tree stumps needed removed, drainage needed to be addressed, areas needed to be leveled for the new buildings to be built, and shale was brought in to keep the build sites and driveways from turning into mud. 

We started the site work in late December 2020 and it went into January 2021 so we had to address weather issues such as snow, wind, ice, and cold temperatures.  Additionally, both of us work and live at the property, so there are farm tasks to manage, sawmill and firewood orders to fill, our vacation rentals, plus other job-related activities to conduct.  It has been a very busy January 2021, but we are hopeful that it will come together and be well worth it in the end.  Days are long (14 hours minimum/7 days a week), but we are firm believers that if you really want something you need to work to make it happen.  Although, we must admit that we enjoy the process every step of the way so it never seems like drudgery (unlike the corporate jobs that we left behind).

We will be keeping video journals of our adventures to share with other like-minded individuals.  We consider ourselves do-it-yourselfers and we are very much into self-reliance and self-sufficiency.  We would love to hear from others who share similar interests.  Please send us a message if you have any questions as to why we do things the way we do.  Our contact information can be found on our website:  https://www.PioneerMountainHomestead.com. 

As always, thanks for your support and make it a great day!