A Class on Homesteading

Recently I ventured off to my old stomping grounds in Texas for a brief stint as a farmer and student in the "Three-day Intensive Homesteading Course." The class took place at Brazos De Dios, also known as Homestead Heritage in Elm Mott, Texas.

Our first day included an introduction to the community, a tour on a horse-drawn hay wagon, lessons and demonstrations on soils and gardening.

Our classroom was the entire model homestead. Most of the lectures and discussions took place in the timber-frame building that housed the Garden and Supply Store.

Our first instructor, Butch, demonstrated how to plant in beds, instead of rows. This method allows for planting more crops per square foot and while keeping the plants accessible.

Day two covered keeping chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guineas. Our second instructor Aaron demonstrated the brooding box and a feeder that attaches to a mason jar. The brooding box is used for young chicks who are not big enough for the coop yet. They usually stay in the brooding box until they have feathers instead of fuzz.

Day two continued with lessons and demonstrations on field crops such as sweet potatoes, corn, and other grains. We also visited the herb garden where we learned about the many uses of herbs, which go way beyond the kitchen and cooking.

Our afternoon covered orchards, vineyards, and berries. I'm particularly interested in growing a variety of berries. Although, I think we'll have to research the varieties that do not have thorns! Day two concluded with pastures, grass, and grazing animals.

Day three started a little earlier than usual. Since I needed to arrive early, I decided to enjoy breakfast at the Homestead Deli - a restaurant where I can enjoy nearly 90% of the items on the menu. This is not common for me in other establishments. So I feasted upon the homemade biscuits and sausage gravy.

After my hearty breakfast, I headed off to class which began with dairy animals. First things, first. Milk the cow. Before the class began, I was pretty convinced that a cow would be easier to milk than a goat. When the cow is the mother of a two-week-old calf, this is not the case. Rosebud was not at all pleased with the idea of being separated from her calf, much less being milked. She messed up one milking stanchion, and attempted at another. Fortunately, our teachers were wise to cover the floor with sawdust for easy cleaning.

After milking Rosebud, the Jersey heiffer, and protective mother of the unnamed calf, we learned about goats, mostly Nubian goats. Our teacher, Chris, introduced us to Minnie, her Nubian goat, a docile and somewhat agreeable breed. Minnie was cooperative for milking and friendly with all the students.

After our dairy animals demonstrations and hands-on-learning, we returned indoors for our beekeeping unit. This lesson was lecture and discussion only. Some demonstrations of the equipment, but no live bees present for this class. Although, after hanging around the dairy animals, there were plenty of flies present!
Our afternoon covered barns, sheds, fencing, and water supply. As a city-dweller I don't give much thought to how my water is supplied and how much I use on a daily basis. The average person uses 30+ gallons a day. A cow needs 35 gallons a day, and up to 50 in the summer! A 1000 square foot garden needs 75 gallons per day. That's a lot of water. Preparing a "water budget" is an important part of planning a family homestead.

Our final lecture and discussion "Putting It All Together and Seeing the Farm as a Whole" gave a us a chance to envision our own homesteads.
Thanks to the nice folks at Brazos De Dios, I have a better picture of how to establish a 10-year plan of transitioning to a homestead life. For more information on this or other homesteading classes you can visit the Center for Essential Education at https://www.homesteadheritage-homesteading.com/index.html