The "asian beetle" and wasp plague lasted almost three months. My Kirby will never be the same. But I spent the Christmas break while I had help building two chicken coops and assembling a trailer. Yes I ordered a road worthy 4 x 8 trailer online and assembled it. Budget is everything.

It is very hard to find out farming information. You'd think with the 'slow food' movement and publications like Mother Earth and Backyard Poultry I'd have lots of answers but they are for backyard situations not a real farm. For example trying to figure out how much coop room I needed per chicken. They don't actually need a lot of coop room they need a lot of 'pen' room or free range room. At night they need about 6 inches on a roost. There you go. And that information about how high the roost and diameter and maybe clearance above the roost would have been helpful.

So next step was a deep breath and some prioritizing. What did I need to do first. I figured an orchard takes a few years to even start producing so I'd start there. I'd researched trees during my time in Phoenix so I knew I wanted a mixed orchard and I wanted to order them from companies here in Georgia. So I shopped! I also found someone to come auger out 40 holes in the field I designated for the orchard. Best spent money ever! The orchard is on a slope just beyond the lake so that the water will regulate wild swings in temperature to avoid harvests lost to spring freezes and such. So I had holes and then I waited for the trees to arrive.

Then I ordered chickens. I read about a hatchery in the Georgia Farm bureau newspaper and ordered through them. I figured they'd just been scrutinized and thus were better than ordering blind. Like the trees I ordered a mixed batch. How do I know which breeds I'll get along with? And a pleaded for a straight run (all hens) as a newbie.

Next I designated a field close to the house for the vegetable garden. I've decided on raised beds so I can keep gardening for the next 50 years. Its a lot of work up front but then its doable for one person year after year (I hope!)

So sometime in February I got the soil analysis back and I needed 7 tons of lime!! Ok did the suburban scenario just run through your mind? It did mine! But it turns out you can call a Lime company and they come with a really big truck and drive all over your property spewing lime out the back and then you pay them, Ta da. And the soil in Georgia is very acid so if some lime gets in your pond its a good thing. Then I ordered concrete blocks because wood is so expensive right now due to Storm Sandy that permanent concrete block beds are only marginally more expensive than wood and what the heck. And for a $50 fee they bring them to you. Whoo hoo.

So I've got trees coming, chicks coming, and a bunch of concrete blocks. I'm fairly committed here. And I'm still thinking OMG what have I done? Because now Christmas is over. Everyone else is back to work/school and I'm here with the dogs day after day all by myself.

I'm trying to do research and meet neighbors and learn how to use the county extension service (not as helpful as you'd think). I went to a class only an hour or so away and got my 'candling license'. I now know how to check eggs and can sell them off my farm here in Georgia. The nicest people take these classes! Then I took the ServSafe course required by lots of restaurants and ewww! it really changes how you look at restaurant food. But I passed. Now I just need a home inspection and then I can  possibly get a home prepped food license. Georgia is one of the last states to allow this and I'm getting the impression I'm the guinea pig. We'll see how it goes.

The neighbors are a mixed bag. I'll leave it at that.

So the trees arrive. Between snowstorms and taking the classes and when people can come up and the fact its raining EVERY weekend I manage to plant all 40 trees all by myself. Getting creaky.

So for the record that's 4 asian pears, 5 apple trees, 6 cherry, 3 plum, 5 pears, 2 apricots, 2 nectarines, 2 hazelnuts, 2 walnuts, 3 pecans, 2 almonds, 3 figs and a blueberry.