Beekeeping

I would like to have a backyard hive of bees using a Warre. So far, I have enrolled in a beekeeping class that begins in February. Since we are moving in July, I may have to wait until the following Spring to start my hive.

Composting

I would like to set up a large two or three bin system with pallets. So far, my two systems have both been too small.

Building Community

I hope to involve our neighbors in a disaster plan, as well as sharing our abundance in regular times. I think this will also be an opportunity to learn more about permaculture together since most of our neighbors are the ones who first taught me about gardening.

Teaching

Since this is my last year before I start officially homeschooling (ackkk!), I would like to be the very best-trained teacher that I can be. I would like to watch a Charlotte Mason DVD that I purchased last year and attend a homeschool convention. And I’d like to read a couple of homeschooling books that I’ve accumulated but haven’t had the chance to read.

Fruit Orchard

I would like to plan and implement a permaculture food forest for our house in Mystic. It will probably take more than a year to prepare the soil though.

Sewing

I would like to improve my skills in sewing, perhaps getting more comfortable with garment sewing, both using patterns and also the draping method.

Root Cellaring

I want to convert part of our basement in Mystic (or the area below our deck, adjacent to our basement) to a root cellar. I want to stock it with enough produce to last us an entire year – that will be a LOT of quarts of diced tomatoes, butternut squash, onions, garlic, celery/celeriac, carrots, saurkraut (using my new German crock (thanks, Santa!), beets. Once we get our apple trees going, I’d like to process a lot of applesauce too. Of course the applesauce and tomatoes will be canned, but in general, I’d like to have most of the stuff in our root cellar in its raw state (some raw apples packed in DRY sand would be great!).

Permaculture Design

see fruit orchard above. I would like something to eat ready to harvest throughout the growing season (for us and the chickens), some cut flowers in bloom at all times throughout the growing season, and other (regular) flowers as food for pollenators throughout the year.

Gardening

As far as annuals, as part of my permaculture food forest, I would like the following annuals to fill up my root cellar: lots of tomatoes for canning, lots of garlic and onions, carrots, celery, butternut squash, potatoes

Building a Solar Oven

Organizational Skills

I need to go through the whole house before we move in July. I need to do one room at a time and PURGE!!!! I’m starting in the basement – scary!

Soap Making

I’d like to start making soap for the shower and also a lanolin soap for washing wool (mostly diaper covers)

Are you planning to learn any new skills this year? Tell me all about it in the comments.