KW Homestead

Pasture Raised Poultry & Edible Landscaping Plants Since 2013

Category: his thoughts (page 13 of 13)

Winter Homestead Chores: Splitting Wood, One Cord at a Time

In my last post on Winter Homestead Chores I talked about using the shortened days of winter to hibernate, contemplate, and observe nature and your land. For some, especially those of us in colder climes, the best hibernation and contemplation is accomplished while enjoying the warm heat of a wood stove on a cold winter night. But wood stoves, while saving money and energy, require an investment of energy (or money) before they pay toasty dividends.

Basically, you can’t burn without wood. Dry wood. And split wood dries faster, and is easier to carry and load into a hot wood stove.

Split Wood, Chestnut Oak

A little more than a cord of firewood.

So today I grabbed my wood splitting tools, and made a nice dent in our stacked pile of chestnut oak rounds. I’ve heard different names for different tools, but today I grabbed a metal splitting maul, or “go-devil,” and a light single-sided ax. Emma’s father made and gave us a wooden maul for splitting wood this Christmas, but I haven’t used it yet. It’s sheer size should help with some of the knottier and hard to split wood we come across, though.

After cleaning out a section of our corn crib turned woodshed, i got into a groove and split about a cord of firewood. One important thing to note when splitting wood is to take some breaks (preferably with sweet potato ginger soup), and to stop when you’re tired. Splitting wood when tired is dangerous and a good way to end up observing the inside of hospital room, or worse.

But if you pay attention to basic safety, splitting wood is a great way to spend a winter afternoon on the homestead. Not only is there a great feeling of accomplishment as each log succumbs, but the addition to the family’s energy independence and reduced fuel costs–as well as the exercise–make wood splitting a great winter homestead chore.

Cold Wind Blowing

Brrrrrr…. Last night it got down to 3 degrees. Fahrenheit. With  a windchill of -11 degrees. That’s cold. So cold in fact, that it pushed us to the limit of our USDA Hardiness Zone. This kind of weather adds a few more things to the ordinary lists of winter homestead chores.

For instance, we took extra precautions with our remaining yaupon holly bush because its already on the hardiness border for our zone. We covered it with a layer of clear plastic, and a double layer of bed sheets just to be safe.

Emma thought up a few ways to protect the chickens from the icy wind and seal off drafts in their mobile coop.  That seemed to work well, and the chickens seemed extra joyous about both their new plot of pasture, and the warming rays of the sun. So far the chickens seem more than capable of handling the cold in their solid, yet uninsulated mobile coop.

Frozen chicken waterer and cold chickens

Ice Cold Water

Yet it only got up to 23 F today, so I did have to break the ice a few times on top of our new chicken waterer today to let them to drink. No frozen eggs to report of yet ;)

We also covered our well pump with a couple of sheets, just to be safe. That’s not a problem I feel like dealing with any time soon, and thoughts of building a more substantial well house came to my mind again last night.

Our faucet protectors did their job, and the pipes in the basement didn’t even flinch in the face of the cold, more than I can say for myself last night on our 1 am dog walk. The front treated me to a great swallow of arctic air that widened my eyes and stole my breath for a moment.  Did I mention the windchill? -11 F?

All in all, we weathered the cold just fine.  The house, furnace, chickens, and even Bridey. One thing to thank the cold front for was the sky last night. One of the clearest nights we’ve had yet, and worth bearing every extra second of the cold that set its stage.

Winter Homestead Chores: Where to Start?

The leaves have changed, fluttered from the sky, and now coat the forest and garden floor with a thick layer of organic mulch. Winter is here. For many, this means little more than bundling up, celebrating the holidays, and mulling over seed catalogs picking out new experiments for next year’s spring garden. But while these are wonderful things, there are many winter chores and homestead activities that can still be accomplished. From splitting wood for the wood burning stove to winter gardening pursuits, inspiration and opportunity abounds in the winter landscape.

Winter Homestead Chores

Photo courtesy Chad Cooper

Yet while there are many winter chores to be done, remember to take the time and enjoy the season with friends and family. The great thing about winter chores is that they are not usually too pressing, and can be easily budgeted into our schedules.

It isn’t wise to try and tackle winter activities around the homestead like you would your summer gardening chores. Especially around the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, daylight is at a premium and winter is traditionally the time of resting. Instead of compiling long to do lists of winter home maintenance or DIY projects in the cold, plan for plenty of time to contemplate both your life, and your land.

Winter is an excellent time to follow one of permaculture’s most useful tools. Observation.

Observe the rising and setting locations of the low winter sun, watch the long shadows, and maybe plan the perfect location for your new winter garden beds. The forests are easier to enter and navigate in winter, and are great places to look for patterns and enjoy nature.

Winter homesteading offers both challenges and opportunities, but remember that this is the time of year to recharge and relax to get ready for the ramping up of spring soon to come, and to reflect on the seasons that have passed.

Newer posts

© 2024 KW Homestead

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑