SPLITROCK HERITAGE HOMESTEAD

I looked around our ‘ big house’ at all our stuff and thought we really don’t have a lot of stuff. I do pretty good at regularly purging, at limiting what our kids have, at gifting them memories ( experiences) over materials. 

We go over wardrobes twice a year and get rid of the doesn’t fit or outlived clothing and only replace to the number 9 ( 9 pants, 9 shirts ect…) We repurpose and ” hand down” as much as we can ( which is getting harder as number 1 and number 3 are almost the same size now) 

Then I packed our big house took a trailer load to the thrift store sold our  dinner table, kitchen hutch, traded the dryer in for a collapsible drying rack, traded kids dressers for captains bed. Looked at our room full of boxes and exclaimed we really don’t have that much stuff!

We are here now in our ‘small’ house, with our stuff and slowly things are unpacking one room at a time we are settling in.

 And although I still stick to the claim we don’t have a lot of stuff, we still have things we could live without ( 6 days with no water teaches you a lot about necessity and it’s importance), 13 days of 3/4 of your life’s stuff still in boxes is a great way to see what you thought you wanted but never really use, and the things you use but can still function well with out.

Plus we have outside, outside is riddled with snowshoe tracks and doggies prints, with kids snow forts, hiding spots, climbing trees and no stuff! 

The longer I ponder our pile of stuff, the rooms still filled with boxes I am perplexed about what should really stay and what should go. I have boxes upon boxes of kitchen supplies let’s face it I had this beautiful kitchen

Which grudingly I traded for this

Yes that is really it, but it’s all about the experience so 3 sleepless nights stressing how I was ever going to provide my family of 5 with good food ( hopefully soon, our own raised good food) in this kitchen  I succumbed, we moved,  and I did it. Aside from the fact there isn’t enough space for the kids to pitch in as much as I would like we are doing it  and fairly well. So as I wander into the basement full of kitchen stuff and dream of the kitchen I hope to have I ponder do I really need all this stuff?  

Then I head outside to work on the pig pen for thier upcoming arrival and get away from all the stuff.

The water is running!

We found our septic bed.

Thanks in part to yesterday’s septic back-up.

We have an appointment today with haliburton solar and wind to dicuss our power options.

Non adventurous child 1 travelled through the pasture and bush exploring his way to the bus stop today = big win!

Child 2 joins us tonight, I cannot wait to show her around.

Comical number 3

Wakes up this morning to see the sun rising

And starts belting out ” for the first time in forever!”
Life is good.

Before I get into this post let me say thank you to all the people who have offered help, the use of their generators, use of their showers and water.  We have an amazing community around us thank you to you all for your support and care.

The other thing to warn you about is that this post might be a little rambled as this past week has been long days and short nights as we try to work and get things organized and systems working.

Well let’s see…since my last post we have moved, (which reminds me that I need to thank more people) we have been trying to find things that are in boxes that are not unpacked as things here on the homestead have started off in an interesting manner. 

The weather has been unseasonably warm. The woodstoves have been great to start and easy to keep going so far. The generator has been giving us a hard time in starting. We need it for water. It needs to run the pump. However it will roll but not fire…it is most likely spark as I put fresh fuel in it and checked filters.  Anyways after some discussion we decided to purchase a new generator as the one here is a little under sized for what it us expected to do. It is good generator that once we tune it it will be great for when we get the sugar bush up and running or in the future shop, regardless it will be put to good use. 

So we picked up a new generator. We hauled it to the gen shed put oil and fuel in it and it fired right up! I could taste the water that we would have shortly…but that night we had no such luck…the plug end for the hook up for the pump to the generator was a different end than the receptical on the generator. Stores were closed…the next day I purchased a new end changed out it out on the wire…fired up the generator and nothing…hmm frustration set in…fired up a small generator we have to run smaller stuff to see if we had any power running into the house on any of the three wires that run from the gen shed to the house panel…we were able to get the lights fired up in the house so there wasn’t a problem with the wires…so the new generator must have a problem…I tried it again the next day let it warm up try it again…nothing…so today at work I got a text from my darling wife letting me know that we have water! This means we have power from the big generator! A friend came by for coffee and her hubby came over after working a long shift with OT (probably tired and wore out) to look and see if he could help. He called the company and (I haven’t had a chance to talk with him as to what the issue was or if I was doing anything wrong which could be a possibility)  shortly after talking with them he had the generator producing power! 

Tonight I will get home and be able to do some stuff that needs to be done like hang some drywall. But the nicest thing is that after I do that I can shower at home!! 

On a side note…The generator is not our end all and be all idea of powering our home it is a piece in the puzzle of an off grid system as we will need something to top up batteries if the sun doesn’t shine long enough for the solar we will put in to recharge batteries. The plan is to have some wind and solar with the generator for back up…

Shane

Ultimately I would love to believe we are beyond wealthy, I mean we have lots of wealth the wealth of love and family, the wealth of health and jobs the wealth of faith and friendships…. The wealth of money well it’s all about what matters right? So like so many of our friends we find ourselves starting this journey with a mortgage, one we planned for, one we budgeted, one that worked. Followed by every great ( or not so great) mortgage though is …… ( insert drum roll here) INSURANCE!

We stressed about  getting our mortgage I mean we bought land, lots of land that although priceless to us is worthless to the bank. So down the private lending hole we went. I mean we have a drilled well- modern, a septic – Modern, Wood Heat – in this area still pretty common place. But no power, no “back-up” heat, not finished…..” Shane I hope we can get a mortgage!” as I stress out and bite off every last one of my fingernails. The mortgage my friends was easy! ” You want to do what?”, ” Oh yes we have someone in mind”, ” Just sign here…, write a gazillion cheques, fill out this direct deposit form” Poof we have a mortgage.

That easy no-stress, no hassle mortgage needs that dreaded INSURANCE. And I get it we all want to know that our hard earned money is protected. So I called our current insurance company the one we have been devoted to for years, the one that insures our car, or rental unit, and our current residence. ” Hello, yes we just put in an offer on a new house and are in need of a new policy…. It’s off- grid”…..” CLICK”, Ok it wasn’t quite that bad they did say ” Sorry we don’t do insurance for off- grid”… and so the search continues. We did find a place that insures off-grid living OH YA!….” Just please fill out this 321,780 question survey and we will find the right policy for you.

It went fairly easy,

How big is the house?- 840 square feet main floor, 1/2 storey upstairs, full unfinished basement

How many bathrooms?- 1

How many bedrooms?- 3 ( kinda when they are finished)

Any decks?- nope stairs but currently no decks

Heat source?- Ummm strictly wood ” no back-up?” No ( and here you see it starts, and this I kind of can understand I mean if the fires go out we are at the very least out of water if the pipes don’t actually freeze and burst) ” You will have to pay a premium for that.” Alright the money I am saving by graciously making my dear husband slave away at cutting down, bucking up, splitting and dragging to the house my heat source that I will then force my poor poor over laboured kids to stack, will cover the “premium” of being able to create our own source of heat. ( side note, my husband does love doing the wood, so I’m not as evil as this sounds….don’t ask the kids though I’m am sure they feel over laboured I mean they did have to make lunch alone today)

Next question….. What are you doing for power? ( and this question well it sits funny with me, I mean it would be hard and we are not by any means planning on doing it, but it is quite , quite possible to live even happily with out power)…. Currently there is a generator we will use for our power needs until we get some solar and wind installed and running ( which we have been working on as long as I have been trying to find insurance , but that is another post),

So a generator is on site?- Yes

How many amps is your electrical panel?- 60  and here folks is where it all fell apart, I mean we are choosing to homestead, to live off our land, to work our land… most of that implies outside, we also first have to pay the outrageous price of gas to power our ” only when we will die with out it” generator and then produce our own power to meet our needs. The key word in that sentence is NEEDS. Contrary to what you may think Mr. Insurance needs does not equal- 17 T.V’s, state of the art surround sound, a computer for each body plus guest, and every other modern day “have to have” convenience, it doesn’t even need a dryer for your clothes.

And there you have my frustration, our Modern day world assumes we must have enough power available to run all the Modern day gadgets, even if we choice not to. The clash: we did find insurance to appease the lawyer and the lenders. With a clause that we must install 100 amp service with-in 90 days ( which is nuts if you can’t produce enough to require 100 amp service), We have only depreciated value of our contents which we had to pay additionally for, our house although insured for basic perils only ( think fire and smoke) is insured for a “basic “book rate not a replacement cost. We did however luck out we have enough liability if someone manages to electrocute themselves with our 60 amp service, or my husband falls a tree on them, they should be good for life.

We are choosing to live simpler and with less stuff we are paying more for less.

As I sit here enjoying my morning coffee thinking of what it is that we need to complete in the next 11 days it seems a little…overwhelming. Our current place seems to have everything out of place.  Amanda is amazing and organized in ways that astound me. I am more of roll with it and less of a list person.  Amanda has probably done 90% of the packing while I have been at work.  There are boxes piled high in a spare room. The kids dressers are waiting to be rehomed as they won’t require them after the move as they all will have captins beds with storage drawers to hold their clothes. The beds that 2 and 3 used to sleep in are headed to a new home tonight.

This is a time for me to reflect on what is it that I really need? What do I use? Do I need anything that I haven’t used in ages and if I feel I do why? I mean it is easy to justify everything as a need but now is a time to reshape the life we have been living.

I think back to being on a wagontrain traveling across WY and MT with little more than what I could fit in saddle bags and my crawl (bedroll).  I had a pair of britches and elk hide leggings with a few loin cloths, I had three shirts, a slicker and jacket with my hat and wild rags to top it off. My bedroll which was a repurposed wall out of a wall tent (there is a story of why it was repurposed just remind me some time) held my will blankets and my journal. In my pockets I had a pocket knife.  I had a jaw harp to help pass the time and my journey mug that a dear friend of mine made me along the way that I still use to this day. That mug was used for water, coffee, and wiskey. It tells many stories of you have time to listen. It has journeyed many miles and has many memories attached to it.

Those were simpler times. I didn’t have children to think about nor did I have a wife not that they have complicated life as they have brought purpose, it is that my priorities have changed. The wagon I slept under was owned by the man I worked for. But that wagon reminded me of how easy we have it. Can you imagine actually having to sort out your belongings as to what you can fit onto and into your wagon.  Now just because it fits doesn’t mean it isn’t to heavy for your horses to haul it day in and day out. Not only do you need to put your belongings on board but the tools and equipment you will need to open the homestead you will file on and hope to prove up on.  The first wagons didn’t have the luxury of stores. So you had to pack belongings, tools, feed and food. You had to weigh out your options and hope you had made the right choice.

Can you imagine all the pressure? Headed out into the unknown with all you own fitting into a wagon that was about 3.5 feet wide and 10 feet long…could you do it? Why leave the security of the settlements they were accustomed to?

We live in a life of luxury currently with food and water readily available. If you need a tool you can run and purchase one. You can have your meals delivered to you. Your house can be heated without working hard for the fuel to heat it. So why move? Why leave the security of the settlements we have become accustomed to?

We are not leaving the security as they would have, we are dropping some of the luxuries that we currently have but there is a real good reason for it.  It is called a dream. I believe that this dream we have is also the dream that the early settlers had…a dream of being in charge of their fate, not being slave to the colony, it was in many ways the only ways they could own land. But deep down I think the dream was to have a better future. That is why we are moving to a quarter section of land without conventional power or heat.  We are moving in hopes of a better future for our children and for a quality of life that it will provide for us.  Will it be easy? No. Will there be sacrifice on everyone’s part? At times yes. Will it be worth it? In the end yes!

And so I will finish my coffee and head out into the garage to start to sort out what it is that I need and why…what I can do without and to simply reflect on how very blessed I am with stuff but that sometimes stuff gets in the way of relationships.  On the wagontrain where I had very little I came out of there with relationships that to this day 16 years later I still have. I still keep in contact with many of those people many of them spoke into my life and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.  Those are the things I will pack with me.  Those memories, character traits and skills that I have built upon because others took the time to speak into my life. And I will be bringing along my journey mug.

Shane

What is a name? What does a name mean? We can break it down in different ways.  It could be just a name with little meaning that just states what we are doing or that we chose because it was catchy.  However the name Split Rock Heritage Homestead is much more than that.

So lets break it down.

Homestead:

Wikipedia says,

A homestead is a dwelling, especially a farmhouse, and adjacent outbuildings,^[1] typically on a large agricultural holding such as a ranch or station.^[2]

In North America the word “homestead” historically referred to land claimed by a settler or squatter under the Homestead Act (USA) or Dominion Lands Act (Canada). In Old English the term was used to mean a human settlement, and in Southern Africa the term is used for a cluster of several houses normally occupied by a single extended family.

So we settled on  calling it a “homestead” as we will be running some livestock and a garden.  Building on gardens and livestock we hope to preserve food through canning, smoking, pickling, and cold storage.  Something we learned after we purchased the property and decided on the name is that homesteaders in the States through the Homestead Act and through the Dominion Lands Act up here in Canada, were supplied with 160 acres of land (now they had to prove up on the land in various ways). Interestingly enough the amount of land we have purchased is just that 160 acres.  I am not going to suggest that we are breaking new ground here at Split Rock Heritage Homestead as we don’t have to prove up on the land in 3 years or 5 years time with various improvements. In fact if we run short on something we can just run to the store…or if something breaks we can purchase something new within in the day or shortly after without leaving our home (that is not the plan though). We have been blessed with a house that is well built (over built in many ways).  We have a well and a septic system that is ready to go.  So we are not a traditional homestead in the way it was in the 1800’s however we are going to go back to a different lifestyle than what is common place today.  We are not planning on taking the easy route.  We are planning on working our land learning as we go.  Through raising our animals for meat and eggs and maybe even doing some dairy we will learn more appreciation for the food we have.  Through the garden we hope to be able to share healthy food with friends and have our own food on the table throughout the year. The forest is also a major contributor to our homestead. The forest will provide heat and building materials as well as maple syrup, hopefully some nuts as well as offering habitat for the many game animals that we hope to hunt.  So all in all we have decided to call it a Homestead.

Heritage:

Wikipedia says:

• History, “heritage” refers to events or processes that have a special meaning in group memory

So “Heritage” is part of the process we are aiming to achieve.  We are hoping to use heritage breeds for our livestock.  There are a few different reasons for trying where we can to use these heritage breeds. One reason is that we can help build up the numbers on breeds that have been passed by for something that grows quicker bigger and cheaper even if they forgo quality. We as a society have by passed many breeds that have done us so well in the past.  Even though these breeds have better qualities in many ways we have put them on the side and in some instances these heritage breeds have almost disappeared from our world. We are also planning on using heritage breeds because they were developed with homesteaders and family farms in mind, as they produce quality meat and are a hardier animal able to withstand the seasons on homesteads.  We also plan on using were we can heritage seeds for the garden.  These may produce smaller vegetables and fruits however they don’t need to be engineered, seed saving is a possibility.  Not only are we planning on using heritage seeds and animals we are also planning on not using chemicals to create better yields.

Split Rock:

Split Rock Heritage Homestead is nestled in a valley between the granite ridges of the area, with a rock out cropping in the middle of the property splitting the property.  So giving it the name Split Rock was not a hard thing to do as it so aptly fit the surrounding area. However that is not the reason we chose it.  The reason we chose it is a part of my Heritage.  My Opa who came over to Canada had a dairy farm he named Split Rock. What a great name to have the opportunity to carry it forward.  What I remember of my Opa (even though I never did get to see Split Rock Dairy) was that he did things well.  He was a top producer and was an out of the box thinker.  He was a problem solver and he passed that on through his kids who are all problem solvers and out of the box thinkers who have passed it along to their  children.  I look at my cousins and I am blessed to think of the Heritage that I have behind me.  The legacy that has been left for us. So I look forward to the name Split Rock being on our gate.

My other Opa also came to Canada after the war.  He worked in a grocery store and worked his way up to produce manager.  His garden at home was always immaculate and weeds trembled when he came close to the gate.  He canned and preserved his bounty with my Oma and enjoyed it throughout the year feeding their family of nine. He too passed on amazing traits to his children who have shown his legacy to do many people around them.

Both of my Opas were hard working men of values and integrity.  Through using the name Split Rock it will remind me daily of where my roots are even if it is only named after the one it reminds me of both of them and they are a part of my heritage.

So there you go folks we have named our place Split Rock Heritage Homestead.