101 Things, 1001 Days

Yes, it's a meme, but it sounds like a useful one. You're supposed to come up with 101 goals to accomplish within 1001 days. I thought that sounded like a good way to quantify some of our plans for the farm, so here is my list. December 28, 2008 will be the starting date, and September 25, 2011 will be the ending date. There is a countdown widget in the right column of the blog, showing how much time we have left to complete the items.

Legend:
Not started
Started but not finished
Finished

Building Projects

1. Build pickup truck crate.
2. Build up driveway.
3. Put gravel on driveway.
4. Build hoop house (or other permanent house) for poultry.
5. Build hay feeder for goats. (1/30/09)
6. Build second hay stack.
7. Make a hay rake from on-farm wood.
8. Make a snath from on-farm wood.
9. Put water tank up on blocks.
10. Insulate goat water trough.
11. Build insulated battery box.
12. Build rabbit pen.
13. Harness water power from creek for something.
14. Build a barn.
15. Build a sledge.
16. Build a hay wagon.
17. Build a bridge over drainage ditch.
18. Build a monkey bridge over the creek.

Crafts

19. Spin a fleece of wool into yarn.
20. Process flax into fibers.
21. Complete a woven project.
22. Shear a sheep.

Crops

23. Grow open pollinated corn.
24. Grow flax.
25. Plant oats for winter forage.
26. Start apple seedlings.
27. Plant bramble fruits. (12/2009)
28. Produce all necessary hay.
29. Produce half of animals' grain on farm.
30. Plant at least two paw paw trees. (0/2)
    
31. Plant three varieties of eating apples. (0/3)
    
32. Plant three peach trees. (0/3)
33. Establish feasibility of planting blueberries. (1/24/09)
34. Plant at least 16 different herbs/spices in front yard. (0/16)

Culinary

35. Eat a goose.
36. Eat a capon.
37. Bake every bread in The Bread Baker's Apprentice at least once. (0/43)
    
38. Eat a paw paw.

Education

39. Take a welding class.
40. Become certified to compost dead livestock. (1/9/09)
    
41. Visit Polyface Farm.
42. Visit Malabar Farm.
43. Visit The Land Institute.
44. Read Malabar Farm. (3/29/09)
45. Read Agriculture Yearbook from 1924.
46. Read Agriculture Yearbook from 1935.
47. Read Agriculture Yearbook from 1936.
48. Acquire at least five more pre-1940 Agriculture Yearbooks. (1/5)
49. Read Pork Production.
50. Research Jersey cattle lineage.
51. Buy box of Jersey cattle registry books, if still available.
52. Read The New Agriculture and answer chapter questions.
53. Read Horticulture Enterprises and answer chapter questions. (1/21)
    
54. Complete ten field exercises from Horticulture Enterprises. (0/10)
    
55. Read a book on chicken genetics.
56. Establish a breeding plan for free range broilers.
57. Research sheep breeds and choose best. (Icelandics)
58. Attend a sustainable farming class or conference.

Fencing

59. Stretch back fence in main pasture. (4/24/09)
    
60. Hang forest gate.
61. Hang water gate. (4/28/09)
    
62. Plant hedge around pond pasture.
63. Plant hedge in forest along road.

Foraging

64. Pick five gallons of blueberries at Dolly Sods. (2/5)
65. Pick cranberries at Dolly Sods.
66. Pick 30 gallons of black raspberries. (1/30)
67. Pick 10 gallons of wild blackberries. (1/10)

Livestock

68. Buy a milk cow.
69. Buy at least ten female runner ducks. (0/10)
70. Buy a pair of geese. (3/2) (2009)
71. Fill our freezer with homegrown beef.
72. Successfully caponize a rooster.
73. Buy rabbits.
74. Buy turkeys.
75. Buy a sheep flock.
76. Acquire at least one potential ox.
77. Successfully incubate duck eggs.
78. Breed at least two generations towards free range broilers. (0/2)

Marketing

79. Find five regular customers for bread. (0/5)
80. Find ten regular customers for eggs. (2/10)
81. Get retail license.
82. Sell a fattened pig.
83. Sell produce at a farmer's market. (2009)
84. Update farm blog 300 times. (61/300)
85. Write three newsletters for our customers. (1/3)
86. Build a farm website with our own domain.
87. Have an online order form for our customers.
88. Sell 200 broilers. (0/200)

Pasture Management

89. Graze upstream field.
90. Within a growing season, mow entire main pasture at least once.
91. Get scythe for Paul.
92. Clear undergrowth from forest.

Processing

93. Make five gallons of maple syrup. (1/5)
94. Butcher a deer.
95. Buy a meat grinder.
96. Make butter.
97. Make apple cider.

Water Management

98. Dig pond.
99. Install water system in upstream field.
100. Expand drainage ditch to one foot wide entire length.
101. Expand drainage ditch to one foot deep entire length.