2022 Hobby Farm Plans

The old saying ‘You reap what you sow’ came into my mind as I was dreaming about this year. We have big goals, dreams, and plans for our White Maple Acres farm. I am hoping in sharing these 2022 hobby farm plans here in this space it will keep us focused and on track to get things done.

One thing necessary when making plans is to look back at what worked and what didn’t. You also need to know where you are going. I will say in 2021 nothing went like we had hoped. There were some positives, but honestly our whole plans went up in the air long about March. I’m ready to get back on track! Anyone else?

I purchased Jill Winger’s Old-Fashioned on Purpose planner to help facilitate these plans. This planner is chock-full of planning tools, tips and tricks, and monthly calendar pages. I plan to use this planner to keep track of important dates, how much produce we end up with, my canning inventory, and information about our animals.

We dreamed and planned up these ideas…so here goes nothing for our 2022 Hobby Farm Plans!

• Chickens
  • First and foremost, we ARE getting chickens (despite what Travis says). I have wanted them for years and I think this will finally be the year we are moving forward.
  • The plan is to get meat chickens and layers
  • We need a chicken coop. I’ve been dreaming of ideas. There are so many out there!
• Grow the Garden
  • Last year we planted our garden too late in the season. I’d like to push the date up into May if the weather cooperates.
  • I want to take better inventory of what we should grow. We live so close to a huge community of growers, so we can get things from local markets possibly cheaper and easier than we can grow them.
  • We need to build raised garden beds.

• Raise Pigs
  • We have a butcher date already, so this is a must do. We need to get the pigs in March.
  • My oldest son wants to keep pigs year-round and honestly, we are toying with this idea. It may not happen this year, but time will only tell.
• Can More/Preserve More Food
  • Last year I was able to can/freeze corn, applesauce, peaches, and strawberry pie filling. That was it! I’m hoping we can change that this year and put up more veggies to enjoy in the winter.

• Plant Trees & Bushes
  • Our landscaping is sparse. The plan is to plant at least 2 more regular trees and get some fruit trees. Since it will take so many years before the trees produce fruit, we need to get going on this task asap.
  • Peach, apple, pear, and blueberry bushes are high on the list.
• Increase Syrup Production
  • We used to tap the trees on my husband’s cousin’s land. We’ve decided to give that up this year and just tap more of our land. There may be more work in the beginning, but it has always been the plan to tap these trees.

• More Hay
  • This is all contingent on the weather, but it would be ideal if we could get all of second cutting done and in the hay loft for the winter. It’s nice to have that hay to sell when people are running out.

• Raise Calves
  • The kids each get a calf or two to raise each year. My oldest son got a red Holstein last year. The hope is that she will calf this year. The plan was always to grow this herd of red Holsteins. We will also raise Angus calves as they are born.

• Involve the Kids as Much as Possible
  • The kids always help tremendously. See my previous post about how we get our kids to help on the farm. We want them to have as much fun as we do with all of this.

• Enjoy the Weather & the Process More
  • I guess this goes without saying, but honestly, I’ve spent too many years grumbling about the work that needs done. My hope and goal for this year is to make the most of every task that needs done and make the most of it.

Please let me know what your plans, goals, and dreams are! I’d love to hear!