Stick Fence Progress

After much debate, and several opinions from reliable folks, we have decided to just go with a wire method for our twig fence.  We'll just put these things up and wire them to the cross beams.  HOPEFULLY it will keep the critters out, including our two huskies.  My dad is coming up this weekend from Powdersville to help us get this thing put together.  I am excited about having him help.  He's good with this sort of thing, so I'm sure i'll learn a thing or two.  Here's a photo of what we want our fence to eventually look like.

Once we get our fence put together, we're gonna try different garden bed border ideas.  We've looked at using deadfall, which is plentiful around our property, using a wattle method, and even using pallets that are cut in half.  After that, it will be time to start laying this thing out.  We have all of our beds staked off and roped so we know they are measured correctly.
We're going to use this chart that I read on a really interesting blog Alternative Energy Gardning to lay out our beds.  Here's the chart:

Hopefully, we'll be posting some new pics on Monday with a completed fence!!!!!   Hopefully... ;)

thanks for readin,
chris

Operation Tree Cutting Complete

This weekend the plan was to get all of the trees cut for the garden fence. Well, 44 8' logs, 616 4' branches, 2 chainsaw blades, 1 pair of garden shoes, about 50 scrapes and cuts, and about 50 aching muscles later, the wood for the fence has been cut and measured!!  As exhausting as it was, the memories we made as a family have definitely made it all worth it. It's such an amazing feeling to know that we are using what the land provided to help sustain us. Seeing all 5 kids working together puts huge smiles on our faces. They are so proud of themselves, too. The next step is assembling the fence. If the weather is on our side, we will face that challenge next weekend. 

First Post

Welcome to our family blog!!!!  This blog is our story of how a big family can become more self-reliant in a world that makes everything so easy for us.  The purpose of our project is to teach our kids how to work the land, how to grow our own foods in our garden, how to look for wild food and how to raise our own chickens for eggs.  We are extremely excited for our kids to have this experience on a farm.
Currently, we own approx. 15 acres of land in the Picket Post area of Oconee County, South Carolina.  Julie and I married in May of last year.  We both have children from our first marriages.  Julie has triplets, two girls and a boy that are 9 years old, and another son that is 7.  I also have a 7 year old from my first marriage.  We have two dogs and two chickens currently.  (This was 7 until about a week ago, when the great chicken catastrophe occured in our front yard.... no fun)
Anyway, our long range plans for our farm is to develop an heirloom garden that is year round and allows us to become more self-reliant.  We also see the enormous benefit from just knowing where our food is coming from! 
We would GREATLY appreciate your input and advice, and thanks for reading!
chris