We had barely settled into our rural North Carolina homestead when a surprise snowstorm hit, dumping an astonishing 6 inches of snow overnight. Just as quickly, another storm rolled in, leaving our steeply sloped driveway impassable. Initially, being ‘trapped’ was a novelty, with hot cocoa and snowy adventures galore. However, as the days passed and our livestock supplies began to dwindle, the fun wore off. With the pasture inaccessible and feed running low, concern turned to panic.
It wasn’t until the day before we would have exhausted our stock of goat and chicken food that warmer weather finally arrived, bringing with it a valuable homesteading lesson.
Homestead Winter Preparation and Provisioning
When embarking on the journey of homesteading, it’s essential to plan not only for your family’s needs but also for those of your livestock. Homesteads in rural areas often face unique challenges that city-dwellers may take for granted, such as delayed snow removal and more treacherous winter travel due to longer distances to town.
For newcomers to homesteading, individuals unaccustomed to harsh weather conditions, or those who have recently relocated to a rural area with limited public services, it’s crucial to thoroughly prepare for the rigors of winter on your homestead. To ensure a smooth transition, consider the following factors.
Winter Water Provisions
While homesteaders are generally well-prepared, a crucial aspect of winter planning is often overlooked: ensuring adequate access to water during emergencies. Power outages can render traditional water sources unusable, while freezing temperatures can make outdoor storage containers ineffective. It’s essential to consider all our water needs when preparing for the harsh winter months, rather than relying solely on our usual supplies.
Store Enough Water
Running a homestead requires a significant amount of water to support the needs of its inhabitants. On our property, which includes three humans, ten mini-goats, 45 ducks, 15 chickens, four farm cats, one dog, and one turkey, we consume approximately 22 gallons of drinking water daily to stay hydrated.
This figure does not account for additional water usage for washing dishes, hands, or other essential activities, which would likely increase our overall consumption by a further 10-15 gallons per day. To ensure a stable supply of clean water, it’s crucial to plan and prepare for various scenarios, including livestock needs, cooking, household pet care, and family hydration. Moreover, considering worst-case situations is vital, as extended power and water outages can occur even in urban areas.
Having sufficient storage capacity for drinking, washing, and other essential uses will help mitigate the impact of such disruptions.
Keep Water from Freezing
Storing water in areas where it remains unfrozen simplifies its use, as heating isn’t necessary. This approach also enables easier distribution, as needed. To achieve this, consider storing water in greenhouses or root cellars.
For example, I store 800 gallons of water in drums within our greenhouse. Upon installing a root cellar in the future, I plan to utilize it for water storage as well. This not only keeps the water unfrozen but also helps maintain its quality.
Another strategy is to stockpile water indoors before severe weather hits. To accomplish this, fill bathtubs with water for animal consumption and store food-grade 5-gallon buckets for human use. The buckets stack neatly, allowing for easy calculation and rationing of daily needs.
In our household, we require 3 gallons of water per day for drinking and 2 for cooking and cleaning. Each bucket thus represents a day’s supply, making it straightforward to allocate the stored water as needed.
Know Your Resources
As the winter months approach, it’s crucial to be prepared for any unexpected water needs that may arise. Having a few weeks’ worth of stored water is ideal, but if you find yourself in a situation where your supplies are depleted, knowing your nearest winter-accessible water sources becomes vital. Furthermore, having the necessary equipment on hand to render questionable water safe for consumption can make all the difference.
Winter Food Provisions for People
While many homesteaders are familiar with preserving excess food through methods like fermentation, dehydration, freezing, and storage, it’s easy to overlook the importance of providing a balanced winter diet. A single pint jar of tomato sauce, for instance, contains only 140 calories, making a 100-jar collection equivalent to just 14,000 calories – barely enough to sustain one person for seven days, even if they’re not engaging in manual labor on the homestead.
This highlights the need to consider the overall nutritional value of our stored food supplies.
Count Calories
When preparing for winter, it’s essential to go beyond a casual glance at your pantry’s contents. Instead, take the time to calculate your caloric intake and ensure that you have a balanced mix of protein-rich and high-calorie foods stored away. Consider stocking up on items like nuts, meat, cheese, and beans, which are all excellent choices for winter food storage.
Additionally, focus on storing vegetables with high-caloric densities, such as sweet potatoes or squash, which can provide a nutritious and filling alternative to grains.
Keep Ready-to-Eat Items
When preparing for emergencies, it’s crucial to think about your food supply just like you would with water storage. Just as warm locations are ideal for storing water, some of your food should be ready-to-eat and easily accessible. A sudden loss of heat due to a compromised woodshed or wet firewood can make cooking on a wood-burning stove much more challenging.
Having non-perishable snacks like cheese, nuts, or dried fruits readily available will provide a vital morale boost while you work to restore your heat source.
Make Your Calories Count
Imagine having a reliable 21-pound country ham serving as your body’s winter fuel source, equivalent to sipping on 100 pints of tomato sauce. While the calorie count may seem similar, the ham’s fat, protein, and salt content make it a far more effective sustainer of energy levels during the cold weather months.
On the other hand, simple carbohydrates like sugar and white bread might provide a fleeting energy boost.
But think of them as trying to stay warm with a quick match instead of building a cozy fire with seasoned wood. The energy they deliver is short-lived, leaving you feeling drained.
For sustained energy in the cold, it’s better to opt for high-protein foods that burn slowly and keep your engine running smoothly.
Winter Food Provisions for Livestock
When aiming to sustainably manage the feed for your livestock, incorporating year-round pasture into your strategy is a common approach. The idea sounds appealing: ensuring a constant supply of nutritious food for your animals. However, Mother Nature has other plans – snow, sleet, and ice can quickly render pasture unusable for your livestock, making it crucial to have contingency plans in place.
Plan to Replace Your Pasture (Temporarily)
While omnivorous livestock like chickens can subsist on human food in an emergency, ruminants such as goats, cows, and sheep require regular access to roughage for optimal health. In the case of goat shelters, we utilize hay bales during winter months not only for insulation but also as a strategic emergency food reserve. This excess hay serves a dual purpose, providing sustenance if needed and later transforming into a valuable livestock litter or garden mulch come spring.
Meanwhile, scratch is not an ideal nutritional source for poultry. However, in the face of winter weather emergencies, scratch not only keeps birds warm but also satiated. Given its cost-effectiveness and longer shelf life compared to traditional poultry feed, we stockpile extra bags in our feed shed throughout the winter as a precautionary measure.
Increase Your Livestock Feed Calculations
While livestock tends to have varying appetites depending on the temperature, there’s a general trend of increased food intake during cold weather. For instance, my goats typically consume around 30% more per day when the mercury drops below freezing. Meanwhile, chickens, who are generally less active in chilly conditions, tend to eat about 10% more. It’s crucial to monitor your livestock’s eating habits during winter and stock up accordingly to accommodate their increased needs.
Pump Up the Protein
When it comes to ensuring the well-being of your livestock during harsh weather conditions or times of scarcity, consider stockpiling protein-rich food sources. For example, I maintain a steady supply of alfalfa pellets for my goats, which provides an added nutritional boost on chilly days. Similarly, I store cooked and minced organ meat from our pig processing in the freezer to supplement my poultry’s diet during insect shortages.
Winter Heat Provisions
For me, there’s no such thing as being too prepared when it comes to braving the chill of winter. The mere thought of feeling a cold draft makes my skin crawl, so you can bet I’m all about going above and beyond to stay warm and cozy.
Ready Redundant Heat Sources
Having multiple options for staying warm is crucial for our survival. As our primary heat source, we rely on an electric heat pump. However, if the main power goes out, we’re prepared with personal-sized heaters that can run off our solar panel energy. If we experience prolonged periods of cloud cover, such as a blizzard, and our solar panels don’t generate enough electricity to charge our batteries, we have propane tanks and heaters as a backup.
And if we exhaust our propane supply, we can rely on our wood stove and stockpile of dry wood, strategically stored in multiple locations. While it’s possible to solely depend on the wood stove and store ample fuel, this approach requires regular loading, stoking, and maintenance – not ideal during severe weather events when our focus is on animal care. By having electric, propane, and wood heat options available, we minimize stress and enjoy greater peace of mind.
Fuel Up!
A generator is only as effective as the energy source it relies on. Whether it’s electricity, gas, propane, wood or sunlight, some form of power is necessary for consistent heating. It’s crucial to have a sufficient stockpile of fuel to ensure you remain warm in the event of an emergency. In fact, consider doubling your estimated needs to account for unpredictable factors like extreme weather conditions. When calculating your fuel requirements, don’t just focus on typical usage patterns.
Instead, factor in potential variables such as strong winds, intense cold snaps and other unforeseen circumstances that might require more energy than usual to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Light your Fire
When venturing into the great outdoors, it’s crucial to be prepared for any situation that may arise. One such essential item is fire-starting materials. Having an adequate supply of matches, flint stones, and lighter sticks with extra butane can make all the difference in getting your campfire or rocket mass stove lit quickly and efficiently. Additionally, packing dry tinder like dryer lint, cardboard, junk mail, dry leaves, and twigs will provide a solid foundation for ignition.
By being prepared with these essentials, you’ll be well-equipped to handle any unexpected situation that may come your way.
Other Winter Provisions
In addition to securing the basics like water, food, and fuel, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re well-prepared for any unexpected situations by attending to your overall emergency readiness. This includes ensuring that you have a solid grasp on winter-specific comfort essentials, such as maintaining a reliable source of warmth, having access to necessary medical supplies, and being prepared for potential disruptions to your daily routine.
First Aid Certified
As the cold winter months approach, it’s essential to ensure your first aid kit is fully stocked and ready for any unexpected situations that may arise. In addition to restocking your supplies, consider refreshing your skills and certifications if they’ve lapsed in recent times. Moreover, if you or your family members rely on medications, take this opportunity to replenish your stockpile and guarantee a smooth continuation of treatment.
This proactive approach will provide peace of mind as the harsh winter weather sets in.
Battery Back-ups
When it comes to preparing for emergencies or unexpected outages, having reliable backup systems in place is crucial. To ensure you’re well-prepared, make sure to keep an adequate supply of replacement batteries on hand for all your battery-operated tools and appliances. This includes essential items like phone chargers, flashlights, and emergency radios. By doubling up on your stockpiles, you’ll be able to maintain critical functions and stay connected even when the power goes out.
Let There Be Light
To ensure a safe and stable emergency situation, it’s crucial to maintain an adequate supply of reliable light sources throughout your home. Start by storing flashlights with fully charged batteries and making sure they’re in proper working condition. Additionally, keep a sufficient stockpile of candles and lanterns that utilize kerosene as a fuel source. By having these essential items readily available in every room, you’ll be well-prepared to navigate any unexpected situations that may arise.
Work That Winter Wardrobe
When it comes to dressing for the cold, it’s often more energy-efficient to maintain warmth rather than trying to recover from a chilly start. To be well-prepared for winter, homesteaders should prioritize building a wardrobe that accommodates their unique environment and conditions. This means incorporating essentials like jackets, jumpsuits, scarves, gloves, hats, and layers into daily attire.
Warm Beverages
As the snowflakes swirl outside and the thermometer dips, there’s nothing like a steaming cup of your go-to wintertime drink to thaw out your chilled bones. Whether you’re in the mood for rich cocoa, a bold coffee, or a soothing tea, make sure you’ve got a steady supply on hand. When the cold gets too much to handle, let these warm beverages be your trusted remedy.
Know Your Neighbors
Living in remote areas presents unique challenges when it comes to maintaining social connections. One crucial aspect is fostering strong relationships with your immediate community – your neighbors. In my experience, this means being prepared to roll up one’s sleeves during inclement weather, whether that involves clearing trees to ensure safe passage or warning others of downed power lines.
Additionally, sharing essential supplies can go a long way in building trust and a sense of camaraderie with those around you.
Snow Shovels and Such
When it comes to snow removal, having the right equipment can be crucial. While we typically rely on a trusty snow shovel and take shelter if the weather gets too harsh, some of our neighbors have opted for more heavy-duty solutions like snow plows. Additionally, having supplies of salt on hand can prove particularly useful in situations where ice is an issue.
Exercise Intelligence
While it may seem like common sense, many individuals underestimate the importance of being prepared for winter weather and emergencies. It’s crucial to plan ahead, anticipate potential risks, and take necessary precautions to ensure safety and warmth during the cold winter months.
