Ichiryo Gusoku: The New Year

So as part of my keeping a separate set of goals and managing them for Ichiryo Gusoku, I have decided to start at least dedicating one post a week to this.  As Saturday is typically not a day I have written in the past, it makes as good a day as any.

As a reminder, this is the ultimate goals I have:

-         80% self sufficiency in vegetables
-         50% self sufficiency in citrus fruits
-         50% self sufficiency in grains
-         80% self sufficiency in compost/soil additives.
-         100% self sufficiency in honey
-         50% sufficiency in eggs
-         80% sufficiency in energy (Solar, wind)
-         50% sufficiency in stored water for irrigation
-         Debt freedom
-         Develop a second career sufficient to fund 100% of our living expenses.

This are pretty expansive goals if you look at them.  A bit overwhelming, even.  Which means I need to start with where we are and where I would like us to be.

Where we are:  Urban area.  We are unlikely to be able to move for another 8 years or so to let Nighean Dhonn finish her schooling.  That would put us 10 years into our 30 year mortgage (with luck and a little effort, maybe we could pay it off.

What that means:  This is not the ultimate place I want to be, so my management and expectations of what I have needs to be tempered  i.e. no heavy investments or lots of things I cannot take with us when we leave.

What that limits us to:  Although it grieves me at this point, this rules out most livestock.  We have rabbits but they are kept as pets (and frankly, compost/manure generators).  We have quail as well, which is probably as much "livestock" as I can get away with here.  

We do have an area which is suitable for a garden (and more could be developed) but I have to balance this against how much of an investment I want to make to stay here.

With all of that said, what do I think I can do this year?

- Cheese:  I like making cheese.  I am okay at it.  I would like to improve in it.  That said, we eat a lot of cheese.  I cannot figure out how much I would have to make to supply us with all the cheese we do it but it would undoubtedly be more than the one day a month I set aside to make cheese.  Due to some limitations (mostly the size of my pot) I get smaller quantities as well.  While I need to keep my eyes open for a new pot (start making the Goodwill rounds), perhaps a more likely goals would be to try for self sufficiency this year in one or two cheeses that we eat a lot of.  Cream Cheese is on the list.  Mozzarella is there as well, although I have had bad luck to date with it.  Cheddar would be another candidate, but I need to make a lot of cheddar for it to work (did I mention we like cheese?).

- Fruits and vegetables:  I can reasonable try to acquire a dwarf citrus plant this year (limes or lemons would be best).  My gardening skills are not great so my luck is spotty - part of the problem is adapting to the heat and humidity of where we live and figuring out what does well there (note:  okra and peppers and black eyed peas do very well indeed).  My hope at this point would be to get 10% of what we need.

- Grain:  Also somewhat difficult due to the environment.  I am still experimenting with what does best.  Barley has been a good producer, wheat is okay.  But I need a lot more.

 - Compost/Soil Additives:  I need to up my compost game.  My current system of a trash can with a hole cut out, set in the ground, has not worked out all that well.  This is something that I should be able to fix this year.

- Honey:  This is a stretch goal for the year.  I would love to have bees again.  I just love watching them work, let alone the honey they produce.  That said, bees are about a $300 - $400 investment (you really should use old bee boxes - chance of nasty things transferring is high).

- Eggs:  This may be doable - if I can convince the quail to lay!  I need to figure out a better longer term housing situation for them (although this issue with rats merits further consideration).  At $4-$5 a bird, they are relatively cheap to try with - and a joy to watch.

- Energy: Solar is probably out this year (cost).  I might try for battery self-sufficiency, as I think we could realize some savings there (and it would be a good place to start).

- Stored water for Irrigation:  Possible, both by finding some other water storage units and changing how we water.  Maybe 20%?

- Debt Freedom:  This is something I really want to make an effort on this year.  I need to talk to The Ravishing Mrs. TB for her buy in.  I  have no idea why this could not be accomplished in one year if a couple of things go our way.

-Develop a Second Career:  This is something I have to start on - but I have no idea what that would look like.  Yes, we could look at reducing expenses and changing career fields.  But the reality is that ultimately we are still dependent on the good graces of someone else.  That worries - and bothers me.  I have a couple of minor things tagged for income generation (maybe harp, maybe cheese). What I would really love, of course, is to make a living as a writer.  Need to figure out a way to make that happen though.

So where does this leave us?  Well, at least an assessment of what we could do reasonably.  An assessment that short term sustainability will have to be a combination of what we can do and potential items which can be sold or bartered.  A greater move into this area will have to wait until some things change.

One other thing that is not on here is "What's next?"  If I am saying we have to stay here for a certain period of time, that implies that there is somewhere else after that - or at least somewhere that such a larger scope of the work could be developed.  I have no idea where that is right now, although our drive through East State this week gave me some ideas of places to start looking - and at least a tacit buy-in from The Ravishing Mrs. TB that this was a nice looking area.

So I at least start this year conscious of what I can and cannot do - and have some idea of where to best spend my efforts.