Mapping It

Maddy has a degree in Geography and made us a great map of our property. I then added a bunch of details, so anything that looks amateurish is my handiwork and not my daughter's work.

The map helps to demonstrate the hilliness of our property.  The bottom corner is the highest elevation and the stream runs along the lowest part of our little valley. The stream also loses about 5 or 6 feet as it runs down towards the house (at the top of the image.)

In this close up of the area around the house it is easier to see the elevation lines. The bottom right corner of the house faces pretty much towards the south.

The area right around the house and on either side of the stream is fairly level . Across the stream from the house is the firewood processing area.
The back or farm part of the property is much hillier.

The green shaded areas are woods and/or shrubby areas. The pastures, in white, are slowly being encroached by brush. This year's task for the goats and sheep is to clear back the brush so we can expand the pastures back to their original size.  We should be able to increase the pastures by approximately 25% by clearing the brush. And we will make the goats very happy with that job too.

It is hard to see, but the pale, thin line around the perimeter of the back part of the property is the new fencing and the gray rectangle in the upper left is the barn. We will have three main pastures, the first on the south side of the stream, the other two split by the finger of green shaded area in the middle of the image. Each main pasture will then be managed intensively, moving the animals around with temporary electric fencing. I am excited to see how this all works. The chickens caught on quickly to the concept and would get all excited when I was moving their electric fencing.  I am hoping the sheep and goats will be able to be out on pasture by May, but the snow had better start melting faster!