The new year comes.

Our first full year on the farm is drawing to a close.

We have had successes, failures, and learned much.

The rabbits were a lesson in ongoing maintenance requirements. The sheep and birds are much lower maintenance, especially with fencing in place to keep the sheep controlled.

Predators are a problem, but vigilance, planning and judicious hunting can reduce predation a lot. Angry geese help a lot as well, and are tough and capable enough to send a coyote packing. Raccoons are tough targets, but after several hunts, they are causing less trouble.

On the whole power tools mean less than intelligent tool use. On our scale, at the pace we work and with the plans we lay, power tools are more hassle and expense than they are usually worth.

If we want something done properly, it is up to us to do it. We cannot rely on others for things which really matter. The best example of this was the fencing.

An ounce of planning is worth a pound of sweat. Obviously, this is true in many walks of life, but when the pound of sweat is literal, it is driven home so much more clearly.