On today’s podcast episode, I talk about preparing your homestead for winter and a few things you may need to do before it gets too bad outside. Depending on where you live winter can be a trying time on the homestead, but with a little preparation, we can weather the storm a little easier and make those long winter months safer and less stressful.
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Winter may feel far away or right around the corner, depending on where you live, but it’s always a good idea to start preparing early. I wanted to share some personal tips for getting your homestead winter-ready based on the lessons I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way!). Let’s dive into what you need to do, step by step, to ensure your homestead is prepared for those chilly months ahead.
Winterizing Your Vehicle
If you rely on a vehicle, it’s super important to make sure it’s ready for the cold. Here are a few simple checks that can save you a lot of hassle once temperatures drop:
- Check Your Coolant: Make sure you have enough antifreeze in your vehicle. Low antifreeze can cause serious engine damage like a cracked engine block.
- Test Your Battery: Cold weather drains battery life quickly. If your car’s been struggling to start lately, it’s probably time for a new one.
- Keep the Gas Tank Full: This helps prevent water from freezing in your fuel lines, which could leave you stranded when it’s icy.
- Check Your Tires: Good tire pressure is essential in cold weather. Don’t forget about your spare tire too!
- Stock Emergency Supplies: Carry essentials like an ice scraper, sand or cat litter (for traction), a blanket, heavy-duty jumper cables, and a good flashlight like a Maglite. You never know when you might need them!
- Easily tests for anti-freeze/anti-boil protection
- Allows visual inspection for rust and sediment
- Provides a quick and easy method to safely collect a sample and measure coolant…
Last update on 2024-11-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A few things you might need
- Check antifreeze – You will need an Antifreeze/Coolant Tester
- Check and replace older batteries with a 12V Car Battery & Alternator Tester
- Check tires and spare tire for proper inflation by using a Tire Gauge
- Ice Scraper and Snowbrush
- Heavy Duty Jumper Cables
- Auto Emergency Snow Shovel Flares or Road Safety Triangle Kit to warn other motorists if you break down
- A Good Flashlight like the MagLite LED 3-Cell D Flashlight
- First Aid Kit
Prepping Your Animals
Your animals need extra care during the winter. Here’s what you can do to keep them happy and healthy:
- Block the Drafts: Make sure your chicken coop or animal pens are free of drafts. Ventilation is important, but cold drafts can be harmful.
- Heat Lamps (With Caution): If your winters are harsh, you may need a heat source for your animals. Heat lamps can work, but be extra careful to avoid fire hazards by securing them properly.
- Keep Water From Freezing: You don’t want to be out there every morning breaking the ice on water bowls. Invest in heated water bottles for meat rabbits or trough heaters for your larger livestock.
Prepare Equipment For Storage
Make sure all gas-operated equipment that will be stored for the winter such as lawnmowers and trimmers has the gas either removed or treated for storage with a Fuel Stabilizer.
Garden Bed Maintenance
Even though your garden will be resting over the winter, there are a few things you should do to prepare it for next season:
- Mulch the Soil: I like to cover my garden beds with a few inches of mulch or compost. It keeps the soil healthy and helps prevent weeds from taking over.
- Chop and Shred: If you have a chipper or shredder, now’s the time to use it. Shred up old plant material to create mulch for your garden. Plus, it keeps all that organic matter on your homestead, where it belongs.
Prepare Your Home
Your home needs a little love too! Make sure it’s ready for winter with these simple tips:
- Check Your Furnace: Turn it on before you really need it, just to make sure everything is working properly. Don’t forget to replace the furnace filter.
- Sweep the Chimney: If you have a wood stove or fireplace, clean that chimney! You don’t want last year’s soot causing a fire.
- Keep Oil Lamps Handy: Power outages can happen, so it’s always a good idea to have oil lamps filled and ready to go.
Pond and Fountain Care
If you have a decorative pond or fountain, make sure to drain and clean it before winter hits. If you have fish, you might want to invest in a pond heater to keep part of the water from freezing over. This is important to prevent the pond from cracking due to ice buildup.
Don’t Forget Your Hoses and Spigots
Make sure to drain any hoses and wrap your outdoor spigots to keep them from freezing. You can use heat tape to protect any pipes that might freeze if you live in a really cold area.
- This item is a M-D Building Products 4309 3-Foot Pipe Heating Cable with…
- Purpose of use for Rough Plumbing, pipe-heat-cables
- This product is manufactured in China
Last update on 2024-11-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Relax and Enjoy the Winter!
Once you’ve taken care of all the winter preparations, remember that winter has its perks too. It’s a great time to relax, spend time with family, and enjoy some quiet time in front of the fire (or in the garage, in my case!). Winter doesn’t have to mean the end of homesteading activities. There are plenty of things to do indoors, like planning next year’s garden or learning new skills.
Share Your Tips On Preparing Your Homestead for Winter
What do you do to get ready for winter on your homestead? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or in our Facebook group, The Homestead Front Porch. Let’s help each other out and make sure we all have smooth sailing through the colder months ahead.
Remember, every day is an opportunity to take one more step toward a better, more self-sufficient future. Happy winter prepping, and stay warm out there!