Just jealous at your abundant space! (I'm on a little less than 1/4 acre, but in the suburbs.) Whatever you do, have a lot of fun!!!!!!!

Jeanne

I've been wanting to answer for a while and may not have time now to do it justice. You sound like you have a lot of good ideas. Some ideas I have are: Do you think you should cut down some firs to add more light? And use that wood in building?

When fencing--think about mobility (hauling hay, etc.) and where the water will be. Where is the pond?

I wouldn't bother with raised beds, I'm making windrows of organic matter instead and within two years seeing an amazing no till difference in hard red clay!! It would have been expensive and time consuming to have built those boxes first. My walking rows are mulched with cardboard covered with wood chips.

You may want to build a chicken tractor that follows the rotation of your livestock. They will eat the messy leftovers of their food, pick in their droppings for undigested feed and worms. This will also keep the tick population down. Ive seen really innovative ones like one made out of an old trampoline.

Use every vertical surface. Add water barrels to your downspouts for the gardens. Run your washing machine water out to the fruit trees and lawn.

Get the Reader's Digest book "Back to Basics" to help you lay things out and be efficient from planning to harvest.

If you want to see how a family of five has done it on less land:

http://www.pathtofreedom.com/pathproject/index.shtml

Many great ideas here.

Good luck, I'm sure I'll be adding more ideas.

The main reason we're thinking of raised beds is so we can make covers for them pretty easy. In this area it's really hard to grow cabbage and broccoli because of some bug I can't remember the name of. Hopefully having a nice bed with corner posts will make a mini greenhouse once the cover is on. We haven't figured out where to put a pond yet, but it will be nice to have one. Planning to use cattle panels for fence, so they will be easy to move around for access. The critter housing will be pretty close to the existing drive, so we'll be able to drive right up and unload.

Here's a site with a layout I really like: http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/Ourhomestead/gardencorral.htm

It's got kind of a chicken moat, so they keep the bugs down, but don't actually go in the veggie zone and wreak havoc.
The path to freedom site is great! It's amazing what you can do when you make the most of the space.

Here's another funky site with lots of good ideas: http://www.bagelhole.org/

LOL Now that I've looked at some sites I had saved I can see I need to catch up on my reading. I don't have long to wait before I can start working 8- )

Beware of building much within reach of the fir trees. The fools who built this place planted a row of firs along the property line, three feet apart & ten feet from the house. I've had large branches break off and tear out my power line from the house. It's probably just a matter of time before a big one comes down, butt first, and punches a hole in the roof. Also, buildings that aren't in shade don't rot as quickly from the ever-present moss.

One very important thing is to have the projects that need the most of your time close to the house. A friend of mine has her greenhouse & garden quite a walk (on her 5 acres) from the house, so neither get the attention they really need. Chickens, too, since you need to check them twice a day or so. Also, if there's a predator out there at night, you don't want to run to the far corner of your property. And, like it or not, there are people who aren't adverse to stealing a sleeping chicken or two for dinner.

If you're building raised beds and going to have a chicken tractor, make them the same size. In the fall, you can set the tractor over the beds and let the chickapoos clean up the leftover vegetation and bugs, and manure it a bit. I usually leave it there for a month, adding straw periodically (plus a cup of scratch sprinkled in it so the chickens fluff up the straw looking for it). When it's 6-12" deep or so, I lift off the tractor and let the bed set over winter. Few weeds can grow through the thick mulch, so in spring, all you have to do is fork off the straw and plant. The soil doesn't need to be tilled, just plant.

Sue

Be careful with that many grazers. I just moved from a lot- almost exactly the same incl the house size. I was only there two years as I was able to find a 10 acre farm for an even flip. There was no way I could have kept that many grazers- you will need 2 paddocks, I would suggest three because they will be small and the animals will chew the ground to mud rapidly. (They'll have chewed paddock #2 to mud and #1 will not be regrown yet) They need to run... I had a small orchard (1/4 acre) and 1/8 acre of veggies, 1/4 acre fruit bushes/rhubarb. A small barn, small apiary, giant compost pile and about 1/4 acre of "grass" which was for letting the dogs run, chickens/geese etc graze, and ampfires etc etc. All of a sudden you're out of space.
I am a tree hugger but seriously consider removing any unthrifty specimens. They ruin the pH, cast shade, grazing under them destroys the ground... They aren't handy unless you need the shade/privacy.
Personally I'd let the chickens run completely loose once accustomed to their coop. 2' fence around veggies will keep them out, and allow them to eat bugs and grass everywhere BUT the veggies. I let mine in the veggies but I always ended up feeding them most of them anyways.
You're going to LOVE living there. Make certain privacy from neghbours is ample or plant something evergreen asap. It's a big lot, but the neigbours are still just next door.

A short fence will keep heavy breeds of chickens out (like Buff Orpingtons), but the lighter breeds & bantamswill fly right over a short fence. The grass is always greener over there, you know!

Sue

If you trim one wing, most chickens can't fly.

But then they are useless to any predators...

I too am starting my own little piece of paradise on 1.75 acres. My story sounds the same. I had tons of pines. I cut everyone of them down. I started from scratch so that i could have only the trees i want where i wanted them. I planted a small fruit orchard at the back edge on my land. About 20 trees in all with two of each fruit about. I have put grape vines in the middle of them. along the side I have planted nut trees. I have dedicated a half acre to raised beds with a self watering system (timers) And I am planning to build a small green house over a section of my garden. The beds range from 4 ft boxes to 16 foot long rows.i plan on using part of my front yard and an herb garden. I also plan to plant herbs and edible flowers along my fence. Maybe a small barn in the future. Solar in the far future, and maybe a well in the near future. I figure as time goes on I will reach my goal of 90% self reliance. Your freedom rests in the hand in which you put it.