11 Winter Homesteading Tasks: January to March

The first of the year and winter time brings a new set of tasks that need to be completed on your homestead.

Christmas is over, and the dark of winter sets in. Now is the perfect time to start your winter homesteading tasks. I call these my quarter-one homesteading tasks, and they revolve around gearing up for the upcoming season.

Spring is a busy time for homesteaders. So, use the slowness of winter to develop plans and ideas worth having. It’s a time to embrace the rest that God provides for us as the snow covers the ground. Use this time to decide what you need to do in the upcoming year and how to make those plans come to life.

It is also the perfect time to perfect your bread recipes and soak in extra cups of hot tea while binging movies. We have to have balance, after all.

Homesteading Tasks for the Winter Months

Can Leftover Veggies from Last Growing Season

Each gardening season, I toss veggies or fruit into the freezer to preserve later. Heating the kitchen with a canner when it’s 90 degrees outside is NOT ideal.

We know that spring brings the next growing season. Now is the time to can up anything leftover from the last growing season. This is often when I preserve tomato sauce, mulberry jelly, cranberry juice, and more.

Take a look at how much freezer space you have and consider preserving those foods in other ways.

Work on Your Baking Skills

Winter is the best time to work on baking skills. Summer is NOT the time I bake; my house is hot enough without adding the oven. However, in the winter, I’m happy to warm the kitchen baking bread and muffins in the morning.

Baking is a skill. It’s more than reading a recipe and following it. Try learning to knead bread! You’ll quickly realize how much more skill it takes than following what a recipe tells you.

Use this time to bake and create goodies for your family. Quarter two brings a busier season and you may not find yourself in the kitchen as often.

Organize and Order Seeds

Winter is the perfect time to organize and order seeds. Gather all your seeds together, inventory what you have, and decide what you need to buy.

I often have more seeds than I expect. Seeds stay good; you don’t need to replace seeds yearly. However, germination rates decrease each year, so you need to sow more older seeds than newer seeds.

However, I like to add new seeds each year and replenish the stock we have on hand. Nothing is better than shopping for seeds with a cup of hot tea in hand.

Related: 26 Free Seed Catalogs

Order Chicks: Meat & Egg Layers

Winter is also the best time to order chicks, ducks, Quail, and other poultry. Most hatcheries allow you to select the month you want chicks delivered. This depends on your average weather; I prefer, in Ohio, to get chicks around March.

If you plan to raise meat chickens, now is the best time to order them as well. Meat chickens typically grow faster unless you raise a heritage breed. Expect butchering to start anywhere from 8-12 weeks after the chicks hatch. I suggest NOT to plan a vacation around this time.

Ask me how I know that!

Now, you have seeds and animals ordered for the year. Your homestead is off to a great start for the year.

Tap Maple Trees

If you have maple trees on your property, I suggest tapping the trees for maple syrup.

Have you SEEN the price in the store for REAL maple syrup? It’s downright robbery. Then again, once you tap trees for the first time, you’ll see why it costs so much.

The best time to tap varies based on where you live. We tend to tap in early to middle February. Ohio brings strange weather; sap flows when nights are below freezing, but daytime temperatures warm up.

Tapping maple trees is a great way to get your family involved in an activity. It takes several weeks and time to make it happen.

Order Bees and Supplies for the Spring

Interested in raising honey bees this year? Bees continue to stay on my maybe ideas; I want to dive in, but I know there is a TON to learn. That intimidates me at times.

However, if you want to give bees a try, you need to order colonies or honeybee packages in the spring. Your pick-up times will vary based on location, but this is often a larger purchase. In my area, one colony costs $250-300. Don’t forget all the extra supplies!

Start Seeds Based on Your Growing Season

All gardeners have different growing seasons. So, the date you need to start seeds will vary. However, most will need to start seeds indoors between February and April.

I spend an afternoon in early February writing out all the dates I need to start seeds. Most seed packets tell you when to start seeds based on your last frost date. After I have my calendar written out, I make sure to inventory all of the seed starting trays and pots to ensure I have enough.

Get ahead of seed starting so you feel prepared and ready for the growing season. Now is also a great time to draw out your garden and where you hope to plant everything along with determining how many plants you need!

Prep and Set Up a Chicken Brooder

Your chicks will arrive at some time, and you need to have a chicken brooder ready for those new babies!

A brooder can be as simple or complex as you want. You need a box you can easily reach into to grab the chicks; you need to be able to access each one daily. It should be spacious enough for them to grow into but not too large that you can’t cover the top.

Cats, if you have, will definitely try to get to your babies!

Chicks need a heat plate. Skip the heat lamps. One time, our heat lamp fell into our brooder. Thankfully, all the chicks lived but, by the time we realized, the entire room was filled with smoke because the bedding started to smolder.

Plan and set up your brooder BEFORE your chicks arrive. You don’t want to rush around the day before they arrive!

Prepare Your Homestead Budget

Homesteading may save money, but you have to spend to save. Take a look at your expected needs for the upcoming year and set a budget you feel comfortable spending.

Some things you may spend money on include:

Chick supplies
Chicken co-op materials
Chicken Feed and bedding
Other animal feed and bedding
Compost
Fertilizer
Seed starting material
Canning supplies
Packaging if selling eggs, veggies, etc
Fruit trees, bushes, etc
Fencing materials

Your homestead will undoubtedly have some unexpected expenses.

One time, my chickens figured out how to get to my neighbor’s garden. Mind you, they bypassed my 50ft x 80ft garden and went for his 5 tomato plants. We quickly had to create a fence where they discovered an entry to prevent this from happening again!

Bulk Order Compost

We use a lot of compost yearly. It doesn’t make sense to purchase in bags; we always buy it by the truck-full.

If you want a lot of compost this year, call around to local garden nurseries and ask their prices. Many will allow you to place a bulk order ahead of time and set a delivery date. This is one more thing off your lap and ready for the upcoming growing season.

Consider Tilling Up Your Garden

Not everyone tills their garden. If you are in the no-tilling garden camp, ignore this idea.

We use a rototiller for our large, in-ground garden bed. I try to till it up for the first time around March if the ground isn’t too muddy. Pick a day when it hasn’t rained or snowed for at least a week. Then, use your rototiller.

Usually, at this time, I put a new layer of compost and till a second time. In our raised beds, I use a small tiller to kill off any weeds that grow in the winter and spread a thick layer of fresh compost.

11 Winter Homesteading Tasks: January to March

The first of the year and winter time brings a new set of tasks that need to be completed on your homestead.

Homesteading Tasks for the Winter Months