Fall Homestead Chores List

It’s October already? Oh boy, I guess that means it’s time for Fall Homestead chores! I wish I could say I was really organized and had lists and things but that’s just not going to happen this year.

Our homestead is based in the southeastern part of British Columbia, Canada and although we don’t see the -40° plus of our some of our more northern and eastern Canadian friends, it still gets fairly cold and we do get quite a bit of snow, especially the last couple of years. (This information will be geared towards this type of climate so if you live somewhere more mild unfortunately I can’t really help)

Related reading: Blizzard of 2017 – In Pictures 

• Life Around the Homestead: A Winter Homestead Tour

Most Important Fall Homestead Chore

Identify your most important fall homestead chore and complete that first!

Our most important chore in the fall is firewood. We heat our house during the winter with wood so a large portion of our fall chores is gathering, chopping, and storing firewood.

My husband Pat has many many years experience getting firewood. He grew up in a house that was fully heated with wood (a wood stove and a fireplace) whereas I

grew up in a more modern home which was heated with a natural gas furnace.

Thankfully, he knows what he is doing when it comes to falling any standing dead trees. Myself and the kids help with bucking, chopping and stacking. It is an exhausting and somewhat dangerous job, so we are always glad when this is finished for another year.

Watch this video of our family getting firewood…

Fall Homesteading Chores in the Garden

Homesteading chores in the garden include;

• completing the harvest of all ripe food
• composting or feeding the chickens any rotten veggies and fruit
• trimming the grass in the walkways
• planting green manures
• planting garlic
• adding compost and/or mulch to garden beds
• gathering up, cleaning, and putting away any lost or forgotten tools (also take the time to clean and make any necessary repairs to your tools before putting them away)
• plant any fall bulbs
• prune perennial plants and fruit trees

Fall Homesteading Chores in the Coop

Winter is coming, which means it might be the last time you can give your coop a really good cleaning.

The bedding comes out and is used for mulch around new fall gardens. New hay or bedding is replaced. The nesting boxes are also cleaned and new bedding is placed in them also.

Fences around the coop are checked and fixed up if needed.

Fall Homesteading Chores Around the House

As I mentioned above, the most important chore is getting firewood to heat the house. Along with getting firewood though, you should also clean your heating source and clean the chimney.

Making sure these areas are cleaned out and refreshed in the fall makes them safer and also makes them work their best during the winter months. (My husband is a firefighter and they have at least one chimney fire each winter so make sure you clean out those fireboxes and chimneys!)

Cleaning up and putting away all outdoor furniture and accessories from the deck before the snow comes.

Of course, we are still canning and putting up food in the homestead kitchen.

Pulling out decorations for Fall and Halloween (one of my absolute favorite things to do!)

Pulling out and assessing winter clothing and gear (one of my least favorite things to do!). Check that everything fits, doesn’t have holes and repair if needed before the colder days come. This is also a good time to pull out and clean and repair extra warm blankets as those might be needed as well (especially in emergency situations)

Set up indoor winter clothesline.

Fill the freezer.

What kinds of Homestead chores does your family do in the fall? Let me know in the comments or come chat with us on facebook!

Related To Fall Homestead Chore List:

• Why Should I Preserve Food by Dehydrating?
• Storing the Harvest: Best Ways To Preserve Food
• Canning Basics for the Homestead
• Super Easy Crockpot Apple Butter
• Homestead How-To’s ~ Basic Chicken Coop Requirements
• Ways of Storing Fresh Herbs from Your Garden
• Ways to Freeze and Preserve Eggs

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