Keeping Warm on the Homestead

Our Barn - New York Blizzard 2014

Sometimes romantic ideals can get in the way of reality. This City Gone County Girl is loving her life on the Allen Homestead, but was unprepared in the ways of conquering time. There is so much that has to be done!

I had this great idea...I will start blogging all the events that happen on our Homestead here in Upstate, NY! I couldn't wait to combine my passion for writing with my new life as a farm girl. What I was unready for? Finding the time to juggle blogging with all that needs to be done on the Homestead! After a full days work, I plop on the couch in front of the fire and crash.

Moving here in November 2012, we have lived on our seven acre plot of heaven for about a year and a half.  I cannot believe what we have done to our home in this short amount of time! Late last summer we had an energy audit of our home and found that it was less than sufficient at keeping our heat in the house. Our home was built in 1875, and although recently gutted and remodeled, the insulation was less than stellar. Living in Upstate, NY we see our fair share of snow so we knew that something had to be done quickly. We qualified for a grant through New York State NYSERDA Energy Program and got to work. My husband and I were so surprised to learn that we only had 3 inches of old insulation in our attic. No wonder our furnace had been working overtime last winter! We found a wonderful, detail oriented company that gave our house the works. Insulation in the attic, in the crawl space of our kitchen, and in the attic storage room. New cow block windows in our stone basement. Foam sealant installed in every nook and cranny between the house and foundation. My basement looks like a can of Great Stuff exploded! Little did we know it would be just in time.

Then the winter of 2014 hit. And hit hard.

And then we got our heat bill. And we cried.

Even after doing all the insulation work to our home, our heat bill doubled this year. Trying to figure out why made my head hurt. How could this happen after all the work that we had just done to our home? Calling the electric and gas company, they tell us that due to the bad weather this winter they have not sent anyone out to read meters in our area. They were calculating gas usage based on estimations. Now, the present reading has caught up with us and there is a deficit. Seriously?? Ugh. And they try to make us feel better by saying "Just imagine what the bill would have been if you hadn't done the insulation work!". Gee, thanks.

This event was the final push for my husband and I to pursue our next project. After receiving our tax refund we went to a lovely local company to purchase and install a wood stove. Oh, I so wish we had done this sooner! The install was finished in early March, and it was the best purchase we have ever made. We are warm! So Cozy!  And that heat bill? That will be the best piece of it all. With 5 acres of woods on our property, it was the smartest decision. No more furnace, no more gas usage... free heat. Ideally, pennies in the pocket!

Splitting and hauling wood is hard work, but so worth it. I never in my right mind, EVER thought I would be doing this kind of work... and enjoying it. I stacked wood in the rain this week. When I was a city girl, I would have thought someone doing this kind of work was crazy. That's what the gas companies are for right? I get comments from most of my social circle, who agree with that notion. They think I have gone off the deep end, as I actually choose hard work. Today,
I find myself craving hard, outdoor work. I'd rather split wood than run like a hamster on a treadmill!

Living on the Homestead is changing me; as a  City Gone Country Girl, I am just beginning to awaken the country girl. I can't wait to see what is in store for me next!

May Spring Be Around The Corner...
Till Then, Stay Warm!

Jenn Allen ~ City Gone Country Girl