Not too much to talk about around these parts except snow. AND MORE SNOW. We’re pretty sure that we have hit our annual average already. It is so deep that the moose are walking the roads to avoid wading through the drifts. We take a road called Skyline Drive to downtown Homer and the Spit. Lately we have been getting stuck behind moose that take their time walking the road until they see a path or driveway that will be less work to traverse. The town put a sign near our end of the road that states chains recommended. So far we have been able to suffice with a 4×4 and studs. Here’s a few Homer facts.
Homer gets 37 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Homer averages 72 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 21°F to 61°F and is rarely below 3°F or above 67°F..
Mind you, we are not complaining. An advantage to farming is that winters are slow. We have all the time in the world to run snow machines and shovel. The Homer municipality is good about getting the roads plowed on a timely basis. We get more snow on the ridge above town as we are at an elevation of 1000 ft. If you are not fond of snow then Southcentral Alaska is likely not for you.
During all this crazy snow the chickens continue to lay a dozen eggs a day. We never expected them to be so productive in the middle of winter. The Australorps are an amazing breed. They are large hardy birds that provide XL brown eggs. If you are considering laying chicks this spring, we can’t think of a better breed.
The one chore with the high tunnel design is that it is a good idea to keep the snow drifts off the sides. This is no big deal with this little one but will be some work next year when we put the 100′ tunnel up.
Homer Pics
High Tunnels and farming/homesteading are popular here. We are looking forward to the upcoming growing season.
Stay safe & healthy!
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