You have one heck of a project on your hands, and I commend your efforts. I think homesteading is so cool. I'm about to move into a place that actually has a yard so I can get to gardening! I've got so much to learn, but that''s the fun part. My Grandmother always had a garden in the back yard, actually took up as much property as the house, lol. I found your blog via your sister wives'. I'll be staying tuned for tips and stories on working the land. Sidenote: have you thought about getting the stumps ground down for the clearing, and then there is some extra mulch/composting material. Good luck y'all, I'll be back.
Hey! Thanks for stopping by! Eventually I hope to get a tractor with a chipper attachment, to deal with all the brush and smaller logs. Renting a stump grinder is a bit too pricey, I'll most likely dig around the larger stumps and try to cut them at least 6" beneath the soil line. The pine will rot pretty fast and it will function as a moisture wick with the rotted tap root pulling up moisture from deep beneath the soil.
Oh, very cool. That's good to know.