We don't know what we're doing!

Episode 137, in which we are taking you with us during a whole day in our village. Bees, lambs, chicken traktor, vintage tractor
This is a vlog about our struggles and joys of living off the grid in the forests of Jämtland, Sweden.
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Take care,
Tova, Mathias and Ivar

[@sonjakodric]

Don't know what you're doing? Well then, you are REAL pioneer homesteaders, real adventurers. Everything is on-the-job training, trial and error, in the moment problem solving. And somehow never giving up, not gone all sour. Kudos, family. Your viewers are full of admiration. Power to you 🙏

[@jacquelineross9964]

“Don’t know what you are doing ?” That’s most of us in what we call… LIFE.

[@rhonalow3271]

Tovar your hair has grown into a beautiful crowning glory!!

[@seetsusan]

I just love seeing your family, your animals, and hearing the sounds of nature. The place looks so green and lovely now that spring/summer has arrived. How wonderful also that you have such supportive extended family members near you. ❤

[@nikolakrastev9067]

It's really cool to make a video without a plan. Feels more authentic. Other videos are delightful, some even fascinating, but the power of spontaneity is undeniable. Thank you.

[@jacquelineross9964]

Ivar is having such a happy, natural, well rounded childhood. I do hope in my next life cycle to be in such a Creation.

[@AnnaKa1302]

It is hard work, but it's also such a gift to have your own home, land, nature, fresh air and calm life with your family. It's a luxury nowadays🙏❤️🙋‍♀️🌼🌼🌼 Thank you for this beautiful evening ❤❤❤

[@rickperalta1921]

The new hive looks great! My grandfather kept bees, in stacks of box frames. He maintained that if you eat the honey, the bees accept you. One day he brought me behind the hives and opened one. He put some dry grass in an old smoker, lit it and puffed smoke around the hive. Then with no safety equipment opened the hive, removed a tray, brushed the bees off with his bare hands. He showed the queen and drones. He had me, with bare hands, pluck out drones. Before closing the hive he showed a bee stinging his finger. The bee drove the stinger in, struggled to fly away, leaving the barn and still pumping venom sack behind. When called to collect wild bees he would wear a pith helmet, screen and use a sack on a pole. Decades later my young daughter stepped in a yellow jacket nest. I coached her through the process, calmly plucking the angry wasps from her - with bare hands. I am grateful to my grandfather for being taught to be calm.

[@rickperalta1921]

My grandfather had a farm in the city of Lynn, Massachusetts through the depression years. He made a tractor with an old Model T auto. There was a plow (that looked like it was made for a horse) and disc harrow. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_(tool) My uncle dreaded farm work, especially harvesting the chickens. Unfortunately I never saw him prepare the land. Thanks for sharing!

[@Susan-fr1rq]

Watching your videos nurtures my soul. Thank you.

[@blueparadise15]

This is my most favourite channel

[@palomaf.2150]

You all work very hard for a beautiful and healthy life ❤🌿 the little lambs are adorable 🐑

[@lpgirl]

Ivar is so precious....loved his close up. Love your video. Thank you for bringing us along.

[@lpgirl]

Your daylight hours last so long! It must be hard to quit working at the end of a long day if it refuses to get dark!

[@ursinamaclellan5786]

Hi there I tried to remember how we planted potatoes in the Hebrides. We ploughed the first furrow and put the potatoes into it about a foot apart, ploughing the next furrow the soil was turned covering the potatoes that were just planted. Then you continue planting into the new furrow and so on. We usually had one tractor driver and four or five men, women and children placing the potatoes so you could keep up with person ploughing. Sometimes we did two or three fields in one evening. The work was shared between several families and it was great fun usually it ended in a little party in the field, the adults got given a drink of whiskey and there were sandwiches for everyone and sweets for the children. I can’t remember if the field was Harrowed/flattened out the next day or if it was left as it was. Lifting the potatoes in the Autumn was also done communally in the autumn. The soil we planted our potatoes in was very sandy soil near the sea shore, the field was fertilised with seaweed in January. I don’t know if it can be done in the same way in heavier soil. I love watching your videos and have been following you for some time. I wish you all the best with your potatoes and everything else too.😊x

[@paulgibby6932]

"I'm thinking we need to make a rooster soup" :) That was a wonderful video, all of it. Thank you

[@EnGammalAmazon]

I remember at home where we always kept the 'coulter' and 'moldboard' very clean and polished. We always kept the bearing well greased.Your mouldboard looks like it is quite rusty from sitting out in the weather. The rust will cause friction with the soil as you plow. This takes a lot more energy when plowing. You could take a large wire brush cup wheel on a 9" electric angle grinder and remove much of the rust. Plowing will also help clean up the plow. Once you clean the mouldboard well and use it for plowing, you should put a heavy coat of grease on it to keep it from rusting again. This will make a big difference in how smoothly the plow works. Good luck with this. It brings back memories of being a child of about 8 years plowing with an old Ford 8N tractor and single bottom plow. If you can find an old spike toothed harrow, you could drag that over the fields where there is a lot of moss. This will make the chickens' job much easier for the chickens and do more for your soil at the same time. Keep up the good work. You would typically use the mouldboard plow, like the one you used, as the first step in prepping the ground. Then a coulter disk would com second. These are best as a three point hitch style so you can turn around and go back the other direction. Here is a link to a photo of one. facebook.com/marketplace/item/1224703201427779/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A750a7dda-522d-4165-87bf-699803a7d821 You may need to make several passes in both directions to break up the clods of soil. You would then finish the process with a spring toothed or spike toothed harrow. The old spring toothed harrow that you have would work best on larger fields where you can turn your horse team around. They also make plows specially designed for building up the rows of soil for planting and covering the seed potatoes. If you are only doing enough potatoes for your own use, there may be a better way to plant them. If you can find a farmer that bales their straw when they finish harvesting, you can lay straw bales side by side on their 'cut side.' You cut the twine around the bales and loosen up the straw a bit. Wet the straw down a lot and plant you seed potatoes into the straw. The straw will start to decay and it is easy for the potatoes to grow. The are also quite easy to harvest. When you are done you can use the straw a second year. By the third year you will have some pretty good compost that the chickens will love.

[@colleenepage]

Plow, disc, then drag was how I remember working the field when I helped my dad.

[@jodie6881]

I like Mattias's sniggering behind the camera - he certainly can see the funny edge of things .

[@hunnybunnyssunshineliving5155]

I think you mean snickering 😊

[@jodie6881]

British English vs American English ;)

[@michaeltucker5752]

You need a tractor disc equipment to go over a plowed area…we used a “ hire”, like the one that you were using, to clear brush or you can scrape your pastures to spread the “ poop” of your animals to even out poop everywhere..you can plant potatoes in deep straw and soil instead of plowing, you can use raised beds also…good luck😊

[@Tranquility-Base_on_the_move]

I think I know some chickens who won't be up very early in the morning 😂. Thank you for showing us the good and not so good things that happen. And also thank you for making the effort and time to create these videos for us to watch.

[@blueparadise15]

The woman you’re with is a gem

[@marierklassen7985]

It sure is a beautiful evening , you live in a beautiful country. Thank you for sharing your videos 📹 and thank you for not having alot of background music, i like the sound of nature. Have a wonderful day from northern British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦.

[@PLH483]

You do know what you’re doing! You’re raising a child perfectly. Ivar is a very lucky boy to have you both as parents. Greetings from England.

[@kathrynmoll86]

Always happy to see the chickens, lambs, Malva, and Ivar out in his bare feet -- he has an adorable laughter. Elsa looks uncomfortable with her swollen utters. We had sheep but I don’t remember the utters being so big. Can’t wait to see if your ewe had second lamb. And, you have over a quarter of a million subscribers! Stay strong and thrive! Good night!

[@pattybeauchamp1203]

Try the no dig or no plowing method of planting potatoes…The ‘Ruth Stout ‘Method….very successful for many years way back in time Watching from Seattle WA USA

[@blueparadise15]

I grew all the seeds

[@claudiam.esoteristamaestro5258]

🙋 Greetings, thank you for these beautiful images 👍

[@jamieloom22]

Such a long day, between the naughty chickens and the new lambs, please get some sleep.

[@ruththomas6361]

I had a plot turned for planting when I lived in Anchorage. The first year it was pretty rough and lumpy, but the plants didn't care. Over the winter, the moose would stomp through, eating whatever they could find, tearing up the land a little more and pooping. Over time the plot became better and better looking. Some plants did not do so well: the spinach bolted, but we could still eat it. We got big zucchini and tons of carrots. I had a wonderful rhubarb plant that grew next to the house every year. We could get -30 to-40 degrees F in the winter, but it must have not minded. Every spring it would come back. From my perspective, it is best not too worry so much about what the garden looks like, but what plants do best and stick to that.

[@lindabyrne4596]

I at is so cute and smart. The lambs are adorable. You have a beautiful life there 💝

[@janesmith8050]

Hops do not make fruit but a cone like flower that after drying is commonly used in beer making.

[@user-qw1gu9zu4f]

We have bees and chickens. We have the same issues with the chickens! 😂❤

[@janesmith8050]

My friends- did you happen to look up any potato planting videos on KZbin, lol? We grow potatoes here in Northern Maine and they are super easy to grow. You can simply put your cut and sprouting potatoes on top of the dirt, and then put a thick cover of straw over them and watch them take off. Keep them thickly mulched.

[@blueparadise15]

I’m in love with the Swedish mama

[@laurelbg]

Ivar looks amazing! Great to see all of your projects . Your willingness to try new things inspires me to be braver with my much less ambitious projects. Happy late Spring/early Summer ☀🐑🍓🥔

[@dggivens8433]

WOW..IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOUR PLACE GREEN!! BEAUTIFUL...THANK GOD!!

[@KOBA971]

Always fashionable in the woods! That hat with a feather is ❤

[@donnawebb6057]

Wishing the family a good weekend.

[@leahharbison4932]

It's all trial-and-error. Everything looks nice and green.

[@cricketmcclure3458]

THANK YOU - ALWAYS! for sharing EVERYTHING . . . Your life is enviable. I luv your adventures!

[@belieftransformation]

Wonderful progress everywhere on your farm. Thanks for sharing! On grass that I wanted to plant in without plowing, I added lots of cardboard, then sawdust the fall before. It broke the grass down so I could put potatoes the next spring. The first year wasn’t very productive but it is getting better when I add straw on top for the winter. Add compost, too. Blessings to all 🤗🇨🇦

[@hunnybunnyssunshineliving5155]

What a fantastic video 💜👏🏾👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽👨‍🌾👩‍🌾 Beautiful life... those darn chickens 😄 the one that keeps staying out you should name her Dinner 🌻

[@karomaalta4592]

I love your style! Don't know what we are doing but we do it anyway ❤❤❤ The scene with the chickens not wanting to go to sleep was unforgettable!😂😂

[@irishdancer2753]

The pair of you are doing a great job for not knowing what you are doing!

[@stratorunner1]

Wish a happy summer ! :O

[@joanlenhard82]

Welcome back I missed you. Your little boy got so tall and handsome. Lovely video as always. Thank You

[@AwakeningWARRlOR]

If you are not making mistakes, you are not learning. Just don't make the same mistakes twice. Thank you very much 🤝. Im starting my 1st OFF GRID garden this weekend in northern British Columbia Can'tada, much respect 💪🍁

[@yvettejohansson1916]

Tack för bra underhållning! 🤩 Då kanske man får se er fylla jordkällaren med potatis sen. Hoppas! Jag har sagt det förut, men längtar verkligen att få kolla in i er jordkällare. 😃

[@indyphoto1]

The video shot with the lilac in the foreground and the tractor on the road was beautiful!

[@marnaday4596]

I love my bees! Keep a lookout for swarms. Once they know you keep a hive they’ll be around. I always keep backup supers. You have a horizontal hive. Don’t know much about them. Good luck!

[@chrisj49300]

I love your videos, beautiful and interesting, all the best to you

[@bramvandermey8779]

There are other farmers in the area, can’t you ask them for information on how to plow and furrow a potato field? Especially the older farmers should be familiar with the older equipment you are using.

[@Red-Robin4]

I want some lambs and chickens I think lambs are so adorable I would not be able to kill and eat any of them I just want some to love and I would open up a barn animal rescue sanctuary and just love all the cute adorable animals and pamper them.❤😁

[@katehopkinsbrent5573]

Evening 🤗. A little tidbit that works on my hens- some chunks of bread , tomato if in season , it took 3 or 4 times and they caught on. They’d see me coming or I’d call C’mon girls- they’d go ahead of me and WAIT excitedly for their “bedtime snack”. I’d give it to them and shut them in for the night. ALWAYS around 8:00 or 8:30 ( I had dogs that needed their playtime before dark too ) Chickens are smart wee things and they learned that when Mommy comes with a little basket calling C’mon girls It meant SNACK time. ♥️ Give that a try, soon they’ll hear you call C’mon chickens and KNOW you have something for them 😄 eventually you’ll be tied up doing something else at that time and leave to do the chickens and they’ll all be inside WAITING 😄. If you can keep it the same time every night it’d be much better. GOD bless you guys ♥️😊. LOVE your channel. 🤗love your wee lad too. He is precious 🤗. Should have another so they’re still close in age and can have each other to play with ♥️♥️ I would’ve had a dozen children BUT ended up being a C- section with all 3 and back then, a woman could only have 3. ( it’s 4 maybe 5 now ).

[@maryannknox7158]

Sending Love 💗 Hugs and Blessings to your beautiful Family

[@marthabille8193]

Love watching you from North Carolina. Just had your breakfast of ground beef, egg, spinach with Greek yogurt on top. Delicious!! Now will have more yogurt with blueberries. All this will last all day since I’m not taking care of farm animals😊

[@kelnorton478]

My god, he is so cute. Beautiful son you guys have.

[@user-id7ut4yf2g]

Beautiful day, love the natural flow and seeing how much daylight you have! We had the same instant summer, skipping spring here in Canada… I enjoyed your chicken dilemma a bit too much ;)

[@janetwithers7427]

You have gorgeous scenery with forests and mountains. You all work so very hard. Your chickens are beautiful but stubborn. 😊❇️💞❇️

[@fattuesday33]

Its been a while since I plowed a field, but I think its good to plow early and let it be rained on and sit for a while to break up the turf grass, then run a rotary disc implement over it to break up the clods. Old-time harrows in Missouri were just a square frame with heavy spikes like nails which were drug over plowed and disked land to smooth the seedbed. Perhaps you could do it by dragging the chains behind your harrow. Maybe add a log or timber behind?

[@Janine6564]

We love the spirit of "we don't know what we are doing,but we are doing it anyway". ❤ Definitely the best way to learn. Always admire you guys for that. Keeps everyone humble ☺️ Spring/summer and lambs, what could be better! Have you thought of growing potatoes in straw? No plowing needed and it puts microorganisms back into the soil, keeps weeds away..just a thought, as you also have straw on hand. When the potatoes are harvested, the chickens and sheep perhaps, benefit from the ground and put back their own fertilizer for the next crop the following year. ☺️

[@marafarnham595]

Oh wow 😮 love honey 🍯 😍 thank you Mathias for sharing 😊

[@lizdrouin1104]

Hello from the USA, I so enjoy your videos. It's lovely to see the green grass and leaves,and the beauty of a new Season. Summer is full of light and beauty. Ivar sure has grown ,nice to see him,and all of you enjoying new adventures..All the best to you. ❤

[@user-rb2fk2iw8i]

First you plow then you disk to settle the large hills. That will smooth it out then you can take the weeds up ior harrow it.

[@buckeyelady]

Chickens love table scraps. They also love scraps from anything kitchen. Potato peels, watermelon rind, the possibility is endless.

[@Kanvil]

Soooo, topbar hives are apparently for the tropics - not the north. I wanted to build one, but a very experienced beekeeper told us the Langstroth (like your square ones) were best in northern environments. It will be interesting to follow your progress with the top bar.. I sure hope it does!

[@justoneacre7873]

You live in a beautiful part of Sweden. I am getting itchy feet and thinking I need to visit Sweden!

[@1wolfpup]

What a beautiful day! ❤

[@user-rf6ec6hx3f]

What are those enormous birds? Beautiful lambs.

[@leifpaulin5358]

Cranes.

[@mikeemgesr135]

Springtime is so busy..

[@user-ny6mr7nc1r]

I am glad you are well! I am so naïve; my first impression of video was: 1. construction of a strange looking box; 2. man on the ground sounding very ill . Much love to you and much admiration for the things you do 😄.

[@humcottage5003]

Thought the same😂

[@agnesskibicka]

​@@humcottage5003greetings 👋 from Poland 🇵🇱 and my rural living - channel 😊

[@kleineroteHex]

Yes, do it anyway! Then you will learn and grow. Always good to watch your interesting life, Ivar grow, you continued progress with what you have, inspiring!

[@blueparadise15]

Please take care

[@Lkristina65]

What’s going on with your cabin build?

[@victoriaoyama9768]

That was a very long day, indeed. You did well, Mathias, in persevering until midnight. Hope all went well with the new lamb and new mother. Thanks for sharing with us!

[@jimjohandes]

An EXCELLENT video. Jim in California

[@rebeccac.1758]

Wow you guys have so much daylight!

[@shelleykent5392]

Happy spring!

[@smokeytrailcottage]

I love your vlogs.

[@fazeljigry4896]

So great village and nice farmer good job guys . 👍

[@FullonFamilywithoutlimits]

Really loved this style of video!

[@didirossi5053]

How beautiful to see all the work on a farm. You make super interesting videos, congratulations! 🥰

[@davidremmenga9668]

You are an amazing family. I gather so much inspiration from you both. Your wonderful parents too. Thank you for sharing your wonderful journey through the years. Hang in there you're doing great! Don't forget to pray and thank the Lord for your many blessings!

[@anniehawkins6321]

Just a few words of my experience working with my family on many gardening and farm projects, the drag behind the tractor tool that y’all used we called a harrow and they would drag it over the garden in every direction several times to try and remove as many clumps as possible .sometimes they would place heavy chains or logs on top of the harrow to make it dig deeper then they would run the tiller over the garden back and forth and side to side to help get the soil get as smooth as possible, at the same time they would remove any rocks or roots that wouldn’t break down smooth, then they would make the rows with a plow or by hand with a hoe then the garden was ready to be planted . I usually helped remove rocks or big clumps by hand then my dad or uncle would make the rows and I would help plant the potatoes by hand and my dad would cover them up by using a hoe

[@beeheart6324]

Another beautiful video! Thank you! It's so good to follow all your adventures ;-) I love the way you always do it anyways. That's how we learn the most, I think.

[@margaretcooke7016]

Hello, you always say you do not know but in the end you succeed. So just keep trying and doing what you do. Love watching your Videos. Your Life May be hard and difficult but it is so Beautiful snd your Son is growing Wing up in a Einderful place . Blessings

[@jurriaandejongh8677]

Love these videos, they feel pure and cleansing. A great feeling for someone in the city that misses the feeling of dirt under his feet.

[@eugenecourtney1778]

I like the little child's cap, he is enjoying his chores, cute!!!

[@thenakedsingularity]

It's a good life.

[@lmc1966]

I am amazed you moved the entire hive without smoking it.😳😳 Ah so hilarious these chickens having a slumber party!!! 😂😂😂They are so beautiful...the lambs, the land, the sunset...♥♥♥how not to love??? Ivar...gorgeous and so mature! Very very rewarding life!!!

[@MsHomesteader]

I think you need to disc it after plowing, and usually the disc has a harrow that drags behind it. Maybe you can use PVC pipe and make hoops over the strawberries, then use a netting to keep the birds and deer out. Is that doe older, the one with the large udder? We have an Alpine goat doe that only has one functioning teat and she supported triplets on one teat. She was born this way. We are currently watching our Jersey cow, she is due June 8th but may go anytime now. Congratulations on the lambs, the first-time mama is doing good.

[@mariamunroe6861]

🤩🤩🤩 Thanks for sharing...

[@kelnorton478]

Your relationship appears to be the best I've ever seen. I love that. God bless.

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Seeing you laying down,so much like me with the myasthenia gravis...can do stuff in am , wiped out in afternoon.so hard. Wish the bees well ,love top bar concept. InMy town bees are considered exotic so not allowed. Also have put blueberries, apple,plum in containers as farm store sells sticks which is ok as I need time and energy. Definitely get trees in process fast , thought you had some already

[@mariamunroe6861]

You should consider adding the members join feature on Your Channel, like example $4.99 a month, I would join , but I am not comfortable with other platforms, Just a though , not telling You what to do with Your channel..., Thanks for sharing

[@thegroundedstarseeds]

A great video as always my friends. You guys work so hard and so many hours a day. I really honor not only all you do fr the beings around you but also offering us the great pleasure of sharing these precious moments with. I know how content creation is time-demanding. You guys are amazing. Welcome to the new little ones 🙏💙💫

[@hungryhomesteader48]

in your climate id think turnips and rutabaga would grow good as they grow in colder aeras well. I've been helping or when older growing potatoes my life just abought.

[@backwoodsgirl8519]

My husband said that with a turning plow, like the one your using you just go in one direction. He also said that years ago, they would plow in a plow in a spiral. From the outside like a corkscrew all the way to the center. He also stated that it is good for your soil!

[@user-rb2fk2iw8i]

There is nothing wrong with plowing in fact it actually helps the soil and turns it.

[@monikacarless_wordwitch]

Lovely, calming video... for us, I guess less calm for you since you did all the work, but the evenings and early mornings look beautiful. Everything is so suddenly green! The bee keep is cool, I haven't seen one like that yet.

[@deannaoverstreet4146]

Beautiful

[@MrJulek53]

You should try to find some farmer who would do the rototyling of this field for you and then can plowing it again this way you will have soil ready for planting your potato

[@hermisteller1440]

❤love your way of living