VDL Acres

VDL Acres From managing chickens and ducks to gardening and stacking firewood these are just some of the things we are about to encounter on our next journey.

Follow along as we build a life worth living here in the backwoods.

Lots of work to be done! This past weekend and start of this week has had us busy with no time to rest but yet another t...
06/18/2026

Lots of work to be done! This past weekend and start of this week has had us busy with no time to rest but yet another task can be checked off the list!

It took a while to get around to it but we finally got around to trimming up some of the trees and clearing up the brush piles and downed trees around the back of the house! It was a task that we’ve been meaning to accomplish for a while now and we are so glad we finally got it done as it makes the area look so much nicer and more open.

This also had an added benefit of opening up space for our next project which we will keep secret for now but will be sure to update you I’ll on it soon enough! Until then stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all in the next update!

-Joe

Our blackberries are in bloom!Years past I’ve missed the opportunity to harvest wild blackberries due to not getting to ...
06/15/2026

Our blackberries are in bloom!

Years past I’ve missed the opportunity to harvest wild blackberries due to not getting to them before the critters do… But not this year! Not only are they growing right in my backyard but I get to watch as they go from flower to berry and can harvest as soon as they are ripe for the picking!

Follow along for more updates and if your interested go follow Amy’s new page The Backwoods Dutch Oven for all the recipes she will eventually be posting utilizing this years harvest plus much, much more!! As alway stay safe everyone and I’ll see you all in the next update!!

-Joe

A little over a month ago we had complete our chicken coop and run, moving in five hens, two roosters, and two Guinea fo...
06/14/2026

A little over a month ago we had complete our chicken coop and run, moving in five hens, two roosters, and two Guinea fowl a few days later. We successfully integrated chickens into our daily routine after some trouble shooting and plans to expand the flock. A week ago we successfully added an additional 19 hens to our flock, well more than what was planned at the time, and now starts the plans to increase the run size to double what we have now.

The coop is currently at max capacity so we currently have no plans to add anymore birds to the flock at least at this time however we are currently clearing a section of land that may soon house ducks if everything goes to plan! We are excited with the progress we’ve made this far and even more excited to have this wonderful opportunity to further expand our current source of egg production!

Stay safe everyone and we’ll see you all soon!

-Joe

Really cool experience yesterday! Had this little guy trapped in the garage and unable to find it way back out. When I w...
06/14/2026

Really cool experience yesterday! Had this little guy trapped in the garage and unable to find it way back out. When I went to see if I could help guide it out it chose to let me help it and landed on my hand allowing me gently grasp it and carry it back outside where it waited long enough for me to get a picture of it before flying off free once more!

I thought this was an awesome experience and just had to share! Anyway, stay safe everyone and I’ll see you next time!

- Joe

We finally did it!I’ve debated this change and double thought everything but I finally settled on a decision… Backwoods ...
06/14/2026

We finally did it!

I’ve debated this change and double thought everything but I finally settled on a decision… Backwoods With Joe is no more and VDL Acres has taken its place! This decision was a hard one to make but I came to realize that my outings and outdoor adventures are my time to focus on myself and to longer had the motivation or desire to keep the page running and would rather focus on the adventure myself. Moving forward if I care to share it will be brief fallow ups instead of multi paragraph posts explaining the entire journey.

But that doesn’t mean all of it ends here… VDL Acres is a project Amy and I have been working on well before our recent move. It’s something we hold close to the heart as it’s the embodiment of our entire lifestyle. The posts we share here will fallow of journey into backwoods living from the successful endeavors to the stressful struggles. We are happy to share these experiences with you all!

There are other side projects in the works and our recent graphics updates share a brief insight as to what’s happening currently behind the scenes. As soon as the last bit of work is ironed out we will happily share that update with you as well. All we ask of you now is to please be patient as we get into the rhythm of things and figure out a success update schedule. On that note soon you will start to see more than just myself posting. I’m fully bringing Amy on board and she will be making and publishing updates for the page as well so stay tuned for more information and updates as they will hopefully start becoming more frequent and informative.

Until then, stay safe everyone and I’ll see you all in the next update!

- Joe

It’s been just about three years since I last made a post. I won’t apologize for falling off the face of the earth as it...
05/19/2026

It’s been just about three years since I last made a post. I won’t apologize for falling off the face of the earth as it was most definitely needed. I took the time to reflect and focus on myself and the family. I went on adventures, my family grew bigger, I bought my dream property, and overall just focused on myself and my life without the constant need to share it.

That being said we have moved beyond our two bedroom duplex to a place I have always felt at home. Last year I bought the cabin and the land off of my grandparents and have spent the last year bringing new life to the place. I with the help of my family have made the place a home and I’m very happy my boys will be able to grow up with the same experiences that I have although on a more permanent basis. We have been in our new home for about a month now and although there is still a lot of work to be done we are very much enjoying this latest chapter in our story.

With all the fun and excitement over the last few years it’s hard to share it all and some of it was just worth experiencing it for ourselves. I’d like to thank everyone who has been there for us and support in every way possible to make one of our biggest dreams come true!

To close this out I’d like to announce that as of this week Backwoods With Joe will soon cease to be and will be rebranded to something a lot more meaningful that will carry on the legacy of adventure and self sustained living that its predecessor has built upon this far so please stay tuned for the upcoming changes and we take a deeper look into what it take to live in the backwoods.

Thank you everyone who has made it this far into the post I know it been a lone one but one that was over due for to long! I hope to see you all very soon and as alway stay safe everyone and I’ll see you all soon!

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Green Bay, WI
54820

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