We actually have almost 12 acres and lots of wildlife. Half is protected saltmarsh though, rest is woods and a lot of that is highly regulated buffer zone that can't be legally cut or planted. So the wildlife will always have a home here, and includes osprey and box turtles and other scarce or threatened animals and plants. It is a good feeling seeing hundreds of trees out there (even though I have very little cleared area for growing veggies) and having a fireplace insert. Would like to figure out how to incorporate solar, wind or even turbine power if the little stream or tidal power could be utilized, but I'm not mechanical. Lots of blueberries and checkerberries. I've planted a few little fruit trees - peaches and plums seem to do well (so pretty right now!), and cherries probably would if the deer didn't like them so much. Tomatoes and eggplant and beans do ok, with other crops I don't do so well, I'm gradually amending my little plots of sand and making coldframes out of old windows so I can grow greens when its very cold. Need to get chickens soon to help with the ticks, don't know what if anything could be done about mosquitos - I hate chemicals and they would kill my bees (2 hives). Lots of mussels and oysters in the saltmarsh but my area is permanently closed to shellfishing because the water isn't clean enough (bummer). Being next to the ocean I could spend time shellfishing, fishing, and crabbing if I didn't have to work so many hours because of the huge mortgage. This is one of the cheaper areas in eastern Mass., too, but taxes keep going up. It's kind of a good feeling knowing that, push come to shove, we could provide somewhat for ourselves. However, until I can figure out a very profitable crop or livestock and get into higher gear, we're not keeping up with the mortgage and taxes enough to call ourselves anything approaching sustainable, and retirement looks very very far away even though I've got grandbabies coming now. Hurricanes could knock us back a lot too, or the town deciding to take the land for public use of some sort (sure hope that law is gotten rid of soon). I sure do appreciate the fact that we have options though!
My dream is to get the mortgage paid off, to be able to cut down on the amount of hours I work for a company which only cares about making money (I often put in extra, unpaid hours on nights and weekends) and to be able to spend more time with the grandbabies and in the gardens providing for us.
My advice would be to maybe get a decent amount of high land when you're fairly young and have lots of years to pay it off, and lots of years for fruit trees to mature and soil to be improved.
Looking for possible partners in a homestead
Lots of good ideas there, mayflwrhem. Especially about buying the piece of land early. My parents did that, and my brother and I still have it. As for mosquitoes mix up a batch of "Vinegar of the Four Thieves" - the recipe that Darius gave us. I'm using it, and glad to have it! Yuska
taxes must be really high in places, we pay about $150 a year on 80 Ac. a days work takes care of it. but of course it's 60 mi from the closest major city, I run into people who think they couldn't survive being more than a few minutes from shopping centers. but it's no big deal really, i like it. my choice shopping center is some good deep rich dirt that grows good food.
OhmyGod, Reuben, I think I need to move to Tennessee. Latest tax yearly assessment was for 3.5K, I managed to talk them down a bit cuz can't plant in or anywhere near all the saltmarsh, but re-assessment supposedly is increasing everyone's taxes much more. :( Real hard for folks to afford the basic house, too. But it's an awesome area, to have both ocean and mountains, swimming and skiing, country and cities not too far away, and I like the change of seasons if only winter wasn't so long. I bet NC area is very nice that way too though. (I try to avoid malls whenever possible, they vacuum cash right out of my pocket.)
Trouble is, family is here and I like being close.
Reuben my sister and I now have a ratified contract for 19 acres in Marion, VA. 3/2 house, large barn, chicken coop, root cellar, workshop, potable spring and spring house. Taxes are $409 but will no doubt increase after closing.
darius:
Marion is only about 20 miles from where I live......we'll be practically neighbors!
K
Opps.....almost forgot......CONGRATS!
Thanks Keith!
Here's a thread with photos
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/601652/
great, sounds good. right next to mt rogers and the grayson highlands, I been hiking there, plan to return for several days of trail ridin when i get where i can afford to. inspiring place to visit.
Reuben, I hope when you get there that we can have a visit. I have a friend coming mid summer who is experienced in micro-hydro. Don't know that I have enough fall though.
Are you gonna build one of those straw bale homes?
Lavina
Lavinia, there is a perfectly good 3 br / 2 bath home so I doubt I will build anything. IF I did, it would be an earth=sheltered home (bermed on 3 sides but not buried).
i set up a little hydro system for a friend in NC, it was simple but took some work and expense. he had about 150 ft fall and 10 gpm. but electricity isn't the most important thing, people lived without it till the last 50-100 years, food, water, and heat in winter are the main things.
Reuben, what about someone like me who possibly could harness tidal energy???? Have a tiny stream with no fall but have a tidal pond that goes out onto an estuary to the ocean. Any pointers to the right info would be appreciated. Our town has ok'd windmills for >5 acres but I imagine the engineering plans for anything on that saltmarsh would be prohibitive. (BTW I have almost no bucks available; would have to see if my SO wants a little project.)
Darius - Congratulations!! Looks great and sounds like an awesome place :) Hope you'll be very happy there.
Juli
Reuben, sure wish I had enough fall from the spring to do a micro hydro. The creek is too flat, plus there are restrictions.
mayflwrhem:
If you are ever up in Nova Scotia there is a tidal powered generator near Digby.
rubenT:
What type wheel/turbine did you set up in NC......pelton type? Where did you get your turbine/alternator?
thanks
Keith
Cool, I love the Digby area, that's where my grandfather was from. Guess my salt pond won't compare much to the Bay of Fundy though!
it was a pelton wheel on a semi truck size alternator charging a 24 V battery bank. a tidal generator seems like a huge project, would take a dam across an opening to a tidal pond with a 2 way turbine in it. But if you have wind, that's a good posibility, wind turbines can be made for next to nothing.
Pelton wheels are nice... wish I could do one.
What a wonderful thread to read! Very exciting and invigorating!
Congrats, darius, on your new-found fortune! Hoping it all comes to fruition! Wonderful plans and even more-wonderful goals. I love it!
Shoe.
Hi Darius i have family in your town there last name is Tweeat . also in salt ville to i lived in Winchester Va for a lot of years Regards Paul
Cool beans, Paul! I love it here.
I browsed the postings here...good points you've made! DH really worries about our inability to homestead and be more self sufficient given the rapidly changing way of the world. It does indeed sound like we'll have worse times ahead. I find it so helpful (and motivating) to read the way you guys have made homesteading possible and it is exciting that more and more people are starting to care where their food comes from and wanting to take part in its production.
This message was edited Oct 8, 2006 2:37 PM
Taxes: Were you talking about taxes on farmland? We have one of the highest property taxes in the nation here in good ol' Texas. On our house of $130+ K we pay almost 4 grand a year....on a lot of 7,000 sq ft. Luckily if you can claim more land and have livestock your taxes are reduced quite a bit.
Tir_Na_Nog - I hear you on the high Texas taxes. I have almost 2 acres and I live outside the city limits and pay about $4,000 (split between two counties - hrmph!). Every year my dwellings increase in value which is laughable...... :-) I think at some point I'll get annoyed enough to have a professional come out and do a "real" asessment and challenge these guys.
I wish I could allow myself to homestead "full-time". I am tied to the security of medical, dental insurance and other things you have to have full time regular employment for. I hate that I'm so apprehensive about life.
Thoughts on an underground home - I lived in an underground home for 12 years and would NEVER do it again. Even with a dehumidifier running 24/7, lots of things molded - books, suitcases, shoes. I got so sick of only being able to see only the tops of trees out of the windows. When I finally left, I moved into a home where I didn't put anything at all on the windows, I was so starved to be able to see out! (Luckily there were no neighbors to see in).
After rereading the message I posted1/14/09, I realized that many people live in climates that are not near as humid as Arkansas. So, I guess an underground home would work better in other places.
Well, there is also the fact that underground dwelling design has improved, and we are starting to see a resurgence of better, healthier houses.
I must have more windows than an underground home would allow. I need to see the sunshine!
Just have a southern exposure... the whole face of your house could be windows. Knowing you like a feeling of openness, just design for it. I've seen some lovely bermed houses that didn't have a cave feeling to them.
I know this is an old thread but I came across this pretty cool portable house that could help a homesteader setup relatively quick. http://www.yurts.com