New to this forum, but I think most of us wanting to homestead are trying to become as completely self-reliant and independent as we are capable of being. We bought land here in KY just enough that we could grow and do what we wanted and have spent the last 3 1/2 yrs learning how to tend it. I have the crazy ideas to save money and increase independence and hubby mutters until it actually DOES what it's supposed to, then helps and improves on what I've started.
Viz pig fat- We stopped using vegetable oils and byproducts 5 years ago in favor of animal fats and are eating less and healthier than previously. Blood pressure at old standards (higher than today's) but all other readings better than average. It has cut down on food bills and tastes waaay better. Not everybody's choice perhaps, but I think those ninety-something-year-old-lard-eating-sinners (your ancestors and mine) knew a good thing when they saw it.
Explain
Grownut, Where is Clarkson? I think I saw a sign for it when I drove up past Louisville last week, but don't rememeber where.
4Mi up rt62 from Leitchfield. Home of the Honeyfest and Walter T? Kelly Bee Supplies. Pretty much all of the area N of Nolin Lake that's not 'city' qualifies as Clarkson. Basically I'm in the same county, opposite end.
Oh, yeah, out there just past Walmart and the flea market! How cool we are so close!
Are you from Kentucky? What kinds of things are you doing to try to cut expences on the home front? You DH sounds like mine. Takes him awhile to see the big picture.
This message was edited Jul 27, 2008 6:25 PM
Yup. Wal-Mart- the very Mecca of Grayson County... Not from here. Grew up in Va, transplanted to OK then came back east. Trying to get to where we are providing everything but our own flour, metalworking and cars. I may be 80 before it happens though...:0. Meat goats(Boer), milk cow, chickens, veggies, fruits, canning, I dream of windmills and solar water heaters... Weaning DH and DD from the TV...
But not myself from DG... love them double standards.
Grownut, you have D-Mail.
Is it contagious? Seriously though, glad but never done it. Where do I go?
Hello out there just went throug a $30,000.00 bout with kidney stones=guess if i was a doctor i would not want to hmestead but guess they can afford it if they did? Whats the going price of land in the appalachain (sp) territories annd or in Virginia-Kentuck -Tenn -N Carolina prices low to high? Now you all keep writing and if i have an
opinon like some other things i got one and glad to share my 65 yrs of knowledge(very little)? GOD bless!!
!
Land around here in the mountains of SW Virginia is comparatively cheap. The price depends on how useable it is... for example, our creekfront 19 acres plus house and outbuildings was $89,000 just 2 years ago, BUT 90-95% of our land is fairly steep, not suitable for farming. How remote is another factor. I'm not very remote, 7 miles from town (and that's town, not city). Closest city with a Lowe's or Walmart is 30 miles.
We paid $2,000 an acre for 15 acres (10 hayfield, 5 wooded) raw land 6 years ago. Was told it's worth considerably more now. Have seen prices online for as little as $500-$1000 an acre for pretty rough land which would need considerable clearing for building and extensive road work would be required for access. Started with nothing out here but a clean slate and now wouldn't trade it for the world!