Good Evening Ladies and Gentleman;
I am recently single and have always had a thing for homesteading but never jumped on it..I loved watching the Walton and Little house but neither really were into the homestead aspect of it..The shows were more family related..
Well here I am in my mid 30's and would like to start getting my dream to become real.The way that the government is going and the economy is going downhill I am wondering a few things?
How and where do I start to plan my homesteading life?? I have a stable job and I really don't want to give it up due to the poor job market but I'd like to start looking for my place in the country.
I am starting over with a clean slate(no money saved,no 401k) so I am going to start saving alittle cash but would also like to invest either in Gold or the market..
How do I start looking for land where I can buy cheap and will be able to raise some animals?
Thanks for your help..
How and Where to begin???
Homesteading is a state of mind. Start right where you are (can you plant a garden, or even plant in patio containers?). Don't give up your job if you can avoid it. Most homesteaders have outside income. Save as much as you can by cutting out non-essentials. Read, read, read. Countryside magazine is good. Also: www.homestead.org. There are forums at www.homesteadingtoday.com that will also have a lot of information and ideas. I'm sure there are many other good sources of information that others will suggest.
Here's a website that shows what amazing things can be done on a city lot: www.pathtofreedom.com. Blows my mind everytime I look at the photos.
Good luck!
Absolutely yes to all the above... and Countryside magazine is running a great series right now on how to get started!
Keep your job and start to develop the skills you will need right where you are... self-sufficiency is a mind set. Grow it yourself, fix it yourself, make it yourself... Make do or do without.
One of the really great things about living in the city is there are a lot of resources available for learning. Libraries are better, more classes available (welding, sewing, carpentary, master gardener, canning). You can start to collect the tools you will need... haunt garage sales and you can find lightly used tools for good prices. Believe me, what used tools are available in the country have pretty well been used up. The selection is a whole lot better in the city.
Turn off your TV now, quit theater and concerts, movies (if you do that sort of thing), cook all your meals at home... and find out what it's like not to have all that input. A lot of folks have a hard time with that. Figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are now. Pretend you're already 30 miles out of town and you're on your own... What don't you know that you can learn?
Can you change your own tire? Know how to safely jump start your car? Fix a toilet? Run a circular saw? Unclog a drain?
As for your money... gold is high, and the market isn't settled yet. Go with CD's, or invest in your education and tools. My financial advisor and I just split my savings into 5 CD's... 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, 5 year... then when the one year matures, we'll rotate that into a 5 year (the highest interest) and keep doing that as each one matures. They're insured, don't forget. Gold and stocks and bonds are not.
He even considers municipal bonds a bad idea right now. We're being conservative while the market settles. There's a whole bunch more mortgages getting re-adjusted this coming year, and again there's no telling what that's going to mean for the economy.
Learn how to tell a good tool from a worn-out one. Repair shops can help you with that... what does a worn bearing in a drill sound like? etc. Don't forget the personal safety equipment, either. Especially if you get a chain saw.
So, begin tomorrow, just don't go anywhere.
=0)
Jay
Unless you have an ample amount of money to invest, I would say start by investing in land. It is a sound investment that has gone up in value over the years. It is a limited commodity. When you look at land to buy, consider everything you are looking for in it. Easement, utility access, water availability, tillable acreage, woodlots and more. You should have an idea of what you want. Then, look into water rights, easements, mineral rights, taxes, etc. Do not be hasty in purchasing. There will be the right tract of land out there for you. Check into the neighbors if nearby. That is a common complaint we hear from others.
Yes, to the garage saling now. Buy tools to work with as well as tools for the kitchen. Canning jars, pressure cooker, water bath canner, stock pots, food mill, grinder, dehydrator and all the applicable books. Then, start with hands on learning. If you can't grow produce in your present location, visit the farmers markets and purchase volume. Can, dry, freeze and when you are exhausted and so tired your eyes are crossed... keep going as the food needs to be preserved. There will be such satisfaction in seeing the supplies of food you have provided it will make the effort worthwhile. The same is true for gardening, cutting firewood, most any endeavor you take on.
Add books. Reference, entertainment (yes, to turning off the TV). Recommendations for your personal library are gardening books applicable to your area, cooking and canning books. I will recommend Putting Food By for all means of food preservation. Books on raising and caring for the livestock you intend to raise. Healthcare books for yourself. Also, get your own health in order. Dental repairs, elective surgeries, physical conditioning.
Classes are good. Look at the local trade school agendas and select any classes that may offer you future value and take them now. We don't see that offered in rural areas as they expect us to grow up knowing these things.
Keep your day job but look into what you might be able to do as a home based business when you relocate to your slice of heaven. It will be useful to have access to cash even then. Trading goods works well but doesn't pay the property taxes and do realize there will be healthcare needs as you age. How much income you need will depend on how self sufficient you choose to be. Are you planning to get off grid or will you still have creature comforts of electricity, etc. Minimize your current waste, start composting and recycling everything.
Just a few thoughts from the rural life that we have lived over the past 35years. Stay focused. Best wishes as you reach for that dream! pod
Start getting up at 6 am. LOL
It's always amazed me how late city folks sleep. Half the day's gone by the time they roll out of bed! LOL OH, and that's early 7 days a week... there are no days off on a homestead. Not even sick days... the animals still need to be cared for, if nothing else. Drag your sorry carcass out and feed and water, then go back to bed and die for the next 8 hours, so you can have enough energy to drag your sorry carcass out and feed and water again. =0)
Basic electrical and plumbing. Learn how to safely replace an outlet. Especially in older homes, those outlets often need tightening or replacing and it's a pretty simple job and can save you big bucks and prevent a fire.
Big yes to the healthcare.
And though land is a good place to put your money, take a lesson from the last year and be very conservative in what you take on as a mortgage. What's the old rule... 20% down and 1/4 or less of your monthly salary? Is that it?
Another thing you might be able to do now is help someone on their place... volunteer to clean stalls or weed a market garden just to get some real experience and make connections. If you are a reliable helper, pretty soon you'll find you're holding animals during procedures, assisting in castrations, helping with vaccinations... and you'll have a much better idea of what it's like to be tossed aside by a cranky cow or drug around by a milking doe. This is a much better way to learn about de-horning, castration, tail docking, hoof trimming, vaccinated, deworming, milking and body slams than when you're already on your own and flying solo.
Just remember, whoever is accepting your unskilled help doesn't owe you anything but civility, not free milk, eggs, meat, produce, money. Those may come, but you're not entitled to them. You're doing this for the experience, that's your pay. It takes a lot of energy to train someone who doesn't have previous experience, and your mistakes may cost them time and money, so please remember they are doing YOU a favor.
And show up appropriately dressed... not in skirts and sandals or shorts. Gloves and a hat. (you wouldn't believe what some folks show up in to 'help'.)
If you are reliable, showing up on time and ready to work, willing to work hard and make an honest effort, you'll make an important and valuable connection who down the road will pay big dividends in finding breeding stock, equipment deals, great recipes, good markets, and feed deals. Leads on land for sale, if you're interested in that area.
And you'll find out if you really want to do... sheep, goats, cows, horses, pigs, chickens, rabbits, whatever you're learning about. That right there may save you big money... you may think you want goats, but find you really don't like them, and fall in love with cows. That's an important thing to know about yourself. I learned I really don't much care for sheep that way. =0)
Have we worn your brain out yet? There is a vast wealth of knowledge and experience on this board to take advantage of.
So, what step are you taking today to bring this closer to reality?
Jay
Here's some more good words, from the farm forum...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/933551/
Ditto all of the above. If you spend your time now learning how to be independent and grow and save, you may find you are saving enough each month to buy the land. Every little thing you can learn every day is a step in the right direction. --And as long as you're headed that way you're doing just fine. There's a fun thread on the Sustainable Alternatives forum about how to fit a lot of food growing into a small city lot. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/939326/ Wandering around DG there are tons of ideas -things you can get started on right now without any big commitment...G'luck!!
The one thing that really blew my mind when I moved to the country is that you can hardly survive without a car! I didn't need one when I lived in a highly populated area, but spending hours and hours hitchhiking 20 miles into town sucks! And how do you get all your stuff back home? Living in the country made me realize how dependent I am on manufactured products.
And how much stuff you need to take back home! We've cut way back here on trips to town by producing a lot here. The TP and shampoo still come in handy though...
And chocolate. don't forget that!
I can't think of a thing to add that hasn't already been mentioned, but I wanted to say you'll never regret the changes that you make, even if you never leave your current home. "Homesteading" is truly a state of mind, and it is a very healthy one! We live in such a more!! more!!!! MORE!!! society, when learning to think "how can I get by with LESS" will actually take you a long way on the path to happiness. It's not something easily explained, but it's true.
Good luck,
Julia
Right on, Julia, so true.
One more thing... computer connection. Where I live, the only option is old phone lines. We had to slow down my modem to get a stable connection. So doing research on line is a bear, and forget large files. Video downloads, high graphics... ugh. Never mind.
There are computers on DSL at the town library, 15 miles away, but they frequently lock up.
Can't stress enough the need for reliable car or truck. Once you are a few miles from town you are on your own. Remember that even the nighbor's house is usually a healthy little walk to get help. Phones are not always reliable and forget the cell phone. The population in rural areas is to sparse for the cell companies to consider us worthy of a nearby tower. Television may be something that you can only get with satelite. Even electricity can be touchy. When power failures occur the power company fixes problems according to area population. That means after a storm city folks get first priority. We farm folk who depend on electricity to run the pump on our well wait our turn and wait for water for livestock or even just to wash our face and make a cup of coffee. Often when folks ask about rural life we are so busy telling them how happy we are that we forget how much a true "city dweller" gives up. We forget to mention it because we discovered that we do not miss it any more. You will miss it at first. Some folks never get over it. Many folks go back to the land only to discover they are not happy and cannot afford to go back.
Oh yeah, the cell phone. I just love the assumption that everyone has one, or should get one. It doesn't work out here, we can't get a signal unless we drive 2 miles down the road.
And the well... always need to have a back up plan for when the power goes out or your pump dies... we've got a creek, a couple of 55-gal. drums, and a pick up truck. So we have some water stored in the drums, and can haul more until the well starts up again.
Harvesting rain water is a very good idea. Good to have some water on hand for the animals if the power goes out. A pitcher pump is a great thing if you are set up for it.
Yes to the rain water. Always had rain barrels and gutters and down spouts on the outbuildings. The animals got to drink no matter how long it takes for the power company to come out and get us back on the grid.
Yes, we harvest rain water as it's better for the seedlings and garden, our well water is so hard. So it's usually on hand and fresh.