This thread is past due. Use this for all things homesteading.
2 Likes
4 Likes
Kicking it off with what I gleaned as the best overall book if you had to own only 1. I came to this conclusion by watching a handful of homesteading youtubers and reading various online reviews.
There is an updated version of this book yet I pulled the trigger on the slightly older version after finding it insanely cheap on ergodebooks.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756654505/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
Using the amazon page for pragmatism. As always, look to buy it elsewhere or, at the very least, link through a youtubing homesteader.
2 Likes
subscribed. think I’m about this life. what form if any it takes, we’ll see
3 Likes
My husband and I have a standing offer to join our friends on their large property up in northern WA. They live like 9 miles from the Canadian border on several acres, and have basically been turning their property into what could easily become a homestead.
When they first bought, they had a manufactured home built. They then added a 2000 sq ft shop building where they make their candles, which allowed them to expand their business and become self-sufficient. They have since added another property across the road so they could take advantage of cable internet (lol the cable company wouldn’t run line to their original side of the street). They’ve also added a large garden.
They don’t have any animals atm (besides a dog) but they were both 4H kids and there’s enough space for chickens and probably 1 cow.
Even now, they rarely have to go into Bellingham, and most of their outside contact is with their UPS driver, heh.
I’ll be honest, it’s sounding more and more appealing. Not as much fire danger, not as much heat, not as much BS to deal with, and unless Mt. Baker decides to wake up, not much chance of major natural disaster.
5 Likes
how does wealth and resources play into this?
like just buy the property and outfit it with provisions and hardware… spend it all to be as self sufficient as possible, then maintain your health as best as possible
I guess I should read that book. sorry. ignore this
1 Like
Yeah… this is the thread for us as well. We currently have 3.3 wooded acres with a garden, six fruit trees, and ~50 berry bushes. If Biden wins then I’m gonna’ get some ducks and pigmy goats, dig a pond, and surround it with a permaculture microclimate. If Trump wins we’ll probably GTFO and do the same thing either in Costa Rica or Canada.
Growing up in the forest has been indescribably wonderful for our three-year-old. I wouldn’t trade anything for the opportunity to share natural environments (and resources) with him.
4 Likes
Here is another all around highly recommended book:
There are countless books on various esoteric subjects with regards to homesteading and survivalism; way too many for me to personally read so if anyone has a recommendation post itt. If enough recommendations accumulate I will create 1 post to rule them all.
2 Likes
Gotta start somewhere. I’m still land shopping. Looking hard at the Ozarks area. Accessible mountain estate with milder summers would be ideal. Places near wildlife refuges and lakes and waterways.
3 Likes
Sounds like you’re off to a good start. Like that acreage size. I plan on fencing whatever land I’m on by woodworking from scratch.
2 Likes
Super interested in this. Currently looking for 5-10 acres in Missouri (or more).
We are planning on getting something with a house on it already and starting small with homesteading. We both work full time right now. The goal would be for the GF to switch to part time or be able to quit completely as we transition towards homesteading.
2 Likes
I’m in Mizzou, too
that’s 3 of us! we can do a commune autonomous collective err. I bring plumbing skills, limited natural smarts, and my good looks!
1 Like
In!
2 Likes
Can only comment on my personal experience fwiw. I sunk 90% of my roll into 10 acres + family home a couple of years post BF. Been laughably poor ever since, but dgaf most of the time. In hindsight I should have gone with maybe 75% tops of my roll.
The lifestyle is intrisically healthy obv, and our consumption of ‘stuff’ is at a bare minimum. I consider a freshly picked organic salad + home raised bbq’d chicken a luxury item (consumed most days), a gold watch essentially worthless. . I am currently dressed head to toe in donated clothes from my rich neighbours 30yr old son (undies and socks mine ldo).
We chose a country with a strong social safety net, so our healthcare costs are zero and my kids education is free right through Uni. Obv tax is high here.
We are not off-grid so still have bills to pay, our farm production takes care of that. We barter a fair bit with neighbours for labour/red meat/whatever.
I currently have a 5 month old bull calf fattening on our pasture. 6 sheep (+ 7 lambs), 50 layers and at any one time 40+ meat birds. Eggs and chickens are sold to pay for the feed.
8 Likes
So glad to see this thread started. We are in a Texas suburb and thinking about locations to buy land. Would be interested to hear what folks recommend as minimum requirements. We think we’d like to live close to the Canadian border just in case.
2 Likes
On the one hand it doesn’t sound like there’s much money for solar there, but, on the other hand, how many kwh/day do you use? Probably not much, eh?
Also, I’m not moving to Missouri ffs, and I’m not paying for your solar, but if any of you start a commune, I’ll donate my services to help set you up if you cover expenses.
5 Likes
My step aunt quit a very cushy gov’t job to raise sheep and never looked back. They were living up in NW ND with a fucking coal heat system that had to be fed by shoveling coal and shit when they got married and I was there. This was around 1991 or so. I grew up on a crop farm mostly and was like wtf?!
ETA: One of my distant related step aunts or something had an animal farm there and they literally hid all their money in their mattresses and shit. The son had a patent on a Bobcat attachment. We ate from a meal cooked by a wood burning stove.
2 Likes
What percentage of time do you estimate is spent on the care and feeding of livestock? Related, are cattle significantly more difficult to manage than, say goats?
1 Like
Just found the last electricity bill, we average around 250 kWh per month. I have no idea if that’s a lot?? Family of 3, 200l chest freezer and water heater for showering.
1 Like
Around an hour in the morning to feed and water the chooks, 3 rabbits, 2 dogs and a cat. Layers are in mobile chicken tractors so that adds a bit of time (fishing out the eggs, moving tractor to fresh pasture etc). Then another 30-60 minutes in the evening to make sure the meat birds are penned in at night (they free range during the day but never venture far from the feed trough).
If you spend a little time with goats/sheep/cows every day, feed them a little corn etc they soon become tame af and will come running when you call them. Goats are notorious Houdinis. You need good fencing for all 3.
Sheep are way easier to butcher than a cow obv!
2 Likes