Finding others....

[christij]

I love this forum, but don't you wish you could find people like you (into persving the harvest, alternative energy, conservation, peak oil, etc) in your own town/county? For those of you who have where did you meet them?

[CowgirlGloria]

I have several neighbors who are also homesteaders. I sought out an area conducive to homesteading when looking for this place.

[lunagardens]

I started my own Yahoo group for others who are into the lifestyle in/around my area. Feel free to check it out- but beware it is still in its baby stage with 8 members. Thats 7 more people I did not even know before. One being just 4 minutes away from our home.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akron_homesteaders/

Build it and they will come....
I advertise it on my blog and thats it. Everyone finds it when they search through groups and amazed/Thankful to find like minds.

~Tammie

[ChristyACB]

I so wish I could find others like me. Oh how dearly I wish it! USL is a bad word around here in the land of the Beemer.

I've gotten my best friend into it in a limited way and she is enjoying the hobby part of it and the new skills some. Baby steps....

[CowgirlGloria]

lunagardens,

That is a really good idea!

[Puddin]

christij... yes, for sure it would be wonderful to find someone to talk over this lifestyle with. Although, I"m not as fortunate as some in this forum, with the animals and such, I do enjoy my little contribution to a self sustaining lifestyle. It would be nice to talk with someone face to face about it.
I have attended a solar symposium, and will be helping build a strawbale garage this summer, so I feel that i"m on my way to find folks in this area who think the same way as I do.
Gloria

[Old Vet]

Well you can go to one of the gatherings and meet people and then decide if they are what you want. I had a group of people over and had a great time for 4 years they came then it became too much for me to handle. I started out with 10 people then it got publicized and 75 people showed up. You may be surprised how many of them are really friends.

[ErinP]

For those of you who have where did you meet them?

church, the bar, the cafe, the grocery store, the library, the pool, etc, etc.

Something to remember though, is that "conservation", for a single example, to one person does not mean the same thing to someone else... Be flexible.

[Tana Mc]

If your town/community has a Farmer's Market, that is good place to meet like minded people.

Tana Mc

[christij]

We don't have a "farmer's market" in town you have to travel to St. Louis or Farmington. We have a produce stand then so do the neighboring towns but they are owned by one or two people in the area.
I was so excited about going to the county fair when we moved here - thinking I would meet people. But, it was a disappointment. Very little entered in crafts/baking/etc and livestock. I hope to make it to St. Francois or Washington Town and Country this year. Sometimes I think we are to close to the burbs.

I love the group to bad I'm not in your area!

[Murron]

christi - I'll share my story, albeit not very exciting...

When I moved out here with DH a couple years ago, I was still working a job that gave me great stress. It was "commute, come home, call it a day". I did that until this past winter, when I left my job. (I'm back to work, but happy now!) It's funny how a shift like that changed things. My community became much more important, and I found a local church that suited me and my beliefs. In turn, I have met several like minded folks, and have also discovered the homestead spirit in this little town, and cemented it in my heart.

I guess, for me, it was kind of like a "when it's right, it will happen" thing. Sorry to sound sappy, but think along the line of Kevin Costner... "If you build it, they will come"... (And I really don't like Kevin Costner!) Okay, so I'll go out there a little more - On some cosmic/spirit/whatever-you-believe-in level, the more you think it, live it in your own way, and "ask" for it, you're sure to find others who are of the same "homesteadiness" as you.

[ann fr]

Funny you should ask such a question .I have lived the homesteading sort of life now for about 9 years. Until 4 years ago I knew nobody likeminded in my area. Just lots of retired farmers who thought I was a young (37) silly girl for doing things this way. I met my very like minded best friend 4 years ago on a homesteading forum.She only live 15 minutes away but we had never met. Now I couldn't imagine not having her in my life. We are so likeminded .

Soo you might be surprised to find there are like minded people living close to you too.

[radiofish]

Let's see - Some were met by being a friend of a friend, when I was working out in the boonies doing fisheries work. Some folks would go to town once a month, and asked us to bring them something that they needed when we passed by their way again. That and everybody has an interest, or a story about Salmon and Trout!

Other folks I have met down at the plant nursery discussing soil additives around the bulk bins for bonemeal, bloodmeal, trace minerals, worm castings, etc... Also that is a great way to learn about optium soil composition, for your gardens.

Try to get out and meet some of the "old timers" in your area. Or become involved in a community event/ organization. From there, you would be suprised how fast you start to meet like minded folks in your county.

[billooo2]

Does your state have an organic gardening organization??? If so do they have local chapters?? Do they offer seminars???

Is there a chapter of the Weston A Price Foundation near you? (amany of their members may have similar interests)

Does the local Extension office offer classes or training in gardening, canning, etc??? (Might a be good opportunity to meet people with similar interests.)

[lunagardens]

Christij and cowgirlgloria~ Thank you. I was not sure if anyone would actually join but within 1 month of setting it up, they slowly started to find it. I listed the group under the gardening section. It is not much to manage at all. You would be surprised at how many are actually in your area searching for others like you too. I know I was.

I also give things like garden seeds and other homesteading related items away on the local freecycle (older fencing, a few chickens & rabbits back when they allowed it, plant rootings, an offer to come pick any extra mulberries from our trees etc) . I have met a good amount of people that way too. Some who are interested in it but are still very new and curious. I have given entire gardens worth of seeds on there which started the path for a few families. Now they are looking into meat rabbits since chickens are not allowed on their lot. (urban but desire to be more self sufficient).
Best of luck to you in your search. It can be lonely but reaching out the way I have may just bring some great company and friends.

[katlupe]

I have become part of a whole group of homesteaders through this very forum. We branched off to a forum that is for NYers and one PA homesteader (so far) only. We meet each other for lunch once a month or so. We trade, barter, sell, or give stuff to each other. We help each other with work, ideas or lend equipment and teach each other how to do things. We also have each other for support or if we just want to cry on someone's shoulder or just talk to someone who knows what we are talking about! It started out with a handful of us from here and has become larger, but still not too large yet.

I have to say our group of people is mainly people who are actually doing the homesteading thing already, but we welcome the "wannabees" too......as what could be better than bringing someone new to the homesteading lifestyle?

So anyone from NY/N.PA if you are interested in becoming part of our group just contact me. People in other states should do the same. It is great to have homesteading friends!

katlupe

[Windy in Kansas]

Buy each of your family members one of the Homesteadingtoday tee shirts and wear them each time you go to town. Eventually someone will ask about them and you and bingo--new homestead type friends.

As you drive along note properties that appear to be of a homestead nature and jot down the address from the mailbox. Send a postcard to several at a time inviting them to coffee in a restaurant, etc. Expect you would find a few that way.

What about a simple ad in the newspaper about a meeting for like minded folk?

County fairs would be a great contact place if your area still has them.

[christij]

I have to say I am very lucky in the "old timers" category. We are the young folks on our "hill". We have a 2 yo and are just starting out but everyone else is 50+ with one couple (70-80 yo) who lives here half the year growing their own food and the other half in FL. The couple next to them is his ex-wife and husband - her mom taught home ec way back when, then next door I have John - his dad had him plowing at the age of 7. They have been wonderful and very helpful. For the last two years we have had a late spring BBQ an invited everyone and most have attended. When one family that lived her for 30 years moved away this year we had a dinner send off for them. So we are very lucky with our neighbors on the hill.
We just haven't found anyone our age. When DD gets older I am hoping she will want to be in 4-H.

[Windy in Kansas]

Here is a stretch of an idea---attend school programs and possibly ask teachers if they can identify and point out homesteading type folk without violating privacy issues.

Tee ball games? You would have to figure out homesteading type folk, possibly by their vehicle when they leave.

[ksanita]

I have found several through my blog... people close that I would never have known otherwise... and I have found several families, though not local, who are fairly close through message boards like this one!