New Homestead- Lessons learned?

Climber · #1 07/14/10, 12:51 PM

Hey everyone,
We have just purchased 20 acres (1/2 of it is cleared) and the rest is in young pine trees. I'm hoping you all would share your "lessons learned" when you designed your farm layout. Is there anything you wish you would have done differently? Or, if you could change anything on your existing 'stead, what would it be?

I'm trying to figure out where to put the house, gardens, pasture, pond, etc...
Also, looking for any advice from people more experienced than I!

Thanks!

10kids · #2 07/14/10, 01:05 PM

This isn't really about layout, but if we were starting over tomorrow, one of the things I would invest money in is getting fruit trees and berries started as soon as possible. We did that 18 years ago when we started and our only regret is that we did not plant more fruit trees. For us it has been the gift that keeps on giving.

CountryWannabe · #3 07/14/10, 01:15 PM

I would second planting the fruit trees & bushes early on. You don't say where you are located - but give good thought to your climate when planning the placement of your gardens - and put them as near as possible to the house. Nothing worse than having to trek to the garden to water, weed etc., or to be carrying a heavy basket of produce a long way...

I have always been a "do it first, read the instructions later" kind of person, so things sort of got done piecemeal whenever I got the urge for something new. I wish I had put the house(or the drive LOL) in a different place to give me better access to my garden. I also wish that I had put the house further back from the drive/access to accomodate more fruit trees.

Spending time now planning everything you envision will save a lot of time and annoyance later when you are actually working your homestead.

Good luck on your new place

Mary

KeithBC · #4 07/14/10, 01:17 PM

We didn't built our place - bought it already developed. So these aren't my own lessons, but things I learned from what the previous owner did.

The house is too close to the road. I would have built it farther back, with more screening trees. (On the other hand, the short driveway is nice in snowy weather!)

The clearing around the house was well-planned for storm blowdowns. The trees close enough to hit the house if they come down are the ones least likely to come this direction due to the prevailing storm direction.

Locate the garden where it gets lots of sun. Ours gets no sunlight in the morning, though it gets a lot from midday to late afternoon. Because it is so sheltered, it gets stinkin' hot there on summer afternoons. Not so much fun to work there, but the veggies love it.

The garden is down the hill from the house, but not right at the bottom. Being downhill means that I can gravity-feed rainwater from the house roof. Not being the lowest ground means that cold air has somewhere else to go at night, which is good for growing.

The well is uphill and the septic field is downhill - a sensible arrangement from a sanitary point of view. The well being uphill also means that I can install a cistern that can gravity-feed the house if the power is out. It's in my plans.

We heat with wood, with a good quality wood stove in the basement. This is a really good arrangement - the warm air circulates well up the stairwell and the heat upstairs is much more even than if we had the stove in the living room. It is a walk-in basement with a door near the stove, good for bringing in firewood. When I rebuilt the woodshed, I put it about 20 feet directly in front of the basement door, so it's a short haul to bring in wood when the weather is snotty.

Speaking of the woodshed, I designed it to hold a 2-year supply of wood. That way, keeping it full, we know we have a reserve supply if the winter is a hard one, and our wood is well cured by the time we burn it.

Another site planning feature we like is the arrangement of the driveway. It is planned with firefighting in mind. If there were ever a fire here, there is enough parking space for all the fire trucks, including a turnaround for the water-shuttle tankers.

7thswan · #5 07/14/10, 01:23 PM

No carpet and a bathroom accessible from the outside. A outside kitchen on the northside of the greenhouse.

Danaus29 · #6 07/14/10, 01:26 PM

If you're going to fence in the garden, place the garden 50 to 70 feet away from the tree line. I've had 2 trees fall on my garden and damage my fence in the past year.

As for garden spots, kill the grass (especially aggressive orchard and other clump grass) before planting perennial crops or putting up fence. Plant perennial crops like asparagus and rhubarb early on, as soon as you can afford them. Those crops take a couple years before you can get a good crop. I wish I had got my rhubarb in years ago.

Pond placement should be where you can see it from the house and should have shading plants on at least 2 sides. Grandpa regretted not having his pond built on a hill top close to the house. If you don't have shade plants your pond will get too hot in the summer to support much fish life.

Keep the mature height of your trees in mind when you select the sites for your buildings. Pine trees can and will fall over in the slightest wind or sometimes for no reason at all. It was only by the grace of God that the pine tree in our front yard fell to the side instead of right on the bedroom where my sister and I were sleeping.

crtreedude · #7 07/14/10, 01:45 PM

Think water - everything needs water. There is a lot of water that runs through properties and then people haul out the water hose. You might want to read a bit about permaculture design - which talks about different zones - put near the home the things that need the most attention, for example - and then move outward.

Kmac15 · #8 07/14/10, 03:19 PM

Make sure you have water run to within a hose length of all animal pens. Always, yes, Always have an animal shelter built before bringing it home.

watcher · #9 07/14/10, 04:38 PM

First and foremost EVERYTHING takes longer and requires more work then you think it does.

Kmac has it right. Put water lines everywhere and use larger (I suggest 1") pipe.

If you can afford it at all put an electrical line in there with your water line. Having access to power "out there" will be handy more times than you would think.

Make sure you orientate your house East and West and put a nice big porch or overhang on the South side.

At the very least rig an outside hand wash station. Better yet an outside wash bay where you can wash off icky hands, clothes and veggies so you don't run all the icky into your septic system. If possible make it large enough where you can wash off and treat a bleed or sick critter.

Keep the old adage about a place for everything in mind or you'll spend more time searching for something then using it. Also you can never have enough storage.

Keep repeating to yourself; they are food not pets, food not pets.

big rockpile · #10 07/14/10, 04:41 PM

I'm always thinking we should have built down in the holler instead of on the ridge.Cooler in the Summer,less wind in the Winter and fire burns slower going down hill.

big rockpile

gavin · #11 07/14/10, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10kids

This isn't really about layout, but if we were starting over tomorrow, one of the things I would invest money in is getting fruit trees and berries started as soon as possible. We did that 18 years ago when we started and our only regret is that we did not plant more fruit trees. For us it has been the gift that keeps on giving.

This is excellent advice. I would like to add to this by suggesting successive ripening fruit trees. Basically planting fruit trees that ripen at different times so you don't have tons of fruit in August and none in September. I am in the process of purchasing a new property and fruit tree's are first on my list.

Minelson · #12 07/14/10, 05:19 PM

If I were to build new I would have an attached garage and I would attach the barn to the garage. House-garage-barn-all attached. I don't know where you are from but if you get tough winters this would be great during blizzards....or even if it's just dang cold out!

kabri · #13 07/14/10, 05:43 PM

We are in this process right now, got the barn built, house foundation and septic are in, just waiting on the economy to improve a bit so we can sell our house and have enough money to finish the new one. In the meantime, we planted our orchard last spring - that was a BIG priority, got about 50 fruit and nut trees in and fenced from deer. Right now (as we wait to start construction again) we are putting in our veg gardens so we can get perennials like asparagus, rhubarb, artichoke and perennial herbs going.

One thing I have to keep reminding DH is to think of animal flow and handling patterns when planning our fencelines and pasture areas, and the best places to put gates. For example, we want the poultry to be able to free-range in the orchard (bug control, and they will eat any fruit that we miss) plus I would like to be able to allow them into the garden areas during non-growing seasons for the same reason. So, chicken coop must be placed somewhere inbetween so we just have to open the gates we need each morning. Ever try herding a chicken flock? They don't cooperate like sheep! We will need separate areas for goats and sheep since sheep will be able to go into the orchard in winter, but never the goats. That sort of thing takes up a lot of my thinking/planning time!

Good luck with your homestead!!!

Patt · #14 07/14/10, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10kids

This isn't really about layout, but if we were starting over tomorrow, one of the things I would invest money in is getting fruit trees and berries started as soon as possible. We did that 18 years ago when we started and our only regret is that we did not plant more fruit trees. For us it has been the gift that keeps on giving.

I second that suggestion!

chewie · #15 07/14/10, 07:01 PM

no time to read thru the thread right now, so forgive me if this was already mentioned--watch where the water/rains run!! some 'genius' who first started our place put the barn in the direct run-off path?! so this is something we've had to battle, and if it were us to re-do from the start, we'd have doen it different. spend some time at your place in all weather, to see stuff like where the rains run. it will be well spent time, imo

Climber · #16 07/14/10, 07:53 PM

Great advice yall! Thanks a bunch for all the info and please keep it coming. I'm keeping a running list of all the great advice. By the way, we are located in east TN- zone 5/6.

Callieslamb · #17 07/14/10, 09:06 PM

Think hard before you put in fences. What will/might need access to that area? We inherited some fence and I just left it. I really wish I had pulled it out and put it elsewhere. Too much work, effort now though. Water. Water. Water. You will need it everywhere. If you are renting a digger- use it. Water lines are cheap. Put in the hydrants later. Since you will want shade for you house - think shade for your animals also. If you are planning on chickens- they work mighty well in a moat around the garden. Give them about 10 feet wide and a hawk won't come down for them either. They will keep the bugs/grass out of the garden for you and it will be easy to toss them scraps. The double fence around the garden will help keep other critters out also.
Don't put the garden too far from the house. The closer, the better in my book.

woodsy · #18 07/14/10, 09:37 PM

If you don't have neighbors now, you will eventually.
To maintain some sense of privacy, build in the middle of the lot , LOL

Wags · #19 07/14/10, 09:54 PM

Find out what the micro climate is for your place and what direction storms come from. Not all storms come from the north - in my neck of the woods they come from the south-southwest.

Get the dimensions of your place on graph paper and play with where you might want things. Then walk the property with your "map" and see what you might have missed, or what won't work and needs tweaking.

motdaugrnds · #20 07/14/10, 10:09 PM

Garden: Might plan your garden next to your barn & chicken house so the clean-out of bedding can be used to fertilize the garden (liquid gold). Know that having a "nut" tree near a vegetable garden will interfere with garden success as the roots put out something aht interfer. (Forgot what this something is...enzymes of some sort.)

When planning on where to place your fruit trees, make sure there will "not" be a "hardpan" under it, else your fruit trees may last a few years; then when their roots reach the hardpan, they die. (Make sure you have encircled your fruit trees/bushes/vines are protected against the deer.) Also plan on having your fruit orchard at least 100' from forestry.

Know how your "run-off" water flows and plan your structures & driveways where that water will not interfere. (Some "milk" the land of that type of water, storing it into trough for animals and/or crops.)

Have your soil tested so you know what supplements to add for what you want to grow. Some fruits require acidic soil; others high ph. Also make sure the soil will actually serve well as a ceptic system. (Some soils do not; so have it tested.)

If your land slopes much, eventually you could lose your soil; so either construct retainer walls or rock it in such a way that kees your soil stationary.

Know how the sun passes over your land so as to plan around where your shade will be.

Check your property to make sure there are no snake dens on it. (Friend built house and then discovered it had been constructed over a copperhead den.) Same for ground bees!

All is fun; yet hard work. We actually work harder on our homestead than we ever did for employers.

Most of all, enjoy!