Homesteading School/Retreat

[Huntmo1]

Hello,

I grew up on a farm and have some experience raising chickens and growing a garden...but I went off on my career and didn't do much for the past 20 years. Now we are settled down a little bit and I have a few chickens and a small garden again. My wife grew up in the country as well, but never really spent much time around animals or gardening. However, we are both looking forward to eventually owning our own little hobby farm and as we are getting ready to do that (next few years), we want to learn as much as we can. We were talking the other day about what we could do for a vacation and I though it would be fun to find some place that offers like a Homesteading 101 that teaches skills like canning, raising animals, butchering, and other self-sufficient skills like that.

Just wondering if anyone knows if there are any places like that?

Thanks.

[NamasteMama]

We are doing something similar on our property. It's been fun getting it started but much more expensive than anticipated.

[Ernie]

Originally Posted by lanewilliam21

Hello,

I grew up on a farm and have some experience raising chickens and growing a garden...but I went off on my career and didn't do much for the past 20 years. Now we are settled down a little bit and I have a few chickens and a small garden again. My wife grew up in the country as well, but never really spent much time around animals or gardening. However, we are both looking forward to eventually owning our own little hobby farm and as we are getting ready to do that (next few years), we want to learn as much as we can. We were talking the other day about what we could do for a vacation and I though it would be fun to find some place that offers like a Homesteading 101 that teaches skills like canning, raising animals, butchering, and other self-sufficient skills like that.

Just wondering if anyone knows if there are any places like that?

Thanks.

There are places like that and they range from free to pricey.

For the low, low price of $80 per day you can come camp out here on the Texas homestead. We'll butcher rabbits, eat weeds, till the garden, scrounge for food, and sweat in the blistering summer sun. We can do some poaching, run from the game warden, and go get in arguments with the local county commissioner.

At the end of your trip, you'll be broke, sunburn, sore all over, and in need of a long hot bath and a few days of laying on the couch recuperating.

It's an authentic homesteading experience!

[amandaleigh]

Another place to start might be an Amish Community (if there are any near you). I spent 2 weeks for work in the Lancaster, PA area and saw several farms with signs advertising bed and breakfast rooms for let. I bet you could learn a ton about canning, sewing, and gardening from them, especially if you are looking to minimize modern tools.

[AndrewOSpencer]

Mother Earth News has camps I've read about. One in the East, another in the West. They might be what you are itching for.

[hiddensprings]

We offer classes on our farm just about every weekend. It has been a lot of fun to teach folks how to raise chickens, raise goats, make bread, make soap, can veggies, butcher chickens, grow herbs, etc. We don't offer a week long program yet, but maybe one day