52 and Contemplating Homesteading

JHuff8181 · #1 08/18/13, 08:31 AM

Here is a little background. My wife and I are 52 years old. We live in central New Hampshire in a single family home on about five acres. We have eight children with three still living at home. They are 18, 15 and 12. We have a large garden and have raised all the zucchini, beans and tomatoes we can eat. We've had minimal success with broccoli, melons, lettuce and potatoes. We have eight chickens that produce so many eggs that we give dozens away to our older kids and their families. We have raised pigs in the past but not this year. Only about 1.5 acres of the land we own is cleared. I have an internet business (yes, ebay) and have worked at home full time for the last 12 years.

I don't necessarily consider us to be homesteaders but that is my goal. Here's what want to do:

Clear about two acres of land to increase the size and production of our garden.

Build a large high tunnel.

Add a cow and pigs to the mix.

Live a more self sustaining lifestyle.

Here are my questions for you homesteaders out there:

Why do you consider yourselves "Homesteaders"?
Does operating your homestead take up all of your time or do you still have time to do things you enjoy (mine is hunting and fishing)?
Are we too old to start this endeavor?
What suggestions can you give me?

Thank You, John

Riverdale · #2 08/18/13, 08:54 AM

John, I would go with sheep or goats rather than cows. The turnaround for milk and meat is much shorter. Also, herd animals like sheep, goats and cows, do better with more than one. Several cows could eat you out of house and home, even worse than 3 teenager!

I would also look into rabbits, which are prolific, easy and tasty, too!

A bonus with bunnies is that their droppings are good 'instant' fertilizer, it can be put into your garden the same day it is produce, if you wish.

I know some people who have the rabbit poo go into worm bins, sell the worms and use (or sell) the 'worm dirt'.

geo in mi · #3 08/18/13, 08:55 AM

At age 71, there are a lot of things I could do at fifty, but don't do much of now.

Work off a ladder, second story
Fell trees
Climb stairs
Wrestle with a pig or steer or milk cow
Lift fifty pounds-water softener salt, feed, buckets of water, straw or hay bales
Weed the garden on my hands and knees, wrestle with a lawnmower belt on the concrete floor
Go through temperature changes without getting chilled
Wrench tight bolts
Make the end row turns with the Troy Bilt Horse
Take a dog outdoors to do his business at 11PM
Get in and out of a rowboat safely
Climb on a tractor without grunting and straining
Read the scrolling line on CNN
Be nice to fakey people

So, if you work fast........
See your doctor, if you haven't already, for a complete physical, with blood, urine, PSA, vision, hearing, and go from there. Don't get blindsided......Best of luck.

geo

am1too · #4 08/18/13, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geo in mi

At age 71, there are a lot of things I could do at fifty, but don't do much of now.

Work off a ladder, second story
Fell trees
Climb stairs
Wrestle with a pig or steer or milk cow
Lift fifty pounds-water softener salt, feed, buckets of water, straw or hay bales
Weed the garden on my hands and knees, wrestle with a lawnmower belt on the concrete floor
Go through temperature changes without getting chilled
Wrench tight bolts
Make the end row turns with the Troy Bilt Horse
Take a dog outdoors to do his business at 11PM
Get in and out of a rowboat safely
Climb on a tractor without grunting and straining
Read the scrolling line on CNN
Be nice to fakey people

So, if you work fast........
See your doctor, if you haven't already, for a complete physical, with blood, urine, PSA, vision, hearing, and go from there. Don't get blindsided......Best of luck.

geo

Yeah fakey people will get me into trouble. Basically I just run.

Bellyman · #5 08/18/13, 09:22 AM

John, go for it!!

You're only half way to "dirt nap" territory. You've got a lot of living to do! Use that homestead and the work around it to maintain your health. Build the soil to as high a state of fertility as you can, not just to sustain plants, but to sustain YOU.

There will proably come a point where you'll want to make some changes in the kinds of things you do, maybe even where you live. But you have a lot of living to do before you get there. Just because you've seen the big "five - oh" doesn't mean you need to quit living and dreaming and planning. I've seen way too many people reach retirement age only to sit down in their chair and die because they had nothing to live for anymore.

I'm not far behind ya on the number of trips around the sun but I'm looking for a small farm. There's stuff I wanna do like diggin' in the dirt. (I really like the high tunnel idea, by the way!) There are some who probably wonder about my sanity for wanting that but that's my dream. I've had desk jobs. I've had blue collar jobs. Now I want a farm. Not sure what the step after that is but I hope to deal with that in another 20 or 30 years.

calliemoonbeam · #6 08/18/13, 12:14 PM

I didn't get started on my homesteading adventure until almost 7 years ago, at age 51-1/2. I'm a single woman who had some medical issues and have developed even more since then, and I work 40+ hours a week (albeit at home on the computer), and I say...go for it!

It's gone slower than I had hoped, but every year I make a little more progress, and I'm way happier than I ever was in town. I wouldn't change that decision for anything, just sorry I waited so long, didn't think a single woman could do it, much less one with health issues, lol. Then I found these boards and started reading about all the amazing women here who do it alone for whatever reason, and I was convinced!

The word "homesteader" has many definitions, depending on who you ask. I think it's anyone who's trying to become more self-sufficient in providing for themselves and their families, as well as trying to use sustainable living practices. My place may be small and I might not have as much going on as a lot of others, but I consider myself a homesteader, and I strive every year to do more and more.

You have your wife as a partner and don't mention any health issues, plus you have kids to help. You're already way ahead of the game. The major drawback to having "free time" for yourself is your animals, and that just depends on the type you have and their requirements, and those choices are entirely up to you.

Due to my issues, I've had to learn to "work smarter, not harder", but I'd advise that to anyone. Think outside the box, come up with ways to do your chores with as much organization and little effort as possible. Things do take me a lot longer than they would a healthy person, but I manage to get my chores and job done and still have time for the hobbies and activities I like. If it can be done by someone like me, anyone should be able to do it. Good luck!

CountryWannabe · #7 08/18/13, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHuff8181

Here's what want to do:

Clear about two acres of land to increase the size and production of our garden.

What do you plan to do with the increased production? Can/freeze/dehydrate for later use and to build up your pantry? Sell at a farmers market? Give away to friends/family/food bank? Each has different practical requirements.

Build a large high tunnel.

This is always a good idea. It will extend your growing season at both ends. By using row covers as well as the tunnel you can grow salad greens and a few cool weather crops year round. Have you got Elliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest? It is a GREAT book on high tunnel growing.

Add a cow and pigs to the mix.

Why those two species? For a wooded area you can't beat goats. They will clear that area for you and then provide good meat for your freezer. You can even milk meat goats, or a meat/dairy cross. One of my better milkers is a Boer/Nubian cross. Pigs will also be a tremendous help with clearing the wooded area. I am not a big cattle person (I only have a couple of head of Dexters) but mine like plain pasture.

Live a more self sustaining lifestyle.

Here are my questions for you homesteaders out there:

Why do you consider yourselves "Homesteaders"?

To me, homesteading is a philosophy as much as a way of life. I try to live as frugally as I can. I raise all my own meat and usually most of our veggies. We have just moved to this property so our orchard is just in it's infancy. Previously, I had to purchase a fair amount of bagged food to sustain the animals I had. On this 10 acres I am hoping that I will be able to graze the cows, goats and sheep with some hay (bought) in winter. The chickens free range and I rarely have to feed them.

I try to make as much as I can from scratch. Meals are almost always home-made; I have always canned/frozen/dehydrated excess from the garden; I make soaps and toiletries.

Does operating your homestead take up all of your time or do you still have time to do things you enjoy (mine is hunting and fishing)?

It can take up as much as you allow it to. There are some things that just HAVE to be done at certain times (like milking) but most things can be done when convenient as long as you don't want to fish and hunt 14/7.

My general, daily "farm chores" - feeding, watering, haying, collecting eggs, looking over everyone to make sure they look "normal", weeding and general tending of the garden take perhaps 2-3 hours per day every day. Some days a bit more, some less. When the girls are in milk I milk by hand twice daily, and that will add another half hour or so per milking. I only usually milk two goats at any one time because that gives me all the milk I need. I make cheese, yoghurt and sometimes ice milk, and they take more time out of the day but I usually only do stuff like that a couple of times a month, if that sometimes. I save tomatoes and such in the freezer so I can spend a weekend canning them diced or as pasta sauce later in the year when I have more time and when it is convenient to me.

I still have time to play with the dogs, attend dog shows, visit with friends, have lunch with the Grands and so on.

Are we too old to start this endeavor?

I am 67, a type 2 diabetic, hypothyroid, I have had 3 surgeries for prolapsed discs... the secret is to know what you can do and then do it. You learn to work smart instead of hard and technology is your friend.

What suggestions can you give me?

Thank You, John

Be sure that you and your spouse are on the same page and reading the same book. I know there are lots of people that disagree with me but I (personally) do not think that it is important that both spouses want to **do** the homesteady thing, however it **IS** important that they both agree on what is to happen, how each person's lifestyle will/may change and what the responsibilities of each will be. It will not work if one wants to spend their time lounging on the Costa da Fortune while the other envisions a life of bucolic simplicity down on the farm. You have to be realistic and make a plan that will accommodate the wishes of both partners.

Do not plan on your children being there taking on more and more of the farm as you grow older. Better to plan to expand a little as they grow and maybe (probably in this day and age) downsize as/when/if they leave home for their own dreams.

Mary

dancingfatcat · #8 08/18/13, 03:37 PM

Sounds to me like you've already been living the "homesteader" lifestyle..........just didn't know it

Miss Kay · #9 08/18/13, 03:41 PM

The truth is, you are already homesteading. You have the land, are gardening and raising your own eggs. Sounds like what you want to do is expand and why not. If at any point you get tired or change your mind, what have you lost! The only thing to think about is the kids will soon be gone and how much food do two people need? So, you may want to venture into the farmer's market business or plant a nice orchard of berries and do the "you Pick" thing. Either way, having more pasture or garden can only be a good thing so I'd start clearing. As for the cow, we are obsessed with our girls so I'd say go for the milk cow. Yes, a goat is smaller, yada, yada, but a grocery store is easier than a goat so if you are going for milk, why settle!

JoePa · #10 08/18/13, 05:48 PM

Heck - I'm going to be 80 later this year - I still do everything I did when I was 30 - only now it takes me longer and I can't do as much in a day - I have a very large garden - cut firewood because I heat the place with wood from my property - I still climb into my tree stand when hunting deer - play basketball with my grandchildren - always keep active - I eat good - get my rest - avoid stress - have a good sense of humor - make all my food from stratch - I say that you are never too old to do anything - as long as your health holds out - think young and you will be young - there is an old saying --man, I forgot it but it was very pertinent to the subject -

COWS · #11 08/18/13, 06:05 PM

You don't have enough land for cows unless you mean to get a calf to fatten for the freezer.

KEH

Miss Kay · #12 08/18/13, 07:43 PM

You have 5 acres, yes, you can have a milk cow. You'll have to buy hay and feed but unless you intend to buy a hay field along with the haying equipment, you'll have to do that anyway. Now sure what your growing season is but no reason you can't have enough pasture for a cow.

Esprit · #13 08/18/13, 07:50 PM

JoePa - you are an inspiration to me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoePa

Heck - I'm going to be 80 later this year - I still do everything I did when I was 30 - only now it takes me longer and I can't do as much in a day - I have a very large garden - cut firewood because I heat the place with wood from my property - I still climb into my tree stand when hunting deer - play basketball with my grandchildren - always keep active - I eat good - get my rest - avoid stress - have a good sense of humor - make all my food from stratch - I say that you are never too old to do anything - as long as your health holds out - think young and you will be young - there is an old saying --man, I forgot it but it was very pertinent to the subject -

lmrose · #14 08/18/13, 08:29 PM

JHuff; It sounds like you already have a good start on your goals and just want to expand. Just keep in mind even for a healthy person every five or ten years a person may change in what they are able to do. Getting older means getting smarter at how one does the work. My husband is 68 1/2 and me 67 this Oct. We have completely changed how we garden to make the work easier by planting in raised beds and using electric fencing to keep deer out.
. We cut back the amount of hay eating animals to the amount we can still provide hay for without buying any. We made the house more secure and only heat three rooms to save having to cut and handle so much wood. Like others have said here goats seem more practical than cows. They eat less, browse and easier to handle for foot trimming.

There is no upper age cut off for homesteading if a person has their health. The only difference is from being young is we are smarter about how we go about things so not to maime, injure or wreck our bodies and work easier. Smaller is better and from Spring to Fall there is still not much time off for recreation. Work is seasonal and when everything is done on time everything gets done. If not done on time work accumulates and that adds stress.
The one thing that can't be predicted from year to year is the weather. Here this year it has been foggy, rainy and wet making it humid and causing plants to rot and making haying a nightmare! Finally now it is August we are having a stretch of sunshine.
We have been haying since the middle of June and will be until the end of Sept because we haven't been getting drying weather.
This is why we keep hay eating animals to a minimum. The more animals, the more work to maintain them; like cleaning out the barn and trimming feet; and the harder on ourselves.
The key to homesteading as we age is to think small and not try to do more than what you can do easily. Work will always be work but when it becomes full out stress you will know when you are trying to do too much.

o&itw · #15 08/19/13, 07:10 AM

Other people have said it. You are already doing some of the things, so you must be in good enough health to do so. Simply increase what you do slowly and steadily. The more you get your land "in shape", your fences and buildings built, your garden area worked up and in good condition the less you will need to do of the "hard" work in the future. Maintaining is much less labor intensive than building. When you get older and need to cut back, you can do so a bit at a time. I'm 64. When I reach 66 I will be going back to a real farm, instead of the few acres I have now. Yes, it is true I can't go walking off with a 100 lb bag of feed on each shoulder like I used to, but I can still handle a couple of fifties pretty well. Still cut, carry, and split (by hand) all my firewood. Maybe I will only have 5 or 10 good years left in me when I retire, but I know what I need to do, and I will get the hard jobs done first. Maybe I won't be able to buck square bales all day, but I won't be raising but a few large animals, so I feel I can take care of it... A tractor makes everything easier.

So go for it. I would find that hard to say if you were just starting out, but you are already on your way.

Grumpy old man · #16 08/19/13, 09:51 AM

What would you be doing if you choose not to ?

karenp · #17 08/20/13, 05:27 AM

You sound very similar to our situation. We have had goats for a while but after discovering we just don't like goat milk no matter what we do to it, we bought a future milk cow last spring. Look at Dexters for small acreage. As for age, it will help keep you young.

biggkidd · #18 08/20/13, 06:42 AM

I too say go for it. Easy for me to say. I slowly work on my place not spending nearly the time I would like as work keeps me busy 50+ hrs a week and I have MS along with two school age girls. I know the work you love will keep you healthy longer than Dr.s will.

Larry
A World Away