Homesteading of course, is very hard

kerlin · #1 05/12/14, 04:43 AM

Hubby and I purchased a small amount of raw land less than a year ago and have been working nonstop.

I thought the idea of homesteading was a great idea, until I started doing it. I wanna give props to all the folks who love this life, it is hard work.

We have just under 5 acres and have been able to add electric, phone(no cell service here), satellite and internet in the past few months. We haul water in 5 gallon buckets, lots of work, but it gets us by.

So far we have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and about a couple million ticks, oh working on getting rid of those. We also see the occasional snake, any ideas to keep them away from our tiny home and outdoor kitchen?

For those who are considering homesteading from raw land, I say do a LOT of research. See if there is anyone in your area already living that way and volunteer to help for a weekend before taking the plunge yourself. Not to sound discouraging, just want folks to know that this is a lifestyle, and is not a walk in the park.

Our kitchen is outside, we have a fire pit for cooking on among other items such as a camp cook stove and electric gadgets of every kind. If you plan to cook over an open fire, be carful as to which wood you use, it does add or take away from the flavor of your food.

At this time, it is frustrating and there have been several times I have asked myself what did I do this for. Hubby and I are considering selling the land because it is much harder than we anticipated. I should have done this 25 years ago when I had the energy to do it.

Sorry, just ranting I guess. Back to hard work and a fake smile. Have a great day everyone. Someone please enjoy some Chinese takeout for me.

kerlin · #2 05/12/14, 04:45 AM

I should have mentioned the beauties here too, the deer come up to our front yard and they are absolutely amazing, there are wild rabbits everywhere and they also are amazing. I love animal and to see the wildlife so happy and healthy is a joy.

Darren · #3 05/12/14, 05:59 AM

Get some guineas to reduce the tick population. Not sure what the predator situation is in your neck of the woods. Owls are death on guineas.

vpapai · #4 05/12/14, 06:27 AM

Clearing the land and making it your own is lots of hard work. However, you can see your progress immediately, and for me, gives me a sense of satisfaction. I do not see the hard work that needs to be done, but the cleared area with our house and animals on it. You have to have the vision.

7thswan · #5 05/12/14, 07:21 AM

Yes, you have to love it, or it becomes work. Sometimes it is all about the work, somethings/jobs one can never like. Find the beauty in sore muscles , wildlife, birth,,,smell the roses along the way-if they make it thru the brutal winter...

Callieslamb · #6 05/12/14, 08:28 AM

The thought of homesteading does have a bit of a romantic flavor to it. So does marriage. They both take a lot of work to develop into their full potential. To help a marriage, you take time off and 'reconnect' but spending time with just each other, playing remember when and reaffirming why we married this person. Perhaps this is what you need to do with your homestead too-

Take some time away from the work and remember why you're doing this! Go back to town, eat a meal you didn't cook. Talk about what you are doing and why you're doing it. Jumping from one situation to another quickly can put you in shock.

where I want to · #7 05/12/14, 12:32 PM

Water hauling is a pain. When do you think you can get that remedied? That will free up lots of energy.
Undeveloped land is a process as you know. I have removed a patch of trees two times in 10 years and it changed where I had the garden. That is a real pain too. Right now I have a pile of rocks that I spent the first two year removing piled around the stumps of two small trees that were cut so I can roll the garden cart over them without getting it hung up. I simply could not face pulling up two more stumps.
I call it compromising. Earlier I would have called it lazy.

ArmyDoc · #8 05/12/14, 12:38 PM

Hi Kerlin,

Thank you for sharing your cautionary tale. I think a lot of people have a romanticized view of the "good old days". I do not think I could do without running water or power. If you are finding it to be too much, perhaps you could find a happy medium? Could you sell the property you are on and find one that would let you do what you enjoy without struggling quite so hard just to get through the day?

grandma12703 · #9 05/12/14, 12:50 PM

Before my DH job moved us here we had purchased a place that sounds much like what you describe. It was hard but I actually loved it and the work. I grew up a farm kid so it didn't shock my system too much. My DH on the other had grown up in a family that mom stayed home, dad worked a 9-5 job and the kids basically did whatever until they got old enough to have a part time job for extra money. FIL would work and then come home and go to the pool hall or coyote hunting with his prize greyhounds. MIL didn't ever work outside the home. There is nothing wrong with that life at all but to farm/ranch/homestead you better realize it is not like that at all. Up early and bed late. If you have a town job you better plan on late nights doing farm chores and full weekends. You don't have time off.

It is not for everyone and I wasn't sure my DH was going to hang in there but he did until his transfer and then I quit my day job so now mostly I handle the farm. I still have to remind him sometimes we have things to do. He says he likes it but I am not sure sometimes but then again he didn't grow up seeing this kind of lifestyle.

BTW: As with any job sometimes everyone just gets tired and wants to quit. Dig deep to find the love of what you are doing and hang in there. If it is meant to be you will know it but don't let yourself just "quit" one day. Make that decision an agreement between both of you. Sometimes when DH is tired and wants to give up the farm part of our life I push a little and encourage and we keep going. Somedays if I have had a rough time he is the one that keeps me going. Work together to achieve whatever it is you both want.

||Downhome|| · #10 05/12/14, 12:53 PM

People always tell me "thats hard work"

My reply is "Lifes hard work"

You just trade this for that...

I'd much rather lessen the stress ( I find not being able to control which people are in my life stressful)
Along with all the other things that the corporate work force deals with daily.

Though on a different note, I would rather eek out my living, then have it handed to me and treated like royalty.
I'm always satisfied and happy if not sometimes proud in my toils and resulting outcomes.
Yes sure I could make a decent living going back to the work force but to me thats not living?
Have plenty of money and no time to spend it,or when you do no time to enjoy it.
Too much time and no moneys not always fun but I prefer that trade.
I don't need much and our bills are not over bearing.
I've got time to pursue endeavors I love and want to do, which may open other doors, and its all work, but I'll never let it be a JOB!

CrafterAl · #11 05/12/14, 01:02 PM

Five acres can work you to death.

You have my sympathy. Bless you.

Sometimes quitting something is the right course of action.

Small subsistence farmers throughout history have lived on the verge of starvation much of the time. With the right resources, including a high level of skill and athletic stamina, plus outside income, the homestead life is the best of lives.

At the very best though, if one aspires to do much of the work the hard way, it's wall to wall work.

By the way, as a guinea fowl enthusiast in deer tick country, I'm not convinced that guineas have much effect on the ticks. They remain a plague even with guineas.

am1too · #12 05/12/14, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerlin

Hubby and I purchased a small amount of raw land less than a year ago and have been working nonstop.

I thought the idea of homesteading was a great idea, until I started doing it. I wanna give props to all the folks who love this life, it is hard work.

We have just under 5 acres and have been able to add electric, phone(no cell service here), satellite and internet in the past few months. We haul water in 5 gallon buckets, lots of work, but it gets us by.

So far we have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and about a couple million ticks, oh working on getting rid of those. We also see the occasional snake, any ideas to keep them away from our tiny home and outdoor kitchen?

For those who are considering homesteading from raw land, I say do a LOT of research. See if there is anyone in your area already living that way and volunteer to help for a weekend before taking the plunge yourself. Not to sound discouraging, just want folks to know that this is a lifestyle, and is not a walk in the park.

Our kitchen is outside, we have a fire pit for cooking on among other items such as a camp cook stove and electric gadgets of every kind. If you plan to cook over an open fire, be carful as to which wood you use, it does add or take away from the flavor of your food.

At this time, it is frustrating and there have been several times I have asked myself what did I do this for. Hubby and I are considering selling the land because it is much harder than we anticipated. I should have done this 25 years ago when I had the energy to do it.

Sorry, just ranting I guess. Back to hard work and a fake smile. Have a great day everyone. Someone please enjoy some Chinese takeout for me.

Eh the dogs will collect the ticks for you.

Keep the grass mowed. It will cut down on the tick population in the immediate area. It will also cut down on the unwanted varmints.

I started out with a bow saw with only electric service. Now I have grass to mow. I even raked leaves from underneath my trees. Neighbors said I was nuts. Grass won't grow with an inch of leave on it. No the leaves didn't leave the property. In fact I even haul them and all the organic material I have time and money to haul in. A visiting neighbor complained. I told em not to come back.

am1too · #13 05/12/14, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vpapai

Clearing the land and making it your own is lots of hard work. However, you can see your progress immediately, and for me, gives me a sense of satisfaction. I do not see the hard work that needs to be done, but the cleared area with our house and animals on it. You have to have the vision.

Yep do a little patch at a time. Soon you'll go wow that little bit sure makes a difference.

am1too · #14 05/12/14, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

Water hauling is a pain. When do you think you can get that remedied? That will free up lots of energy.
Undeveloped land is a process as you know. I have removed a patch of trees two times in 10 years and it changed where I had the garden. That is a real pain too. Right now I have a pile of rocks that I spent the first two year removing piled around the stumps of two small trees that were cut so I can roll the garden cart over them without getting it hung up. I simply could not face pulling up two more stumps.
I call it compromising. Earlier I would have called it lazy.

Pee on em.

Homesteader · #15 05/12/14, 01:13 PM

You know the work is a lot to handle. Hauling water does make for a much more difficult life. I agree with the poster above, if you can get that situation changed, it will make a huge difference.

Also, be sure you fully understand what your goals are. If you are ones that consider homesteading an all-or-nothing type endeavor where you have to grow everything you eat, and make an income off of it, well, that's a tough road.

So it might help if you re-evaluate what it is you want for your lives. Homesteading might not be it! That's okay too. Or, you may just need to adjust your expectations of yourselves............

Tabitha · #16 05/12/14, 01:20 PM

it's not like in the movies. You have to know a lot and be able to do a lot.
Been there done that.
Ticks have gotten worse over the years. We built a house in 1994, (raw land) slept in a tent over the summer. Not many ticks at all.
It still is not Shangri La. We can not think of something else we would rather do though. You never run out of work. The benefits are many. I have cheese draining right now. I just got a chuckle, our little bull likes to play with boxes and tubs, he just had a banana box. We got geese this year (after many years) and two attempted to set. A big flop. I buried the stinky eggs today and the ladies seemed relieved and went swimming. I am disappointed.
What can go wrong will. You have to be on the ball all the time. Mistakes will bite you in the behind. Nature does not allow excuses.
A gardenfresh salad every day is nice right now, I wish I could sell the excess eggs. I think reg. chickens eat a lot of ticks. Ours are free ranging. It works great if you have the room and no close neighbors. I made a place to live for DH turkeys out of old strawbales this spring, front wall pallets for light and ventilation. Fast way to get shelter.
Five acres is plenty. Best to you.

big rockpile · #17 05/12/14, 04:23 PM

We move to Raw Land, no one around for miles our thing was soon as we moved, we both had Jobs in Local Chicken Processing Plant. Ok it was a Blessing.

We didn't worry about Electric or Phone because this was not needed. Before Cell Phones

We spent many late nights by Lantern putting up a Shelter. We got a 200 Gallon Tank to catch Rain Water for everything, drinking, Cooking and Bathing. We hauled Propane in 100# Bottles for Cooking. We had a spring also for Water and keeping things cold.

First Winter we didn't have Floors or Insulation.

Second year got Floors in, Insulation, some Garden, fence in 5 Acres for Goats and Hogs, built Chicken House. We would Can everything.

Still no running water, Electric or Phone. During Summer before dark we would go to the river, cool off before going to Bed.

Third year woman came in told us we were getting electric if we wanted it or not. Cost her $3,000 I did bunch of work for her. While we was at it put Phone in even though it was Party Line. Got a Well Drilled but still drawed water by hand.

Forth year built more on the House, got running water in, Built Barn, fenced in 10 more acres. Bought bunch more Goats and Calf. Put Big Garden in and Orchard.

We lived like this next few years until I started having Health problems, my wife couldn't take care of the animals so they was sold

She continued to work but the road took 4WD to get in and out during good weather but she still managed, even putting Chains on.

After 17 years we sold out, still kicking myself for this but my wife says we just getting too old and yes we now have a nice place.

Before we started on this me, my wife and Kids lived in a Tent for two years even though we had a house in a small town. We camped in Rain, Snow and Ice. I had a thing about weather, it's weather nothing I can do about it.

big rockpile

**Terri** · #18 05/12/14, 04:32 PM

water is a huge thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What kind of home do you have, and what are you using for heat? Inquiring minds want to know!

Kasota · #19 05/12/14, 06:17 PM

I so agree that if you can get water going it will be a HUGE boost!

Sometimes it helps to take things in little bits. Building a homestead from scratch IS hard work and it can feel totally overwhelming when you look at all the things you wish you had, wish you had time to do, wish you had money to do, wish were done and need to be done...

One of my favorite pieces of advice from my mom is this. When you are overwhelmed with tasks...just do the next thing. Don't envision the entire list. Just do the next things. Pretty soon the little bits will add up.

Wayne02 · #20 05/12/14, 08:15 PM

You are developing the land and at the same time tending to animals and living the lifestyle as they say. It will get easier once you get the backbone of your infrastructure in place. I think people often underestimate the real value of established infrastructure - utilities, roads, out-buildings, pasture, garden, fencing, house, equipment, etc.

One thing I learned pretty quickly is it's important to enjoy the journey, and, your place will never really be 'finished'. The journey from raw land to a mostly functioning homestead and household can put severe strain on a relationship if not kept in perspective. It's important to take some time off from the homestead development process every now and then else you will burn out.

The memories you make during the development time will be key components of your homesteading lifestyle even after the infrastructure is in place, so they should be good memories, filled with all the emotions and family and friends.

Never forget that land is just that, land. What makes memories is shared experiences with family and friends. (often while working on the land of course) If you do not thoroughly enjoy the journey itself, then it's very possible you will end up regretting the destination when you finally get there.