what to have on property on homestead

[perennial]

While surfing the board this morning, i noticed the question about the root cellar. What do you feel you need on a homestead (beginner) to make living off the land $$ wise and time wise in the end. Like a root cellar - is this something worth putting it with the foundation if you go that way? Any other things besides spring, well, etc.

I'm sure there are things like a root cellar that are cheaper to put in when you got the guy pouring a foundation already. What other things like that would you want?

We haven't decided if we will buy a lot of land and build new or get more land and fix up a place and add what we need - we'll have to figure that out when we figure what state we want.


thanks for any info,

brural

[jkillen]

I just read an article in "Southern Living" about Old Salem. It was saying
that every lot had a house, barn, chicken house, wood shed, privy.
I am sure people had many more things but it was just intresting to
note. It was also made me realize that now the chicken house is done it's
time to start on a wood shed.

[Mid Tn Mama]

A cistern, rain barrels, barn with fencing that allows for rotating pastured animals and a place to quarantine sick animals or newborns. Ponds. Orchards (with chickens under them, ideally) Berries for human and birds, Water lines that run to the garden. Put water and electric out to the barn/outbuildings. Sink and toilet in the barn.

[Hank - Narita]

For me the greenhouse was a necessity. We started plants in ours this year and had tomatoes a plenty. Also melons, cukes, squash, okra, beans. Start all types of plants earlier and transplant. We never had any trouble getting plants to grow even when someone told us not to do so.

[Jen H]

Make sure you have a big pantry or root celler. Make it bigger than you think you'll ever need. That space fills up fast with veggies and canned food. I fill in the nooks with toilet paper, tooth paste, and other stuff I buy in bulk to save money.

Ditto getting water and electric out to the barn. After a few months of lugging water buckets and fiddling a lantern and headlamps you'll see the wisdom of having those amenities in place.

Even if you plan on using propane or electric for heat, make sure you have a wood stove or fireplace insert. Furnaces break down, electricity goes down every time some idiot tries to take an icy corner too fast, propane tanks run dry while your sick and not paying attention. The wood stove will always work - as long as you have wood for a fire you'll have heat. You can also cook on them in a pinch.

If you're using a well, how will you get water when the power goes out? Think about this, and plan for it. I keep gallon jugs of water in the deep freeze to take up space and to save for when we lose power.

Build your barn so that the stall walls can be changed without too much trouble. Your critters will come and go, and each type of critter needs a little different setup. To some extent, your predator situation will dictate the size of your barn (I have cougars, coyotes, and bears on my property - all the animals are behind closed doors come nightfall.).

[Mid Tn Mama]

I agree about the greenhouse. I'd plan one that was on the south side of the house with a brick wall on the house. There would be a door or windows to the house so that you could also heat the house that way.

I'd plan for how animal manure was taken from the barn to the garden. Think about storage of straw, hay and animal feed.

[MorrisonCorner]

Originally Posted by Mid Tn Mama

I'd plan for how animal manure was taken from the barn to the garden. Think about storage of straw, hay and animal feed.

This is a NO KIDDING thing that almost everyone overlooks. Including us Both sheep sheds were constructed with sheep in mind, but no thought to how we'd get the waste out of there. Cleaning those sheds is a royal pain. I should be able to clean them out easily and without resorting to the tractor, but no, they're both designed so pretty much the only way of getting the material out of there is the tractor bucket.

As the price of fuel goes up this gets more and more annoying.

[tim1253]

I'm sure there are things like a root cellar that are cheaper to put in when you got the guy pouring a foundation already. What other things like that would you want?

brural[/QUOTE]


One essential item on the farmsteads/homesteads around East TN/KY was/is a good smokehouse. Being able to cure meat, smoke it and thus preserve has been extremely important...not to mention the great taste!

Tim
Knoxville, TN