'Two Property' Homesteading?

agmantoo · #1 08/14/05, 07:29 PM

Moonwolf, I can understand the problems of not having the homestead all in one location. My farming operations are like that. My parents lived in town on a 1/4 acre lot and were a generation removed from farmiing. I always wanted a parcel of land that was mine. Exactly why, I do not know. Anyway, I ended up buying a parcel with a run down house that no one else wanted. It was all I could afford at the time. Later I had the opportunity to buy other nonadjoining parcels. It seems that I never had enough money to buy one large farm but could put enough together to buy smaller places. Even where I live now on a grain farm I have an equipment shed but the main farming operations is about a mile away. I have a difficult time jocking the equipment around and finding someone to give me a ride or to drive a truck. It seems that what I need for a task is in one place and I am in another. On the plus side, if something unfavorable happens in one place it doesn't impact the other.

minnikin1 · #2 08/14/05, 07:31 PM

We're doing it that way, just because each parcel was missing a major component at the time we bought.

We live in a regular little house on a postage stamp lot and we travel to our various scattered acres trying to utilize the best features of each.
Its very wasteful. We waste time traveling, dragging tools back and forth - (the one you need is always someplace else no matter how hard you try to plan) and with the price of gas - it's becoming down right unaffordable.

Homesteading can be very hard. I wouldn't add more work doing it this way if I could do it again.
We're getting ready to sell some stuff in order to lighten the load a bit..

Alice In TX/MO · #3 08/14/05, 08:20 PM

Yes, I'm doing this, and yes, it's not easy. Seems like your tools are always in the wrong place.

The main homestead is in south Texas. That house is paid for, and we have lived there since 1980. Now having to replace carpet, do repairs, etc. The problem with this house is that when NAFTA came in, the highway noise from 3/4 mile away has dramatically increased. Then, a truck stop was built about 100 yards from our back property line. TALL light poles. My backyard will never be quiet and dark at night again. Not to mention Jake brakes and the BZZZzzzzzzzzzZZZZZzzzzzzzz of the pneumatic nut drivers when they are changing tires on 18 wheelers.

Second homestead is in Missouri and is very very remote. Only noise is from critters. No lights other than my yard light. The home dates back to 1920's and was in need of remodeling and updating. It is livable now. We work on this one in the summers.

Then Mom died, and I'm in the throes of fixing up her house to become a rental. It's 140 miles from my south Texas home. This house was built in 1957, and all she did was paint the exterior a couple of times. Original paint, flooring (cork and vinyl), nasty green kitchen tile, etc. It took weeks just to get it clean inside, but that's another story. It is at least livable now, and I stay there when working with the lawyers, etc., on her estate.

I will never, ever, be bored!!

rambler · #4 08/15/05, 12:18 AM

My wife & I have the town house, the run down county farm place, & my sis & B-i-L have a run down farm place in between they want to move to some day & I end up doing a lot for them..

There are times the work gets overwhelming and keeping track of tools can be headache - traveling to get the one needed is wasted time & happens too often, but seems we are not alone on such work.

--->Paul

Ramblin Wreck · #5 08/15/05, 07:35 AM

I have an old condo in town to be close to work during the week, and then make the drive to the farm on the weekend. It's only 45 miles away, but that can easily take 2 hours on bad rush hour days. It means all projects take longer, since it is just weekend work. Unlike some who have responded about having their tools/equipment at the other place when needed, my biggest concern in this regard is how many tools my sons have left me with each week. They are proficient "borrowers".

cc-rider · #6 08/15/05, 08:03 AM

Buy two sets of tools!

Just kidding!

I, also, live in town, but will eventually be moving to the country. My "country" place is only 8 miles away, so is very convenient compared to others that have posted. I can easily slip over there for a few hours after work.

Or drive home to retrieve a tool.

I think my first "improvement" on the country place will be to build a barn, though. Then I don't have to drive back and forth for equipment.

65284 · #7 08/15/05, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramblin Wreck

I have an old condo in town to be close to work during the week, and then make the drive to the farm on the weekend. It's only 45 miles away, but that can easily take 2 hours on bad rush hour days. It means all projects take longer, since it is just weekend work. Unlike some who have responded about having their tools/equipment at the other place when needed, my biggest concern in this regard is how many tools my sons have left me with each week. They are proficient "borrowers".

I know what you mean about borrowers, used to hve that same problem. I now have 2 sets of tools. There is my good tools that I keep locked up out of sight, nobody, and I mean nobody, borrows them. The loaners are items I have scrounged and bought cheap at flea markets and auctions.

Grandmotherbear · #8 08/15/05, 09:40 AM

Our country place is 2 hours away. Maintaining the garden is difficult when you are gone 5 days out of 7. (We get in about 8 or 9ish in the pm friday, not much can do on Friday nights)...amd occasionally must miss a weekend for townie bussiness purposes...

agmantoo · #9 08/15/05, 10:29 AM

To overcome the tool problem, I have 2 pickup trucks. One is decent enough for going to town for supplies, errands or out to eat. The other is committed for work. Big tool box, manure, mud, cramped dirty seating are the ordinary for it. This has been the best setup thus far for the divided properties.