Who are We?

Between 1and2....debt free....working and saving for our own tractor and plan early retirement for husband or at least just part-time....(he needs to get out of the house to BS with other guys...and he might as well get paid to do it IMO)

Slow and steady climb to the #1 goal

Homestead resident.I have a few years left on my mortgage,child support,power bills to pay,and will likely need to build a house(avery small one)when my current mortgage has been paid.I do work for myself,as a landscaper and lawn guy,but it agrees very much with the homesteading part of my life,as much of the equiptment I purchase,and the plant knowlege I gain is useful on my homestead in the works.Also,my work makes lots of free stuff available to me,such as tons of compostables,and free plants.
I grow almost all of my veggies in the summer,and just tried out my new canning kit last night,with success,and I'm pretty dang proud of that baby step towards where I want to be.I don't have any livestock,but feed myself with wild game(taken on my property)during the winter,and lotsa' fish,taken from the numerous creeks,rivers,swamps,and gravel pit lakes around here during the summer.A deep freeze would be a really good investment for me,at this point.
I have salvaged almost everthing I need for building a chicken coop,but I'm still researching my options,and will probably wait until next spring before purchasing chicks.
I build/fix pretty much everything myself around here,including the equiptment that I need for work.
I grow lots of dewberries,blueberries,and muscadines,but my assortment of fruit trees are too young to expect much from.
8 acres of my place is in planted pine timber,its about 18-20 years old,so if all goes well,Ill get some money out of that eventually,and in the process will free up 8 more acres for me to do other stuff with.
I aint exactly where I want to be,just yet,but so far,I have been pretty pleased with my rate of progress.I'm not in a big hurry,anyway,as I enjoy my outside of the home work.

Oops,forgot to add-Great poll idea,Obser.

I picked the second one, too, although self-sufficiency is important to me, and I'm working toward that as a long-term goal. Edible landscaping, gardening, and a few other hobbies are all steps toward that goal.

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"I don't want everyone to like me; I should think less of myself if some people did."
— Henry James

I have been living the homestead life for 25 years such as garden, our own meat and milk.Septic and well.We now have a income of 8K plus per year from our garden market,and prepared products.All this was aquired by making a hour commute each way to a factory for 30 years.I will retire in 3 more years and will have a pension and benifits to fall back on.So i have been blessed well in my life.Can it be done with out a factory job you bet just not as easy.

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If you are still mowing the grass then the garden needs to be bigger

This was a tough one. I picked number 3, although most of my friends would probably say we were a 2 (they think I'm wierd). We have about 20 chickens (plus 18 chicks), so we eat our own eggs and chicken. Considering getting goats and we raise a lot of our own vegetables, I make my own bread and soap, but get all of the ingredients outside of the home (except for a few of the herbs that I grow).

My husband works full time, I now stay home and educate the children and tend to the garden & animals. I would love to become self sufficient, he seems to be slowly moving more towards that goal. I think it will more likely be during retirement though, and we will have our retirement incomes (I worked 15 years and have a pretty good retirement plan), plus until we had children in college we were putting money in my IRA every year.
Dawn

I voted #2 although we are headed for #1. We are putting in a "pick your own" fruit orchard to garner income from our homestead, although because we don't like to have all our eggs in one basket, we also are working toward real estate investing. Unfortunately, in todays society, you need to have savings, outside income, or have a big enough spread to make your homestead be self supporting. I mean, doctors just don't accept chickens in payment for bills today. I also believe that we humans, as societal creatures, are not meant to be 100 percent self sufficient. We will still have to buy or barter for things that we simply cannot produce. That's just the way it is.

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Visit my blog at; http://songsfromthehearth.blogspot.c...-insecure.html
Our website is www.thequeensblessing.com

I voted for number 2, but I'm also not really sure where we fit in. I am homesteading because I think it's fun! I think that makes me a "Hobby Farmer". My chickens, turkeys, cows, garden, etc. cost me money. Probably a little more (sometimes alot more) than if I just bought meat, eggs, and produce. But they are my hobby. I enjoy their company and just like to look at them. I don't collect stamps. I don't buy antiques. I raise animals!!! I couldn't call us anywhere near self sufficency since we are only one job loss away from being homeless and will be until the mortgage is paid off in 29 years. We are working on reducing debt, but I've got no illusions that we are still walking on the edge.

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People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately. - Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900

I think if you homestead in your mind, you should get extra points. The planning and dreaming are at least half of the fun of it! Research should count, too, and field trips. Camping could earn bonus points, right? And don't forget ice storms and hurricane training.

Well I chose number two,
We both work outside the home with our eye on a time when it will be possible for me to work out of our home and DH to wrok at an "at home" job and a part-time outside job. I can and dry wild and farmers market produce. Grow our own apples, asparagus and working on grapes for jelly and wine... Setting up to grow mushrooms for income in the next year or so....garden gets tripled this year...........Still on the grid, but do use wood as partime heat....... but looking toward solar and wind as possible alternate energy sources. I'd like to be independent enough to be able to take care of us without needing a lot of outside interference/assistance, but real and total self-sufficiency...? I doubt it really even exists for most of us.....

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Life is good!

Well I chose number two,
We both work outside the home with our eye on a time when it will be possible for me to work out of our home and DH to wrok at an "at home" job and a part-time outside job. I can and dry homegrown, wild and farmers market produce. Grow our own apples, asparagus and blackberries, blueberries and working on grapes for jelly and wine... Setting up to grow mushrooms for income in the next year or so....garden gets tripled this year...........Still on the grid, but do use wood as partime heat....... but looking toward solar and wind as possible alternate energy sources. I'd like to be independent enough to be able to take care of us without needing a lot of outside interference/assistance, but real and total self-sufficiency...? I doubt it really even exists for most of us.....

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Life is good!

I chose #2 because we don't have a barn, If I had a barn I would have more animals and be more self sufficient.

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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

I put special case as I feel I fit into several categories - Former Homesteader -got out to save my life Currently a Suburban Homesteader - doing the best I can with what I got, and a Future Homesteader - have plans to get back out to the coutry and are currently taking baby steps to make it happen.

Carrie in SD

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Life is too short not to enjoy it!
Smile, it makes everyone wonder what you are up too!! :baby04:
Gravity and I tend to see eye to floor