We got our farm!!!! Now opinions needed

To make a long story short, I love it here....I would not change it, Just proceed carefully and joyfully. Good things will happen. Like, we just got DSL this week after almost a year without any internet. (another story) All the best to Yay Ohio!!!

Well, kinda....My daughter says Nubian goat milk is good for the first day. After that, she says it tastes/smells "goaty."

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Congrats on acquiring your homestead.

There are so many options available to you that you'll probably come up with lots of ideas once you are site.

Please go slow. Add one thing at a time so you can learn it well before spreading yourself too thin.

Since you already have chickens, and were already planning to add rabbits, I'd go ahead and follow that plan. Then I would add goats. I have a Saanen milk goat and highly recommend the breed. The milk tastes just like store bought cows milk.

I'd think twice before getting a cow. 5 acres will support a lot of smaller animals, but a cow will pretty much consume everything not leaving much for the others. A steer in the spring to send to freezer camp in the fall might work out on 5 acres if you have a good stand of grass.

Enjoy your new home!

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For goats........plan to buy 2 milkers in the spring......after they have freshened!! (You need 2 because goats do not do well being by themselves.) You can taste their milk before you buy them. You can milk them before you buy them.
In the meantime, you can contact different goat breders, and go visit them and see their animals. You can use these opportunities to learn about goats, their care and feeding. and see the different breeds first-hand. And you can gradually collect or build the things that you will need.......milk stand, milk buckets, hoof trimmers, strainer and filters for the milk.
You will hear people say that Nubian milk tastes best. I have always had Alpines, and when Nubian friends would come to visit, they would say...."Gee, your milk tastes just like ours!!"
And every time I go to a show and I hear the Nubians screaming.......I am reminded why I have Alpines.

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If you want a fall/winter garden you still have time to plant radishes, kale, spinach, and some lettuce. Good luck finding seeds, unless you already have them. Garlic can be planted soon. Now is the time to really decide what animals you want and set up pens and housing for them. Check the weatherproofing on the house and the roofs of the other buildings. Start writing down and mapping out what is growing where. You won't see the spring bulbs and such until then but you can see what shrubs and perennials are growing now. If you want to raise plants in containers now is the time to get them, pots are being clearanced. If you don't have seed starting supplies check garden centers for them now. It takes a long time for the stuff to show up in the stores in spring. And I would check places like Lowes and Home Depot for clearanced brambles and shrubs, maybe a tree or two.

If you don't mind my asking, what part of Ohio? The buckeye state is well represented here.

Wow, congratulations! This is a great thread, and one that I will save since if all goes well, I will take possession of my homestead in late October/early November.

Great advice from everyone, and one I will print out and put in a notebook. Ya'll are wonderful to have around!

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Congrats :-)

you can always get a minature cow if you want a cow. That is what we are going to do. Sounds like you have allot of fun ahead. Enjoy:banana02:

IronHorse191

Congratulations and best wishes.

I'm also enjoying all the replies to this thread. Making mental notes. Borrow the book "The Self Sufficient Life and how to live it" from the library. Some good ideas in there for a 5 acre property

Hey.. aren't you supposed to be working?!

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Congradulations, Start slow, don't rush into things. The best advice I got when we moved to our place, was to have a 5 year plan. And to have a 5 year plan you have to live on it for awhile. Our first year plan was to fix barns, fences and plant a small garden (20' x 50'). Second year, to get the chickens/ducks and plant the orchard. Third year, look into larger animals. You can see were I'm going, it is different for everyone. By doing this, we were not overwhelmed, and believe me those plans will change. Things seem to take so much longer than you planned. Then there are the best layed plans that just don't work. Like setting up the duck and chicken barns and finding out it really doesn't work well. So redoing it again. The sheep barn and goat barns, the same thing. You will read about so many great ideas, on this forum and others, but they may not work for you. So be creative and do what works for you. Trial and errror, more error than I would like to think, so that 5 year plan could turn into a 10 year plan. Just hang in there and Don't rush to have everything at once.

Opps...it posted twice

Well, thank you everyone for all the replies. We got the keys yesterday and now I can't sleep!!

I've been going back and forth on my plans. Right now, I just want to get moved, but....I have been thinking about a Dexter mini cow (although I am in love with Jerseys), and/or 2 goats. I've had a mental debate about the overgrown pastures (about knee to thigh high). On the one hand, we could just have it bush hogged, or on the other, I've heard that it would be wonderful for the goats. What do you think?

To answer some of you, we are just North of Columbus by about 30 miles (North of Alum Creek by about 10 miles) outside of a very small village.

We've already started eating Pears (even though they aren't quite ripe) from one of "our" trees, and the chickens are getting the apples that are on the ground. I need to get the pump house in order as there are bins for root cellar-ing in there, but it is in disrepair. We also found blacksmithing tools and a corn sheller in the barn!!

I'll keep you updated and hopefully get some pictures up. In the meantime you are also all welcome to check in with my blog (and please feel free to leave comments, sometimes I feel like I'm chatting with myself-grin. At least here, someone chats back! )

Rickki

Congratulations! And welcome. I'm sure you've found the chicken forum & rabbit forums here, you'll have tons of advice!

Patty

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Congratulations on obtaining your homestead! All of the above is excellent advice. I tell anyone starting out to start small and plan.
Moving just before winter be sure your house is tight, chimney clean and stock up provisions for your family. I would hold off getting more animals until spring unless the barn is in good shape and you have a suppy of feed and hay for them. Chickens may be enough for the first winter to care for. Never bring goats, cows or horses home until you have adequate shelter and fences for them
Clearing a garden spot and planting a cover crop to till under in the spring was good advice as well as starting a compost pile. Then keep that first garden a reasonable size so you don't get over whelmed next year with so much work.

Take the first winter to plan and see what has to be done so you can set priorities. Neighbors are important in the country so be friendly without being intrusive. Then try to relax a bit and enjoy nature and life. It passes by too quickly.

Congratulations on obtaining your homestead! All of the above is excellent advice. I tell anyone starting out to start small and plan.
Moving just before winter be sure your house is tight, chimney clean and stock up provisions for your family. I would hold off getting more animals until Spring unless the barn is in good shape and you have a supply of feed and hay for them. Chickens may be enough for the first winter to care for. Never bring goats, cows or horses home until you have adequate shelter and fences for them
Clearing a garden spot and planting a cover crop to till under in the spring was good advice as well as starting a compost pile. Then keep that first garden a reasonable size so you don't get over whelmed next year with so much work.

Take the first winter to plan and see what has to be done so you can set priorities. Neighbors are important in the country so be friendly without being intrusive. Then try to relax a bit and enjoy nature and life. It passes by too quickly.