"Living off the land" or "Just having enough room?"

I was renting a 80 acre farm when I met DH. He was a city boy. I convinced him we should buy our own place so it will be paid for before retirement. We bought a place 20 years ago. His company immediately transferred him. I've been out here alone all these years preparing the place for when he retires.

I'm fairly self reliant out here, but could never make it without his income. I raise our meat, veggies, and fruit. I don't make enough off the farm to pay the utilities, but I'm working on trying to make adjustments to lower costs and/or get off grid if possible.

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No offense, but there is no way that I am moving to the Great Plains.

if everyone did, they wouldn't be 'great' anymore! i love our plains, they are open, and i do as i please. its not easy making a buck, but if you can be happy with just a few of em, you'll be fine. i like 4 seasons but not everyone can handle -40 and high winds.

i could work in a bigger area, as i once did. then i could buy carp food instead of the raw, pure food i currently put on my table. i coulda sent my kiddo's to daycare too, and spend my weekends mowing the lawn, keeping up with the jones', and taking trips--to where i am now!! i live where ppl want to take vacations.

we are in between the 2 options. we would love more land, but can't afford to do that right now. but, our current land offers us most of what we need--pasture for the horses, pens for the goats and pigs. room for the dogs, and chickens, gardens, clotheslines, etc. we get some of the feed for the goats, pigs and chickens from our place as well. come winter, we do buy hay. i would love to have enough land to have our own hay as well, and some more for pasture.

i think that is somewhat human nature, we always seem to strive for more. if i'd get 10 acres, i would then want 200 more for cattle. i would love to have enough to raise enough cattle to pay our bills and make a living. as is, they are kept elsewhere and i thank the good Lord daily that i have what i do have. if we HAD to, we could live off our place--but our fun things would be over, like the horses, extra goats, etc. but if it got that bad, that'd prolly happen anyhow, so at least we have a place that myself, DH and both daughters (and if they chose, their famillies) could raise enough to keep ourselves.

Here is my story. About 2-3 years ago, I began to long for a "living off the land" life. I began to make plans and search nation wide for land. Most of my time was spent crunching numbers, and searching web sites. I have narrowed the search down to West TN, and Southern MO. I have saved as much as I can, and put the house up for sell. Just this week, the company I work for has offered me a buy out. So my plan is much closer, I won't know all the details until, but I know it will be sometime between Oct-March. My dream is to buy at least 40 acres in one of the states mentioned with or without a home. I will buid a home if I need to, but I am kind of leaning to an existing home. I am hoping to be off grid with the home, if I can find the funds. I plan to gradually supply 90% of our food from the farm. I have a plan to make an income from the property, and the wife says she wants to continue to work off the farm, at least for a while. I truly feel blessed that things are falling in place as they have. Many think I am crazy, maybe I am. :-)

Most people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them how much I miss Kansas. I miss driving through the Flint Hills.

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What are we up to? Come and see!

I saw this on the real estate section and thought it might fit your goals. Its in Kentucky.
40 acre farm - Great Start!

Thanks for the info. It looks like a nice place.

None taken.
I was simply disagreeing with your mistaken idea that the rural areas had been hit by the recession.

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~*~Erin~*~
SAHM, ranch wife, sub and quilt shop proprietress
the Back Gate Country Quilt Shop

Here's our story. We are working towards living of the land.
My (now) husband and I planned our homesteading adventure when we were in our 3rd year of University.
After graduating, we purchased a really cheap, run down old 1850's farmhouse the small community we wanted to live in. Really cheap. and REALLY run down. We had a 3 year plan to renovate and flip the home, giving us enough profit to buy acreage and build a straw bale home ourselves. We worked our asses of, and the plan payed off exactly on time. We were able to buy 10 acres (that backs on to 80,000 acres of a provincial reserve that won't ever be developed) and build the structure of our home.
We have been living in the home for 5 years now, slowly completing things as we get the funds. We have build a studio, small goat / chicken barn, and a huge veggie garden in this time.
Our intent with our plan was to live off the land as much as possible, in order to have the smallest environmental footprint we could. My husband at this point still works a full time job, as we need to pay our student loans off still, but our home is debt free. (That's right, no mortgage, by the time I was 26)We will eventually support ourselves through our artwork (which is what we went to school for) once the debt is paid.
The only money we will need to bring in will be to pay for taxes, a phone, and some supplies.
We are so happy we stuck to our plan, and so grateful for the lessons our lifestyle will teach our children. Like "living simply, so others may simply live".
I've just recently discovered this forum, and it's so inspirational to talk to so many like minded people. Thanks to all!
http://registry.osbbc.ca/listing-mag...idence-95.html
(our house, if anyone is interested.)

Jeese man, I think we were separated at birth because that in a nutshell describes our desires and homestead. We cant see or hear anyone on any 4 sides of our little homestead but I can jump in my truck and get to the little gas station a few miles away that has a few essentials. We are experimenting with various solar applications but we really dont have any desire to go off grid and within 25 miles we have access to a couple of small towns with decent shopping and a few restaraunts.

We have just enough land to grow most of our own veggies, fruits, nuts, and berries, we have a small pond for fish, and enough pasture to support 4 or 5 cows and a few hogs and chickens and we sell a bit here and there but we dont have what would be to me the stress of trying to make a living off our small holding. We are extremely rural and we shoot, hunt, ride the ATV and enjoy our property but we arent so far out and disconnected that its a big production to travel or explore. For us its just right.

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www.salmonslayer-simplelife.blogspot.com