Young couple seeks general homesteading wisdom

The best thing you can do - you have already done - joined this forum. I think you have things fairly well in line.

Look into the master gardener program in your area. It will teach you plenty about all aspects of gardening and the service hours will help that knowledge stick in your head. Look around for a CSA - they might also need help where you could learn some pointers.

Look online for information too- not everthing that is good information is in print. Also- check your library. Magazines are okay - but they usually just scratch the surface of a subject.

You might look into renting a farm for a while if your ability to purchase is 3-5 yrs away. Even an acre where you could have chickens and a garden where you can start on the learning curve in small bites. Doing too much too fast will wear you out.

Even running 2 miles a week and mowing the lawn is NO comparison for the amount of work putting in fences, digging garden beds, chopping wood, spreading gravel, etc can be. I'm an old woman - I just did my first 5K this week. I don't exercise per se - didn't practice at ALL, just showed up at the race. But I was the 8th person across that line -due to farm work alone. Made me wonder what I could do if I practiced a bit here and there.

You've got a lot of good advice eon how everybody has done it. You good start at what your doing.
My advice. Remeber this is your homestead! Don't put your self in a box. Keep the communication as top priority between you two. Decide how YOU want to go. As you accomplish and perfect one operation move on to the net thing that compliments that according to your plan. Don't try to take on to much. Keep the relationship and the enjoyment first. I got an FYI for you You'll never get where you want to go but you will get ---- close. If you do it for the rewards of the lifestyle you will be happy. If you think your gonna save money your kidding yourself. Once you add up all the costs of homesteading compared to city life you will see over time.
And as others have said READ and let things be confirmed in your spirit and hers. Keep each other first and best friends as well as lovers

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Femure,

I fully agree with not going into debt. First, I would recommend not wasteing money on cheap tools. Get good professinal quality tools. If you don't know the name brands, look at quality hardware stores or on line at places that sell quality tools. If you don't have a good quality rachet/sockets sets, one of the best buys going for new tools is one of the larger Craftsman mechanics tools sets from Sears. They put them on sale often so watch for prices. Get a set that is only sockets, rachets and extensipons, and wrenches, with as little else as possible. For less than $200 you can get what you will most likely use. If that is too much, you can go to flea markest and find craftsman socket sets and rachets at very good price, or at least I can around here and buy them in smaller sets. While I am at it, sears has a large set of Craftsman screw drivers that they put on sale often for less than $20. Craftsman hand tools have a lifetime guarentee, and sears has always been good with me about replacing worn or broken tools. Look for quality older hammers, both ball and peen and a claw hammer at the flea market. You can usually pick them up for less than 10 dollars. I am partial to Plumb name brand. Look for old sledge hammers marked US. Same with a good ax. A good wrecking bar, a 4 foot level, and a good 25 or 35 foot Stanley tape measure are good basic tools. Everyone should have a good quality hack saw around the house. I've seen some real good buys on Fiskars brand loping shears and garden tools. A good quality shovel, spade, garden rake and garden hoe are needed for gardening and can often be found at yard sales and flea markets cheap. If you plan on doing any building, a good quality 7.5 inch circular saw, framing square and carpenter's square are worth their weight in gold. Also a drill. Most choose rechargable now. Don't waste your money on cheap black and decker, sears, or chinese power hand tools. Go with, Milwakee, DeWalt, Makita or Porter Cable. They will run $100 150 each. I used to get tools for every present occasion every year until I had enough to work with.

Sounds like you have done some solid planning and preparation, a lot more than some people before they jump in. Unfortunately, there just isn't any substitute for experience. Grow what you can, where you are now. Practice drying, canning, whatever preservation methods you intend to use later. Build something, a storage shed, a dog house, anything, just to practice using the tools, measuring correctly, etc. Just get your hands dirty as much as you can. You can read about something for hours, but pick it up in 5 minutes when you actually DO it.

Looks like you're getting some good advice. I didn't read all the posts so maybe it's already been said, but if not, if you'll be having livestock on your future homestead it'd be a great idea to get as much experience as you can before that happens. Almost every mistake that can be made with livestock can be prevented with experience. And it doesn't always have to be species specific. You can apply a lot of principles from one to another and save yourself a lot of headache and heartache.

As for the seed catalogs, yes, most are free. Check out Johnny's Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Gurney's/Henry Field's, Burpee, Territorial, Dixondale Farms, etc.

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“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” - E.B. White

My advice?
Both of you get an extra job, and save all of the extra.
Buy now... a mortgage is horrible, but farmland is only going to go up... wait a few years when you have more money, and the land will have 'appreciated' a lot more than your 'cash'. US dollar is worth less and less every week, and 'real goods' reflect this, by costing more. Interest rate on money is practically zero, while true inflation is double digits.

From a prepper point of view, your survival may depend on having a farm/orchard/water source 'in hand' when the big flag goes up. It'd be terriblesome to be jonesing for a homestead, and saved up tens or hundreds of thousands, and like that, the system falls apart... then your just another couple stranded in town, without means of surviving. With a farm and all the accoutrements, you'd have a heckuva lot better chances of surviving the transition.... even if it means having a mortgage. (Of which, there is lively debate about whether there'd be bill collectors, in such a SHTF scenario... Odds are, if our economy implodes, and the dollar is worthless, you'd be more apt to be able to pay your "mortgage" and "taxes" {to whichever taxing authority might exist at that time} with a bushel of apples, a pig, goat, or some eggs...

I avoid debt like the plague... but sometimes, just sometimes, the plague is better than the alternatives...

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Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

I would suggest renting a acreage in the country. You have an idealized notion of this so called homesteading, heck everyone here probably did. You won't hear it here because these people have espoused the reality of homesteading, but many, many folks who buy that place in country end up moving back to town. Try it out see if it really suits you. Like the poor road maintence, lack of close pizza joint, less neighbors, the real quiet, having a million things to do every weekend even if you would rather watch football, ect, ect. Most here love the rural life, but it is not for everyone. I guarantee if you do this at some point you will say to yourself "Man how could I have ever been so naive about what this was going to be like" Good luck and I hope you enjoy the adventure.

Start small. grow as you learn. Experience is the best teacher it gives the test first the lesson later. Good luck keep the dream in sight and it will be yours.

I didn't see marriage on your list. Heading down the Homesteading road with 'partner' rather than a spouse qould be impossible for most of us. I'd get that done then you can move down the road in a committed manner.

Jim

Here's a few of my favourite titles from my library:

• Anything by John Seymour
• Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
• Basic Country Skills by Storey Publications
• Five Acres and Independence by M G Kains
• Putting Food By by Janet Greene
• Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
• Practical Skills by Gene Logsdon
• Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth
• Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens
• Root Cellaring by Mike & Nancy Bubel
• A Guide to Canning, Freezing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game by Wilbur Eastman
• Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game by John Mettler

I also have every book published by River Cottage. I love them. They're British, so not entirely practical here in North America, but they're so incredibly beautiful, they're inspiring, and a pleasure to read!

I'll have a look through my seed catalogs and find some links for you. Typically, the first issue is free and after that, if you order something from them, you'll get a new one every year. I like Bountiful Gardens out of California, but there are a LOT of good seed companies -- do a search on the net for some near you.

ETA -- I'd reiterate what others have said, as well -- when buying tools, etc., invest in the best quality possible -- do *NOT* buy cheap tools! A cheap tool not only doesn't last as long, but often takes twice as much effort to finish a job. Buy the best you can afford -- it's worth it in the long run! Starting slowly is important, too -- if you've never had livestock, don't go out your first year and get cattle, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats AND LGDs... start with a few rabbits and a small flock of chickens, and get a young LGD. Train the dog. Then, maybe some goats or a pair of feeder piglets. Go from there. I know it's hard to resist, but there is so much work those first few years, it's a pretty steep learning curve and it's not fair for living creatures to bear the brunt of your inexperience. Go slowly, and you'll enjoy more success.

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Ignorance is the true enemy.

I've seen the village, and I don't want it raising my children.

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We know a couple of people who moved here with self sufficiency in mind and then did nothing. They are happy with the slower pace of rural life but just never got around to pursuing the stuff they dreamed of beforehand.

Zookeeper,

Great suggestions, thank you! I will check out countryside magazine. Also, great tip about finding used canning supplies. I always buy used when I am able.

Thanks again!

Vickie,

Thanks for the recommendations! I think we will try to find the Ball's canning guide used somewhere; hopefully we will reference it frequently for years to come.

Thanks for your help!

Danaus,

Thank you for replying to my thread. I am pretty anal about legal things and plan way in advance. Zoning is definitely on my list of things way before we start looking.

Thanks again!

Our Little farm,

Thanks for the suggestion about the community vegetable garden. I am hoping we can find one in the city we live. If not, the vacation to a farm sounds like a good idea.

Thanks!

Callieslamb,

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my thread. Can you tell me a little about what a master gardener program is?

Thanks!

Tracy,

Wow! Thank you so much for all the information! I will add those books to my library reading list! I did a google search for seed companies and ordered about 10 seed catalogs today!

In regards to animals, yes we intend to stat slow (with chickens probably) and work up to larger animals (I dont see us going much larger than goats and pigs as of now)

Thanks again!

Everybody,

Thanks again so much for all the fantastic information. Please keep the ideas coming! Any mistakes that you wished you would have avoided would be great to hear!

Ive seen renting a farm on here several times. Ive only seen ONE farm for rent in the 30+yrs ive been out here. I saw it when I went to town. When I came back to tell somebody, the sign was gone.

Just so happens guys, we are one of those farms that has volunteers come to our farm and learn about what ever you would like to learn. We have vast amount of knowledge, myself growing up on a farm and knowing about most animals, crops, carpentry, welding,organics, and many other things. And my wife is the fiber artist, canner, knitter, seamstress, garlic lady, "Queen" bee keeper, gardner and all around farmer. We are modern day homesteaders trying to do what ever we can to stay small and self reliant. We have three young men coming in the next two months for a stay to learn what they can in that time frame. If you would be intrested please feel free to PM me for more details. You guys sound like your on your way to a good future. > Thanks Marc

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