Is there an "age limit" to this?

badlander · #61 02/02/14, 12:34 PM

Oh my, as the old saying goes I wish I could be 25 again and know then what I know now!

With youth comes energy, determination, spirit and drive. With age comes experience, sensibility, and fatigue. Just joking...sorta. At 60, almost 61 I think I have the maturity not to bite off more than I can chew, I just notice that my energy levels aren't what they used to be.

Can you homestead in your 20s? It won't be easy, but yes, I think you can do it. You can expect to make a lot of mistakes and hopefully learn from them, BUT that can be said about just about everything a person tries to undertake when they are in their 20s whether it be starting out married life, or starting out professional life.

Start small, and like I said, try not to bite off more than you can chew. Temper your enthusiasm with common sense. Don't be afraid to ask questions, listen to the answers. Don't just 'hear' us old folks but really listen to us and consider the old timers advice. You don't always have to take it but you can sure store it away for future use.

Consider if you will life in the middle and late 1800's. Country folks married young. They had a farm, and family. They took hard knocks, they struggled, they triumphed and they grew up.

I think you are to be commended for even considering the homesteading lifestyle at such a tender age. It isn't easy. But it is rewarding to be independent. You make me believe that there is hope for mankind in a world that I see slowly going insane. I just wish about a million more were just like you

God bless you and good luck with whatever path life takes you down.

ChocolateMouse · #62 02/02/14, 03:14 PM

Ugh, I know those feels! I am often told that I will make a great 50 year old lady as I pet my chickens and can my jams that I make myself... I can't help but think "Thanks! Good to know I make a poopy 20 year old lady! Real nice of you to say that."

It can be really frustrating to have the knowledge, the gumption, the desire... And everyone telling you to hold off and wait ye little young'n because only people who are 40+ do THAT sort of thing. Go get a "Real" job instead. Why isn't farming a "real" job anymore? Why isn't caring for your house and home and feeding yourself while making enough to pay your taxes a "real" job?

I started dreaming about this years ago, and I have been working on making it happen for about 2 years now. I live in a suburb on 1/4 acre. I have 10 breeding rabbits that bring in about $300+ a month plus rabbit meat. I have eight chickens. Last year I made a two-years supple of mulberry jam and apple butter for our house! This year it will be tomato based sauces and jarred soup! I have a background in animal husbandry (was originally pursing a vet degree and I spent some time working in the pet store small animal care industry and learned how to care for animals quickly and efficiently) and my mom has a very green thumb. In a few years I will be 25 and I WILL live on a "real" farm where I can raise cows, sheep and goats. I will have rotating pastures and sustainable gardening to advertise and sell at farmers markets in the city. In the meantime I am making due how I can and learning what I can.

It doesn't change that so many people put me down for it and make me feel like I should be going to college, getting 50K into debt, and then pushing papers until I am old before I ever should be allowed to touch a garden rake or raise an animal.

Ravenlost · #63 02/03/14, 12:21 PM

I wish hubby and I had been younger when we bought our farm. We certainly could have accomplished a lot more than we do now! Hubby retires this month (he'll be 56 in a couple weeks) and I'm 54. It's very frustrating to not have the strength and energy we had in our 20s, especially with all the things we'd like to do.

Go for it while you're young! When I was 22 I was back living on my parents' farm with two babies and was growing a large garden, hanging my clothes on the line and loving it. Been a lot of different places since...lived in some big cities (Washington, DC...Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex) and I don't regret moving back to the country at all. I do regret not doing it sooner!

kat_ingram · #64 02/03/14, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funbowhunter

If you want animals, make sure you can have them. Start out with chickens and rabbits. They will provide fertilizer for your garden and food for your table

Out of all the animals I'd like to have someday, I definitely want to start out with those. From what I've heard, they are easy to take care of. I don't have any huge plans to make tons of money off of them. I'd probably just have them for myself, and a few at a time. If it grows into something more, that'd be great, but it'll be better for the animals and me if I just start off with something manageable.

kat_ingram · #65 02/03/14, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raymond James

Short answer NO. In some ways it could be easier being young.

If you have the ability to resettle without worrying about kids, or losing a lot of seniority at a job. What I suggest is you advertise caretaker/ farm help position wanted. Hang fliers on bulletin boards at feed stores, vet office, agriculture supply, auction barns. Also look for someone wanting to hire, ask everyone you know and people you do not know at places where farmer types hang out, especially farmers markets. Jobs are good but if you cannot get one look for a part time volunteer/ helping situation with a market gardener, riding stable.

In anther thread on here someone is thinking about renting a home for $400 a month in exchange for some chore work taking care of some of their animals. The nice thing about that situation is they would teach you how to care for them. So if you found other jobs and was able to have a lower cost place to live for exchange with chores that you wanted to learn how to do anyway it could work.

Most people could use a person to help out with chores a couple times a year for a couple of days. If you are currently in a rural area offer to do this . Again the good thing here is they show/teach you how to take care for the stock. You can see what works on their place what doesn't . What type of stock you like and what you would rather not be around. Almost every one loves baby pigs but not that many likes hogs. Find out you would rather not have hogs on their dime.

I worked at a Boy Scout camp as a horse wrangler in the summer - started by volunteering for two weeks the first summer. They had to teach me just about everything that first summer. I worked there two years in the summer while cleaning stalls at a boarding stable during the school year. Did not make much but I learned a whole lot. Definitely better than flipping burgers.

I know a man who changed jobs from being a printer to working on a farm by taking a position as a farm hand. Nice home to live in, farm truck for work and pay. Not sure how much he got paid but he had a nice place to live and seemed to be doing alright.

Many farmers on conventional farms are old , real old . They need help. If you are willing and able to work there is work to be had. Having at least a Class B drivers license would be helpful when looking for farm work.

Wow, thanks for the input Raymond! I hadn't even thought about doing something like that. I've got six months left in my lease now, but I could certainly ask around. I'm new to this particular area here, but it's a small enough town that you don't have to go far to find farms and ranches. I bet someone around here could use some help.

kat_ingram · #66 02/03/14, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badlander

I think you are to be commended for even considering the homesteading lifestyle at such a tender age. It isn't easy. But it is rewarding to be independent. You make me believe that there is hope for mankind in a world that I see slowly going insane. I just wish about a million more were just like you

God bless you and good luck with whatever path life takes you down.

Thank you. I have many reasons for considering homesteading, but partly because I don't like the direction that society is headed. I've watched my mom's blood pressure rise over the news and politics and I've watched my dad bury his head in the sand.

For me, I don't think there is much left to do but hold on and ride out whatever is coming. I don't see a point in getting all worked up over something I cannot control. However, I'm not going to just block it out and hope it all blows over ok. I want to be in a position to keep myself and my family as safe as possible, and when the time comes, be able to help other people as they need it.

I do wish there were many more like myself, and perhaps there are and I just don't know it. Even if I were the only one, I don't think that'd stop me anyway.

kat_ingram · #67 02/03/14, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChocolateMouse

Go get a "Real" job instead. Why isn't farming a "real" job anymore? Why isn't caring for your house and home and feeding yourself while making enough to pay your taxes a "real" job?

It doesn't change that so many people put me down for it and make me feel like I should be going to college, getting 50K into debt, and then pushing papers until I am old before I ever should be allowed to touch a garden rake or raise an animal.

Oh my gosh, yes! If it weren't for farming, where would we be? Some place I don't want to think about. I have gotten so sick of the "norm" being pushed on everyone these days.

Some of us aren't meant for certain things. So I didn't go to college and get a degree, but I sure as heck have a lot more life experience than my collegiate friends do. I'm not married and popping out kids before I'm 25, and I'm ok with that. I'm not settling into a career that's "good for me", why? Because I'll make 50 grand a year? No thanks.

My best friend beats herself up because she didn't graduate this past year like all the rest of our friends. She is hard on herself because she is still working the same job she had in high school. It makes me want to smack her. Yeah, she has only ever had one job, but she's also gotten herself into management. She saved up enough money to buy a house, as a single 22 year old woman. That is nothing to sneeze at.

While she has been spending money on a huge financial asset for herself, everyone else is just starting to maybe find jobs they've gone to school for, to start paying off their student loans. She'll have her mortgage paid off by the time they ever clear their debts out.

And yet some people have made her feel bad because she didn't pursue the "traditional" route. What's so traditional about getting yourself in debt before you even start making money anyway? Ugh. Makes me so mad to see people put her down for achieving so much. I think they're just jealous.

kat_ingram · #68 02/03/14, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

I wish hubby and I had been younger when we bought our farm. We certainly could have accomplished a lot more than we do now! Hubby retires this month (he'll be 56 in a couple weeks) and I'm 54. It's very frustrating to not have the strength and energy we had in our 20s, especially with all the things we'd like to do.

Go for it while you're young! When I was 22 I was back living on my parents' farm with two babies and was growing a large garden, hanging my clothes on the line and loving it. Been a lot of different places since...lived in some big cities (Washington, DC...Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex) and I don't regret moving back to the country at all. I do regret not doing it sooner!

You know, my parents have just entered their sixties and my dad is looking at losing yet another toe, a combination of diabetes and hard labor. I think that's part of what is pushing me to do this now. I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes yet, which is kind of surprising to me. I've got plenty wrong with me though, and I just know that some fresh country air, whole foods that I made, and hard work would do me a world of good.

I spent two years behind a desk and it was one of the worst things to happen to me physically. I'm 22. I should be climbing the hill to my peak and yet I feel stuck in a valley and I want out. What better way to do that then homestead? I can only hope that when I'm my parents age I'm still going strong with another 40 years left.

ArmyDoc · #69 02/03/14, 08:46 PM

It's physically harder when you are older, but often easier financially. I couldn't afford to do what I am doing now when I was 20...but if I waited to much longer I might not be able to do it physically.

At age 20, I was in College... I stayed in school 8 years, and was in specialty training for many years after that. Because I couldn't afford medical school on my own, and have a strong aversion to debt, I was in the military for many years after completing my training. - It was a trade-off, time for money, as it is for most people one way or another.

If I had taken out a loan, I could have bought a permanent home much earlier... but wouldn't have had much money to spend on it. By avoiding debt, I had to wait longer, but when I got out of the service, I was in a position to buy what I really wanted.

I think we all wonder what would have happened if we had taken a different path... but I'm pretty happy where I ended up, and I don't have any real regrets from taking the path I took, so all in all I think I did ok.

Rectifier · #70 02/03/14, 10:32 PM

I'm 30, married, first kid on the way, and hopefully leaving the workforce for good come April to homestead, ranch sheep and do some electrical work on the side. We own our ranch mortgage free and that's a big thing that makes it all possible, really.

Wouldn't say you should quit *too* early, I did an apprenticeship and my wife a tech diploma, that got us into a good wage bracket. We busted our asses for 5 years and that was enough to buy our 320 acres outright, plus rights to lease 320 more, on-grid house and outbuildings, some equipment and money left over to buy stock and a few more pieces of equipment. Plus we are retaining a mobile in the city that we can rent out or move into if we need to work in the city to buy a new tractor or something.

I'm glad we did that instead of jumping in too young, we wanted a farm since we met 10 years ago but realized that it could not be done with a mortgage hanging over our head.

Now that we own our land, that's pretty much it for "gainful employment" - I'm tired of making the taxman and the boss rich off my back. Pay my property tax, write it off as farm expenses, eat well on lamb, beef, eggs, milk and homegrown vegetables, spend my leisure time hunting, fishing and kiteboarding, that sounds like success to me!

Go for it before you are too old. I hear so many would'a could'a should'a lines spoken in my days on the job (I run a service truck) that it's not even funny.

lmrose · #71 02/04/14, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kat_ingram

As I've been poking around various threads and conversations here, I've noticed a fairly general trend. It seems that most people here are older. I don't say that as a negative thing by any means. Age equals experience which I've been pursuing like crazy.

The word retire and subsequent suffixes gets used often, so far as I've seen and it got me wondering. I can see where homesteading, as a venture you choose and are not born into, is something more conducive to a time where your obligations are fewer.

Most of my friends are getting married and starting families, or choosing career paths. They aren't exactly time rich, or even money rich, whereas people like my parents are looking forward to the stage where they are working less, their families are grown and moved on and they are time and experience rich.

I get that for a lot of people it's not a matter of combining lifestyles, but rather choosing one over the other. Of course, that's not to say that people can't make it work all around, but for the average person you're either raising kids or raising crops.

My question is this: is homesteading feasible for twenty somethings? I recognize it can be the right choice for the right person, regardless of age. My boyfriend and I have our eyes set on a good place and we'd really like to pursue it together.

We both would like to get away from the city/suburban life and find a bit more peace in the countryside. We want to be able to work hard and reap the benefits of what we do, not just trade our time for a paycheck. I feel blessed to be with someone who agrees with most of my ideas concerning this, as even my own family has made me feel a bit alienated because of my enthusiasm for prepping/survival/homesteading things.

While nothing is certain, we are headed toward a future together, and as neither of us wants kids, it's not like we would wait for that to happen. The benefit to being young I think is that we can pick up and settle wherever we want and not uproot too much.

However, we are young enough that I wonder if that might discredit us. Our age certainly has nothing to do with our work ethic (and we would have our youthfulness on our side in terms of keeping up with a home/property) but I'm afraid that people might not take us seriously. We have limited resources in every aspect. Little money, limited work experience, little to no experience in home ownership and all that good stuff.

Can a person be too young to homestead? My gut tells me no, but I realize that with different ages come different struggles. I think our biggest right now is simply finding the funds to make our dream a reality. I'd love to hear from other people my age, as well as people older. What prompted you to pursue homesteading earlier in life? What are you giving up, if anything, to do this? Or if you're doing it in a later stage, would you have attempted to strike out on an adventure in your twenties?

I don't think anyone is too young to start planning to live off the land. My husband grew up on a dairy farm which became very modern. His dream was to have an organic small sustainable farm. It is something he was planning in his head from the time he was eight years old. He didn't want a farmiing business but a farm way of life.

I lived my early life in the country and my Dad raised a few hens, a gost and vegetable gardens. I too dreamed of having a small farm of my own and started planning from childhood what would be on my farm.

By the time my husband and I met and married and got our farm we were 39 and 49 years old! Oh how we wish we could have started earlier . Youth is a great asset when it comes to hard physical work. We succeeded in accomplishing our dream as far as living off the land producing our own food. We have had the farm 28 years but have fed ourselves raising crops and animals the whole 36yrs. come July 9th; of our marriage.

Now at 67 1/2 and 69 yrs our goals have to change again by necessity. We are cutting back animals to two goats and a dozen hens. The work horse is over 30yrs and won't be replaced. We will continue to raise our food as long as we are able as we age. We are also looking for a smaller house with fewer cleared acres and an attached wood lot so we don't need a horse to go to the woods. Life changes through the decades.

Youth is a big advantage when starting a homestead if it is combined with common sense, learned practical knowledge about plants , animals and soil, research about the type of land needed, local and state or provincial laws, having a savings when you move and taking on the least necessary debt. Then work hard and continue to learn. Most people must have an outside job while paying for a place so keeping the homestead physically in a manageable size is important too. Good luck and never give up on your dreams.

lmrose · #72 02/04/14, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kat_ingram

As I've been poking around various threads and conversations here, I've noticed a fairly general trend. It seems that most people here are older. I don't say that as a negative thing by any means. Age equals experience which I've been pursuing like crazy.

The word retire and subsequent suffixes gets used often, so far as I've seen and it got me wondering. I can see where homesteading, as a venture you choose and are not born into, is something more conducive to a time where your obligations are fewer.

Most of my friends are getting married and starting families, or choosing career paths. They aren't exactly time rich, or even money rich, whereas people like my parents are looking forward to the stage where they are working less, their families are grown and moved on and they are time and experience rich.

I get that for a lot of people it's not a matter of combining lifestyles, but rather choosing one over the other. Of course, that's not to say that people can't make it work all around, but for the average person you're either raising kids or raising crops.

My question is this: is homesteading feasible for twenty somethings? I recognize it can be the right choice for the right person, regardless of age. My boyfriend and I have our eyes set on a good place and we'd really like to pursue it together.

We both would like to get away from the city/suburban life and find a bit more peace in the countryside. We want to be able to work hard and reap the benefits of what we do, not just trade our time for a paycheck. I feel blessed to be with someone who agrees with most of my ideas concerning this, as even my own family has made me feel a bit alienated because of my enthusiasm for prepping/survival/homesteading things.

While nothing is certain, we are headed toward a future together, and as neither of us wants kids, it's not like we would wait for that to happen. The benefit to being young I think is that we can pick up and settle wherever we want and not uproot too much.

However, we are young enough that I wonder if that might discredit us. Our age certainly has nothing to do with our work ethic (and we would have our youthfulness on our side in terms of keeping up with a home/property) but I'm afraid that people might not take us seriously. We have limited resources in every aspect. Little money, limited work experience, little to no experience in home ownership and all that good stuff.

Can a person be too young to homestead? My gut tells me no, but I realize that with different ages come different struggles. I think our biggest right now is simply finding the funds to make our dream a reality. I'd love to hear from other people my age, as well as people older. What prompted you to pursue homesteading earlier in life? What are you giving up, if anything, to do this? Or if you're doing it in a later stage, would you have attempted to strike out on an adventure in your twenties?

Hi there;I don't think anyone is too young to start planning to live off the land. My husband grew up on a dairy farm which became very modern. His dream was to have an organic small sustainable farm. It is something he was planning in his head from the time he was eight years old. He didn't want a farming business but a farm way of life.

I lived my early life in the country and my Dad raised a few hens, a goat and vegetable gardens. I too dreamed of having a small farm of my own and started planning from childhood what would be on my farm.

By the time my husband and I met and married and got our farm we were 39 and 40 years old! Oh how we wish we could have started earlier . Youth is a great asset when it comes to hard physical work. We succeeded in accomplishing our dream as far as living off the land producing our own food. We have had the farm 28 years but have fed ourselves raising crops and animals the whole 36 yrs. come July 9th; of our marriage.

Now at 67 1/2 and 69 yrs our goals have to change again by necessity. We are cutting back animals to two goats and a dozen hens. The work horse is over 30 yrs and won't be replaced. We will continue to raise our food as long as we are able as we age. We are also looking for a smaller house with fewer cleared acres and an attached wood lot so we don't need a horse to go to the woods. Life changes through the decades.

Youth is a big advantage when starting a homestead if it is combined with common sense, learned practical knowledge about plants , animals and soil, research about the type of land needed, local and state or provincial laws, having a savings when you move and taking on the least necessary debt. Then work hard and continue to learn. It is important to have a partner who shares the same values and dreams also.Most people must have an outside job while paying for a place so keeping the homestead physically in a manageable size is important too. Good luck and never give up on your dreams.

FCLady · #73 02/05/14, 01:48 PM

Oh my, deja vu!!! I moved away from home at 18, moved around a little, worked a lot, tried living in the city etc. Loved/hated it. Loved being independent, hated not being able to plant a garden and tend some animals. After being called crazy and against my parents' better judgement I bought a couple of acres on my own. Imagine tho, 30 years ago. A single female had a VERY HARD time getting a mortgage on her own. I worked 60 hours a week - standard. Money wasn't the issue - single female was. After months of trying to secure the loan, I had to get irate with the loan officer AND get my parents to co-sign. Working 60 hours left little time to tend to my little homestead, I hired help to clean my house so I could plant a garden and start working my diamond in the rough.

I cleared overgrown brush off the land by hand. I sucked it up and killed many creepy crawlies on my own. I learned how to hang drywall, turn the garden with a shovel, I managed to get the snakes to a tolerable number and made it MY home.

After about 4 years I met Mr. Right. Mr. Right's "baggage" included two small children so him moving in with me was a well thought out plan. Boy was I also jealous when he (6'5", 250 lbs.) could do in an afternoon what took be a week!! Slowly but surely we raised his and our children together.

Fastforward 15 years. Not because we had to but because we wanted to, we became legal guardians of twin girls who were 6 mos. old. We are now raising them, a handfull of sheep, rabbits, chickens, ducks, have 3 gardens, a blueberry patch, apple trees, peach trees, grapes, strawberries etc. etc.

Fastforward another 5 years. We had the opportunity to buy the neighboring property, so we did. We offered the mobile home on that property to our oldest son and his family to rent; they could save nearly $300 a month from what they are currently paying and be paying the mortgage for US! win win. We make half of their salary and it amazes them how we can live on that (current household of 6) and always have PLENTY of food to eat. They want to learn how it's done and after that mortgage is paid, they want to buy our original property from us, one month at a time. WIN WIN again.

They'll be paying us to live on our own land and teach them how to live off the land. Nice to know that our "sweat equity" will be paying off in more ways that one!! All for a lifestyle that we love. We've made our home into the place we want to go on vacation. That, took a few years for our DIL to understand, but now she does.

Lots of bumps in the road, lots of learning along the way. But it can be done with reading all you can get your hands on, lots of sweat and tears, and the happiness you receive is just a "perk" of the job.

opportunity · #74 02/07/14, 12:49 PM

We started with 13 acres when I was 23 and my husband was 25. We worked jobs in town and slowly started getting plants and animals. We have since moved twice we now have 10 acres but it's much better ground though in a colder climate. My husband still works in town but I have beef and diary cows, pigs turkeys and will have a garden hopefully this summer. It takes a while to get each place setup with fencing and layout changes. We would have a hard time doing homesteading full time since we still have a need for money and the land can't make enough to cover the payments in this area, let alone living expenses. We should be well set up by the time he retires though.

CFarmerLady · #75 02/07/14, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kat_ingram

Can a person be too young to homestead? My gut tells me no, but I realize that with different ages come different struggles. I think our biggest right now is simply finding the funds to make our dream a reality. I'd love to hear from other people my age, as well as people older. What prompted you to pursue homesteading earlier in life? What are you giving up, if anything, to do this? Or if you're doing it in a later stage, would you have attempted to strike out on an adventure in your twenties?

"My gut tells me no. . ."
Rule #19: Never ignore your gut.

I only wish I'd had the notion to do this at your age. Maybe I wouldn't be so large around the middle, or have such bad knees.

Go for it!