Fear of Homesteading (change?)

Handy beat me to it, so I'll just say, ditto, and add a few things.
Firstly, I am in SE Minnesota too, so, Welcome!

Bear in mind that in southern MN, we are also more prone to ice storms than the rest of the state. Plan to have a back-up heat source. A generator is a nice thing to have.

Snowshoes help when your animals decide to hop/walk over the fence that is buried in a drift. Don't ask me why I know this. Plus, snowshoeing is just plain fun.

Snow sleds are not just for children. They are great for moving heavy objects (bales, feed, etc.) over expanses of deep snow. Plus they're fun to slide down hills on too.

While it is possible to get snow from Oct-May, if we do get snow in those months, it generally is very little and doesn't last. Only December, January and February are really the hard core winter months. I only had to have my driveway plowed four times last winter.

Remember that snow is an insulator. If we don't have a good foot of snow by Christmas, you may want to cover your septic line with bales of straw, leaves, etc, to prevent the line from freezing. Don't ask me why I know this.

Don't believe it if anybody tells you that ladybugs don't bite. Yes they do. And if you have a reaction to them like I do, they will welt up just like a mosquito bite. You will be swarmed with them in the fall.

So, those are my tips for SE MN living. If you can deal with the MIL thing, you can handle a Minnesota winter!

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www.maplecorners.blogspot.com

I have a lovely mom who is often generous with what she has. Very nice, BUT! There are usually control issues, and those can be serious. Think long and hard on this one. Your third will only be a majority if your wife is on your side, and that could put a lot of stress on your marriage. BTW living with in-laws isn't any snap, either. After 26 yrs. of marriage, I wouldn't advise anyone to do that!!! :no:

We have recently moved from southwest Houston to our 10 acre homestead. It was a huge change for us, in fact my dh had panic attacks from the stress. Consider in this that he kept his same job as we moved to a place 60 miles from our home in the suburbs to our place in the country. This doubled the distance that he drives, but thanks to being outside of city traffic (no more commutes on 610 through the heart of the galleria!) it only added 10 minutes to his daily commute. His panic attacks are gone but it took a while for us to settle in and realize what changes and what stays the same. Another thing that has made this easier for us is that we were able to do this debt free. We do not HAVE to make this pay the bills, his job can do that while we get our feet wet. We were able to do this due to an early inheritance. While technically, the money was ours to do as we desired with, the fact that it is 'early' does mean that my father-in-law is taking an active interest. Sometimes this is easier than others. I am honestly not so sure that if it were my husband walking that fine line with my parents it would be possible...not that he or my folks are (or were) unreasonable people, just that there is a whole 'nother dynamic at work between a man and his inlaws. (in my opinion, at least) while my dh was not originally the one to whom this lifestyle appealed, I will say that he has found it very much to his tastes and loves coming home to the peace and quiet of the trees and goats. I will also say that if the move involved snow, he would rather rip out his tonsils himself with a red-hot pair of tongs! He moved to Houston to get away from the snow of his childhood, in upstate NY, the UP of Michigan and Wisconsin!

For us the biggest part to making this a success (so far) has been in not making so many sweeping changes at once. Leaving the city and learning country skills was big enough without adding a job change, adding living partners, ESPECIALLY inlaws, climate changes, etc.

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LeeAnne, wife of Tim's youth, homeschooling mother of twelve seventh generation Texans.

Swede Farm Dairy

Dairy Berries

I've been following this thread since its start, because we are getting to closer to moving to SW WI -- just a little bit south of LaCrosse (Ferryville). We've had the land for 3 years now, and ever since we got it, I've been anxious. And what's weird is, this was MY dream to start with! I grew up in a tiny Chicago apartment, then a 2 flat, with 3 sisters and 3 brothers, and all I've ever wanted to do was get out of the city and out to farmland, even when I was a child!

Change can be scary, because we fear loss. And saying "yes" to one thing means saying "no" to something else. Life is choices.

But the original post brought up some family issues that need to be addressed.
As long as everyone is open and respectfully discusses concerns, et cetera, things have a good chance of going well. Just remember that it's an enormous transition for everyone, so be kind to each other.

And in a few more years, I'll be your "cross the Mississippi" neighbor, Lord willing!

Pony!