[LostCaper]

I went from riches to rag instead of rags to riches. I had a good career in information system then the pressure and B.S. got the best of me so I retired with a modest pension. So that's when I started this homesteading initiative.

I went out on a limb with this journey. Not sure where it will end but it has to be better then where I was.

Join me and my struggles to keep the ship afloat and follow my goal of a self reliance homestead.

 

[Bret]

The safest place for a ship is in the harbor. But that's not what ships are built for.

You will make your own BS and then turn it into compost and happiness. See where it takes and teaches you. Enjoy the trail.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Be patient with yourself and the journey.

 

[LostCaper]

The safest place for a ship is in the harbor. But that's not what ships are built for.

You will make your own BS and then turn it into compost and happiness. See where it takes and teaches you. Enjoy the trail.

lol. What a great reply. Thanks.

 

[LostCaper]

Be patient with yourself and the journey.

Thank you. My career gave me a bad habit of always being in a hurry so patient is something I have to work on.

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

I have been in gardening “rehab” for that. I recommend planting trees.

 

[melli]

I hope you'll post long winded stories and pictures of your adventure. Me think it soothes the soul working your land, creating your dreams. At the very least, I find myself looking forward to the day and the next... All the best.

 

[Sebastian C]

How do you get your farm to make a million dollars? Start with two million dollars!

Congratulations, good luck on your journey. Lots of good information and help on these forums. I've learned a lot here.

 

[LostCaper]

I have been in gardening “rehab” for that. I recommend planting trees.

As for tree planting that is something that I sometimes do. When I was 14 years old I started working with my father in small scale forestry. Even back then we never clear cut. We always left the forest better than we started. We left the trees space, the brush neatly piled. As time went on I ended up in information systems but I continued with my family tradition of small sustainable best practice forestry. I always found it alleviated stress. It was work I found most rewarding.

 

[LostCaper]

I hope you'll post long winded stories and pictures of your adventure. Me think it soothes the soul working your land, creating your dreams. At the very least, I find myself looking forward to the day and the next... All the best.

I hope to be posting some stuff and be picking people's brain because I know very little about farming. Thanks for your support.

 

[LostCaper]

How do you get your farm to make a million dollars? Start with two million dollars!

Congratulations, good luck on your journey. Lots of good information and help on these forums. I've learned a lot here.

As a matter of fact I am working on my second million......I gave up on the first one.

 

[LAFarm]

As a matter of fact I am working on my second million......I gave up on the first one.

me too!!

 

[LostCaper]

me too!!

Lol. Congrats

 

[doc-]

As a matter of fact I am working on my second million......I gave up on the first one.

I never did make my fist million, but unfortunately, my wife spent it anyways.

Growing your own chemical free food really does nothing at all for your physical health, but it does wonders for your mental health. Dirty hands are gratifying.

Good luck and have fun on your new journey.

 

[ShannonR]

Where are you at now with your self sufficient dream? Everyone has to start somewhere, don't be shy about sharing!

 

[IndyDave]

Thank you. My career gave me a bad habit of always being in a hurry so patient is something I have to work on.

Be patient with yourself. It takes a while to moderate that habit of hurriedness being an end in itself. I don't know that you ever totally escape it, at least the remnant of the mindset, but one of the greatest rewards I have is sitting on a chair watching my alpacas and alternately petting my calf who thinks she is a puppy dog.

 

[IndyDave]

I hope to be posting some stuff and be picking people's brain because I know very little about farming. Thanks for your support.

The best I can offer here is that you can glean a lot from our experiences. As you are well aware, everyone has opinions, the quality of which may vary. It is also true that what works for one person may or may not work for another, so milk a lot of cows but make your own milkshake.*

* Quote about milking cows and making milkshake stolen from Pastor Rod Smith, director of Open Hand, Inc., (not the Pastor Rod Smith kicked out of the Methodist Church for embezzlement) ironically, in a column he wrote quite a few years ago on the subject of plagiarism.

 

[LostCaper]

Be patient with yourself. It takes a while to moderate that habit of hurriedness being an end in itself. I don't know that you ever totally escape it, at least the remnant of the mindset, but one of the greatest rewards I have is sitting on a chair watching my alpacas and alternately petting my calf who thinks she is a puppy dog.

Very nice mine set and you are right. Not sure if a person ever gets over the hurry infliction. It's all about choosing a life style that a person likes and can cope with.

 

[LostCaper]

Where are you at now with your self sufficient dream? Everyone has to start somewhere, don't be shy about sharing!

I am thankful to have a very good start. We started reconditioning my wife's parents old homestead. My father in law died and mother in law was alone at 75 years old so we kept our house in the city and moved 250 miles to my wife's old homestead 5 years ago. We moved in with my mother in law. My children lives in our house in the city. The homestead is partly overgrown with bushes and trees but it is incredibly beautiful old farm overlooking a harbour which is 23 acres in size. It was 200 acres but it got broken up among family members.

Throughout my career in information systems I usually had a tractor that I worked, made a bit a money but mostly bought more equipment with the money. I now have a 2010 L series kubota, tiller, logging winch, log trailer, and backhoe.

The property has a nice house 24x24 garage so we have a nice place to live. I fixed the driveway recently, bough a tow behind field mower, cut a lot of trees, dug out a lot of stumps, made a road to the beach and made a small garden to experiment with growing stuff in our short growing season.

I have a small pension and took a part time job at a local shipping company to help make up for my cash shortfall. I am more than thankful to have all this as a start but not use to being poor and not having the comfort of money to work with. The situation has its challenges but I will see what happens. My life is not slowed down enough for my liking and I am not sure how to do it as there is family demands and difference of opinion in out underlying ways we want to live. I want to live simple as possible. I will post some pictures and link to my youtube channel later. I am typing on my phone just now. Thanks for your good question.

 

[LostCaper]

Shoot. Tiffany posted about the stress in her own career and being on edge. I erroneously deleted her reply. Sorry and if Tiffany reads this please repost.

My reply to her post was take care on your journey. Be careful with forcing yourself to far to that edge. You might fall over like I did. I suggest keeping the expenses down and always do a self check in where you want to be in 5 years and at age 55. In my opinion don't be a slave to debt and material things and your life will be much more flexible and a lot less stress free.