Okay i am done pouting and gonna get on with business. I will eventually find money for the well and I can live without the other goodies (real kitchen counters etc). So what i need now is some ideas on how to make some more money. ;I have 40 beautiful mountain acres (meaning it is not flat) mostly covered in lodgepole pine (cant sell pine sill paying for land). I have a couple of acres cleared near the house and a small green house to boot. So what could I grow, breed, or raise in such a place as this that i could sell. I live in southwest montana, summers about 70 degrees and winters can dip to minus 40 for a few days at a time. any suggestions appreaciated. i am a 50+ plus year old back in college so i have some time. thanks
Sister-P, since you live where the winters are cold and long, can you provide warm winter clothing and accessories? ----knitted socks ---- " sweaters or Polar fleece pullovers tailored to fit? ---- firestarter gift baskets ( pine cone and matches, coffee mug and cocoa ---- can you make soap, super-fatted for winter dry skin ----is there an outfitter or tour business that woould feature your product? ---- quilts ! ---- your own recipe, trail mix or jerky offered to above tourists ----- craft items from nature, gathered for free from your area, ----offer your skill for sale, interior painting, cleaning, organizing, errand running, pet sitting, cooking, wild fruit jam and jellies, teaching crafts, tutoring math or English grammar, music, contact local newsppaper to see if you can contribute a local column on a routine basis, about local doings, nature features, local issues, advice column, homesteading tips, ----if you sew, could you repair or create hunting clothes ,leather goods? ----make knives Most of my suggestions are not ideas that would likely bring immediate cash, but, could spark ideas for the long term. Hope it helps you some way. Just don't give up. Margo
Just re-read your post, and am thinking you may have a market right there at the school you attend. Maybe assisting a professor withschool related work? Or homecooked meals catered to very busy people, say for instance Sunday dinner? home made pies, hey I'm getting hungry
You need to figure out who/what/where your market would be then figure out what to supply to the market. There are many things you could produce but if there is no market (buyers) you are wasting you time.
Write a book or articles on the challenges of living in the north and homesteading. I have a book that was written by a woman that lives in Idaho. She and hubby live on $2500 per year off grid. Interesting how they found the land and survive on that amount of money. She writes using an old non-elec typewriter by an oil lamp. Although her book was not on the best seller list, it did make her money.
Mudwoman: I would love to read that book! Could you give me more informa;tion on it. Also I just realized that I have been making things out of lodgepole for years and giving them as gifts...maybe I could sell some from a shop in town. I make really great coat trees, head boards (out of doug fir and huge) as well as pot racks and some other stuff. Unfortunately I do not cook! Thank goodness my wonderful husband does! I stoped doing a lot of the things I do after having two surgeries on each arm trying to keep the good job I had. my 95 pound grip strength is now down to 20 pounds! Bummer since I love to build and use power tools. I still can but only briefly each time, but I am working on getting stronger. You all had some wonderful Ideas which i will be discussing with my husband immediately. Many thanks!
