Been doing some thinking lately and have decided to stick it out here in Illinois. I have been wanting to move but the wife likes it here and we have been married to long for me to argue over it.
We live in a town of 5,000 and I am going to start looking for a minimum of 3-5 acres. Our house here will be paid for within a year so I was planning on getting the ground and start building in the spring. We like the looks of cordwood homes and my neighbor has a tree trimming service so I can get all of the wood that I want for free. I have been collecting tools and odd things for a few years now for the idea of homesteading. I even decided to keep my dodge powerwagon to help get me started.
My short term goals are to get the property, start clearing and improving in the spring, start an apple and pear orchard, maybe dig for a small pond (neighbor also has a backhoe) and start collecting materials for the house. I want to buy within 20 miles of our house here so that I can work the land often. I want to be able to move onto the property within 2 years.
I would like to be able to have some goats for meat as well as milk, some rabbits and some chickens for meat and eggs. We plan to garden at least 1 acre. I welcome all advice and criticism. I have wanted to do this for a long time and if my wife wants to stay in Illinois, I at least want to be in the country.
Thanks to you all.
We live in a town of 5,000 and I am going to start looking for a minimum of 3-5 acres. Our house here will be paid for within a year so I was planning on getting the ground and start building in the spring. We like the looks of cordwood homes and my neighbor has a tree trimming service so I can get all of the wood that I want for free. I have been collecting tools and odd things for a few years now for the idea of homesteading. I even decided to keep my dodge powerwagon to help get me started.
My short term goals are to get the property, start clearing and improving in the spring, start an apple and pear orchard, maybe dig for a small pond (neighbor also has a backhoe) and start collecting materials for the house. I want to buy within 20 miles of our house here so that I can work the land often. I want to be able to move onto the property within 2 years.
I would like to be able to have some goats for meat as well as milk, some rabbits and some chickens for meat and eggs. We plan to garden at least 1 acre. I welcome all advice and criticism. I have wanted to do this for a long time and if my wife wants to stay in Illinois, I at least want to be in the country.
Thanks to you all.