[Gerlach]

We moved from Pittsburgh Pa to the mountains of WV. We plan on starting a small farm here and if anyone has any tips please feel free to give them.

 

[Wolf mom]

Welcome to a new world!

It's easy peasy - read everything here - all the livestock forums, country homemaking and living forums, the gardening forums - then read them again before you do anything - go slow and easy. You sure don't want to put your barn one place, then next year think it should have been someplace else. Best of luck.

 

[M5farm]

Welcome , A lot of reading and good advise here . Ask questions this is the most diverse group you could find on the interwebs

 

[hunter63]

Hunter63 Saying Hey and Welcome....From Wisconsin
You need to define Homestead as you understand it.
Add your goals to that...then study those subjects that interest you.

 

[Bret]

Welcome to a new world!

It's easy peasy - read everything here - all the livestock forums, country homemaking and living forums, the gardening forums - then read them again before you do anything - go slow and easy. You sure don't want to put your barn one place, then next year think it should have been someplace else. Best of luck.

There will be a test at the end of the week. No one has passed it.

Good work. Have fun and keep posting.

 

[ET1 SS]

Welcome

 

[geo in mi]

Tie a two by four on one foot so you can walk. Learn as much as you can about contour farming. Check your deed for mineral rights.....Look for springs. Make sure the brakes work on all your vehicles, including your tractor. Patrol your woods weekly--carry a gun. Don't sell any corn by the bag.....

Enjoy. Welcome to the forum.

geo

 

[alleyyooper]

I have a friend that lives in WV he is a contract mail carrier and seems to like it there a lot but the recent storms and freezeing weather sort of discombobled him and his family.

Like others have said take it one step at a time, the best warming fires are built one stick at a time laid in the wood burner just right.

I also did pass the test, how could I not I have, Been studying for over 65 years.

Al

 

[newfieannie]

I don't get that Geo why would he need a 2x4 or is it a joke? ~Georgia

 

[alleyyooper]

The 2x4 is so you can stand level oin the hill side.

Al

 

[Nsoitgoes]

Take it slow. Plan buildings on paper and use tent pegs or something to mark them on the property. Spend the next year getting a feel for that layout, how it fits in with your plans, how the sun and shadows travel across your garden and orchard areas. It is a lot easier to move pegs than buildings. If you plan on animals make sure you have species-suitable housing and fencing, and start with small numbers till you get competent.

 

[Nimrod]

I heard about the terrible fire in the Governor's mansion in WV. It's a good thing the fire department got there as quick as it did. The darned fire almost took the rest of the trailer park out too.

Seriously, you got to plant you some of those new hybrid watermelons that grow as cubes. Otherwise, they roll onto your neighbors property and be lost.

Welcome aboard.

 

[wdcutrsdaughter]

my tip is don't get discouraged when progress is slow.
there is a lot of good information here and on youtube.
welcome and congrats on the purchase!

 

[Alice In TX/MO]

Get a copy of Carla Emery’s Encyclopedia of Coutry Living. Read it all.

 

[GTX63]

Welcome Gerlach. Not to worry, there is no conclusion to the test. It is life long perpetual and answers can be changed after you figure out the previous one was wrong.

 

[Gerlach]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Planning stage has started.

 

[Jolly]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Planning stage has started.

Good start.

First thing is to keep in mind what your land is like. What part gets the most sunshine? How does it drain? Which way do most of the winds come from? Do you have any timber, stone, springs, wells or other assets already in place? If you don't have a house or barn, where do you want them? And a million more things...It can be daunting, just in the planning stage.

So plan the same way you would, as if you were eating an elephant...One bite at a time. Take a subject like land and what assets it has and break it down into smaller bites. Take each subject and do the same. Plan for long term and for short term. After you're in place and have started, revisit your short term stuff every year and your long term stuff every five years.

Just remember, no plan is perfect. Some things work, some things don't. But that's half the fun, isn't it?

 

[hiddensprings]

Welcome! You’ll find a lot of information throughout this forum. I always suggest starting slow and trying to master a thing or two before adding new things. For example, get a few chickens. Care for them, house them, etc. Once you feel comfortable with that, add something else. Find a mentor if you can that can help answer questions on fencing, barns, gardening, all of that fun stuff. And be sure to give yourself a break. You’ll make mistakes, we all have. You simply learn from them and move-on. Good Luck!