planning a homestead, suggestions?

[autobaun70]

Not a homesteader, but I can definitely speak from the perspective if a small family farm. The most important thing for me is to make wise choices on tools, equipment, etc. on our farm, we tend to buy equipment that meet the following criteria.

1) specific model in question has a notorious reputation for serviceability and durability.
2) parts are available easily, preferably from a trusted, local supplier.
3) never buy "consumer grade" anything. This means get your chain saw, weed wackier, etc. from a saw shop, your mower from a local dealer, etc. This of course means you have to save up more, but the quality pays off long term. Building relationships with local guys in these businesses will likely mean you are well recurred when looking for a deal, need to get something pushed through the shop quickly





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[MikePote]

OP did you ever go through with this? Im curious as to your results. I am in the process of moving from the chicago suburbs to about 300 miles south to (what I call) psudo homestead - small income from non homestead business but most of income from homestead. Let us know how it is going.

 

[rhoop]

Still working on it. Making plans. Keeping an eye out for the right property.

We don't plan to be full on self sufficient. We'd be happy if we could subsidize half our food bill over the year.

Thanks for all the pointers from you guys! It's really kicked off a lot of research and learning. We now have a test garden at our current house based on permaculture/companion planting principles and it's going great! We've got enough food growing for a few weeks in 100sq ft., along with a ton of flowers and other plants to protect/fertilize the vegetables. I figure if we make all the mistakes we can in 100sq ft, we won't make big costly ones when we find a property.

 

[Rerun]

Go to groupbuilder.com (HBT's owner) and click on agriculture and homesteading. There is a lot of good info there.

 

[shoreman]

Me and my wife want to go at least 80% at some point in the next 5-10 years - we've been doing a lot if research/working on our systems for the past 4 years.

I'd highly recommend this book by Ben falk http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603584447/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

He has built an amazing homestead in Vermont and has great new and modern ideas around the subject. Best book I've read on the subject.

 

[shoreman]

Also if you live in a cold weather area look into Eliot Coleman's work on growing year round in hoop houses - he's got really great ideas around it and us very DiY

 

[Yoseff]

You might wan to look into the book "Introduction to Permaculture" by Bill Mollison. There's a lot of technical info, as well as quite a few good ideas, at least as far as streamlining the homestead and reducing total energy input while maximizing yield and output.

Also, while it's a little outdated, if you can track down a copy of "Five Acres and Independence" it'd be quite helpful. Again, lots of technical info, and a lot of the methods tend to be the older ones (i.e. from the 1920's).

 

[beekeeperman]

Small strokes fell big Oaks.
We started homesteading (kinda) 20 + years ago on a bare 24 acres, 3 acres are field/old pasture.
I designed and built a passive solar home from the foundation up with little help on the mostly pay as you go plan. Custom built a solar hot water system about 5 yrs ago.
It all takes a huge amount of your time to become semi-self sufficient and building your own homestead but don't regret any of it.
Perennials yes, start them as soon as you can apples, asparagus, highbush blueberries for starters. Although apples can be a pain trying to get a decent non wormy crop the other two are quite easy to maintain with a couple decades of
bountiful harvest from one planting.
Firewood is a huge cost saver DIY. We have spent about $500 dollars total on heating here at 45* N. latitude over the course of 20+ years. Can't beat that.
Cut it down, limb it, haul it out with small tractor, buck it up and split it if needed and thats it, all hard labor but i recently kept track of my time doing this and it is worth about $20 hr. doing it yourself here.
Don't do any animals here , some like beef and pork have become cost prohibitive due to feed prices but each to their own.
Now on our second year of keeping bees , great for certain vegetable production plus some surplus honey for eating and Mead brewing.
Sourdough bread, learn how to do this and eat wholesome bread never having to buy yeast again . Haven't bought any of that nasty commercial bread for 5 years now and saved a bunch of money .
Potatoes and winter Squash from your garden will keep for many months in your ventilated cold storage room , ours is a in a partitioned off NW corner of
our basement. Just had the last potatoes from the previous gardening season last week and they were still very good although starting to sprout.
Too much more to cover but go for it and good luck !

 

[Subsailor]

We have just about finished our move. Our house in Alaska will close on October 9th and we are placing a bid on a 10 acre farm in Prescott Valley. here in AZ. It's already fenced and set up for animals, with 4 separate pastures, barn, shelters, hay barn and quarantine pen with shelter. It has a great well, just need to add Solar Power and be completely off the grid!
It has a nice bunk house that just needs a a new fridge and I have plans to convert it into my man cave/brewery! The bunk house is about 1000sqft, needs some TLC but its got a 3 burner stove (propane), air conditioning, sleeps up to 4 people, room for a table, chairs, has its own full bathroom, I couldn't ask for much more! The lady selling the place has some Hops growing on the North side of the house that her ex planted but she doesn't know what they are.
The property has an orchard; apples, pears, plums and peaches bordered with grape vines.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Sounds awesome Subsailor, hope you get a smokin' good deal on it!
Regards, GF.

 

[trimixdiver1]

We have just about finished our move. Our house in Alaska will close on October 9th and we are placing a bid on a 10 acre farm in Prescott Valley. here in AZ. It's already fenced and set up for animals, with 4 separate pastures, barn, shelters, hay barn and quarantine pen with shelter. It has a great well, just need to add Solar Power and be completely off the grid!

It has a nice bunk house that just needs a a new fridge and I have plans to convert it into my man cave/brewery! The bunk house is about 1000sqft, needs some TLC but its got a 3 burner stove (propane), air conditioning, sleeps up to 4 people, room for a table, chairs, has its own full bathroom, I couldn't ask for much more! The lady selling the place has some Hops growing on the North side of the house that her ex planted but she doesn't know what they are.

The property has an orchard; apples, pears, plums and peaches bordered with grape vines.

Hey another bubblehead on the forums, sounds great, even though it sounds like your a boomer rider. 😜

 

[Subsailor]

Yeah, old boomer sailor, started as a FTB and then we were all combined into MT. None of my boats exist anymore.

 

[trimixdiver1]

Yea 708 is razor blades and 773 is the last 88.

 

[Subsailor]

Sounds awesome Subsailor, hope you get a smokin' good deal on it!
Regards, GF.

Putting in a bid Thursday when we get back up there, the current owner wants some extra time to remove her 50 Alpacas. We just got our prequalification from the finance officer.

 

[Subsailor]

We're moved in. We inherited 7 Alpacas, 2 Great Pyrenees Livestock Guard Dogs, 11 assorted Chickens and 1 evil Barn Cat.

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Emphasize native plants and trees ... veg, fruit, nuts ... less problems all the way around. Maybe check with the local agricultural extension agent at the nearest university.

 

[Subsailor]

Thinking about some meat goats - suggestions?

 

[Goofynewfie]

I don't have any experience by would you milk them also or strictly meat? Fresh milk and cheese would be good

 

[Jacob_Marley]

Thinking about some meat goats - suggestions?

Make sure you like goat first.
Jerked goat and curried goat are good bets.

Goat vindaloo.

You might try and find some goat or at least mutton in advance to make sure you and any family will find it palatable.

 

[Zekk]

Goat is pretty tasty, tastes like a fattier lamb. If strictly for meat I would say you want boar goats, full blooded or cross breed. If you want both milk and meat you can cross a boar with a Nubian. Goat poop also makes great compost, just have to break it up since it is like pebbles. My dad always dries it then tosses it in his shredder with the other compost.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Thinking about some meat goats - suggestions?

Hey sailor, good to see you around again!
I don't have much experience with goats, other than eating them, but I know from doing so that Boer goats are tasty, at least the kids (chevon) are. I'd eat one at least once a week if I could. I've heard the older goats can be rather gamey, but I've never been put off by it.
Regards, GF.

 

[Zekk]

Hey sailor, good to see you around again!
I don't have much experience with goats, other than eating them, but I know from doing so that Boer goats are tasty, at least the kids (chevon) are. I'd eat one at least once a week if I could. I've heard the older goats can be rather gamey, but I've never been put off by it.
Regards, GF.

That's why you castrate them, then they're good until they're big enough to make it worth slaughtering them. A full grown buck is going to taste like it smells, terrible.

 

[user 194292]

Raised Boer goats for several years as meat producers. Pretty easy.

 

[Subsailor]

Thanks guys!
Good to be getting back, GF!
The alpacas are very easy to care for and their fiber is going for up to $40 a pound, unprocessed.
I just finished reading a couple of books on goats and we are thinking predominately for meat. I don't really want to mess with dairy.
I like what I have read about Boer goats but also Kiko and Kinder goats. My wife and family are leaning towards smaller goats because "they are soo cute!" I have eaten plenty of goat and when prepared properly, I actually prefer it over most cuts of beef. I got my wife to try it at the Indian restaurant in Prescott and she fell in love with it.
I have 8 more acres in double fenced pastures that I want to put some more animals in. So I am also looking into hair sheep, like Barbados Blackbelly, again for meat.
We have a mix of chickens and I am getting one of the sheds set up for meat rabbits.
My Nephew operates heavy equipment for the gold mines in AK. He has offered to excavate a nice fish pond for me about 1 1/2 acres in my North East corner for some catfish, bass and crappie/bluegill. I just have to rent the equipment when he returns from the mines next year.
Lastly, we are working to put about 1 acre into raised beds for gardens.

 

[trimixdiver1]

Thanks guys!

Good to be getting back, GF!

The alpacas are very easy to care for and their fiber is going for up to $40 a pound, unprocessed.

I just finished reading a couple of books on goats and we are thinking predominately for meat. I don't really want to mess with dairy.

I like what I have read about Boer goats but also Kiko and Kinder goats. My wife and family are leaning towards smaller goats because "they are soo cute!" I have eaten plenty of goat and when prepared properly, I actually prefer it over most cuts of beef. I got my wife to try it at the Indian restaurant in Prescott and she fell in love with it.

I have 8 more acres in double fenced pastures that I want to put some more animals in. So I am also looking into hair sheep, like Barbados Blackbelly, again for meat.

We have a mix of chickens and I am getting one of the sheds set up for meat rabbits.

My Nephew operates heavy equipment for the gold mines in AK. He has offered to excavate a nice fish pond for me about 1 1/2 acres in my North East corner for some catfish, bass and crappie/bluegill. I just have to rent the equipment when he returns from the mines next year.

Lastly, we are working to put about 1 acre into raised beds for gardens.

Don't forget the plastic cows and the pigs that produce the rainbow ham.

 

[Peruvian802]

Don't forget the plastic cows and the pigs that produce the rainbow ham.

http://youtu.be/Tsdmqhn50uM

 

[Peruvian802]

Doop

 

[trimixdiver1]

http://youtu.be/Tsdmqhn50uM

It's a submariner thing....

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Thanks guys!
Good to be getting back, GF!
The alpacas are very easy to care for and their fiber is going for up to $40 a pound, unprocessed.
I just finished reading a couple of books on goats and we are thinking predominately for meat. I don't really want to mess with dairy.
I like what I have read about Boer goats but also Kiko and Kinder goats. My wife and family are leaning towards smaller goats because "they are soo cute!" I have eaten plenty of goat and when prepared properly, I actually prefer it over most cuts of beef. I got my wife to try it at the Indian restaurant in Prescott and she fell in love with it.
I have 8 more acres in double fenced pastures that I want to put some more animals in. So I am also looking into hair sheep, like Barbados Blackbelly, again for meat.
We have a mix of chickens and I am getting one of the sheds set up for meat rabbits.
My Nephew operates heavy equipment for the gold mines in AK. He has offered to excavate a nice fish pond for me about 1 1/2 acres in my North East corner for some catfish, bass and crappie/bluegill. I just have to rent the equipment when he returns from the mines next year.
Lastly, we are working to put about 1 acre into raised beds for gardens.

Man, you're living the dream!
Are you planning to go with New Zealand Whites for your bunnies? They're a great meat/fur breed, but they're sensitive to overheating. We used to keep them in the shade with plenty of air circulation & they did ok in MT summers.
Regards, GF.

 

[Subsailor]

Most of the animals we are looking at, we are taking from the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy listings. We are trying to go with heritage breeds. As soon as I get our printer hooked up I want to print their comparison listings for things like rabbits, chickens, and more.
We do want breeds that will take the heat in the summer as much as reasonably possible and still withstand the mile high winters here in Prescott Valley. I do like the New Zealand Whites, Californians and Rex breeds for bunnies.