Homesteaders

[naadarien]

You can grow apple trees from seeds, but you don't know what kind of apple you will end up with!

Sure, just most people don't want that gamble.

 

[newbie32]

Sounds AWESOME!!!

 

[newbie32]

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but my grandparents retired when I was 5 and they moved from LA back to near where they grew up in the Arklatex. So lucky me got shipped off to Texarkana (TX and AR) every year for part of the summer to spend time with them in the country. I loved it except for the heat, the wild and crazy storms and the Klan. I knew I always liked wide open spaces, the nicer people, and the freedom to own your own space. So I always wanted to have that. Someone mentioned wanting to be LEW. Yep that was me too.

Plus, since my parents were young when I was born, my grandparents watched me while the parents worked and attended college. My grandparents were kids of the Depression and I learned all of the things they did to protect themselves against any kind of calamity. Saving, living below your means, paying cash for everything, owing nobody anything (beyond a mortgage maybe), and hoarding food like there is no tomorrow are all things that are vivid memories in my mind. They liked being self-sufficient, and the pride and confidence they had about the security in their lives was well-worth copying. They did that and lived in the city. :-D

So fast forward 20 years and I was looking at buying my first home and LA wasn't for me. No postage stamp yards, covenants, and people in my business, and all for the highest price imaginable. No thanks. I bought a triplex in VT, lived in one unit and rented the other two until I could scope out the rural areas outside of town and find the place for me. In the meantime, I got married.

The hubby is so not a farm boy, despite growing up in this rural area but he's getting there. We both love the idea of homesteading though so we are working towards that goal. I have always wanted a 100% independent home: food raised/grown here, energy generated here (wood, wind, solar), owning less items but ones with multi-purposes. Some of that gives a little with kids. I have way more stuff than I wanted initially, though now that they are older, lots of things are being Freecycled or sold...but yeah...self-sufficiency is the reason to homestead. I also rather like challenging myself and seeing how self-reliant I can be. I am an engineer and I like seeing what I can fix, build, create on my own and this kind of life just kind of lends itself to needing those skills. I love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything...even if we do win that $400 million Powerball.

Sounds Awesome

 

[LBejaran]

Since I'm doing all my planning for the garden next year, I got Dad involved. He's better at laying things out and he is definitely a huge factor in all that I do. Plus, he was the one who really wanted the garden when we moved here 12 years ago. He even penned off an entire area just for that.

So, I've gotten him pumped up. He already is thinking of building a small stone grinder to crush up any grains we may grow for the chickens. Cool beans.

But as it turns out, Dad is a total curmudgeon. I told him I'd love to have a community garden (with bio-security in mind). And since I'd be doing most of the hands-on, bending-over-in-the-hot-Texas-sun-too-close-to-the-equator work, I kinda figured that'd be okay.

Maybe not. Pop is a loner, a total hermit. I share things with our good neighbors (the ones who helped us out when Grandma was with us at the end) and Dad kinda avoids them 'cause he's senile like that. Am I alone in this? It's kinda always been my motto to share the wealth, no matter how fortunate/unfortunate someone is. Dad's not evil, but he's not social.
I don't know. I guess I'm just bothered by it. I wish we could have our neighbors over every once in awhile to share the spoils. Sigh.

 

[Raech]

I know how you feel Ibejaran, my husband and I have been tossing the idea of having the classes of our boys plant some seeds in class, then we plant at our garden and give them their "crop". It ends up with me throwing the idea out, and it bounces straight off of him and lands in the garbage. I thought my Dad and Grandpa were never going to let me plant all the plants that I do out there, it just takes a little work, and a lot of "no" bouncing back and forth, eventually with some time(2 years for me) and some effort on your part, and some giving on your Dad's part, to come to a happy middle ground. I am not a confrontational person, so it took a lot of sweet talking and now I have to use every piece that comes out of the garden, but we are finding out what it takes to do everything, and it gives my retired Grandpa something to do instead of sitting in the backyard watching the trucks get stopped on top of the hill by D.O.T. Don't harp your Dad, maybe in a few years he will start to see how much fun a "harvest picking" could be, but until then just keep delivering to your neighbors and tell your Dad how happy they are to get the fresh produce.

 

[LBejaran]

I know how you feel Ibejaran, my husband and I have been tossing the idea of having the classes of our boys plant some seeds in class, then we plant at our garden and give them their "crop". It ends up with me throwing the idea out, and it bounces straight off of him and lands in the garbage. I thought my Dad and Grandpa were never going to let me plant all the plants that I do out there, it just takes a little work, and a lot of "no" bouncing back and forth, eventually with some time(2 years for me) and some effort on your part, and some giving on your Dad's part, to come to a happy middle ground. I am not a confrontational person, so it took a lot of sweet talking and now I have to use every piece that comes out of the garden, but we are finding out what it takes to do everything, and it gives my retired Grandpa something to do instead of sitting in the backyard watching the trucks get stopped on top of the hill by D.O.T. Don't harp your Dad, maybe in a few years he will start to see how much fun a "harvest picking" could be, but until then just keep delivering to your neighbors and tell your Dad how happy they are to get the fresh produce.

I suppose the only problem would be that eventually, I will need to move out. I really want to enjoy the homestead before I have to get out of here. We have chickens now, but part of me is doubtful that both chickens and a garden will be maintained. That tends to be why I don't go on vacation very often. Last time I did, my Dad and brother didn't really know how to feed the chickens correctly. They ended up a bit underfed and as soon as they saw me, even the most flighty birds came up to me for a proper feeding. If anyone else calls to the chickens, it usually takes them forever to react. I call them once and then I'm swarmed. It's a gift and a curse, at this point.

So the garden thing needs to be manageable and I'd like to share it with people I really care about. Oh well, we'll see what happens. I can definitely manage it for awhile and even if I move away, I'll probably stay in the general area until I can transition to a more suitable place. Dad'll just have to get used to the fact that I'm never truly going away, haha!

 

[newbie32]

I suppose the only problem would be that eventually, I will need to move out. I really want to enjoy the homestead before I have to get out of here. We have chickens now, but part of me is doubtful that both chickens and a garden will be maintained. That tends to be why I don't go on vacation very often. Last time I did, my Dad and brother didn't really know how to feed the chickens correctly. They ended up a bit underfed and as soon as they saw me, even the most flighty birds came up to me for a proper feeding. If anyone else calls to the chickens, it usually takes them forever to react. I call them once and then I'm swarmed. It's a gift and a curse, at this point.

So the garden thing needs to be manageable and I'd like to share it with people I really care about. Oh well, we'll see what happens. I can definitely manage it for awhile and even if I move away, I'll probably stay in the general area until I can transition to a more suitable place. Dad'll just have to get used to the fact that I'm never truly going away, haha!

Okay so I took several psychology courses in college- I was going to major in it. I give good advice when it comes to communication issues-usually anyways. I need to know a few things-are you female or male? I know that's a weird question but it does play a huge factor. Also is there a mom in the picture at all? Do YOU have good relations with your neighbors? If you feel more comfortable sending me a private message then that's fine.

 

[LBejaran]

Okay so I took several psychology courses in college- I was going to major in it. I give good advice when it comes to communication issues-usually anyways. I need to know a few things-are you female or male? I know that's a weird question but it does play a huge factor. Also is there a mom in the picture at all? Do YOU have good relations with your neighbors? If you feel more comfortable sending me a private message then that's fine.

I'll PM you.

 

[rancher hicks]

Decided to look up Homesteading here and see what I can find. This after reading about it again in MENews.

I do have some questions of course, such as what to grow and how much to grow for the year. I'm in New York, zone 5-6.

I do put up jams and jellies and those types of things, but would like to get into drying herbs. Tomatoes were not good this year, but I wonder are they worth the trouble.

Plus many of the article I read are from people who "Wrote a Book" or have lots of land and a ranch.

How can a small homesteader pay for all they need? How do we "earn a living" off the land and what does that mean anyhow? Granted it might be easier if I had a like minded spouse, but it is what it is.

Another question. I scored some pears from the neighbor and since they don't ripen on the tree, how long do I wait til they're ripe enough to use? This year was good for Apples and tree fruit.

Gee I love BYC,


Rancher Hicks

 

[LBejaran]

Decided to look up Homesteading here and see what I can find. This after reading about it again in MENews.

I do have some questions of course, such as what to grow and how much to grow for the year. I'm in New York, zone 5-6.

I do put up jams and jellies and those types of things, but would like to get into drying herbs. Tomatoes were not good this year, but I wonder are they worth the trouble.

Plus many of the article I read are from people who "Wrote a Book" or have lots of land and a ranch.

How can a small homesteader pay for all they need? How do we "earn a living" off the land and what does that mean anyhow? Granted it might be easier if I had a like minded spouse, but it is what it is.

Another question. I scored some pears from the neighbor and since they don't ripen on the tree, how long do I wait til they're ripe enough to use? This year was good for Apples and tree fruit.

Gee I love BYC,


Rancher Hicks

A lot of what we read in books generally works only if you have the most ideal conditions. A couple acres of land, good soil, the time and energy to grow and harvest bunches of different items. It doesn't always work out for smaller homesteaders, so I understand where you are coming from. Here are some things I've learned from my family, most of whom grow their food in small areas, plots or pots.

For one, homesteaders generally aren't out to make money on their spoils. Most of the time, it's meant to supplement or replace the food you would otherwise have to purchase from a grocery store or farmer's market. It is also meant to bring you closer to your food source. Here's something I've learned: You most likely won't be able to have minimal costs like lots of produce farmers. However, you will know where your food comes from. You'll also be able to sustain that yourself without having to worry about what pesticides might be on your food. If you wanted to produce enough to sustain yourself and to sell, you might have some trouble. If you were selling just enough to break even, you might be okay, but making a profit isn't likely unless you are working on a much larger scale.

For people with smaller parcels of land, planting your seeds in pots tends to work out. Tomatoes, lettuce, kale, peppers, and other surface vegetables tend to do really well in them.

Tomatoes are a good crop that are generally plentiful. They are also staples in lots of cooking (and of course they are delicious and good for you), so I wouldn't give up on them so soon. If I grew my own tomatoes, I'd save about one hundred dollars a year. I'm working on getting my soil ready so that next spring, I can begin sowing seeds.

There is a book that you might appreciate. It was recommended to me by newbie32 and I've got it on my wishlist for next time I get paid. It's called The Backyard Homestead and it is a great resource for working on a smaller plot of land. Some of the information might be useful to you and help you decide what you'd like to grow.

With pears, I generally just wait for them to soften just a bit. You can tell by giving them a little squeeze. If their flesh has a little give to it, they are about ready. I don't know how ripe they are now, so that's about all I can tell you, sorry! I'm so glad you've had luck with fruit trees. I'm so tempted to plant a couple peach and apple trees, but I'm not sure our soil is good enough for it. I'll be doing a soil test soon to see if I can handle those trees or if I'm better off just buying them.

I hope this helps!