Homesteaders

[Beekissed]

I kept waiting and waiting for land when I was raising my boys but finally God just said "Grow where you are planted" and so I did. You guys are right...you don't have to have land to start learning homesteading type skills and implementing them in a small space if you have no large tracts of land. Growing, canning, and developing a more independent way of living doesn't have to wait until you have a lot of land.

I'm on some land now...not a huge amount...but I still don't consider myself a homesteader, but for lack of a better way of describing what we are all doing on our separate home plots, homesteading seems to have the nearest description of it all, encapsulated in one word. Just makes it easier to call it homesteading than to try and define it in any other way.

 

[nanasacres]

 
Heck. No offense taken! I agree, there are plenty of urban homesteaders who are "doing it" despite owning no land. Hopefully, you'll be able to get out of the apartment and get your own piece of land soon.

Thank you! I own my mobile home and am in a community where I pay lot rent. People behind me have chickens, ducks and goats. They own their property. I love to hear them all. It is my motivator LoL.

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks for the advice and tips, folks! Nothing like learning from those who are doing it on the cheap. That's one reason why I am hanging out more here in the DIY/Self Sufficiency part of the forum. I also recently joined SufficientSelf.com, but for 5000+ members, there isn't much activity. I also started the thread here about Your Favorite Homestead Source to get sources. I realized a while back that the real valuable information is from those who are doing it, not those television shows and magazine articles about those who left big corporate jobs with a bank roll and have bought their way to self sufficiency and being off grid. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but when resources are scarce, you have to work smart. I appreciate feedback from you.

This is for everyone:

Well now quite a few books and articles I've read tell a different story. In one book the wife went back to school and became a doctor. They moved around a lot and I just stopped reading.

I usually get to the second and third chapters of books and learn, some are using the farm/land their parents or grandparents bought years before. Many earn their living from writing for magazines, yet they're trying to tell you how to live off the grid? Ha!

Point. Don't be discouraged because you were not so lucky. If you can live on less that's a good thing. If when you lay your head down you are at peace, that's a good thing. Seems to me I'd be happy just to not have some of the debts we do.

Having a mortgage just means the landlord can't send us a letter saying the house has been sold and we have to move, like happened with our first place. I had worked years to amend the soil and left the best tomatoes I'd had. That's why I advocate NOT starting a homestead situation with rental property. Even with a lease you can end up in the road. Keep your credit good, save and get the grub stake.

FYI, anyone around me that buys chicks is crazy cuz I always hatch more than I need and sell or give them away cheap.

You can buy fertile eggs at Trader Joes or the grocery store. Even if they've been refrigerated they may hatch. Buy a dozen for $3 at the farm and odds are their fertile and will hatch. We got folks here doing that right now. Mutt hens lay just as well if not better than purebreds.

Many here made their own incubators. Junk computers might have that fan you need, no money down. Look for a free cooler to convert.

I wish you well,

 

[jerrey]

that is really great

 

[KlopKlop]

about 2 weeks ago when i was working on expanding my growing bench I emptied a bin of screws and thought, boy that bin would make a nice little pot so i put soil and Royal Burgandy beans in it. look how they have exploded! the photo doesnt show it well, but the edges of the leafs are rimmed in purple. very neat. THey will hopefully make purple beans for me someday soon!

 

[MoonShadows]

Beautiful! I love Royal Burgandys.

 

[KlopKlop]

Beautiful! I love Royal Burgandys.

The seeds were several years old so i figured on low germination and planted 6 seeds in a 8"x6" container and they all came up! i may try to transplant at least half of them to more containers. I am afraid there might not be enough soil there for all of them, let alone room. Seeds are about 2" apart in a 2x3 grid

 

[jerrey]

This is for everyone:

Well now quite a few books and articles I've read tell a different story. In one book the wife went back to school and became a doctor. They moved around a lot and I just stopped reading.

I usually get to the second and third chapters of books and learn, some are using the farm/land their parents or grandparents bought years before. Many earn their living from writing for magazines, yet they're trying to tell you how to live off the grid? Ha!

Point. Don't be discouraged because you were not so lucky. If you can live on less that's a good thing. If when you lay your head down you are at peace, that's a good thing. Seems to me I'd be happy just to not have some of the debts we do.

Having a mortgage just means the landlord can't send us a letter saying the house has been sold and we have to move, like happened with our first place. I had worked years to amend the soil and left the best tomatoes I'd had. That's why I advocate NOT starting a homestead situation with rental property. Even with a lease you can end up in the road. Keep your credit good, save and get the grub stake.

FYI, anyone around me that buys chicks is crazy cuz I always hatch more than I need and sell or give them away cheap.

You can buy fertile eggs at Trader Joes or the grocery store. Even if they've been refrigerated they may hatch. Buy a dozen for $3 at the farm and odds are their fertile and will hatch. We got folks here doing that right now. Mutt hens lay just as well if not better than purebreds.

Many here made their own incubators. Junk computers might have that fan you need, no money down. Look for a free cooler to convert.

I wish you well,

i like the way you tell it a lot of people get it handed down to them that's ok but we have always had to work for it feels good to look back and see what we have done
Thank You

 

[jerrey]

The seeds were several years old so i figured on low germination and planted 6 seeds in a 8"x6" container and they all came up! i may try to transplant at least half of them to more containers. I am afraid there might not be enough soil there for all of them, let alone room. Seeds are about 2" apart in a 2x3 grid

really nice and you have them under a grow light

 

[rancher hicks]

i like the way you tell it a lot of people get it handed down to them that's ok but we have always had to work for it feels good to look back and see what we have done
Thank You

I don't begrudge people who inherit. I think that's good. I also think it's good to appreciate that inheritance and use it wisely.
Pro 13:22

A good man leaveth an inheritanceto his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

However, we should not feel bad because we haven't inherited a plot of land or money or have to work hard to gain something to leave to our children. Too, no child should think they're entitled to inherit. Seems to me it would be unwise to leave something to a child who has proven them selve foolish. I'd like to think my children will build on or with whatever we leave them be it money or land.

So, the weather here is crazy. 50's yesterday and by Wednesday it will be in the 20's I think. Night time the teens. Gray and raining today.

Yet I want to prepare for May.

I check the incu and temp was high due to the room being warmer. I wasn't home yesterday so didn't get in to check the temp. I just now taped a thermometer to the wall to keep tabs. I'm hoping at least a few chicks hatch.

May Marans have nasty butts and I've no idea what to do. I gave them ACV in their water and will worm them. They seemed to be getting better. I wish this weather would warm and I could let them out to graze. They are the only coop I have this problem with.

Perhaps more grit will help. I can't give them up if they don't improve and if I don't learn what I'm doing wrong I'll just be repeating the wrong thing.