Homesteaders

[KlopKlop]

You could just let them fall and then gather them to sell as "deer apples".  Some folks make quite a bit of money around here doing that with excess windfalls.  Just got to stay on top of them so they don't rot too much before they could be sold. 

It is the time consuming labor of picking them up that I want to beat. One of out trees is a sweet crab apple of some kind and it drops seemingly thousands of golfball sized apples

 

[Beekissed]

Instead of smearing them all across the yard, maybe the kids could be persuaded to pick them up and sell them for deer apples instead? I know my boys sure would have taken that opportunity if it had been presented. Young bodies, all that energy...maybe it could be channeled into something more profitable to you all.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

@Beekissed awesome idea. I have tons of feed bags and bedding bags they can use. Takes care of the "mom can I have $5" the apple problem and the excess bags become someone else's problem. Triple hit. Thanks a ton.

 

[Beekissed]

If that doesn't appeal to the kids, you could also advertise them free for picking up to deer hunters. We responded to an ad like that this past year and a few other guys had already been there before us but we still were able to glean a truck bed of free apples for our chickens, dogs and the deer herd.

When I had a big orchard and tons of falls like you have, my dogs, sheep and chickens were eating them like crazy but I still had a huge excess. Some people would stop and ask to have them for deer apples, some were wanting them for eating/making pies, etc. Most of the good folks offered to pay money for them but I never took it....but could have if I were wanting to make some extra cash. Most folks don't mind paying a small amount if they come away with a lot of fruit.

One young father came by and wanted to pick some for the making and selling of apple cider at the local harvest festival. I let him have a good half of the orchard for an exchange of a few jugs of cider. It was delicious! We could never have used that many apples anyway and I liked the thought of this young man hustling to provide for his family.

 

[vmlocks]

I got started to on the homesteading "wagon," so to speak, just to cut back on some of our bills since we are only renting right now. My family loves tomatoes and pears and cucumbers to high heaven, so it would help to cut back on some of our grocery bills. I love to garden and it seems that what I grow never makes it to the house or freezer before my oldest gets it, I picked a pear from the tree today and it didn't even make it to the backyard before it had a bite out of it. In some ways I have seen a cut in my produce bill, and I love making my own bread and canning but hubby is worried about the future bills for when we start having to add "water" to our stack of bills. What was your reason for starting to go back to basics? And if any difference in "cost" was noticed is it worth it(say buying a store bought chicken vs buying a raising a chicken then processing it)?

We just started with chickens and we are aggressively tracking the cost of all inputs (that we feel we can track). Right now we are upside down but feel we should be able to come out ahead once everyone starts contributing. Currently we have 6 freeloaders and one layer. Eventually the freeloaders will become an output as well it will just be by the pound instead of by the egg.

We found this thread and are looking for many more answers about layers and other garden stuff. Center NC, and seeds are started for this year.

 

[KlopKlop]

We just started with chickens and we are aggressively tracking the cost of all inputs (that we feel we can track). Right now we are upside down but feel we should be able to come out ahead once everyone starts contributing. Currently we have 6 freeloaders and one layer. Eventually the freeloaders will become an output as well it will just be by the pound instead of by the egg.

We found this thread and are looking for many more answers about layers and other garden stuff. Center NC, and seeds are started for this year.

What are you counting as inputs? If you count housing, be sure to amortize/depreciate it over several years. You will definitely be upside down with 1/5 laying. Give it time if those are pullets otherwise it's time to replace them.

Making money (or breaking even) is an economy of scale when talking chickens (or other livestock). We keep a flock of around 50 and sell eggs and are just on the high side of breaking even. We basically are paying for the hobby with a bit leftover for improvements/additions.

This year we are going to be grinding our own feed to open up the margin a little.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

We just started with chickens and we are aggressively tracking the cost of all inputs (that we feel we can track). Right now we are upside down but feel we should be able to come out ahead once everyone starts contributing. Currently we have 6 freeloaders and one layer. Eventually the freeloaders will become an output as well it will just be by the pound instead of by the egg.

We found this thread and are looking for many more answers about layers and other garden stuff. Center NC, and seeds are started for this year.

Freeloaders because they are cockerels or because it is winter?

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
The original reason for my family was that my dad was having to go on disability and still had 5 kids at home to feed. Things were really tight the year he had to wait to hear about if he had actually been declared disabled and he couldn't work during that year. That was the first year of our homesteading. It was all very bare bones and done on a string, no utilities, no running water, a log cabin we built in three weeks time on a brush and brier filled plot in the middle of a 100 acre tract of land. It would take a whole book to describe how little we had back then and how we managed, but manage we did and we ate very well off the land, though much work was involved. Knowing now what I didn't know then, I could have made it an easier row to hoe, but back then the internet was not available(70s) and Mother Earth News was about the only source of information on getting back to the land.

Because of that journey, I was so impressed with how little a person can actually live on if they have to. Since then I've been raising most of our own food and trying to keep the overhead down to a minimum. Start up costs for getting chickens and even establishing a garden seem like a lot to some people and they can't imagine ever making that money back, but it happens...and especially if one starts small and builds, uses materials that are free, scavenges for more of the same and studies up on how best to keep costs down and production high. As a single mother of three boys, I would never have attempted it at all if I couldn't do it cheaper than buying the stuff from the store.

Home grown foods can't really even be compared with store bought foods, as they surpass them in taste, nutrition, freshness and purity. No one can really break down the costs of what such a diet does for the general health of the family, but I can compare our health and the health of others living in the same area, attending the same schools/work place, etc. and there is really no comparison. Their health costs are high and they are frequently ill, we are rarely~if ever~sick and our health care costs are usually nothing at all, or small and once in a blue moon~teeth, eyes, OTC this or that.

Then there is the good mental health that is provided by caring for animals and the land, growing things and constantly learning about how to improve on that. It's a wonderful outlet for artistic expression, for the thirst for knowledge and for interaction with the world around us. Gets us off the couch, outside in the fresh air and sunlight and learning new things all the time, keeping our brains and bodies active.

But, most of all, it really and truly is cheaper than buying from the store in plain dollars and cents. One just has to realize that it doesn't have to happen NOW and one doesn't have to have the cutest coop, the most colorful and cute chickens and the garden doesn't have to have mulch trucked in and deposited in order to produce food. It can all be a slow build, gained free or very cheaply, and grow from there. One has to re-prioritize their lives and their thinking about food in general. It takes work...sometimes it takes a lot of work or work that is not fun to do. But it's worth it all. Just like any other endeavor that is supposed to save you money....go slow, keep overhead down, strive for the best production and always...always...be looking for free things that will help you along the way.

Another thing to remember...you can't eat sentimentality.

 

[KlopKlop]

The original reason for my family was that my dad was having to go on disability and still had 5 kids at home to feed.  Things were really tight the year he had to wait to hear about if he had actually been declared disabled and he couldn't work during that year.  That was the first year of our homesteading.   It was all very bare bones and done on a string, no utilities, no running water, a log cabin we built in three weeks time on a brush and brier filled plot in the middle of a 100 acre tract of land.  It would take a whole book to describe how little we had back then and how we managed, but manage we did and we ate very well off the land, though much work was involved.  Knowing now what I didn't know then, I could have made it an easier row to hoe, but back then the internet was not available(70s) and Mother Earth News was about the only source of information on getting back to the land. 

Because of that journey, I was so impressed with how little a person can actually live on if they have to.  Since then I've been raising most of our own food and trying to keep the overhead down to a minimum.  Start up costs for getting chickens and even establishing a garden seem like a lot to some people and they can't imagine ever making that money back, but it happens...and especially if one starts small and builds, uses materials that are free, scavenges for more of the same and studies up on how best to keep costs down and production high.  As a single mother of three boys, I would never have attempted it at all if I  couldn't do it cheaper than buying the stuff from the store. 

Home grown foods can't really even be compared with store bought foods, as they surpass them in taste, nutrition, freshness and purity.  No one can really break down the costs of what such a diet does for the general health of the family, but I can compare our health and the health of others living in the same area, attending the same schools/work place, etc. and there is really no comparison.  Their health costs are high and they are frequently ill, we are rarely~if ever~sick and our health care costs are usually nothing at all, or small and once in a blue moon~teeth, eyes, OTC this or that. 

Then there is the good mental health that is provided by caring for animals and the land, growing things and constantly learning about how to improve on that.  It's a wonderful outlet for artistic expression, for the thirst for knowledge and for interaction with the world around us.  Gets us off the couch, outside in the fresh air and sunlight and learning new things all the time, keeping our brains and bodies active. 

But, most of all, it really and truly is cheaper than buying from the store in plain dollars and cents.  One just has to realize that it doesn't have to happen NOW and one doesn't have to have the cutest coop, the most colorful and cute chickens and the garden doesn't have to have mulch trucked in and deposited in order to produce food.  It can all be a slow build, gained free or very cheaply, and grow from there.  One has to re-prioritize their lives and their thinking about food in general.  It takes work...sometimes it takes a lot of work or work that is not fun to do.  But it's worth it all.   Just like any other endeavor that is supposed to save you money....go slow, keep overhead down, strive for the best production and always...always...be looking for free things that will help you along the way.  

Another thing to remember...you can't eat sentimentality. 

You say it so well! I can only imagine the stories you could share!
The nail was hit squarely on the head with your point that homesteading can't happen overnight. It would just cost to much not to mention how you would absorb the shock of major lifestyle change. It really is a way of life, not just something you decided to do one day and do it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Yes I talked to DH and told him it was my personal goal to be producing 70% of our own food in three years. We already grow our own beef, wheat, and eggs. I am planning on raising meat chickens this summer and expanding out garden a bit. Add in a few fruit trees, we are going to be busy but happily on our way to self sufficiency.