Homesteaders

[lazy gardener]

Hello! We've been homesteading totally off-grid for almost a year now with 2 kids (oldest is 6 & our youngest is 2), 2 dogs (soon to be 4!), 3 cats, 7 chickens, & 5 rabbits. We live in Missouri & are absolutely loving the homesteading life! It's hard, but i feel like it gives back so much more! xx

Welcome! Are the rabbits pets or are they destined for dinner?

 

[1cock2hens]

Hello! We've been homesteading totally off-grid for almost a year now with 2 kids (oldest is 6 & our youngest is 2), 2 dogs (soon to be 4!), 3 cats, 7 chickens, & 5 rabbits. We live in Missouri & are absolutely loving the homesteading life! It's hard, but i feel like it gives back so much more! xx

lol // I am very close to living my homesteading dream here in missouri too // its nice too see like minded people close by.

 

[rancher hicks]

Okay folks spring is coming. What are your plans for the new year.

1.Have you drawn up your garden plans?

2.Plans to build a "pantry" ?

3. New Storage for your crop?

4. New coop/housing ?

5. New livestock?

6. Hire new help?

7. Anything you plan on providing for yourself and eliminate buying this year ?

8. Something you'll do the same but different this year? (You know like planting a crop differently)

9. What worked last year that you liked that didn't work previously?

I liked the 100"s cherry tomatoes. Lord have mercy I bought some and they're yuk. No flavor. My favorite is the Black Cherokee cherry type. They grow well and are sweet right off the vine.

Too when I do my tomato canning I add a variety of tomatoes. Whatever won't get eaten in time. No sense wasting them.

It's been tough with DW being sick and friends our age sick too. I struggle with giving up and planning my exit strategy if you know what I mean. With this new job, I'm thinking, why? Why should I give up so easily? Should someone my age make plans for the future? Long term or short term, and what should they be? I'd like to get some ducks again, a cat. Course working even part time gets in the way of chores. Just thinking out loud here.

Too, folks who used to be on here are not as they've aged. That is sad. There is always another bend in the road.

Rancher, hates getting old, Hicks

 

[I Love Layers]

No gardens for me, I trade for that.

I am getting all new layers this year along with a breeder coop for the cochins.

Taking the jersey heifer calf to my grandpa's so we can breed her with his heifers to one of his longhorns since we don't have any smaller bulls for the heifers.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I try my best to plant way more of everything than we actually need so that I can donate a lot of it to people (mostly families at the school my kids attend) who otherwise can't afford fresh food. We plant everything we can get seeds for even if we don't eat it. Plus we will be selling extras this year as well. We are adding to the farm every year and experimenting with new ideas all the time. I feel blessed by the fact I found Homesteading while still young enough to get it gong good. My kids even enjoy it except for the no TV part. Most of the summer we are outside.

 

[BriColie]

Well, we (my family & I) take a little different route to the meaning of pet vs meat animal. We are also raising children in mind to what to expect on living on the land. We raise our own animals, rabbits included, for food. However, we want our children to respect & still have a relationship with them so they can better understand where their food is from & we believe that a well treated animal will make for better nutrition too. We play & bond with all of our animals...they are in fact very spoiled so...in a way they are pets & they are dinner

 

[BriColie]

 lol  // I am very close to living my homesteading dream here in missouri too // its nice too see like minded people close by. 

That's very cool! Missouri is getting a lot of homesteaders out this way! We are in south-east Missouri in a small town, cabool.

 

[Raech]

say hello to Otter our buck
and Kirby our doe.
I am currently trying to breed them, he is a young male so not exactly sure how to get the job done, and since I have never done it before I dont know what I am doing either lol

 

[rancher hicks]

say hello to Otter our buck
and Kirby our doe.
I am currently trying to breed them, he is a young male so not exactly sure how to get the job done, and since I have never done it before I dont know what I am doing either lol

I'd check your local library for any books you can find. That's what I did before I got chickens. That and BYC members made it so much easier.

 

[Raech]

Okay folks spring is coming. What are your plans for the new year.

1.Have you drawn up your garden plans?
Yes then had to redo due to moving
2.Plans to build a "pantry" ?

3. New Storage for your crop?

4. New coop/housing ?
next year i will finally be getting chickens, finances willing
5. New livestock?
steers and chicken next year, breeding bunnies this year
6. Hire new help?

7. Anything you plan on providing for yourself and eliminate buying this year ?

8. Something you'll do the same but different this year? (You know like planting a crop differently)
no peas at dad's house, wasted 600 seeds for nothing
9. What worked last year that you liked that didn't work previously?
tomatoes did awesome, hope to try some hoop greenhouses this year to extend the tomatoes
I liked the 100"s cherry tomatoes. Lord have mercy I bought some and they're yuk. No flavor. My favorite is the Black Cherokee cherry type. They grow well and are sweet right off the vine.

Too when I do my tomato canning I add a variety of tomatoes. Whatever won't get eaten in time. No sense wasting them.

It's been tough with DW being sick and friends our age sick too. I struggle with giving up and planning my exit strategy if you know what I mean. With this new job, I'm thinking, why? Why should I give up so easily? Should someone my age make plans for the future? Long term or short term, and what should they be? I'd like to get some ducks again, a cat. Course working even part time gets in the way of chores. Just thinking out loud here.

Too, folks who used to be on here are not as they've aged. That is sad. There is always another bend in the road.

Rancher, hates getting old, Hicks