Living...I mean working the dream

Hello everyone well I guess this is the place to introduce ourselves. My wife and I finally made the commitment to buy the farm we have always wanted. Started out looking for 3-5 acres but soon realized if we lived just a littttle farther out we could get a bigger place. We closed on our dream place on July 1st with a nice older home (1979) that is built like a brick *&$^% with 16.5 acres on it! 10 acres was leased to a local farmer for the planting season as the people who owned the place before just couldn't take care of it all. He planted it in wheat at the beginning of the year and now he has it planted in soybeans. He should harvest in September/October sometime and then we can start doing what we want. Hasn't been bad as it is one more thing we haven't had to worry about as we got settlled. As soon as he is gone the chicken coop will go up and I have already ordered 10 black swedish ducks to go on our half acre pond! That is really what brought me to this forum as it is not too late to plant some plants for the ducks around the pond. I will start a thread in the ducks forum to get some ideas on what to start. Geese will go in next year there as well. We plan on putting all of the farmed land into pasture (with a little reserved for a nice garden!) and raise a few cattle and maybe dairy goats. There is about 5 acres that is wooded that we plan on putting some pigs on. We want to raise the majority of our own food. I guess I never said where in the world we are; Hampton Roads Area, Virginia! Can't wait to get started!

 

Hey Willow! Thanks I just posted some pics of the pond in the duck forum as I need advice on what to plant around it for the ducks and geese. We love the place but as you can see from my name it is a lot of work!!! My wife wants a potting shed/winter kennel for the dogs (golden retriever and burnese mountain dog) so that is what I am working on now. I will be here often though!

 

Thanks for the welcome everyone!