Things to expect living in the country.

[boxermom]

chicmom, I've never heard of stirring or sucking out a well before. Could that just be in your area or the type of well or do you mean the septic tank?

 

[babymakes6]

Quote:
I never heard that either.

We always have lived in the country and always had a well.
Another thing-a well pump CAN be destroyed by lightning. Dad has replaced quite a few due to lightning.

 

[ChickiKat]

The biggest thing I had to get used to when we moved from the city was the silence. It was too quiet to sleep at first!!!

 

[Tracydr]

One of the best places to meet the neighbors and get good deals on implements, generators, all sorts of things you'll need is the local farm auctions. Find out who the auction company is in your area and get on the mailing list so that you can attend. They are usually social affairs and you'll see everybody within the community there.
Get to know some of the old timers. Older veterinarians, shop owners, restaurant owners, etc. they can tell you where to get things, how things are done. Every area has its own way of doing things, county laws/etc. for instance, in OK, we learned that with a large acreage and farm animals that everybody has a "tax ID" so that you don't pay taxes on farm purchases, feed, etc.
I'm retired military but have always lived in the country until recently. All the moves, with animals and farm stuff has allowed me to adapt and learn how to go with the flow in all sorts of cultures and different types of climates. You've gotten great advice so far. I've bought large (40-120 acres) in CO, OK, WA and started basically from raw land each time.

One thing I'll be doing next time I move back to the country is immediately planting my fruit/nut trees and asparagus and rhubarb. Stuff like that takes awhile to get established but gives you tons and tons of food for both the family and the livestock. Fruit and nut trees are fairly easy, take just a bit of spraying and pruning each year. Asparagus and rhubarb are easy too. Also, a comfrey patch for animal feed and fertilizer.
Just some things that are easily forgotten n the first year of moving but if done early will give bountiful produce and help fill the pantry, feed the family.
I've also always planted lots of seedling trees right away. Seems like the land always needs windbreaks. Most states, don't know anything about Canada, have a program to buy really cheap seedlings yearly to help plant for erosion control/windbreaks and wildlife habitat. The trees and shrubs available are usually hardy native species that require very little care and grow easily.

 

[zzGypsy]

for meeting places, see if you can find the local cafe where the old farmers meet. ours is the HillBilly Gas Mart (not kidding!)... it's basically a gas station/convenience store with a kitchen and a couple of long tables in the back where the older farmers gather for breakfast. sunday mornings they've got excellent cinamon rolls and they make a killer cherry pie.... and you can get *ANY* of your farming questions answered, and they know everyone who does any kind of task, or has any kind of equipment. of course, it helps if you're interested in listening to all their stories.

 

[clucksbc]

Update please...
did you get the place????

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Ditto.

 

[EggyErin]

"here it's drive with one hand on the top of the steering wheel so you can raise a few fingers in greeting when you see drivers going the other way."

So funny that this is standard in every rural place, no matter what state or country. That's exactly what it's like here. My husband does the three-fingered lift (not a wave, just a lift): two as a peace sign, the third to make a chicken foot as a nod to Georgia's state crop.

I think that's our private joke though. Only to people I know well do I do a happy, back-and-forth wave.

 

[Beekissed]

Around here that is known as the "two-fingered howdy"...and nearly everyone does it.

 

[TheHalfWayCoop]

Quote:
Ditto.

Thanks so much everyone, really enjoying reading all of the posts!!!

We're going to go see the farm tomorrow night after work, but from talking to the owner it sounds like it's ours if we want it (I hope that's what he meant) so we're crossing our fingers

for no missing bathrooms (especially when they is only one), big holes in the floors, barns full of rotting garbage that we must remove, or missing windows. It seems like everytime we go see a farm (this is the 6th in as many months) something is wrong. Not 'it's an old house' (we LOVE old houses) kind of wrong, but more of an 'you want $1600 a month for a house with no floors?!' kind of wrong. But I'm cautiously optimistic since this one is owned by a conservation authority and I would hope they wouldn't let things like that happen...

We're really hoping we'll be spending Christmas 'on the farm' this year, that would be such a great gift, and the only one I need! We've even talked to Pyrenees breeders to see if that might be something we would like to have as a LGD. What I don't understand is how people train these dogs to wonder the property freely without taking off...