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Topic: Homesteaders Wanted! (Read 352 times) |
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Jordanne
Administrator
One Step at a Time...
 
Posts: 118
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Homesteaders Wanted!
« on: Oct 30th, 2002, 5:34pm » |
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The following email / ad was reproduced and posted with permission. Here's a homesteading opportunity for some lucky PA folks!
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My wife and I are close to purchasing an 80 acre organic farm in western PA. We are interested in raising a wide variety of animals and crops with the idealized goal of self-sufficiency.
We recognize, however, that we will need some help in achieving this goal. Since there is significantly more land and resources than we need for ourselves, we are in search of a family or ambitious couple that is interested in trading sweat equity for eventual real property ownership.
We are only interested in speaking with honest people who have knowledge, skills or experience suitable to natural and/or organic farming methods. Livestock and animal husbandry skills will also be highly valued. We are able to offer a 2 bedroom home, wonderfully fertile organically managed land (for the last 17 years) and all the equipment needed to make this a success.
If you think you are suitable then please contact me and tell me why. Send your resume, a brief description of your goals and anything else that you think we should know.
Ron Stidmon
PO Box 280
Gilbert PA 18331
rstid@rcn.com
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| « Last Edit: Oct 30th, 2002, 5:39pm by Jordanne » |
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shellybeesmom
Newbie
Posts: 32
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Homesteading Thoughts
« Reply #1 on: Feb 18th, 2003, 4:50pm » |
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Since I just came across this site .... I hope you won't mind my thoughts.
We've been homesteading for almost 2 decades and have actually survived, mostly financially. I think this is the biggest challenge for folks going down this road.
I found we had to rethink everything about life, and adopt a totally different outlook then the rest of the people around us.
Here's a few things I've learned so far....
#1 You can't go into debt, there is no way you can do it with someone on your back for $
#2 You pretty much have to go the way the early settlers did it, you be prepared to live in a tent the first summer, and cook over an open fire and maybe haul water from the well by hand the first 20 years....(not to mention packing out the night water pail!)
#3. You learn the proverb "Make do or do without"
#4. Forget about the Jones and all the stuff they have (especially if you have teenagers!)
Does anyone know what I'm talking about 
Shellybeesmom
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Jordanne
Administrator
One Step at a Time...
Posts: 118
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Re: Homesteaders Wanted!
« Reply #2 on: Feb 24th, 2003, 5:44pm » |
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Hi! And welcome to the forum! Of course we don't mind your thoughts -- all thoughts are welcomed!
Your thoughts are most interesting and so very true. We experienced some of that even on our small urban homestead - though not as fully as you, I bet.
Looking forward to seeing you a part of this forum.
Jordanne
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Clover
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Money DOES make the world go around and things sure a bit easier! Sorry to say greenbacks rule!
Seems like you and your family learned the hard way – really living the back to basics?
I think I understand where you are coming from, even though I haven’t had the same experiences as yourself.
I find it hard at times and even hypocritical, that sometimes living “simply” requires more money!!!
For instance, if you wanted to sew your own clothes, then you have to purchase a machine, fabric, thread, patterns and so on. This’ll start adding up to $$$.
But, if you just shopped at thrift stores for your families clothes or waited for clearance sales you wouldn't spend as much money.
With the modern system here in America things aren't really plain and simple. Many, many years ago it was much cheaper for a woman to make her and her families clothing than it was to say, buy from a Sears Roebuck catalog. Unfortunately as I mentioned already you can buy clothes cheaper than you can make it. How crazy is that?
I like to knit, but for me to knit a sweater with some nice yarn, it would cost me around $100. Why not just pick up a used/almost-new one at a thrift store for $1.00 or less Insane, really.
I find this very depressing for those like myself who want to live a simpler life. The cost for supplies for those who like to DIY is ridiculous.
So, then do you not DIY? Do you give up learning any crafts, or back to basic skills, cause you don't have the $$$ ?
Also you brought up a good point -- finances. That's the biggest hurdle/road block going down this path to freedom. Do you have the $$$ to accomplish your back to basic goals?
Do you have the guts to go without this or that? Save, scrimp -- do whatever?
That's the REAL challenge that takes a lot of character and courage. I am sure you could share your experience with us. YOU did it and so can we!
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Shannon
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Self-sustaining and saving $ can be diff. goals!
« Reply #4 on: Feb 28th, 2003, 2:21pm » |
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Self-sustainance, which is our eventual goal, probably will cost us more in the beginning, although hopefully raising our own food and dairy/eggs on a small piece of farmland will help us cut costs in the long run. Learning to knit a sweater is a skill that might help you be self sustaining in the furutre, so it is certainly a useful tool to have in your arsenal, but unless you are spinning your own wool or a neighbors', I agree that it could cost that much to make a whole sweater and would be much more cost efficient to just go to a thrift store and recycle perfectly good materials. A mix of these two perspectives woudl be to hook a rug using wool from clothes at the thrift sotre - I know a friend of mine gets all of her wool this way. I know that our goal to have a homestead comes from our desire to be able to provide for our family as much as we can - cutting out the middle man however we can and provide a healthy, clean and loving environment to raise our family!  Cheers! -Shannon
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Lynn
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On crafting and $$: I buy yarn at thrift stores and garage sales. You can even find good yarn in sweaters at thrift stores and if you don't like the sweater you just unravel it, wash the yarn and re-skein it.
Learn to spin! I get my wool usually for less than $5/lb, and the pleasure it gives me in the working (cleaning, dyeing, spinning, plying and then knitting or weaving) gives me ten times that amount in satisfaction. If I have a little extra $$ I splurge on luxury fiber and blend that into my wool. A little goes a long way.
Get involved in the online crafting communities. You can often trade things you have for things you want. I know one lady who trades homemade biscotti for wool!
Lynn
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shellybeesmom
Newbie
Posts: 32
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Re: Homesteaders Wanted!
« Reply #6 on: Mar 13th, 2003, 3:53pm » |
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Sorry I didn't check in earlier; it's great to see there's a discussion going.
Speaking of recycling wool. Being in need of some winter socks, we priced them in the store at around $10 for a good quality pair. So I unravelled a couple old wool sweaters and tried hand knitting some!!
It was a mixed success. Not all wool is created equal, I discovered! My first pair sported holes within a week and the other pair is still OK. I need to put more thought and research into figuring this one out!!
I absolutely agree that getting clothes at the Thrift Shops makes perfect sense, when you consider that we are literally swamped with clothing here in N. America. It takes a great deal of patience and a long running list to find what you really need, but it certainly is cost effective.
To make it here in the bush we worked from the standpoint of getting things down to the bare necessities . . food, shelter, clothes and transportation, plus we added electricity and communication. We actually lived for some time without hydro or phone, but obviously that has changed or I could not be doing this 
My philosophy is "a penny saved is a penny earned", so in every way I try and do what I can to save $ as I have time on my side of the equation. We buy food (that we cannot grow ourselves) in bulk, like grains, beans, and other staples. And I try, in the cooking department, to make everything from scratch. I had a cow for a long time, but decided to try milking the soya bean and have totally replaced all dairy products this way. (We ran into too many problems getting our cow bred) I keep hens and they are just wonderful, at processing all the table and garden scraps which keeps the yard site very clean and no drawing card for bears etc.
Now with these basics up and running, we have just determined to be contented in the slow lane. How can you put a price tag on pure fresh air and water, the peace of mind at having no heating cost except the labour of cutting our winter's wood supply (as we hear of rising energy costs this winter) or listening to coyotes singing while we watch the northern lights dancing? There's got to be compensations for not having "everything" money can buy!
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Wildside
Senior Member
One who plants a garden plants happiness and hope.
Posts: 466
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Re: Homesteaders Wanted!
« Reply #7 on: Nov 1st, 2003, 9:53am » |
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 OH, how I miss coyotes singing to me in bed at night and families of quail running across the yard. As an adult, I seem to have chose my locations to live in quick access to easy transport and good paying jobs (even when unemployed). And how I miss real wildlife... That and other intangibles money just can't buy.
Growing up on a farm and feeling very isolated, I dreamed of being able to afford nice things and having lots of friends. Now I see the wildlife and wide open spaces were my true friends and having nice things doesn't change the real person inside, good or bad -- however, it sometimes does make life easier and better. What I have observed from myself and others making even better paychecks, that enough was never ENOUGH! The more I had, the more problems I perceived, the poorer I felt, the more I felt I needed, the less I felt I had to give. It was an interesting lesson to learn. Unable to afford the wild land like in my childhood (real estate prices and taxes have soared and I am unprepared to take on massive debt) now I try my hand at urban homesteading... But OH how I miss the coyotes and quail!
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Cheers, from my backyard to yours! --Wildside
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KendraB225
Full Member
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
Posts: 141
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Re: Homesteaders Wanted!
« Reply #8 on: Nov 3rd, 2003, 11:09am » |
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Wildside,
I can relate to missing the country. i was raised in the city. I lived in the country for the first year I was married. But throwing a city girl in the country with no phone, cable, car, or friends just doesn't work. I was only 18 at the time. I wish I had know the things I do now. Now I wish my kids had the country to run around and play (sigh). But we are stuck in the here because of Dh's job and our mortgage.
Kendra
Mom to:
Brianna 6
Josiah 4
Gabriel 2
Baby girl due
1/03/04
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Wildside
Senior Member
One who plants a garden plants happiness and hope.
Posts: 466
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Re: Homesteaders Wanted!
« Reply #9 on: Nov 3rd, 2003, 12:08pm » |
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Hi again, Kendra! Have you thought of ways you could incorporate more "country/wild space" into your 2 city lots? A place for your kids to play and for you to grow edibles for yourself and wildlife? I'm not very familiar with native flora and fauna where you live, but am very enthused about the concept of incorporating landscaping for wildlife into the yard as well as designing useful spaces for your family's needs and would love to muse about this with you more. We could start a string somewhere else on this discussion page -- not sure quite what to call it yet and I need to learn how to use this site more effectively yet. Any ideas?
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Cheers, from my backyard to yours! --Wildside
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