My mother in law and myself have used her mothers dill pickle recipe for years and they never fail. Always crunchy and nummy even after a year or more. :) 10 cups water 3 cups vinegar. (we use 7%) 1/2 cup picking salt Garlic Dill Fresh Cucumbers. Preferably kept in cool water until ready for use, using them dry never works well. We put them in a large cooler with water to keep while we set up and get the rest ready. We usually account for about a pound per jar give or take. Boil water, vinegar and salt in stainless steel pot. Put as much garlic and dill (as much as you want, at least one clove and one head each or load it up!!!) in clean, sterilized 1 litre jars. Fill with cukes. Pour hot brine over top. Put lid and rings on. Put in rolling boil water bath for about 10 minutes. Remove carefully to avoid major disruptions, LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS, no touching or poking. Any that don't seal we put in fridge to ferment for a couple weeks. Leave for about 10 weeks and then enjoy. Some of our pickles are still crunchy after 2 years. :0)
This is what my mother did. Loved her pickles but she wasn't around long enough to teach me how, but I recall as a child watching and helping do this. 🧡
Mama told me to buy at least 5 acres. Get it surveyed. As soon as the flags are located set a big post at each corner so you know where your boundaries are. Fence it as soon as you can. Put your house right in the center of the property so no one can mind your business.
Good advice provided you have straight lines on your property. I have seen a number that are oddly shaped so you need to set markers at each corner so you can get your fences as close to your lines as possible.
Even after they’ve been there 30 years, you might get a neighbor that one day decides those fence lines are not true, and starts leaving her property to mow some of yours 😵💫 I got that neighbor… two and a half years of her impeding imperative repairs to my deeded appurtenant easement, now she says the property line fences are wrong, it’s nuts! I hope the private nuisance, and harassment lawsuit I’m sending her, makes her just go away. She bothers everyone on the road. God is great, home made beer is good, and people are crazy!
A fence. This has many advantages. It controls animal movement, both yours and your neighbors live stock. It can head off disputes. It lets you know where you stand with how to lay out your property for different purposes (grazing or planting)
A clear dome has the added benefits of keeping out birds and low flying drones. Plus you can pick up the whole shebang and move it to the sea floor if your neighbors start up a punk rock band or industrial welding operation. Fences suck.
Amazing advice we are 2 months (Lord willing) away from moving onto our 122 acres. So this video is a God send. Would say that the neighbor advice is so crucial to me. My neighbors are awesome! George my neighbor is 80 something still up and at it. He's let me keep my 71 hp tractor under his pole barn and keeping an eye on it while we are 1 hr away with no infrastructure at all on the land. His wife a himself a ree Godsend. He even gave me a box of 550 rounds of .22 I said George do you want any money for these they are selling for $250 a box! He said no I have like 3 more haha. I love my neighbors! Would be so much harder without them!
God how I wish I was moving to 122 acres...... heck, I'd settle for 5 if it were surrounded by more! Where I live its a Country town that use to be great and filled with great people.... its now full of people that use and deal drugs that have no concept of "RESPECTING OTHERS"! Even the police say that they know all about the people in my town but that its pointless to arrest them because "it never goes any further than the states attorney's desk"! As a matter of fact, because the police's hands are tied in a way, it just emboldens the people in this town to even more act the way they want (which is never "nice and polite")! I wish I had the money to move because if I did I would already be gone! Well, that's more of a "wish" than reality because actually, I'm pretty well stuck either way because my mom lives behind me and I would never leave her to deal with all this stuff on her own. I'm the only one keeping her safe from them right now. I'm the only one that they remotely fear because they know I LOVE MY 2ND AMENDMENT:) and I have security cameras (because of them specifically) all around my home that runs and records 24/7! Yet they still use every opportunity to even "poke at me" when they can (usually with loud noise, leaving their dogs outside to continuously bark, etc.)! So actually I should have said initially "God how I wish I was moving to 122 acres (AND) I could talk my mother into moving as well". See, I rolled my truck 19 times and was thrown out of the vehicle 45 feet and landed in this field they freshly plowed. I was encased in mud, it was pouring down raining, pitch black and only 40 degrees. I was paralyzed from the waist down, dislocated shoulder and a bunch of busted ribs with several burst fractures in my lower back. I kept pounding shaking so hard because it was so cold but every movement was extremely painful so I would pass out from the pain just to have the rain wake me back up and go through it all over again. One of the last times I woke up I realized the water was up to my neck, I thought I might drown and there was nothing I could do about it. I knew if I went out again I would eventually be under water so I scooped a bunch of mud behind my head to try and hold my head up as high as I could. I just accepted that it was over and was nodding out for the last time when I heard this powerful voice echo through my head like it was going through a canyon say, "YOU'VE BEEN YELLING FOR HELP FOR HOURS..... WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO CALL ON ME?"..... SOON AFTER I DID, I STARTED SEEING FLASHLIGHTS! One of the Firefighters that was there told my mom, "We were all packed up and ready to go. I was the last one getting in the truck when I started hearing like a music box type sound coming from the field. I turned on my flashlight towards it AND I SAW YOUR OTHER SON! He was covered in so much mud and water that we almost couldn't see him."! BTW, I NEVER HAD ANY MUSIC BOX IN MY TRUCK AND OUR PHONES WERE FOUND INSIDE THE TRUCK.... THEY FOUND NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MAKING THAT MUSIC SOUND! They said my body temp was 70 degrees and how I was still waking up was unheard of. They told my mom I wasn't going to make it at first, then they said he'll make it but he will never put one foot in front of the other.... well, I AM WALKING NOW (with a cane and with an enormous amount of pain BUT STILL WALKING)! My brother was in the accident and was thrown out immediately. He landed on one of the poles from the barbed wire fence my truck hit and it just about split him in half.... AND HE'S BACK TO WORK DOING CONSTRUCTION!:) They called us "The Miracle Brothers" the whole time we were in the hospital. There were many other miracles that happened from the hospital to now but I actually had a specific point I was trying to make and I guess the Lord wanted someone to read my testimony!:) I was basically just wanting to say, before the Lord had other plans :), that I'd been in a major accident that has me living with a tremendous amount of pain and stuff and if I had one wish in life it would be to live in peace in the Country somewhere where I felt I could enjoy going outside, working on building a homestead (slowly but surely) and enjoying God's creation without having to worry about getting into it with a bunch of people looking for a fight. You can't even go outside for very long before one of them starts cussing at/taunting you. There was a time in my life when I would have happily obliged them (I was really good at it too, unfortunately), but that's not me anymore. I just wish I could live in peace and enjoy the life God gave me a second chance to do right with. I really do try to do right but I am still human and the man I once was gets harder and harder to not let back in and take over for a minute or two. This really has become a nightmare of a town and I pray everyday for even a small fraction of the blessing you have! You are not suppose to covet thy neighbor, but if I were to ever do so..... YOU'D BE ONE OF THOSE "NEIGHBORS" BROTHER!:) God Bless you and yours and I really pray everything works out even better than you could hope for!
Plant five spaghetti squash the day you move in. And then do your infrastructure . A hundred squash keeps you going and only five things to water. After that, turnips. High yield and pest resistant. Beyond that, anything you want, but first plant squash.
This was beyond excellent! As someone who was literally "thrown" into a homesteading situation (don't ask!), I would give anything to have had #1 - this information and #2, the time margin to implement it we were in a live or die situation. To all who are contemplating a homesteading move... watch this video. Then watch it again. Then watch it again! Everything Josh and Carolyn are telling you is not only true, it is so practical and well prioritized & organized. Their wisdom will save you years and $$$. What's not to love? If I had it to do all over again... I'd follow their suggestions to a "T"! Thank you J&C!
One thing to research. Where is your nearest hospital? What can it handle? Trauma, pediatrics, burn unit, cardiac catheterization lab, CCU/ICU? Not every hospital has all services and has to transfer patients.
I live (and grew up) here, where the closest hospital that has any specialized services is at least four hours away. While I know it’s important, I have chosen to live far away from those services and I choose not to live in fear about it.
If you are living in the rural areas, you need to accept the significant risk that you may simply die in the country before you can get to definitive care. Its a matter of risk acceptance and mitigation. Consider a helicopter EMS subscription if it exists in your area - it can turn an hour trip into 20-30 min flight. Going to the local critical access hospital and hoping to transfer out may actually add hours to getting to that definitive care, particularly if the actual problem cant really be stabilized in the outlying facility.
As a PDC and Soil Food Web graduate, don't forget to also study some of Joel Salatin's thoughts, keep as much of the infrastructure "mobile" as possible. No need to do a chicken coop on a concrete pad for instance, have one or more mobile structures with electric netting and not only can you move them, but you should, and it will help the birds, you and the land.
Carolyn, I wish I had heard you talk about the dirty floors. I'm on my own and raised meat birds, chicken greenhouse three garden spots. I make my own bread, can my food. I was feeling so bad I couldn't keep up on all my house chores. Especially when everything outside needed my attention. If I can I will raise meat birds again and organize myself a little better.
I have a great method of canning crispy pickles and it's easy. Most people pour their hot brine over their pickles. That will cook your cucumbers! Instead, cool your brine all the way down to room temperature, not even warm. I also add 1/4 teaspoon of pickle crisp (Ball makes one) for each quart. Then I process in my water bath canner. They stay "snap" crisp.
Something you didn't mention when you were talking about moving in and getting set up. For me, the main reason to get everything set up first would be this... If you're not set up, you're going to spend a HUGE amount of time looking through boxes for items you need.
Basically, what you're advising is to plan out and put in infrastructure where possible. Power and water are priorities. Set up your house, which is your base of operations, and then you are able to work out from there. Great advice. Thank you so much!
Yes, on the neighbors...not just meet your neighbors, but start building a great relationship with them. Make sure they know you are available to help them with any projects they need a hand with or loan them equipment you might have. It may be hard if you have had bad experiences with neighbors that have taken advantage, but you may need these neighbors some day and you want a good relationship. Nothing is worse than having a bad relationship with a neighbor, it makes life miserable.
Man I’m so lucky I have the best neighbors. I live smack dab in a little town. Bout to sell and buy land but I have been blessed considering we all have 1/4 acre lots on a quiet street. Everyone is awesome
Yes we have wonderful neighbors! My husband helps with their projects and my neighbor lets him borrow equipment when needed. Our other neighbor has brought us over several dishes of food and I have returned the favor. They are wonderful n
I agree- in other countries, your neighbour is closer than family. Which makes sense logically, if you need anything who can get there fastest? Your neighbour!
After a year living in a new state with a different climate I've learned to really rely on local advise. Especially when planting. They know when to plant and what will grow. This is completely different than what I could grow before. Just a tip from a newbie.
I love that advice about the neighbors. When I moved in I was waiting for my neighbors to come and introduce themselves. It didn’t happen. So I made some chocolate chip cookies and brought them over and introduced myself. We ended up having wonderful neighbors. We recently had people move in at the end of our road and my husband and I brought over some fresh eggs. ❤️
We are new owners of a 26acre property, no farming experience though. So far, we're done with the orchard, planted 75 pinetrees, maple trees, driveway being built and prepping the chicken coop site. This are all hauled manually since we don't have the equipments yet. Hard work, indeed. Thank you for this additional tips.
Always have your vehicles fueled! We survived the Camp Fire but were stuck in traffic for a long time at the end of our country road, waiting to be escorted out for hours, with trees burning all around us. Without that fuel, we couldn't have kept the air circulating inside the vehicle. The smoke inhalation would have been terrible and the heat would have been unbearable. We could have been trapped on the road waiting to get out if we didn't have enough fuel.
Fellow former Paradise family here. My kids went to school there. My mom and bro lived there. We were already moved out but my brother had to RUN Glad you made it. I'll never ever forget Paradise. ❤❤💔💔💔
We got our coop and chickens within 2 weeks 😳 we did heed others advice though and didn’t pick a garden space or plant trees and bushes til the following spring.. we really looked and watched the property and I’m really glad we set things up the way we did.. we did find better places for the wood pile and our stack of pallets but other than that we’ve been happy with our setup..
This was such a helpful video! We're in the process of buying our dream farm and everything y'all said makes sooo much sense. I was totally ready to hurry up and get there and get my cow... And pigs.... And bees..... 🤣🤣🤣 I think y'all just saved my husband and I from complete disaster! We're moving halfway across the country with 7 kids and an already started mini farm. I'm so happy I found your videos! ❤️❤️❤️
I put Alum in my pickles ( second day after 24 hr brine ) then fill with cold water for 24 hours, drain and fill with brown vinegar for 24 hours. Then sugar X 3 days before water bath. Sweet pickles are crisp for 4 years!
Sue Magyari it’s an Old Fox Hunter Pickle. I’ll sure add Recipe. Old Hunters Sweet Pickles 1- gallon jar fill as many cut up cucumbers ( I did 5 separate Gal ) I do slices and a jar of chunks. 1-cup canning salt. Fill jar with water. Put lid on tight. Shake to mix salt. I do this a few time for about 2 days( make sure salt dissolved. Let sit for 14 days. Drain( do not rinse) Add 1- tsp powdered alum and fill with cold water. Shake good. Let sit over night. Drain and add full strength brown vinegar. Sit over night. Drain, add 3 cups sugar. Shake several times to help sugar make syrup. Sit over night. Add second 3 cups sugar. Shake. Make sure sugar is dissolved( makes syrup). Sit overnight. Add third-3 cups sugar( if adding pickling spice, add .2 tbsp now) shake and sit overnight. Next day put pickles& cover with syrup in pint or Quart jars and seal water bath ( pints 10- quarts 20 min) This is from Family of a church lady that cooked at her husband’s Fox Hunters Camp with the other wives.. She ( I begged/cried ) wouldn’t give me the recipe😊 But after she passed away at 98! Her daughter gave it to me❤️
Im happy to have a clear cut path down to the pond; that’s how new my land is! I need a dog kennel and chicken coop/run and after that, the rest of the fall season will be spent clearing trees for next year’s garden and making more paths! Our motto while exploring the land yesterday was “We like paths”!!!!
I ended up putting many paths in all around the property and house. Only 1/2 acre. My 2 teenagers offered to plant the vegetable seeds I had purchased. Without remembering they had never made a garden, off they went. A few days later I went to check the "garden". No sign of anything. When they came home from school, they asked if I wanted to see the sprouting garden. "SURE", I said. They led me to the nearest path. They had each taken one side of the path and sure enough, every path I had made had seedlings along both sides. I sat down on the ground and cried happy tears. All the packets were empty and waving on sticks, each in it's appropriate spot.
Excellent advice. Y'all are amazing. Despite the fact that you "NEVER" argue..lol...thanks guys. The children working on their bedrooms is fabulous. Nothing like seeing a finished product. Love from Ireland.❤🍀🇮🇪
@Audrey Cullen No, I wish though! Currently preparing to move as house is being sold by landlord. 17 yrs here in Dublin. I would love to stay here, we will see, but I may end up home in US, as property is cheaper. I too want to be around people who are i to nature, etc. From one jackeen to another, lol🙋♀️
22:22 Completely agree. Starting out... prep to make it through the following season. Once you're ready for that, add in 2 seasons of preps, so on and so forth. A few years of that and you will be ready to begin presp for TEOTWAWKI scenarios.
Thank you for giving me permission to just getting settled before everything else. I need that! Moving onto 13 acres, already planning meat rabbits, chickens and gardening. Feeling that total stress with all that after living in the same house for 18 years.
I grew up on my father’s homestead. His property was the last home on what the state and county deemed a logging forestry road, so in the winters there was a mile of roadway that was not plowed. My dad solved that by converting his truck and adding a plow to it. He kept the 10 mile trail clear for not only his family, but 4 neighbors as well. During a flood 20 years ago, his property was cut off from everything. A neighbor offered him a boat and vehicle on one side for the wife to get to work as on the other side his boat and another vehicle were were available for him. I learned at a very early age, NEIGHBOR relations are SO important.
A good way to nourish your garden is any liquid waste "juice that's gone bad, a drink someone won't finish, anything liquid and save it in a bottle every day and pour it into the garden. My grandmother does this and it really feeds her plants
EVERY owned animal KNOWS (unwritten, natural law), always wait to inform your human that you ARE deathly ill at the start of their long-planned human holidays and/or in the middle of their heaviest sleep of a night. Thanks for the wisdom. we must never stop learning... God Bless.
Wonderful video! We are moving this year to a new property so this was really helpful! You guys are by far my favorite channel. I love the opening where we get to see you with you children.
Haha, as someone who moved to our new place 4 mos ago...they are so right. I say that having done everything wrong. Granted, I've done this a couple of times now, but this year we went ahead and accepted the cost of jumping in right away. It is a heavy cost in time, work, and stress and not for everyone. I look forward to the winter months to get caught up moving in the rest of the way and making things smoother. But especially if you are very new to livestock, gardening, preserving...it is essential to start slow and have those stores for when you are learning.
Great video! Living out in the country can get rough at times. We have issues with trees coming down and then we are all out of electricity. We are on the bottom of the list for the electricity company to come out to. We make a joke that this is the generator village. There are 8 families that share the same lane but only 4 tend to help keep it maintained esp in the winter. We have a pond with running water all year which we keep an bucket full for emergency.
My husband and I were talking about our property plan earlier today. We will be moving onto 40 acres in a couple months. I’m like Carolyn and my husband is like Josh 😊. Love watching y’all
1 major thing u failed to mention is septic. a piece of property i looked at buying was not septic approved and would have cost almost 250k just to satisfy septic requirements.
I could see 250k depending on terrain and ground composition. If you live on a mountain or if your earth is full of rocks, a septic installation is gonna cost way more than it would if you're on flat ground with easy digging.
I hope you are still responding to comments! To start, we have been taught all wrong when it comes to pickles. Every person that has ever tried my method has never gone back to their old way. I'll be brief. Here it is. Take your favorite pickling recipe and just eliminate the water it calls for and replace it with the same amount of vinegar. By doing this you have removed the only substance in the mix that can spoil( as long as you keep the liquid level above the pickles). Heat your brine and pour it into your jars full of pickles, immediately put your lid and ring on tight, and turn it upside down. The hot liquid against the lid helps make a stronger seal. Once sealed they are done. they can sit on the table as long as you have a good seal. Once you open a jar, take a plastic sandwich bag and use vinegar in it for weight and l place it in the top of the jar to keep the solids below the liquid level and they can stay on the table indefinitely without spoiling(AS LONG AS YOU HAVE REMOVED ALL WATER FROM THE RECIPE!) Wade
Thank you for the videos you post. I enjoy everyone of them even though I'm stuck in the suburbs. Makes me feel informed and connected to where I would love to be.
God bless you and your family! Thank you both for sharing all the knowledge you have with us! You are giving us heads up for the future! I have learned so much ! I am sharing your videos with my daughter in laws as well as friends . Thanks again and God Bless you both!
This is a great video! I'm hitting WV with two dogs, three cats, four horses, and a gaggle of chickens! It's going to be wild to move the bunch of them and even more wild to get everyone settled! I'm chomping at the bit for a dang milk cow that I've been wanting for years.... but i know better than to get her on the cusp of a hard winter after living in the southwest!! Ugh! The wait is killing me because I'm just getting closer and closer to getting my lovely little milk cow!!!
I’m excited to find your channel. We just bought 6 acres and have been wondering where do we even start. I wanted to start a garden but missed it bc I had to have a double by pass right before we finished building our home and moving in. So I am all ready feeling behind. Just trying to figure where to add fruit trees etc. chickens etc. while trying to be observant but not knowing a lot. So this has been wonderful. Looking forward to learning and growing.
You mentioned having batteries for flashlights & stuff, you should make a point of mentioning that if you are NOT using the flashlight, headlamp, latern, erc on a daily basis, REMOVE the batteries from the device & rubber band them to the device. Todays batteries are not like yester-yesrs batteries & a lot of NEW batteries come in already corroded from country of origin (usually China) & if the batteries are already in the device take them out & check for corrosion. If there is a warranty on the product, corrosion will do away with the warranty, unless already there when purchased... At woeggk we have this conversation all the time with customers for this very reason. Buy new batteries, store in a cool, dry place & check frequently as those new batteries WILL cortode without being in any device. Just so you can add to your advice at some point in the future.
Thank you so much for this video! We are moving onto our property this coming week and my mind is already on the garden and animals. I actually just bought our baby chicks and ducklings the other day, 😂. Great info, I didn’t even think about asking around for a vet, I have that locked in my mind now to work on that. Thank you guys so much, your videos are always so helpful ❤️
I started the beginning stages of homesteading on a property I’ve been renting. But I’m about to buy my own property and I’m stressed. It’s 5 acres of thick trees.... i have a lot of work ahead of me before I can even transfer my animals over! Thanks for all the advice in your videos!
Question on Permaculture. I've looked at many sites and they all talk about the 12 Principals, which I understand. However, the info I'm looking for is what steps to take first. For instance building a garden area (I live in suburbia so with city restrictions I know it will be a bit different than a rural setting) which order would you focus on things? Would you do water resources or hardscaping first? Pathways, animals (rabbits, small flock of hens). The only info I've found is to put in your trees first since they will take years to bear fruit.
I always make my garden areas in the fall for the following year, I would also get a chicken coop up and running asap. You can house rabbits and chickens in the same shed if it is big enough, just think about your set up. Next spring I would work on the berries and fruit trees you want to plant because that is when you normally plant those things from what I have read. Just keep plugging away at it one project at a time and within a few years you will be thriving:)
General premature rule is to lean more heavily on perennial rather than annual crops. Building up soil and setting up water system and sculpting land are often before much animals and gardening. You could start with work composting regardless of where you plant what and what limits you have on animals or landscape models. Are you able to collect rain off your roof by hooking butter drain spout to a fierce gallon drum or trash can possibly on cinder blocks for gravely flow to water plants? Is your land on any sort of hill you can create swells on conture. Dose you city ordinance allow or promote freshwater garage such as laundry to lawn. Implementing these would come before planting trees because they might involve digging up areas you might have wanted to plant a tree. And or the natural flow of water will dictate the best plantings of major plants. Likewise where you can access water and set up watering will dictate other gardening adventures. Not sure what animals you are allowed
I’ve never done it yet, but from what I’ve read about permaculture, you want to observe your land for a number of months or a year first, to see where water drains, water stands, where it’s dry, etc so you can figure out where or how the best ways to capture water are and where to put or not to put structures, gardens, etc.
I have 2 more payments left on 40 very remote completely raw acres. No electric, no natural gas, very limited cell service., 40 miles to gas, food, shopping of any kind. Driveway and access improvements are first priority. Well, septic, offgrid power system, fencing plan, scouting prospective building sites, temporary water storage and rainwater collection system cistern, solar panels mounted with battery storage wired to temporary home base bus.
Great tips, thank you! My husband and I just put an offer on a house on 2 acres in Eastern Idaho (hoping everything goes well so we can be in by Christmas!). We'll be moving from a tiny city lot (which we filled with fruit trees and a front yard garden) in Boise. So exciting!
We were lucky to have record rainfall the first year we bought our land. Now we plan everything with flood and drought in mind. Lest you think we bought some bottomland, we're in an area of low mountains near the top of a hill on a gentle slope nowhere near the creek further down. Didn't know a hillside swamp was possible, but yup! Best advice is the permaculture idea of observe and plan.
First: Where? Not interested in big snow areas or too far South w/ humidity. Green, light snow half a day from beach. Second: Nearest amenities. We are also gamers so internet better be good. Even in our semi rural area-we run 100+ mgs. Plus we do not do TV. Hospitals, libraries, etc Third: Dirt roads vs. Paved. I like paved so semi-rural is about all we will do. Fourth: No two-stories. When you are in your 80's, do you REALLY want to be lugging laundry upstairs? how big the house (two of us only-child free) Fifth: How much space do you REALLY need? Be realistic here; think with common sense not fatalistic mindset. It is easier to protect a smaller size property than one 100s of acres. Based on size of our little family of us n animals, no more than 5 acres. I want a large kitchen herb garden with lots of edibles. Sixth: How many animals do you REALLY need? How much space for one to two large size freezers? Do you plan on making cheese? Need a cheese cave. Pantry space (doesn't need to be in the ground just accessible for all-think beyond prepping but older you needs to be able to handle your business w/o family). Seventh: Don't be afraid to learn more and adapt as needed. Just because they did things "back in the day a certain way" does not mean you need to do so. I guess I direct this more to those who are adults only who like us, just want to live the best life they can manage. :)
Wow...listening to you guys...we just went and checked out the property and got it surveyed. We walked the little over 6 acre piece and we talked about a lot of what you mentioned. Neighboring village and introducing ourselves, fencing, water, we have a rainy season here and we can see there is a tiny river that runs through the property...so we will be moving soil and trying to build a reservoir to capture a lot of it or get it in our wells. We plan to plant a lot more fruit trees like mangos, papayas, limes, bananas, etc. We have about 20 mango trees already and 5 limes about 3 cashew trees...just so you know ..we are in senegal, west Africa! I found you guys just before we moved here and am looking to do my own cheese and butter...great info on doing it...we will be getting a few cows, lambs, chickens etc. I wanted an elephant 🐘 but we don't have enough land! 😉 but many a camel or 2...super excited...to get started...will keep watching because your advice is great...even here. Best wishes to you all ! Happy Farming!
Number one should be survey your land characteristics as far as soil type, nutrients (pH, deficiencies), drainage, moisture, and frost areas. KNOW WHAT CAN GO WHERE. The second thing to do is plant some fruit trees. You're Gonna Want because time is of essence so the sooner the better. ... Ohhhh...and its slope and ability to irrigate.
We’re actually in a small city and in the old/big part of town. We have taken a house warming gift to the immediate neighbors. Usually a small tree we have started. But we feel it’s important to meet those neighbors. We just bought land in a farm area and we plan to take some flowers to meet the new neighbors a who are 1/2 mile or more away from us, but in the county, that’s not much.
First video here. We will be starting our 11th year on our homestead this coming Spring! This is my first video on the channel and it's Christmas Eve as I type this, so you're likely done with your addition -- I'll have to go back and see the videos. I just finished an addition on our own homestead just ahead of the 3° (Minus 25 with the wind chill) weather we are having now. When we started, we built a 10' x 12' shed a few years in advance and we lived in that will my son and I built our house. We had everything we owned shipped there in a container, and had a workshop in a tent (until it blew down!). If you are building yourself, build what you can afford then build to your dreams as you go. It's like having kids, if you wait until you are "ready" you will remain childless. Build small, and enlarge and you will get what you need instead of what you want.
Maybe I should rent or buy a small town house, (maybe something to repair and sell), find my country girl, find my property, and spend a lot of time planning my perm-culture property.
Any excellent guidelines to refer to for planning a layout for the land??? Animals, gardens, compost, open spaces. Water. Would love more information how to plan layout of property. A list of essentials to start would be helpful.
Hand crank lights never run out of batteries. Candles and terracotta pots can give you decent heat. Look it up on RU-vid. I try to get things that don't need batteries. Either crank or solar. They're good to have on hand. I do still have battery lights and batteries just to be safe but the hand cranks are my main go to. I get them at dollar tree
Here in Germany electric water bath canners are the norm (Weck is THE brand). I got one and a ton of Weck jars with reusable natural rubber seals and clip glass tops on a severe sale :-). Not sure what I'm going to can though - I have had good crops for eating but no real gluts except potatoes and New Zealand Spinach!.
Let the land rest every 7th year according to Scripture and the soil will tend to itself. . Leviticus 24:4-7 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
What a wonderful video. I'm going to fuss at my sons to watch it DAILY until they get it. They want to rush out and just do something. I'm screaming for a plan! Well, a final committed to plan. One wants chickens. I envision 50 chickens with no fencing or coop and the poor things being picked off or aggravated by hawks or snakes. Not gonna happen on my watch. We've been watching and learning our property for 3 years and I'm finally feeling confident enough to have an idea of what needs to go where and the finances to make it happen. It takes time. Now the work begins - putting in interior fences, building shelters and massive building up the soil. Then we can talk animals but I refuse to have an animal suffer because of my poor planning. The first project we handled was the orchard. It takes a long time for an orchard to start producing so we got that done right a way. It's been in 2 years now. You are right - 1st year or so just watch. It will save headaches in the future. I so enjoy your easy way of speaking. Very pleasant to listen to. ~Sherrie in South Carolina
@@annamida685 I would suggest trees first. Some of them take 7 - 10 years to produce enough to depend on for food. Berry bushes, in general produce quicker (about 3 years or so) but you must take into account the 1st year or so you see little if any fruit and many growers suggest not letting the bush produce berries so they can put all their strength into growth and stronger roots. Also to think about - fencing. If you live anywhere but a large city you will have wild animals who love fruit. Purchase wire fencing or recycle old fencing from a landscape project and build a fence around every tree about 1 ft. out from the base of the tree and 3 to 4 feet tall. This will discourage all but the most persistent deer from munching on the bark of young trees. If you have a small orchard consider putting a high fence around the entire orchard to help protect it. Yes, it is an expense but not as expensive as going out one morning and finding your entire orchard dead, dying or severely stunted. I decided to put in trees, especially the nut trees 1st and also some bushes/vines. This year I will do the same. My thinking is that while I have to wait for the nuts, I get to enjoy some fruit and berries while I'm waiting. I won't have the expense of replacing the entire orchard at one time because I will have different ages of plants needing replacement at different times. I have to think about money as I'm paying as I go. If I can only afford 2 trees and 2 bushes a year then so be it. The orchard will get where I want it to be eventually and long after I'm gone my orchard will bless others and feed my family.
We are currently planning out our new home build on our 8 acre property in Texas. We are so excited and it really is hard to focus on ONLY the build before getting into all the myriad of things I want to do! Must plan it all out first! Patience is a virtue and it’s no joke! Lol. Excellent advice in this video!
Just moved into my 3.8 acre country property this spring. Land was unattended and overgrown. Was so busy getting overgrowth cleaned up unpacking house wasn't a priority. Finally got some unpacking done and feeling more like home! I did get chickens as there was already a coop, and chicken run. So far got 6 hens laying eggs, and have 6 new chicks that will start laying next spring. Planning for garden next year, and will have chicken poop to help with fertilization. Property still needs a lot of clearing, and fencing will need to be put in before any more animals come! Thanks for the tips!
This video is gold! I'm planning on moving further out into the country finally, for the past decade I've been growing some food in a semi-rural apartment block with a pocket-sized backyard and I'm really looking forward to having my own layer chickens and a cow. Coming from the big city I've already done many of the things you've suggested and have already begun planning for the new place. And you're addressing exactly the questions running around in my mind! Subscribed and looking forward to watching all of your homesteading videos. Thanks, Lajo from India!
Great topic - So few people realize that it is easy to get into the "bitten off more than you can chew" trap. The concept of waiting a year and letting your land tell you it's story is crucial and so often over looked. Just closed on our property in North Idaho and after we clean it up and finish out the inside of the house we'll be moving in slowly over the next 18 months. We're both looking forward to returning to the country and after many decades in the urban environment we're needing the peace and tranquility of waking up to deer and turkey ranging over the acreage. Just found your channel and subscribed will most likely binge watch over the next few days.
We bought a house with a good open space on the back. The previous owner had a lawn with some shrubbs on the border on one side. Then a plot where he planted potatoes. And then about the same space as the lawn + the plot was for the chickens, with the chicken koop relatively close to the potato plot. Over the years we have changed a lot of stuff about it. We never did move the chicken koop but we use poles and wire to change the space available to the chickens according to what we need. Right now it's winter and they have access to everything except the lawn. They are great at clearing the land. Will diminish their space again when it's time to plant. The shrubbs next to the lawn dissappeared. Now we have some raised beds for strawberries, lettuce, spinach, flowers, blueberries, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, grapes... The plot gets used for peas, pumpkin, beans. In the back we have a greenhouse and we created more raised beds. Plenty of space to plant even more stuff. We always leave some spots for flowers, preferably wild ones. They help provide food and shelter for all the nice bugs that help tend to our garden. The spot where you plant something can be perfect or you migth need to change it from time to time. It's usefull to get to know the neighbours. You might need help some time.
Gather tools:rakes, shovels, hoes ect. Moving from apartment living to land owner was expensive first year. Not everyone thinks about lawn care and that sort of thing.
Good to know, I'll be making the move in the next few months (hopefully!). Luckily my parents unintentionally bought two or three of the same items so at least I'll be able to use some of those.
We just subscribed! We bought an island in the Canadian wilderness. We have so much to learn from other people who have experience and are willing to share! Thank you!
Good, sound advice! My journey began as a collector of (those things people use to hunt with, protection, etc). Then I learned about prepping which was pretty much buying a stock pile of things when times get tough i.e. loss of job or tornado, etc. Then homesteading (self-sufficient life). Always growing and learning. Thanks for all you do
Yes, canning day needs a slow cooker or oven meal that was pre-planned. We can 200+ jars of salsa on Labor Day weekend. That means…. Blanching tomatoes, prepping onion, jalapeños, etc plus the cooking and jarring process. It takes a minimum of 5 people at each shift, and preferably more. First!!! We Kinesio tape our backs and employee good ergonomics.. then, we work together and give each other breaks. But it’s such a full weekend!!!! It takes that three days for sure. The moral is to pre- plan the work, pre plan self care, pre plan storage, food purchases, meal prep, etc
My husband and I (we're both 60) purchased a property spring of 2022. We planned and were able to plant a large garden and get moved in. In our previous home (rental) we procured our shelving and many of the items we would need once we moved. When we finally found the property we wanted we were not so overwhelmed with moving in and getting the garden going and other things on the property. We're getting chickens this spring (2023) and building a large raised garden (we don't bend like we used to, lol). Planning is definitely key! Great tips Josh and Carolyn, thanks so much for everything you do! Blessings.
Your story on the dairy cow is exactly what I’m experiencing with my husband and a tractor, I can’t get him to stop shopping while we’re not quite ready financially and so we end up having the same conversation every day. He’s impatient and trying to get everything done all at once and we need a little time, thankfully it’s august so we have some time before the snow flies, we are just south of you by a couple hours drive, on 20 acres halfway up the mountain 😊, I’m soaking in all of your growing and gardening tips since we’re basically in the same climate
Take the time and money to be first responder trained or better yet EMT trained. Also a good med kit. When you live an hour away from a city it could mean life or death
Hint ... If camping out, build a cattle panel green house and put a tent in it as added wind break and added protection from unknown wildlife. A defense shotgun warning shot usually sends coyotes running but wolves are much bolder. Nature can be cruel it's not a Disney movie. As soon as possible get into a build with framing and roof the and plant in that greenhouse.
Would love to hear your thoughts on a scenario where there isn’t an existing house on a new homestead. Where would you stay if you assume a person had a camper or nearby rental they could stay in for 6-12 months
I’ve heard from friends and also read that any leaves high in tannins will help with crispness, so oak, grape, okra and I can’t remember but there are others people have mentioned
