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Farming and Homesteading

Varzar said:
I moved from the city to start homesteading. So, I knew virtually nothing going in.
Books, internet, and a super helpful neighbour are all what helped me get started.

But, I agree with what Amy said, "Someone in your household will always need to have an outside source of income.".
For me, that's my wife.
For my neighbours, they actually both work (but they do have 4 teenage kids that help around the farm too).
So, just depends on your situation what works for you.
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Magna said:
Although I didn't grow up on a farm, I come from many generations of farmers and my Dad grew up on a farm. As such, I grew up on five acres of homesteaded land (e.g. large garden, poultry of all types, orchard, beekeeping, food preservation including dehydrating, freezing, water-bath canning and pressure canning)

I'm now in the process of spending every spare hour I have when I'm not working at my "day job" to not only expand our home garden but also develop 20 acres into an organic farm.

Amy Stone puts it very well. Homesteading/Farming is extremely hard work and intensely physical. Even food preservation in the kitchen after harvest time is a full time job of itself in the prep work and processing. As Amy Stone said, you really have to love doing it and you have to enjoy exhausting work.

Yesterday I worked in a field planting around 4,000 organic sweet corn seeds in 90+ degree Fahrenheit heat and full sun. Although I was able to make the rows with a tractor and I was able to use a walk behind seed planter, I had to cover the seeds in each row by hand with a hoe. Each row is around 200 feet long and I planted 15 rows yesterday; that's over 1/2 mile of corn. Next week I plan to plant another 15 rows the same way. The week after that...another 15 rows the same way. This is all in my free time at this point.

How do I learn? I do a lot of research on my own in the evenings including reading, internet sites and watching Youtube tutorials. I learn by doing (trial and error) and I also enrolled in a farm business management program through a community college. That has been very helpful because I have a farm instructor that comes out to our site and teaches me one on one.
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Thanks, what I meant by that question was right now, the only possible connection I have the local farming community is that farmers’ market I mentioned in that other thread. On the other hand, I have found several candidates for a homestead in my area and thus, if I can self-teach myself how to be a homesteader, then all I really need to do is raise money, and practice with whatever material I currently have at the moment. (I think now maybe, if I can get my hands on some tools and lumber, I should try practicing carpentry skills, because those seem like the most difficult skills to master at the moment) Plus, there are plenty of other advantages to having other jobs right now, mortgage, finding my future wife etc.
 
Greatshield17 said:
Thanks, what I meant by that question was right now, the only possible connection I have the local farming community is that farmers’ market I mentioned in that other thread. On the other hand, I have found several candidates for a homestead in my area and thus, if I can self-teach myself how to be a homesteader, then all I really need to do is raise money, and practice with whatever material I currently have at the moment. (I think now maybe, if I can get my hands on some tools and lumber, I should try practicing carpentry skills, because those seem like the most difficult skills to master at the moment) Plus, there are plenty of other advantages to having other jobs right now, mortgage, finding my future wife etc.
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Oh, so you were asking more about which skills to start learning?

In which case, carpentry is definitely a good place to start. But also a little about the other trades as well (plumbing and electrical). You're more than likely going to have a tractor at some point if your property is any decent size at all. In which case, some degree of mechanics is good. I've been learning that as I go.
Learning to safely use a chainsaw was also one of the first things I had to do, as occasionally wind storms will leave me presents on the driveway/road where I am.

Did that better answer?
 
My cucumber plants have got fungus, I’ve been spraying them with a homemade fungicide every evening but my largest plant is almost gone. I was planning on planting a strawberry bush next year, using the massive pot I’m currently using for the large cucumber plant now; if I my cucumber doesn’t survive, (I really hope and pray that it might recover) I’m thinking of going to the farmers’ market, buying some strawberries and planting one of the seeds in the pot. Will doing that work? Maybe it’s too late in the growing season for it to produce fruit, but will it last through the winter and come back next year as a perennial?
 
Greatshield17 said:
My cucumber plants have got fungus, I’ve been spraying them with a homemade fungicide every evening but my largest plant is almost gone. I was planning on planting a strawberry bush next year, using the massive pot I’m currently using for the large cucumber plant now; if I my cucumber doesn’t survive, (I really hope and pray that it might recover) I’m thinking of going to the farmers’ market, buying some strawberries and planting one of the seeds in the pot. Will doing that work? Maybe it’s too late in the growing season for it to produce fruit, but will it last through the winter and come back next year as a perennial?
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Sorry to hear about the cucumber. :(
It's been a weird year weather wise.. We had snow at the beginning of the month, and now it's going to be 40C next week. So.. A lot of my plants are looking like they don't know what's going on, and I don't blame them.. lol

I have everbearing strawberries that I grow in pots in the greenhouse. I got them from runners my neighbour had growing in his greenhouse. His readily survive the winter in the greenhouse. A lot of mine didn't survive the winter well even in the greenhouse. My greenhouse is single poly, his is double. So, I don't know how well they'd fare exposed outside. I guess you could do pots outside and bring them in the garage or something for winter. That's what I do with my herbs to overwinter them.
Otherwise, I guess maybe if you covered them with something to provide some insulation against the winter cold?
 
strawbs are really easy to grow, just buy a plant in spring, wouldn't bother with seeds, the plantlings are cheap. they need a lot of fertiliser to be sweet.
 
unperson said:
strawbs are really easy to grow, just buy a plant in spring, wouldn't bother with seeds, the plantlings are cheap. they need a lot of fertiliser to be sweet.
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I’m not sure if I can get the plants this late in the season. I guess I could try at the local farmers’ market.

On the topic of selling plants, are there any rules regarding selling the runnings? I’m planning on doing that for some extra cash.
 
The latest progress in the garden this year:

IMG-0942-Copy.jpg


^ There's quite a variety of things planted in the hoop house this year. In addition to the 70 Heirloom Amish Paste Tomato plants and the 72 heirloom bell pepper plants I have basil, ground cherries, cantaloupe, spinach, chard, broccoli and napa cabbage.

IMG-0941-Copy.jpg


^ 2 rows of potatoes. The one on the right was planted a few weeks before the one on the left.
 
IMG-0939-Copy.jpg


^Celery and Kale.

IMG-0935-Copy.jpg


^ A raised bed filled with a certain kind of beet (mangel), lettuce, broccoli and some weeds!
 
Greatshield17 said:
I’m not sure if I can get the plants this late in the season. I guess I could try at the local farmers’ market.

On the topic of selling plants, are there any rules regarding selling the runnings? I’m planning on doing that for some extra cash.
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On selling plants: I don't know if you're in the U.S. or what state or if you plan on selling things over and above a single private party sale (e.g. form a business), but if you did sell plants as a business venture then in my state you'd need to at least do the following:

>Register your business with the secretary of state
>Register with the state's department of revenue and collect sales tax on each transaction (produce isn't taxed in my state but plants are).
>Register with the IRS for federal taxation
>comply with any municipal or county regulations based on your business

Living under multi-layered bureaucracy is great, isn't it?

If you're just an individual selling a few plants to another individual I don't see how you'd need to do any of the above, but I'm not authority on the matter. People who sell things at garage/rummage sales certainly don't have to do any of the above since they're not doing it as a business and it's a "one off" thing.
 
Magna said:
On selling plants: I don't know if you're in the U.S. or what state or if you plan on selling things over and above a single private party sale (e.g. form a business), but if you did sell plants as a business venture then in my state you'd need to at least do the following:

>Register your business with the secretary of state
>Register with the state's department of revenue and collect sales tax on each transaction (produce isn't taxed in my state but plants are).
>Register with the IRS for federal taxation
>comply with any municipal or county regulations based on your business

Living under multi-layered bureaucracy is great, isn't it?

If you're just an individual selling a few plants to another individual I don't see how you'd need to do any of the above, but I'm not authority on the matter. People who sell things at garage/rummage sales certainly don't have to do any of the above since they're not doing it as a business and it's a "one off" thing.
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I’m planning on selling them privately, on Next-Door or the like. Hopefully what you said about the Union is true up here in Canada as well.
 
Greatshield17 said:
I checked the local farmers’ market last weekend; sadly, no strawberries in fruit or plant form. Maybe I’ll have better luck this week.
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I'm not exactly sure how far apart we are.. But, I could cut off some of my runners and get them started in small pots if you'd like. Perhaps if you're heading west or if I'm heading east one day I could pass them to ya. (To be clear, I'm not selling them. You can just have them. I have been helped out many times by many people. I would consider it paying it forward).
 
Greatshield17 said:
On that topic, what are some good plants you could grow indoors over the winter?
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Depends how much electricity you want to throw at it. Lack of light is the main problem.
If you get some grow lights and such, I'm sure you could readily grow lettuce, spinach, and most herbs inside. Of course, you might just end up paying more for electricity than the food is worth. lol
I mostly bring my herbs in so they don't die. They don't grow inside, they just hibernate there until they can go back outside in the spring. That includes oregano, thyme, sage and rosemary. I keep them in the garage so they are in a cool, but not too cool environment.
I tried keeping some in the house itself once where it's warmer, but the plant spent all winter trying to grow despite the limited light, and by spring it was like the plant had no energy left, and it just died even after I got it back outside again.
 
Varzar said:
I'm not exactly sure how far apart we are.. But, I could cut off some of my runners and get them started in small pots if you'd like. Perhaps if you're heading west or if I'm heading east one day I could pass them to ya. (To be clear, I'm not selling them. You can just have them. I have been helped out many times by many people. I would consider it paying it forward).
Click to expand...
I see, I won’t be going anywhere, anytime soon, but if you’re ever going on a trip east, and your trip includes crossing the Columbia River, let me know; because my current town is situated on the Columbia River.
 
I would love to be a cowboy and farm but sadly I don't have the energy for that. Where do you guys get the energy it seems most Autistic people I talk to have very little energy.
 
ucrenegade said:
I would love to be a cowboy and farm but sadly I don't have the energy for that. Where do you guys get the energy it seems most Autistic people I talk to have very little energy.
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A part of that answer would have to be age. I'm glad I started this adventure 15+ years ago when I was still in my 20s. I find now that I'm in my 40s, energy is significantly more limited than it once was. Boo for aging.

The other part of the answer for me at least would be that it's a special interest. Self sufficiency. I've always had more energy for my special interests than anything else in life.
 
Varzar said:
A part of that answer would have to be age. I'm glad I started this adventure 15+ years ago when I was still in my 20s. I find now that I'm in my 40s, energy is significantly more limited than it once was. Boo for aging.

The other part of the answer for me at least would be that it's a special interest. Self sufficiency. I've always had more energy for my special interests than anything else in life.
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Definitely get the special interest aspect
 
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