Homesteading is everything I dreamed it would be!
We have several inches of snow here, still fresh and clean, and the sun is
shining. Temperatures are in the mid-20's. It truly is a glorious day.
I'm thinking of all the planning and daydreaming that went into my place, my
massive five acre sanctuary from the rest of the insanity. I spent five years
reading and getting ready.
I set up my chicken yard and coop so I can see it from my desk. I love
watching them pick through the hay I put down for them. I made them a special
soup last night, with veggies past their prime, and some whole wheat pasta and
rice. I warmed it a bit before I took them a bowl this morning, and of course
they were thrilled. Crazy, huh? I bought these birds from a man who lives not
far from here. A dollar each, and he threw in the rooster for free. The man
runs a small bed and breakfast. His customers pay big money to sit and watch
his birds scratch around, and listen to the rooster’s crow. I'm a vegetarian, and
so is the owner of the B&B, so our birds are for eggs and entertainment. I love
having chickens, much more than I thought I would.
My garden stunk this year. Nothing had ever been grown there besides hay,
and I doubt that it had been hayed in years. It was badly neglected. The soil
is full of stones and clay, and we had a record amount of rain. It never warmed
up 'til late June. All my plants were stunted. I went to a lot of effort to
start my plants from seed. If I remember correctly, I had 8 different kinds
of tomato seedlings. I may have gotten a half-dozen tomatoes altogether. I
planted corn three times, and beans even more, and got next to nothing. The
seeds rotted where I planted. Next year will be better. I added a lot of
compost from our county landfill, and I toted home countless bags of leaves
from the city curbs. I made a compost bin, and a mountain of compost. I built
three raised beds, 4' X 8', and attached PVC hoops for use as cold frames. It
is fun thinking about the plants I'll put in them, and what will go in the big
beds. I pulled out my seeds last night, and tried to decide what I would like to
order for 2004's garden. No matter how poor my garden was this year, I
remind myself that it's enormous compared to all my previous city spots. It
holds such promise for growing lots of food, as do all the fruit trees I planted.
I'll be more ready next spring.
When I lived in the city, I hung clothes out to dry, I baked bread, I grew and
canned food, I made soap, I sewed; I lived pretty much like I do now. But this
is SOOO much better. I guess I wanted to write this for anyone reading who
hasn't made it to their land yet. I was encouraged by a lot of folks who took
the time to tell about themselves, their families and animals. (One example- I
read about people whose power was out for a week at a time, and that helped
me prepare myself for the inevitable). I've learned so much from you all,
everyone who shares the details of your lives. You've helped me more than you
can ever know, and I thank you. This homesteading is better than I could have
hoped for. You folks in the planning/dreaming phase, just hang in there. It will
all be worth it. Daisy in NY
We have several inches of snow here, still fresh and clean, and the sun is
shining. Temperatures are in the mid-20's. It truly is a glorious day.
I'm thinking of all the planning and daydreaming that went into my place, my
massive five acre sanctuary from the rest of the insanity. I spent five years
reading and getting ready.
I set up my chicken yard and coop so I can see it from my desk. I love
watching them pick through the hay I put down for them. I made them a special
soup last night, with veggies past their prime, and some whole wheat pasta and
rice. I warmed it a bit before I took them a bowl this morning, and of course
they were thrilled. Crazy, huh? I bought these birds from a man who lives not
far from here. A dollar each, and he threw in the rooster for free. The man
runs a small bed and breakfast. His customers pay big money to sit and watch
his birds scratch around, and listen to the rooster’s crow. I'm a vegetarian, and
so is the owner of the B&B, so our birds are for eggs and entertainment. I love
having chickens, much more than I thought I would.
My garden stunk this year. Nothing had ever been grown there besides hay,
and I doubt that it had been hayed in years. It was badly neglected. The soil
is full of stones and clay, and we had a record amount of rain. It never warmed
up 'til late June. All my plants were stunted. I went to a lot of effort to
start my plants from seed. If I remember correctly, I had 8 different kinds
of tomato seedlings. I may have gotten a half-dozen tomatoes altogether. I
planted corn three times, and beans even more, and got next to nothing. The
seeds rotted where I planted. Next year will be better. I added a lot of
compost from our county landfill, and I toted home countless bags of leaves
from the city curbs. I made a compost bin, and a mountain of compost. I built
three raised beds, 4' X 8', and attached PVC hoops for use as cold frames. It
is fun thinking about the plants I'll put in them, and what will go in the big
beds. I pulled out my seeds last night, and tried to decide what I would like to
order for 2004's garden. No matter how poor my garden was this year, I
remind myself that it's enormous compared to all my previous city spots. It
holds such promise for growing lots of food, as do all the fruit trees I planted.
I'll be more ready next spring.
When I lived in the city, I hung clothes out to dry, I baked bread, I grew and
canned food, I made soap, I sewed; I lived pretty much like I do now. But this
is SOOO much better. I guess I wanted to write this for anyone reading who
hasn't made it to their land yet. I was encouraged by a lot of folks who took
the time to tell about themselves, their families and animals. (One example- I
read about people whose power was out for a week at a time, and that helped
me prepare myself for the inevitable). I've learned so much from you all,
everyone who shares the details of your lives. You've helped me more than you
can ever know, and I thank you. This homesteading is better than I could have
hoped for. You folks in the planning/dreaming phase, just hang in there. It will
all be worth it. Daisy in NY
My many thanks to Hilltop Daisy for submitting this excellent letter on start-up
homesteading.
homesteading.
Start up Homesteading and Feeling Nostalgic -
My First Year in the Country
My First Year in the Country
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Here are two very fine books about homesteading....
| Starting into the Great Depression with five dollars, a single woman tackled the wilderness and established a working ranch while caring for her ailing father. This historic record details a woman's independence, surveying, hunting and fishing, cutting timber to build a home, garden and barn, and exploring nature in the wild. |
| ...to reject consumerism, to live closer to the earth, to embrace voluntary simplicity, or to discover a more spiritual path, homesteaders have made the radical decision to go "back to the land," rejecting modern culture and amenities to live self-sufficiently and in harmony with nature. This gracefully written study of homesteading in America examines the lives and beliefs of those who ascribe to the homesteading philosophy. Rebecca Kneale Gould investigates the lives of famous figures such as Henry David Thoreau, John Burroughs, Ralph Borsodi, Wendell Berry, and Helen and Scott Nearing, and she presents penetrating interviews with many contemporary homesteaders. She also considers homesteading as a form of dissent from consumer culture, as a departure from traditional religious life, and as a practice of environmental ethics. |
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