Homesteading Questions From a Newbie

[KateMiles]

Hi everyone, my name is Kate, and I've been reading a lot of things lately on homesteading and living off grid. I found this website and I've been reading on here for days and enjoying all of the information!

I do have a few questions though about life in general on your own land. I am a single woman, 26 years old, and it's been a dream of mine to someday build a cabin and live on some land of my own. I've been looking at different areas to figure out where I want to go, what I want to have, etc. I plan to save over the next few years and buy a few acres of my own to live on while researching and finding out all I can.

My questions are:

As a single woman living in an isolated area, do you think I would have many problems with intruders/security? What are your experiences with things like that? How could I protect myself and my property better?

Also, can you recommend any books and reading material that might be good for me to look at? I've been to quite a few sites and blogs, and a few other sites like homestead.org. I don't have the money right now to buy a lot of books, but if anyone can steer me in the right direction for more reading materials online, that would be great :)

When one looks into buying land, what resources do you use to find out things like soil quality, etc? If land is listed very cheaply, what could be the reasons for this, besides title issues?


I am sure I will come up with a lot more, but that's all I have for right now. Sorry if this post is too long :) I am glad I found this site, and I hope to make some new friends here!

[Terri]

This is a VERY good place to start. And, www.homesteadingtoday.com is also excellent. Both sites have people who have built their own cabins.

Personally, I live in town on an acre of land. I no longer try to raise a large part of my food (because of poor health) but living as I do does give me some options. For instance, we got an unexpected expense of $6000 and we only have $3000. So, I am going to try to spend no money this week (Excepting for utilities). Last night dinner was egg salad sandwiches (from our own hens) and a dessert made from mulberries that my DD and I picked.

I tossed the berries with sugar and cornstarch, sprinkled on a crumb topping, and baked until the topping was browned. I like this better than pie!

DH does not have my tastes and prefers to work in town, so we will have money coming in and very little going out. With continuing work on my part on our tiny homestead there will not be a CC balance for long.

On the DOWN side the roof is leaking: even on a homestead there are repairs to be done!!!!!!!

[Terri]

Very cheap land.

We bought 5 acres outside of town that we were going to expand on (before I got sick). Ihave seen a LOT of cheap land, and figured out why it was cheap!

The most common reason is because it is far from where people can find work. Secondly, it is in an area where land prices are just not as high. Thirdly, there is something wrong with it.

As for the things wrong with it, we looked at one parcel that was mostly underwater after a heavy rain. We passed on that one! Another parcel had "2 small ponds" according to the ad. The small ponds turned out to be drainage for the road, and they stank.

The 5 acre parcel we bought had TWO things wrong with it, but both were things we decided we could live with. The FIRST problem was that there would not be city water for 3 years, and the second was that there was a tiny creek that "never went dry" between the road and the best building spot.

I had a vision of vegetables watered from that creek, bee hives to use the 1/2 acre of wildflowers, and a small bridge paid for by the sale of blackberries, vegetables, bees, and honey. And, because there WAS that creek and no city water, the price was low enough so that we could afford it. I already had experience with selling at the farmers market, and with raising berries and vegetables. So we bought it.

We are not working that parcel at this time, but, I planted asparagus and day lilies by the creek, and onions and Louisiana Iris on a marshy spot. It is a good place to trap swarms of bees but not a good place to winter hives over: this year I will be taking home any swarms that I catch.

So, those are the reasons that I saw as to why land might be cheap. Location in a less expensive area, distance from jobs, and anything that might interfere with someone placing a home on it. Though, I was delighted to have the reliable creek, even if it was awkwardly located! And it really DID drop the price!

[KateMiles]

Thanks for that land info, that is good to know. Growing up, I always assumed it was very expensive for someone to buy their own acreage, mostly because I had always lived in town and never was really educated on the subject.

I live in a smaller town in Ohio, but with access to Pittsburgh, etc. The town I live in right now is both good and bad. It has high crime, hardly any jobs, etc. so I have to commute 1hr+ to Pittsburgh to work which gas prices certainly don't help with. On the brighter side, I also live close to a lot of farm land outside town, etc. so I've been able to learn about a lot of things too.

I have a lot to learn still, but I know I would be really happy to have my own little piece of land to grow/raise what I want, and do hobbies that I have, and make the money I need doing something I enjoy.

[Pokeberry Mary]

When I was a young bride my husband was often gone days at a time or worked all night as a roughneck. I kept a gun and a few dogs. Now we still have a few guns and we have a German Shepherd--a breed we're very fond of that is great for protection.

I don't need an alarm system with him either.

As for finding cheaper land... you will find the further away from big towns you get the cheaper the land is. Around here there are many rural small towns and you will often find mobile homes that need a little work on land. Often owners will finance part of the sale too.

We have an actual house, but it was a 'bargain' house. It came partly built from a sort of odd assortment of recycled materials by an elderly gentleman who couldn't finish the job due to heart problems and lack of funds. The house is huge and my sons and husband have been working on it for a year and a half now. We've sunk lots of cash into it too. This worked for us because we had saved enough to buy the house and land and my husband had a good job that was not too far away to drive to.

If I were you I would expect it to take a while to find your place. It took me about 2 years of serious hunting to uncover this one and we nearly got took a time or two--you do need to check on what you are buying. Even if you are paying cash and expect to find problems its good to know what they are before you sign.

Also--don't take even the nicest people's 'word' for anything. Gosh we were told some whoppers by someone who seemed terribly sweet.

Be careful.

That said, I hope you find a nice place. If you've got that bug then at some point in your life you will just need to do it. For us, we had the bug years and years ago but didn't always have the means and at one point got a bit off track. I can't tell you what a joy it is to sit on your own porch in the evening and watch the birds come for dinner and relax after a hard days work on your own place. Its just bliss. Good luck!:)

[patience]

KateMiles,

It is a tough thing to accomplish to earn a living (best pay now is probably in a city as you said), buy the land, and get it paid for. We got it done is a series of steps, starting with a fixer-upper home, did that ourselves, and moving up a little each time we sold property and bought something else. However, that was a different time and property sold fairly easily--not so now, so I don't see trying to flip properties as valid now.

I'd suggest that you spend your time scouting your chosen area via the real estate ads, and go see some of them. Not too many, if you aren't ready to buy yet, but at least a couple a year after carefully selecting them from the ads. You can learn a lot just looking a place over, and see the neighborhood, too. It's cheap entertainment, and you will learn a LOT. Keep the info on the places you looked at, and go back in a few months to see if they sold, and what the new owner is doing with them.

It is a great advantage to rent in the area you choose. You can get acquainted with how things work, who does what, the nature of the people, and the natural features. Community involvement can be a big help learning from locals you meet.
Meanwhile:
Set some realistic goals based on what you learn about prices, the type of land and property you might want there, and on your own finances. Buy food at the local farmer's market and learn to can food bought cheaper when it is in season. If you can rent a place with a spot for even a small garden, make use of it and start learning how to make it work. Do all you can toward frugal living now, and it will help you get your start.

I expect the economy to stay down for a while, and I think that real estate has a ways to go yet before prices find their bottom, the present slight upturn notwithstanding, since it was caused by the govt. stimulus. Property should get cheaper over the next couple years, so don't get in any hurry. Renting now could be the smartest move, even if you were ready to buy and had the down payment.

Good luck! :D

[femmesteader]

Lol, i'm in my mid 20's, and starting out as well. I joined this site perhaps
2 months ago.

I STRONGLY suggest your first book be “The Encyclopedia of Country Living” by Carla Emery.

it’s the “must have” for homesteading reading and it’s what everyone recommended when I asked that very same question about a month ago.

I had a Chapters gift card saved from Christmas and I had to do some looking and calling around to which store might have the phone book sized manual in stock. I live in a suburb of Toronto Canada, a homesteaders book isn’t so popular. Anyways, I think I paid $40 for it, and I haven’t put it down since. It would take me years or so to read, but I am immersed!

I am working in the office, making a good wage and saving for land. I’m looking at Tax sale properties and learning what I can about that. I’m also interested in Modular or Pre-fab homes.

My plan is to work away and save up enough cash to buy the land and buy a used mobile home. I don’t need fancy. I figure I will continue to work as much as I can and if the mobile home is paid, my expenses will be small, eventually I want to buy a log kit, but for now those plans are far into the future. Here in ontario, even run down farms are way over 200,000.00 with most city dwellings ranging between 320,000.00 and 450,000.00 (and these have postage-stamp backyards)

I’m tracking my progress by steps. Most steps are each season. This season, is my first season Canning. I’ve also got a small garden in my yard and since that’s not big enough for my education, I’ve purchase a city plot in a community garden.
Steps that I’ve begun are:
Save money, decrease expenses, join an online family of like-minded people. Learn. Start a garden. Begin to make small useful purchases (just as canning supplies and books) talk to others, attend farming seminars, get acquainted with property sales, keep a book of ideas, ambitions, and goals. Start learning how to save seed. (I purchase fruits such as peppers and melons at the local organic grocery. I saved the seeds and this year I have 12 honeydew melon plants growing)

I wish you luck and look forward to your posts. Feel free to PM me if you want.

-Femmesteader

[pcrowder]

Welcome to the boards, Katie!

I'm not single, but I am here alot alone as d/h travels extensively for often weeks on end, and sons have moved out on their own now (the closest is 6 miles away).

My advice: Get a good shotgun now, and learn how to use it. Get a good quality handgun now and learn how to use it. Get yourself a good watch dog (or two) when you move. I have a Great Pyr who not only barks at everybody/everything around here, but also protects my livestock. He sleeps in front of the gate to the front walk every day/night, so nobody can get in here w/out him knowing about it. He will chase coyotes over a mile, but he is also very intimidating looking, because he is SO HUGE. I also have a couple of other "mutt" type dogs who add to the din when he starts in, and a Jack Russel named Snuggles who sleeps with me at night. Now THAT is a ferocious dog -- just ask my tom turkeys (ugly story for another day.)

I used to live in the city -- one thing I learned was that intruders - regardless of whether you are in the city or in the country -- will go to the house that is the path of least resistance -- no dog, no vapor lights outside, people who are obviously gone for long periods of time. Out here, EVERYBODY is armed, and EVERYBODY has at least one dog. We leave the keys in our vehicles 24/7. We leave our doors unlocked unless we are going to be gone overnight. We also have enough tractor/combine/pickup truck traffic going by that if there is a strange car here, people know it.

I think you will do FINE in the country...one widow lady I know is 87 years old, lives alone, has both a dog AND a gun, and has not had any problems so far. You just want to get a dog that will make people WONDER if the dog will bite or not before they decide to get out of the car, and will actually bark enough to draw attention when someone comes around.

[NCLee]

Welcome Kate! Glad to have your aboard. You've come to the right place with your dream of having a homestead.

Femmesteader beat me to the post to recommend Carla Emery's book as your first purchase! I have one of the early copies printed in the 70's. While some of the things may be outdated (prices and such) the core info is just as valuable today as when the first edition hit the shelves.

You may not need to buy another book, for a while. Instead, go by Sams Club and pick up a few 3 ring binders 1 1/2" thick and a box of sheet protectors. (If you don't have a membership, yet, go with a friend.)

Then, use the internet to DIY your own "encyclopedia of homestead living". Use Carla's book, as the basis for chooing topics to research based on what you plan to do on your future homestead. As you search the net, either print or copy/paste into a word processor file named for the topic at hand.

Using a word processor helps you cut down on the ink and paper needed to print the documents. Often fonts are much too large. Reduce the size of the print. Use maxium page margins to get the most print per page. Reduce the size of the photos to just large enough to see them clearly. Beyond that, it's wasted ink to print huge pictures.

Set up a template with all your layout and print specs (fast draft, print on both sides of the paper). I put all unprinted documents into a folder named Web Docs. Template is stored in that folder with the name 1 Web Doc. Template renamed to the file name that describes the material. Rabbits1, Bushcraft1, etc. Once a doc is printed, it's moved to a folder labeled Web Docs Printed.

By using this approach, you can glean much info from the net that's custom tailored to met your needs. For example, I collect information on making and using all sorts of oil lamps. Have info on how to trim lamp wicks, make lamps that use olive oil, beer bottle lamps, and much more. You may have no interest in oil lamps, but want to know as much as possible about growing, preserving and cooking strawberries.

If you have hard copies, you aren't relying on haveing a functioning computer and a steady supply of electricity to keep it operational.

Next, make a list, as you study and plan on what you want to do on your homestead, of everything that you think you'll need. Manual tools to replace electric ones (can opener, mixer, meat grinder), new to you tools (if you don't already have them) to preverve food, etc.

Then, visit yard sales, flea markets, craigslist, or anywhere else that has the potential for you to gradually acquire what you need at the best possible prices. Even if you know it'll be a while before you start canning, do go ahead and get that $5 waterbath canner when you see it at a yardsale.

Couple of sites that may be helpful to get you started with your DIY encyclopeida, in addition to the weath of info right here in the archives and articles at BWH.
http://drum-runners.com/
http://www.grandpappy.info/hself.htm
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/1,11677,1706-1,00.html

Hope this helps. Do keep us updated on your progress towards your goal. Feel free to ask questions and share your accomplishments along the way.

Lee

[KateMiles]

Thanks a lot for the info! And thanks for the welcome :)

As far as canning/gardening etc, I've done a fair amount and I enjoy it a lot. I love making apple butter, it's one of my favorite things. I also make candles and soaps, I used to sell them here at the local market but I moved for awhile, and couldn't take my things with me so I had to sell my supplies and equipment. I would love to get back into it though, it's a lot of fun!

Where guns are concerned, I know that I have a lot to learn. Luckily, I am good friends with a guy who teaches gun control classes so people can obtain a conceal carry permit for Ohio, and he's offered to teach me. He'll also be able to help me select a good gun to purchase when the time comes and when I can afford it.

As far as income when I actually get my place, I have opportunity to do well online, so as long as I can find a way to get internet access where I live. I am involved in website design, and I also do some freelance writing, both of which I enjoy.

I don't plan on making my move for a long time, I will need the time to save every penny I can from working, and I still have more school to do, I'll be going to Ohio State in the fall to finish my degree. During that time though, I plan to learn a lot, and I would like to save enough to pay cash for whatever land I choose. It will be hard work and a lot of saving, but if I apply myself I believe it can be done, especially if I find a bargain. I don't need anything fancy, just a few acres where I can keep some small animals, grow my own food, and enjoy myself in the peace and quiet.

[KateMiles]

Lee, thanks a lot for those sites :) And that's a great idea about collecting information! It would be great to start something like that so that all the information I need is in one place.

That encyclopedia mentioned is definitely on my list too :)

[NCLee]

Forgot to mention......

Better half and I recently attended a class to obtain the certificate needed to make application for a concealed carry handgun permit. Appled for the permits last week. Hope they'll be completed and we can pick them up in about 2 weeks.

While we may never feel the need to carry a concealed weapon, it's worth the peace of mind knowing that we can do so legally if the need does arise.

IMHO, having the means to protect yourself doesn't just apply to living in the country on a homestead. From what I see on the news home invasions are on the increase everywhere.

On another note, out here in the country neighbors tend to look after each other. If one spots anything "strange" going on at another's home they will investigage. We've done the same thing for our neighbors. And, have had neghbors call us and tell us to ignore xyz because the neighor himself or herself is actually doing xyz, themselves.

In choosing your land, take the time, if possible, to learn a bit about your neighbors. When, when you move on the land BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR! Most of the time your neighbors will respond in kind. Fortunately, out here neighbors from *ell are very rare.

Lee

[KateMiles]

We keep posting at the same time, Lee

lol

[Anon001]

Welcome.

You said something early on about growing up in town and thinking all ag land was expensive. I'll say that you can pay as little or as much as you want.... it all depends on locaiton.

I'm in a very rural area. There are no small 5 or 10 acre places, for the most part. This 160 acres I'm on is decent ground, timber, 3 ponds with the largest being between 4 and 5 surface acres. I paid $600 per acre in 1997. Today, it would go for twice that.

April 2009 I went to a farm auction. Their was 80 acres, an old 2 story farmhouse, barn and several outbuildings. It brought $105,500. It was good ground.

Not all areas of the country have been hard hit by the economy or the down turn in real estate. The hardest hit areas are California, Arizona, and Nevada.

The best advice for being able to save money, is to never go in debt.


Good luck,
Paul

[KateMiles]

Thanks Paul for the advice :) I currently do not have any debt, and I plan to keep it that way. I guess I'll have more of an idea of what price range to go for when I see how much money I am able to save out of every paycheck. I'd like to get the most bang for my buck, and in the coming months I'll be researching locations more as well. For some reason, Missouri speaks to me, I think it's beautiful, but we'll see.

[Terri]

When you are researching, you might try www.unitedcountry.com. It helped me locate where the more affordable spots in my area were.

I did not end up buying from them, but, I most CERTAINLY enjoyed looking at their land!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KateMiles]

Thanks Terri :) I actually bookmarked that site a few days ago, I LOVED looking at all the land in there!

[Native87]

WELCOME!!!! Already great advice given. Everyone here will be more than happy to help you out. If you can, look around your area and see if there are any other homesteaders or farmers etc that you could go to and get some first hand experience. BEWARE of being used for free labor with NO education benefits. It happens. Try your best to find some good neighbors. Sadly this little area where I am has not got too many folks that seem to want neighbors. Alot of folks moving around here are standoffish. Probably due to living where ever they were from. Its sad folks dont get together to help each other like they used to. Some places folks are REAL good about being helpful.

[CountryGuy]

Kate,

Since you working in the 'burg have you thought about moving to the PA side of the border? Could that be shorter commute? Look to the east towards Latrobe and New Kensington, or to the north side towards Zelienople, Beaver, and Beaver Falls. I wouldn't go south towards Uniontown as I'm hearing prices are going thru the roof do to a lot of gas well drilling.

As for good or bad, something to keep in mind is if you have full mineral rights. Otherwise you could wake up some morning and they're getting ready to drill a gas well on your property or you find out they'll be undermining or strip mining all or part of your property for coal. Also if you do look in western PA ask about any old or current underground mines or proposals. Try to find out from would be neighbors about water also. Getting a place that's been undermined can make it almost impossible to get good water and also if you build your cabin it could continually settle and sink and have to abandon it. Several houses I can show you that were built and no one ever moved into because they started sinking as the mine collapsed.

What you do or at least ponder this. Is it possible for you to find a job in another area near a smaller city that would have either a short or no commute? See if you can get away from a large Metro area and closer to a smaller city or town where property costs should be much lower? There are a lot of nice communities and the schools are good. So if at some point you decide to start a family that may be of concern unless you home school.

I have had a lot of the same issues. My job limits where I can work and when I do find companies that can use my skills the salary and benefits are near half of what I can make in more metro areas. I'm lucky that I recently took a new job that lets me work from my home, though the trade off is I'm on the road 4 nights a week. But I keep the higher salary and were able to relocate to a nice rural part of central PA. We plan to rent for a few years to get rid of our debt(hopefully) and save up for a down payment on a piece of property that will one day become our homestead.

p.s. - another beautiful area is the western part of VA. some larger area like Lynchburg and Roanoke to have good job prospects but within minutes your in rural area. I'm sitting in Lynchburg for work as I write this and if I could convince the Mrs I'd move out this way in a heartbeat.

[offgridbob]

Post your property very clearly when you get it, Pick your neibhors carfully and let it be known that your serious about protecting your property and yourself also practice your shooting on your property and leave a few targets up to be seen. That should make anyone think twice before messing with you.

[str8sh00ter]

So much good info on here already so I will just tell you one thing that I told my wife a few years ago and has helped here a lot when I am out of town. When it comes to home/self protection you need to have confidence in yourself and your weapon, so practice practice practice.Practice in the dark, when you are tied, etc. For home protection for a female I really believe in a good quality 20g shotgun loaded with buck shot, less recoil, easy to operate, low chance of over penetration, much easier to hit a target than a handgun, and intimidating as well. Other than that, good luck in your venture and learn through the experiences of the great people on this site.

[KateMiles]

Native - That is a good idea. I've been thinking of trying to contact some farmers in my area to try to learn different things. I'm also going to make use of all the resources my library has to offer. :)

CountryGuy - I am working in Pittsburgh right now over the summer until September when I move to Columbus for school, then I'll get a job there while I finish my degree. After that, I'm open to anything really. As far as finding a homestead in OH or PA, I may, but I think I want to leave this area. I plan to buy a parcel in a few years after I save up enough cash to get something that I will be happy with, and that will go a long way toward keeping expenses down, as I won't have a payment to make on the land. I also plan to build a small cabin of some sort, I've been researching construction methods, etc. to see if that is a possible option for me.

offgrid and str8 - I am starting to take some lessons tomorrow with a good friend of mine who is basically a pro. He teaches the classes that you need in Ohio to get the concealed carry permit. He's going to help me choose a handgun as well. I want to get one in the next few weeks so that I can practice on my own gun and learn. I want a gun now to keep in my house not just to be able to learn on, but because I also live in an area with high crime and it would make me feel more comfortable to have something for protection in my house that I know how to use. I'll be looking into a shotgun as well, I'm trying to convince another friend of mine to take me hunting later this year, but he's scared that I'll be girly about it. lol I am a newbie right now, but that's totally different from being "girly" in my opinion lol

[keydl]

I would second the 16 or 20 ga shotgun, pump or semiauto, but would use #7 or bird shot, inside the house the distance makes the pattern to be a couple of inches. It does not always take out sheetrock on both sides of a wall. If you want to go through a wall use slugs.

A rifled barrel with buck is another option - spreads the pattern and is not supposed to be set for 3 rounds for bird hunting. It is a whiz bang with slugs.

[KateMiles]

keydl, thanks for the info :) I'll have to look that stuff up to learn more

[CountryGuy]

for around the house I do have to agree with str8shooter that for around the house a 20ga is very versitle and effective. I'd look at a youth model though as it's shorter stock fits many woman better. Also try to go as short a barrel as you can find 18" is the minimum length by law. 3 rounds of 00 buck shot and the last 2 rounds with slugs in case they're still coming at you.

I'd been looking for a concealed pistol and I just picked up a Glock 27 yesterday. You might want to look at this or also the Smith and Wesson M&P compact is small and also has grip inserts you can change to fit different size hands. I was going to go with the M&P but I found a really great price so I now have my first Glock. Also Kahr has some small slim pistols that are very nice. Your hand and body size may help guide you to what feels "right" to you. My opinion is that the smallest caliber for a personal defense should be a .357Sig, .40S&W, or .45ACP. but alot carry 9mm, .38, and .357(last 2 in revolvers). That brings up that it depends on if you prefer a semi-auto or a revolver. It really comes down to what you are comfortable with. If it isn't completely comfy you won't carry it. So try to shoot as many as you can to get the feel for what you like and don't like before you put your hard earned money on something.

I'm sure your friend will be a great guide. And you might find that after you get one gun you'll quickly luv them and add to them...A pistol, and shotgun, and a good rifle at a minimum need to be in every home. Check out the firearm forum on here also for lots of good answers and opinions.

Do you have any idea or family draws to any specific regions of the country after you finally graduate?

[str8sh00ter]

.. in your Pro friend. Definately rely on his guidance, but I just want to be sure you understood what I am saying. Practice with him, but also alone at home in your spare time. You are catching up so you have to put in the time to understand the function of your weapon and ingrain muscle memory so when, god forbid, the time comes to use your skills you are on automatic. This is why the military drills non-stop during basic training. Think about it like riding a bike if you did it once and got off two years later you probably would have to learn all over, but if you ride everyday for 15 minutes for a few weeks, you have built up muscle memory and your body remembers how to do it without you thinking about it. Not that gun proficiency is the only thing to learn about homesteading, but it is something you can do while watching TV. With an unloaded gun, take aim at the moving figures on the set and snap off some practice shots, practice reloading, practice clearing etc. In terms of other books and such I would recommend the book "How to Find your Ideal Country Home" by Gene GeRue. He made me think about some things I hadn't considered yet and can help in planning your eventual move since you have time.

[WileyCoyote]

Hi, Katie!
Oddly enough, I needed more self-protection in the city than I do in the country - we had violent home invasions, etc. You may find that when you move to a rural area that some folks - esp married males AND females - may take you under their wing and help with protection as well as canning, quilting, and other education. I know that when I first homesteaded in NM, in a little shack with no running water or elec, there was a rancher neighbor who kept stopping by when he was out riding his fences, to make sure I was ok, see if I needed anything.

I have been alone much of our marriage due to job requirements. I like my S&W .38 "ladies' handgun". It fits my smaller hand and, as a sheriff friend said - "Nothing is scarier than seeing those little bullets lined up in the chamber, like little coffins". The Shotgun is scary-looking too of course - took me awhile to learn a stance and get it set for shooting so I didn't end up with the "eye" or "shoulder" tattoos. :o I actually like my .22 rifle - it is small, makes a little "POW" instead of a "WADOOM" and as my hero Steve Martin says, "The bullet goes inside and ricochets around. There's very little drycleaning involved." ;) The .22 is good for smaller game, too - and you aren't "pickin pellets" out of the meat. I keep the handgun close by the bed for sudden surprises, but the other weaponry is placed strategically around (you never know when you'll find a rabid skunk or 6 foot rattler in the barn). Most everyone around here carries openly, on their hips or in their vehicles, so there is very little crime. :p

But I think you shouldn't worry overmuch on protection; it is just a way of life, no big deal, like making sure that you have enough firewood to last the winter or enough water for the critters. Like everything else, it takes planning and forethought. Go with what works for you, and what you are comfortable with.

[KateMiles]

CountryGuy - I don't really have any family draws anywhere. I have a very very large extended family (my dad had 10 siblings), but they are scattered all over and I don't really know any of them. I have been looking at land all over and climates, etc. and Missouri is kind of calling my name, but we'll see. :)

str8 - I have that book on order at the library :) I should be getting it soon and I'll take a look!

Wiley - My friend thinks I should get a S&W. He has one that I can use to see how I like it. Thanks for the advice :)

[keydl]

Been several years but I picked 10mm in a semiauto. I have some revolvers but kept bumping things with them, the semiauto fits inside the waistband and it does not bump doors & stuff. Round in the chamber is #9 shot hand load for copperheads & water moccasins. Mower is more fun though.....

[KateMiles]

The mower?? :lol:

[paramudduck]

Run over them with a mower they come out chip chopped if the blade is sharp and the cut is low.

[Anon001]

Then how do you find all the meat to take in and put in the skillet? Dang shame to waste good food. lol

Paul

[keydl]

Loft the front wheels and push it at then 2-5 times and they will usually strike. Either it chops the first 6 inches or winds around the shaft and blade for a tenderizing session.

Last one was probably around 46 in, 4 hours in the crockpot and the bones slid out so it sliced for sandwiches. A dip in vinegar and rub, then a trip across a hot skillet and packed down in olive oil to go work on a friends truck. It will taste good for a week with no ice but it did not make it past lunch. There are several converts :)

[patience]

No snakes here. I killed 'em all. ALL of them.

Dad was fond of blacksnakes in the corn crib, back when we stored it on the ear, and mice infested it. Blacksnakes were great mousers! They are purely non-poisonous, and can actually get pretty tame, if you don't terrorize them. Dad told me all their virtues.

I was/am still terrified of them, but not enough to run. I just chopped 'em up with whatever was around, usually an aluminum scoop shovel. Dad was put out about that, but he figured out fast that no matter what he said, if I saw a snake, it was dead meat. He finally settled on having barn cats, instead. I got along famously with the cats. They killed snakes, too.

I'm told that there are copperheads, water mocassins, and an occassional timber rattler around here, but have never seen any of those. Lucky for both of us. :p I don't play well with coyotes, either.

Sorry, I'm polluting the thread. Back on topic, the most use I've ever had for firearms in the country has been either hunting game for meat, or dealing with coyotes that were pestering the livestock. Always kept a handgun, but never needed it for anything but a ground hog or a coyote. Being old fashioned, I never could hit a barn from the inside with any automatic pistol. I got along fine with an old Smith model 15 revolver, but never was very accurate with it. Every auto pistol I've ever owned, or used, misfired at least once. (Right before I got rid of it.) NEVER, EVER, had a revolver action mess up. I like that. When I pull the thing, I want it to go bang. Yes, I'm prejudiced. Oh well. Worked for me. That is just to make the point that you should use what YOU like, and let all the other opinions go hang. Just be sure it is big enough to get the job done. No .22'a, .25's, or .380's.

In general, I am convinced that the best gun is most often a rifle, for darn near anything.

[MEBrian]

Kate, when we were searching for land we quickly discovered the soil maps. Check with your county extention agent, they're a minimal fee,but will tell you all sorts of stuff about prospective land you might be interested in. You'll have to coordinate between topo or street and the soil maps, but it isn't difficult. It'll tell you if it's even worth driving to if the land is completely unsuitable for crops, or septic, whatever. It'll save lots of time and $.

In rural Maine I've only needed a firearm for hunting and dispatching rabid or distempered animals. I have a CC permit and do all the time, but that's all I used it on. Whoops. Brain shot a run over deer the one time too, to put it out of it's misery. But when I was on shift work the wife slept awfully good knowing the guns were here and so where the dogs. Gotta have a big dog in rural wherever. Guinea hens don't hurt either for early warning and you can eat 'em if you wish.

[KateMiles]

Hehehe, nice snake stories, guys :)

Brian, I'll look into the soil maps, I think that's a great idea. I actually thought of another question: I've read about people talking about water tables and things like that. What are they, and how do you find them? How can you tell where a good area to dig a well is?

[NCLee]

A water table is a layer of water that lies above rock or soils. The water table is at the surface of the soil in a swampy area and where streams flow. A spring is a good example of a water table coming to the surface of the ground.

It's good to know where the water table is on a piece of property, as that will determine how deep a well has to be drilled to obtain drinking water.

Maps and such are only of limited use, BTW. They'll give you a general idea of what's going on, but don't have the full picture, as each plot of ground may be different from the neighbors.

Ours is a good example. When we moved here, bored (not drilled) a 30' well that provides plenty of water, even during drought conditions. Quarter mile to the north, well there had to be drilled and is over 100'. Half mile to the south they had to drill over 400' and have a minimum supply of water. About a mile away, deep drilled wells go dry during times of drought.

My advice, FWIW, is to work with a local well drilling company to help determine where to drill a well. Their experience with local conditions will go a long way in finding the best spot.

Also, check with surrounding neighbors. While not fool proof, the depth of their well will be some indicator of how deep you have to go. Their knowledge of local springs and creeks, lay of the land, etc. will be helpful, too.

Lay of the land..... the neighbor with the 400' well built their house on top of a hill. That hill is granite with just a few feet of soil before hitting solid rock. Those wells that go dry during drought are also drilled through that granite. About a mile from them there's a rock quarry. So, knowing the "lay of the land" in that area indicates that a well in that area can be expensive to obtain a minimum amount of water.

Hope this helps, a bit.
Lee

[keydl]

The 'water table' is where water stands in an open bore above impermiablea layers. Drilling through a strata may result in an artisian well that water runs out of or it may stand in the bore. Ground water, surface water are terms often used in different places.

One place that i lived the well was 35 foot and the water stood at 13 foot, no problems. Big city bought a ranch with water rights and ran an 18 in pipe to town and in 5 years I punched the well twice to 100 foot with water standing at 73 foot. I put a new pump on to sell as the original had trouble keeping up.

I moved water for some of the neighbors as the elevation and the bed rock level did not match. One place bed rock was 5 foot and 30 foot uphill water was 16 foot and sugar sand to 35 foot.

One of the best things to do is to talk to the local well drillers and those that run into the area, check the well permits with the state. Check if the well that is present was permited, some places won't allow a garden on a house permit.

[KateMiles]

Thanks a lot, that is good to know

[CountryGuy]

Once you find a place also ask around and see if anyone or the old timers know if there is anyone that does water dousing(witching). My folks had a guy do this on the last well they had dug. He found several spots but narrowed down to where he felt would be good water then told him how deep to dig. They were like 2 feet short of reaching the depth he said. they had to stop as there was to much water pushing up. Water is sweet and they no longer have water shortage issues they had for the last 25 years.

Anyway, very cool and can be effective. BTW their guy didn't charge anything as he believes the ability is a gift from GOD. He has others try to see if they may also have the gift, sort of looking for apprentices.

FWIW... he also said to only us a sputter rig to dig the well rather than a rotary drill as these can tend to seal off veins feeding into the well.

[KateMiles]

Thank you CountryGuy, that is something to consider :)

[steveandsandy]

Wow, lots of good info. on this thread! Coming in late here, but thanks Countryguy for the post about mineral rights on your property, I didn't know the Gov't could do that. We're looking at buying land too, and that's definitely something to consider!

Blessings,
Sandy

[windmo]

Last weekend my daughter and I were driving down a country road looking for a house for sale - found it, pulled into the driveway, and before we got out of the car, the neighbor was already there, introducing herself and asking if we were interested in the house. She was incredibly friendly, and eventually offered to walk us into the pasture to get a better look at the barn - but I knew right off she was feeling us out - strangers we were, in her neck of the woods. THAT'S what you want to look for, if you're planning on being alone on your homestead. Friendly people who are top of strangers ASAP and who will watch your back :)

Find all those books everyone is recommending, then come here for your specific questions. I've found over the last year or so that once I think I know what I want to do with my land, I ask a question of these fine folks and they either confirm that yes it's a good idea, or no don't even think about it. You will not find better advice from any book that you would get here :)

Good luck!

[canuck]

I think that getting a gun and a dog is a good idea...even a couple of dogs so that if you are working they can keep each other company when you are gone....good idea to get a cell phone so that if power goes out you can call for help and it's good for when you are driving in an emergency.

About land and where to live. Being the age you are I think unless you have a pile of money to start with you should work as much as possible and save for your dream place. Buy something close enough to drive to and stay there...develop it..as the years go on your place will grow in value and then if you so choose you can sell and buy something further out. Being isolated might be ok when you are younger but what I've learned just from looking after my mother that when health concerns creep up you are better off to be closer to a larger city. Always know where the nearest hospital/doctor/vet is.

Good luck!

[firegirl969]

I can recomment Carla Emery's "Encyclopedia of Country Living." It is very informative and easy to understand how to do thousands of things on the homestand.

[tomato204]

Yes, it is. I miss Carla.

[jhnpldng]

landsofamerica.com is a pretty good one too. Careful, they start out sorted high to low in price and it can give you sticker shock :eek: What I did was find cities in the State(s) I wanted to move to and searched all the counties surrounding the one the city was in. Then I searched the ones surrounding that. That site has a map search which is real nice. It took me a few cities and over 50 counties but I found something.