Kentucky folks

[homesteadingnky]

Just wondering how many KY folks were out here. If you live in KY I'd love to here about you and what you've got going on, on your homestead (gardening, animals, etc.).

We are in the process of selling our house. We have land that we will be building a house on hopefully later this year. We love organic gardening and intend to grow more herbs this year as we are learning more about using them. My wife and I both grew up on big farms and long to get back to that way of life (with out the chemicals! LOL!). Please respond, I'd love to here from some other KY families.

[SpoonBread]

Fellow Kentuckian here. Were over near Lexington in the Bluegrass region. We're currently still in the dreaming/planning stage of our homestead. Right now we are just looking at property, and trying to save up and decide where to go or rather if we should stay in the KY/So IN area. I grew up on a farm for the better part of my early years so I can relate. Seems like ever since I left, I've been trying to get back to the country. Unfortunately the farm my grandparents started is mostly rented out since my dad can't really make a living at it. We are also into Organic farming and are hoping to start up a garden in the spring. (can't really do much else cause were in a crummy subdivision aka purgatory on earth) Were also looking into natural building techniques for when we are ready to build.

[homesteadingnky]

It's good to here from you spoonbread. Wish you the best on all your plans. Are there codes and restrictions where you live that keep you from doing more or is it more the limited amount of land? Just curious. I am constantly amazed at what a guy in Pasadena Cal. is able to do on his 1/5 of an acre. Check out www.pathtofreedom.com if you haven't already seen it. Pretty amazing. Anyway good luck with the garden.

It's about time to start some seeds indoors. Got my seed order in the mail today. Can't wait to get started. by the way, We live in the south-central part of KY. We don't have the mountain or ocean views but we don't have to deal with mountain lions or bears and the weather is great. Not many storms, minimal snow, and most of the time plenty of rain (not so last year - but we still had a great garden). Anyway, it's home and we love it!

[bookwormom]

we are in the mammuth cave area.

[SpoonBread]

homesteadingnKy-
Well It's a little bit of all of the above. Our space is limited and we are renting so that cut down on what we can have/do. I don't think the neighbors would be too keen on it if we kept chickens or goats. lol. I went to that site and it really is amazing what they have done. I also really liked the stuff in their store.

[homesteadingnky]

Rabbits are an often overlooked homestead animal. Have you considered them? They are a great addition to the garden. The rabbit droppings are an excellent fertilizer. The rabbits are very quite and don't smell (as long as you don't let the droppings pile up to much), some people eat them and they say they are the healthiest meat you can eat. So far our rabbits are just pets and organic fertilize producers. The girls also love them. They are easy to care for with minimal needs. We currantly have 8. I'd recommend anyone serious about organic gardening at least consider them. Just a thought.

[homesteadingnky]

we are in the mammuth cave area.


Wow Bookwormom, Your not far from us at all I'd say, we're fairly close to there ourselves. I've seen some of your post but haven't put it all together yet, what do you folks do on your homestead? What's your main areas of interest? I injoy seeing what others are doing and it's always fun to listen to (well, read I mean) someone tell what they're passionate about or injoy doing the most.

[homesteadingnky]

I'd like to say hi to Kevin and Tammy (they're KY folk). I know they browse through this site ocassionally. If you have time stop in and say hello. How's the cabin coming along? See ya soon. ;D

Homesteading Dad 'n KY

[FirestarterKY]

Glad to see you all from our beautiful state of KY!
I live N/W, in Henderson County.
We are leasing 15 acres but looking at 17 and a house just across the road.
We have 14 chickens, 2 horses and hopefully soon a dairy cow.
I also am into oganic and now heirloom veggies.
I sell my eggs in town at a store called Earth Magic.
My newest Herb is fever few, though, I'm into finding the ones that grow wild.
I found wild chammomile last year and man that stuff is potent!!!
It grows right in my gravel road!! LOL!
Guess I need it, huh?
I found it by accident, was mowing and got this great aroma of chammomile and looked down.....after a few passes, took a few to regester, lol! and there it was! Everywhere!
I learned asparagus last year and am looking forward to finding it and harvesting it this year. Seems every year I learn maybe jsut one or two new wild herbs, but I guess learning them slowly, deeply makes them a main stay in my "files". :)
Well, we're having fun, though when summer comes so does the work, and now I'm getting ready to go full time after 4 years of part time.....it was nice while it lasted, but the economy is affecting us.
Too, with this hopefully new purchase of GOOD land, I'll need to help pay for it.

Good to see you neighbors!!!

[homesteadingnky]

Sounds really cool. We are just really starting to learn herbs. I can't wait to grow more this year. I too have feverfew, as well as; Genovese Basil, Elecampane, Greek Mullein, Broad Leaf Sage, Peppermint, Oregano, Catnip, Dill, Cilantro, Echinacea,Yarrow, Lavender, and Lemon Basil. These are all new seeds that I order and just received this past week.

We have several really good books on herbs but would welcome any helpful advice. As I said, we read alot about them but we're new to growing them (except for basil which I've been growing for several years with my tomatoes.

We'll be getting chickens later this year. It's been a while since I've had chickens so I can't wait to get started with them. Hope to get some bee equipment this year and maybe get started with them in spring of next year (really looking forward to that but I want to learn a little more about them first).

Good to here from ya! Hope the land purchase works out well for you! Drop in anytime.

Homesteading Dad 'n KY

[FirestarterKY]

Yup, oregano, cilantro, it really takes over a place and one of my favs and packed in vitamins is plain ole parsley! Imagine!
:)
Thanks for the wish on the land purchase....we went over with an offer last night and were only 25,000 off his asking of 225,000....HOWEVER, hubby and I are only buying 17 acres and the house for 85 and the farmer we lease from buying the rest of farm land.
I'm going to try white sage this year for use in ceremonies, though my culinary sage takes over too!
I grow bamboo (sp?)......it's really cool but also takes over.
I gather Yaroow on road sides.....it's great for high blood pressure, along with corn husks.
I'd love to have me an old timer in my back pocket to teach me about tree barks in medicinal uses....sigh..... :)
You know, I was out today cleaning the coop and the troff and noticed the fever few is STILL GREEN!!!!! How wild is that!!??
I have a local bee keeper very close and so use her honey.....they are really nice people and LOVE their bees.
They had a really good crop this year, by the way.
When people love their bees the honey tastes better, I guess like my eggs, I love my chickens, and I guess you can taste it...lol.

OH! about the house deal......he said no to 200,000 but before we left he said he'd think about it. At auction the house only brought in 50, 000 and the whole thing only brought 150,000......he refused to sell at those prices. I think he should jump on the 200, dont you?
lol......yup!

Take care!

[homesteadingnky]

Just checking in on my KY neighbors. Is everyone ok? I certainly hope so but if anyone is in need of anything please let us know.

Homesteading Dad n KY

[SpoonBread]

looks like we finally got some snow here. Imagin that. And the night before I actually need to go somewhere. Looks like my Colorado driving skills will have some use back here after all. Hope everyone is well and warm.
SpoonBread

[cbob7]

Hey glad to find this forum.
I just moved back home to Mayslick Ky. In Mason Co. I have missed the state and my family.
I have been a BWH fan for a while but I never knew there was a site.
I would very much like to be involved in any local events that is going on in the state so please shoot me a message if you would.
I am on my parents farm now and looking forward to Spring!

[homesteadingnky]

Hello cbob7, welcome to our front porch. Prop up your feet and sit a spell. I think you're really going to enjoy this site. There are many experienced "seasoned" homesteaders with tons of wisdom to draw on. Iron sharpens iron, so feel free to share your own experiences and wisdom as well. I live in south-central Ky. Can't place Mason county. Which part of the state is it in? I'd have to look it up. Anyway, welcome neighbor. Let us know if we can help you in any way.

Have a blessed day,
Homesteading Dad n KY

[cbob7]

Mayslick is near Maysville which used to be called Limestone. Its the old stomping ground of Simon Kenton and D Boone. Along the Bluegrass and tobacco country.

Just got back from spending 2.5 years in Alaska. It was great but like I said it is good to be back home to be with family.

I enjoy reading all the post here. It makes me feel that I am not alone in the thoughts that I have concerning all of the uncertainty in the world we are living in now. With all of the wild thoughts going thru my mind now I keep coming to the conclusion that you need your neighbor and your community.
There are not too many people who share my view of the world around here (that I am aware of) so if there are any get togethers please let me know.
Thanks

[homesteadingnky]

To be honest I'm not aware of a "get together" of like-minded folks in this area. That is certainly one benifit of this web site. We can get together and share ideas, questions, and experiences frequently. However, it's not the same as meeting face to face to fellowship and learn together. You have given me something to chew on. I think it would be great to have at least an annual get together here in KY (family friendly of course).

Perhaps, if we had enough willing homesteads to host the event, we could move the event around each year so that each year it's closer to a different area of KY. This would allow everyone to have the bennifit of truly learning from each other and seeing what each homestead is doing. Or we could meet in a common area and just fellowship and share ideas together and perhaps have a guest speaker share something pertaining to homesteading. Just rambling out loud. Anyway, it sounds good to me.

This past spring we went to the 1880's homeplace @ LBL for a seminar on organic gardening and growing herbs. A really cool couple, the Berryhill's, were doing the seminar. I so enjoyed just talking and sharing with them, picking their brain, seeing what they had been doing on their homestead (they had pictures), sampling their products, and just their enthusiasm and passion for what they were doing was so much like my own. It was worth the 2 hour trip to get there! This spring we are suppose to go to their place and see first hand what they are doing. I can't wait to see them again. Something like that with other like minded neighbors would be really cool!

So what do you say? Any KY folks interested? If so we could kick some ideas around.

Homesteading Dad

[sbemt456]

Well its good to see that there are other Kentuckians in the high-tech world, as we are mostly considered backward here in eastern Kentucky. I really don't mind being called a 'Hillbillie". I'm only about 1 hr east of Lexington in the hills. We are very fortunate to still own and live on the family farm that has been in my family for 4 generations. I have worked a public job in EMS for the past 14 years and am off due to an injury to my back and right arm, so hopefully I will be able to have a bigger garden this year, and chickens to butcher. Before I work the job we raised almost everything we used. We may have at the time spent 50 bucks a month at the grocery store. That was in 1989 to 1993, with 2 young boys at home. I want to do that again, and with God's blessing I will be able. When I stayed home I would raise 2 or 3 hogs to butcher, 200 plus chickens for the freezer and to can, plus a huge garden, deer meat.Also raised pheasants and ducks to butcher. Guess we had it made and didnt even know it . Then somewhere along the line I thought I needed a real job.lol First mistake, now I have a second chance.

[homesteadingnky]

Welcome sbemt, Glad to have you. Sounds like you've got the experience to make it happen. We all do what we have to do to get by. Sometimes that may mean having to work off the homestead for a while. Man's got to fund the dream some how!

So you are an EMT? I was a first responder a volunteer FD for a while years ago. Thought for a long time that I wanted to be a Paramedic on a full-time FD. 24 on and 48 off just wouldn't have worked for me though. But most the guys I work with are on the FD and some on EMS.

Anyway, I now know what I want to be when I grow up! LOL!! ;D

Always good to swap howdies with KY folk! Enjoy the site and drop back by and say howdie next time your in the neighborhood.

Homesteading Dad

[FirestarterKY]

Morning!
Doing good here.
I have a question....
I'm looking for a Jersey calf to buy, here in KY...but seems people who are into milk, the one thing they wont let go of is their Jersey calves. hum.....
I live N/W KY near In and IL.
I ordered my chicks!
Got 25 layers and 30 fryers.
My mouth just drops when I hear people doing 200 or #'s like that!
Woo! that's alot of chicken!
I'm so very excited about getting into milking and the raw milk.
I just ordered a book......
"Nurishing Traditions: The cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats", by Sally Fallon.
I hear it's a great read as long as you keep what you need and leave the rest.....like many books.
We've been having to get through ice storms, one after the other here.
We lost power for two days and one night...was interesting to live off the grid....but we managed fine, I for *some reason have kept things that we would need if we were off the grid......I only wish we had had a fire place! Man, it got cold!
You all take it easy!

Karen from KY
:)

[homesteadingnky]

I'll keep my ears open for anyone with a Jersey. I'd like a miniture Jersery myself. The Mennonite's where I used to get my milk all have Jersey's. I grew up on a dairy farm and we had mainly Holsteins with a few Brown Swiss. As a kid I had a Jersey that a neighbor lady just had a fit for. I finally swapped her to a beef cow she had just because I knew how bad she wanted it to milk. I know why now! Jersey's are gentle, and produce great milk!! Hope you find ya one!

Homesteading Dad

[kyhillbilly]

hi glad to meet you folks, been a member here for awhile but dont post a whole lot.i live near the big evil city on three acres in a small town, but my family had a 115 acre farm in meade county. lost my mom last feb and now my dad has cancer they gave him a 1-2 year sentance.so in nov he sold his farm, so in dec i bought me a place in breckenridge county bout 15 miles from rough river. now im gonna have to build me a place there, have a good friend who bought one of them portable saw mills in jan so well have to see how that will work. my place has a spring on it and a pond. I am waiting for spring as ill get me some more chickens and some rabbits, i like hunting, fishing,trapping and i raise a large garden and i like to can.I work for a lage food factory and i usually can get all the food grade 5 gallen pails and metal and plastic drums i want so if anyone needs any let me know and i will start saving them for you. i also am a licensed real estate agent and if i can help anyone in any way let me know.dont know about the jersey cow but i have seen them in the auctions before id try them if i were you. nice meeting you all----- Bart

[sbemt456]

Hey Kentuckyhillbilly how far are you from Lexington and in which direction? I think I would like to discuss the possibility of gettin a few food grade pails and plastic barrels.

[homesteadingnky]

Hello Kyhillbilly, *Sorry to hear about your folks, will be praying for your dad and your family. *Don't know how far you are from me but if you were close enough I'd be very interested in the food grade pails and drums as well. *I need drums for rain water among other things and food grade pails to store supplies for the pantry. *Would these work well for long term wheat storage??? *

Anyway, good to here from ya. *Stay in touch.

Homesteading Dad

[FirestarterKY]

I found Jerseys!!!
However, the price is high!
ANywhere from 800-1,500, wow!
The fella told me though, you have to count in that you have to buy no milk for about 15 yrs and hopefully no more beef if my Jersey produces a calf every year.
I found a Jersy guy near Elezabethtown and one in Bowlingreen KY.
It's 5:30 in the a.m. and was thinking, I'd be out milking right now or at least at 6 a.m. when the sun is up a little.
I have to be at work at 8 but leave at 7 so that gives me one hour to milk and get the milk taken care of.
I'm already excited!
It will be a while before milk...I"ll get a young one and then will have to breed her etc.....
Gives me plenty of time to get ready.

Y'all have a good one!!

[kyhillbilly]

sorry i havent responded my computer has been down i think it has somthing to do with one of my sons installing a new router. I live near louisville and as far as storing wheat in them i suppose you could i store salt, sugar and all kinds of other stuff in them. anyone just shoot me a pm and ill start saving what you want as some times some stuff is available more often than other stuff----- Bart

[FirestarterKY]

I'd think the big ones would be good to bury to use as a root celar if one didnt have a conventional one, like ME! I've got to learn this year how to keep root veggies.
Been reading up on it.
HEY!!! It was SOooooo nice in my part of KY today!
After work I washed my car, cleaned out the tack room, brushed the heck outta my horses and put new hay in the ch coop, oh, and trimmed a shrub......I can barely stand up stright right now, but, the nice weather got me "out there". I hear the tree frogs!!!!!!!!
WOO HOO!

[MooseToo]

just sittin here in cumberland county (near dale hollow lake) listening to what my neighbors have to say - most interesting !

[homesteadingnky]

Hello MooseToo,

Dale Hollow is a beautiful place! I hope to bring the family up that way this summer. drop back in when you can stay longer. I love to hear what other KY folk are doing.

We have our garden pretty much ready to plant as soon as it drys up a little. Can't wait.

Have a blessed day,
Homesteading Dad

[fizzle7033]

Hi! We're new to the board and brand new property owners. We're in far western Anderson County close to Taylorsville Lake. We just got into our house on 22 acres about 6 weeks ago and have nothing!!! We're starting with a blank slate!!

[bookwormom]

Hang in there a while and you will be accumulating. We went to a farm sale today and comiserated how much stuff we accumulate.
It got chilly here today, so my plant order arrived and we spent the afternoon digging holes and planting. Last spring I got 10 rugosa roses, not knowing how they would do here. In spite of the drought they survived and even thrived a little. so today I planted a hedge of 24 more. They were, well, cheap (Burgess). I hope they will do well and bear lots of rosehips. I am wondering if Hawthorn will do well in Kentucky. I am trying to find out what really does well here and forego costly experiments. Everybody tells me that fruit just does not do well here. what are you all growing, what does well with you and what is not worth the trouble?
I need to find a spot for chestnuts, they seem to do well here. so do the worms that like chestnuts.
I'll quit my rambling for today. Hope more Kentucky folks will speak up yet.
:) :)

[sbemt456]

Hello all you out there, the sun is shining here today but it is a tad cool for tee-shirts.
Bookwormom you were wondering what grows well here in Kentucky, a lot of folks say fruit trees dont grow well here, but here on the family farm that I live on in the Eastern part, we have a river bottom in front of our house that is call the old apple orchard bottom. When my dad was a young man in the 30's and 40's, this whole 5 acres was in fruit trees, apple,cherry, pear and plum. We still have one old old pear tree in the yard dat the old house that still has pears and I am guessing it is about 100 yr old. They were planted there by my great grand parents and the old log house sat in the same bottom and had to be moved due to flooding, go figure.Some of the apple trees sprouts were transplanted in the back yard of the house that I grew up in on the farm. Dad was a farmer and team driver(mule) all his life but for some reason the trees were never pruned and taken care of like they required so they have kinda not done so well. Although some are still alive and do produce, but the fruit is small. I am glad someone brought this subject up, now I am thinking I might try to revive some of them. By the was the old apple orchard bottom is now tillable land where we raise our garden and have raised corn.
So that is my experience here, might also depend on which side of the hill you plant on and elevation, as we are kinda in a valley and the trees were on the south.

So with this I am thinking fruit trees would do well, but it may have a lot to do with the fact that we are on the river where we dont get the frost and freezes in early spring that a lot of folks get.

[FirestarterKY]

Heya KY folks!
I've planted small parcels of this and that,not knowing yet if it's too early. I flung out a lot of lettuce seed, still may even be too early for that.
I've got lots of babies in my indoor greenhouse.
Maybe the hybrid type fruit trees dont do well, but the old heirloom types do.
Nut trees do very well here in N/W KY.
I have a ton of pecan and some walnut.
Fever few does really really well.
My fever few never died this winter!
Oh, and wild chammomile grows here too.
That stuff is Potent!

I'm going to a livestock auction Monday in Owensboro KY, hopefully returning with a Jersey calf.
Wish me luck!

[sbemt456]

Firestarter I wandered about pecan trees growing in Kentucky myself so you just confirmed my suspicion. We have old walnut trees here in eastern Ky on our farm but didnt know if pecans would live and do well or not. If ya get over run with baby pecan trees give me a holler and we will see about procuring some of them from you.
When my son went boar hunting in Oklahoma last fall he said they had pecans every where, the guides told him to dig some and bring them home but he was thinking that might be illegal transporting them out of state un inspected or something. Dont think he wanted to get caught with contraband trees and legal hogs in his truck, I think he likes his truck.
Good luck at the auction!
stella

[bookwormom]

Good luck Firestarter. Hope you come home with the Jersey of your dreams.
we have lots of wild nuts growing here, hickory, butternut and the like. You can starve to death eating them, (takes you so long to crack them and pick a little bitty nut meat out). I notice there are also lots of hazelnuts growing wild, we never see any of the nuts though I have seen heavily loaded bushes.
I sowed chamomille last year and it did come up and grow, hopefully it will come back. Has anyone thought of going down to McMinnville Tn for their spring sale? Every year I am hankering to go and then time flies by and I missed it. I figure it if grows there it ought to grow here, too. Sweet hubby ordered pecans and they were little. we watered them through the drought, hope they live. I have four currants growing, this is the second year that they are leafing out. come summer they go into hybernation, loose all their leaves, I thought they died and did not have time to dig them up and sort of forgot, so I noticed they were still alive. I hope they will eventually bear. What I really want is a good June apple tree. Husband ordered a Lodi from Stark brothers and it is the sorriest little stick you ever saw. Maybe it does not like the place we planted it in. I am thinking of putting it someplace else. My parsley from last year is growing enough for me to pick a little, chives are big enough to cut, your lettuce ought to do okay. I have some up that I covered with a floating row cover. radishes are up too and the kale I planted last fall is looking promising.

[bookwormom]

oh, where in Eastern Ky are you from stella? My in laws are in Breathitt county.

[sbemt456]

Hi Bookwormom, I am in Lee county, it borders Breathitt on the east end. Before I got hurt at work I was working for our local ambulance service and we took a lot of patients to their hospital. How many other places have a Walmart as small as that one?lol Not many of them left. Lots of nice people there.


stella