Missing are my two rambunctious boys whom found the creek ;D
Friends, I am so thrilled to be able to share with you that next year we will no longer be urban homesteaders but living the full fledged homesteading life. We’ll have 10 acres of pasture land to build our homestead upon.
In my dreams I have visions of chickens meandering through the pasture, pecking their way through prairie grasses and goat manure to fuel the soil and microbes below. I see a few piggies also raised up in a part of that pasture to fatten up for a fall butchering. Thanksgiving and Christmas will also have a small area of their own as they gobble gobble their way to the family table.
As clear as day that I can see this sweet little homestead with children running about, planning it is a bit scary. Gabe and I want to make sure that we plan the space that we have that will best aid in permaculture. We want to make sure that, for example, where we place our hen house or pasture the goats will benefit the eco-systems and in turn be sustainable and self sufficient. Also, with the thoughts of building our home, we want to make sure that we plan that to be eco-friendly without breaking our budget. After having seen my friend Michelle from Simplify, Live, Love restore a barn into a passive house, I’m thinking we may go in that same direction.
According to wikipedia: the term passive house (Passivhaus in German) refers to a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling. I think this is mostly done by having a south side wall filled with windows and some solar panels as well. The windows and vents around the other sides of the home are then placed and sized to retain the heat and cooling.
This one is adorable…
As you can see, we have a lot of planning to do and it’s honestly a bit overwhelming right now. We’ll be taking things one step at a time but I thought I’d ask all of my seasoned homesteading readers to help us out a bit.
If you’re living the homestead life (or have) I have a few questions for you…
- If you could start your homestead all over again, what would you do differently?
- What are your favorite resources including books, videos, blog posts for homesteading or permaculture?
- What’s the number one piece of advice that you could give me before starting our homestead plans?
Thanks so much for any advice you can offer my family and I. We are over the moon that soon enough, we’ll have a little piece of land to call our own.
Will keep you and your family in prayer as you move forward. Happy that you are able to fulfill your dream! God bless.
Thanks, Pat!
So excited for you! I’m excited to watch your journey!
Thank you, Ally! I’ll for sure be blogging all about it 😀
So excited for you and your family! What fun. So it looks like you have a little parcelita of land that’s a huge first step.
I will probably never get to be a full fledged homesteader, but I do enjoy reading about folks who are doing it. Five Acres and a Dream is probably the most fully documented homesteader I know: http://www.5acresandadream.com/
You’ve probably run across her before.
Foy
I have. That’s a great one, Foy. I’ll have to go through all of her archives 😀
How exciting, Diana! Congrats to you and good luck with your venture. It’s a huge work in process for us and I can’t wait for our house to be finished so we can move in! There are lots of ways to do the PassiveHouse and I’m excited to hear that you may want to go in that direction. You guys should come out and see our project and talk to Dan about the building process!!! 🙂
That’s a great idea, Michelle! I’ll be in touch!
Congratulations to your family!
We’ve been on our homestead now for 5 months and are learning so much. Wanted to let you know about the Central Iowa Permaculture Guild(FB group). We just had our first meeting on the 21st at the Annette Nature Center south of Indianola! There was a fantastic turn out. Feel free to check out the FB group for more information on monthly meetings and topics to be discussed.
I’ll have to look that facebook group up. Thanks for letting me know about it, Bethany!
My husband used to be a contractor and built a house we previously lived in. Doing it ourselves made for much less stress than having someone else build it. I have heard from friends that have had houses built that it’s gotten very stressful. My point is that when you choose a contractor, be sure to check references and get someone VERY reputable. Sometimes you have to dig a little but it will be worth it to find someone who’s going to do a good job and follow through on your requests. Also, make sure you have good communication with your contractor and have a good long discussion with them before any building starts so you can be very clear about your expectations.
Great tips, Sarah! Thank you!!
Wow! Dreams can come true! We are also establishing a homestead from the ground up. May I suggest that one of the first things you do is plant the orchard – or at least plant whatever fruit and nut trees you will want. These take years to develop to maturity and so you might as well get a jump on that. Also, any perennial fruits and vegetables – asparagus, artichokes, strawberries and cane berries, grapes – the kind of fruits and veggies that also take a year or two to get established. As far as learning about what to do – I find other people’s blogs to be my best educational source. There are a lot of really good books out there to read, but hearing some good information about someone who has been there, done that, is so much better! Good luck!
I second that. I tried to talk my husband into planting the trees before building. I wanted to establish tree cover and food trees right away though we wouldnt be building for a few years. He didnt want to end up removing some for the build. Turns out we never built there, and the lot is for sale 10 years later, still with no trees. At least it would have helped the value!
Yes, that’s a great idea! I’ll for sure be starting up an orchard this coming spring. Good idea to think about grapes, raspberries, and the such as well. Great advice 😀
Fun!! When we started our first farm (we since moved to be closer to my parents as they get older…and for other reasons) we found an old house someone wanted moved and it was way cheaper to move the free house, than to build a new one. I LOVED that house…hated to move out, but it was all for the best for many reasons…even if I’m not as fond of the house I have now in some ways. So…keep your eye out, maybe you too can find a house someone is willing to give away, if you are willing to pay to have it moved! It’s most likely cheaper than building new! :-))
Also…if you can afford it, and have the way to get wood, an outdoor wood furnace to heat your new home is WONDERFUL!! We have one now, and that is probably the thing I love the MOST about our new home…I would never turn the furnace up to high in the winter before, because the cost of propane was to much…but now I’m actually able to be warm in the winter again! LOVE IT!! (A wood stove would be ok too…but I’m real fond of the furnace, because it keeps the wood mess outside…and the floors are nice and warm inside!!)
A wood burning stove would be great. I’ll for sure be looking into that!
Wow! 10 beautiful acres with a creek in Iowa? I’m so jealous! Where did you find land like that, is it west of Des Moines? Congratulations!
Jenny, in Grimes! I’m too excited 😀
We’re just beginning our path towards homesteading – still looking for land. It will be great to follow your journey. Great tips!
Yes! Yes!!! My heart is filled for you Diana. You and Gabe deserve this, have worked hard, prayed and visioned for it. Well done. (( ))
Thank you, Joan. You are such an encourager!! God is good!
Congrats! We gave up on our build due to work relocation. It was ok, though, because I wouldnt have been able to have livestock there. We did eventually buy a ’70’s hobby farm though. But the buildings are so haphazard on the property, it is frusterating. I would suggest thinking up a master plan for your acerage. Plot your garden near your hen house (do a combo chicken-garden yard!), your farm drive route (wide enough for towing a trailer) etc… I know, for me, this may cause contentment issues (if only we had the big barn there RIGHT. NOW.) but it will help you use your acerage efficiently and logically….and those contentment issues would be there no matter what. One thing we are doing here, is putting the orchard near the road, in our side-pasture. We wanted it accessible if we ever decided to sell the apples, we didn’t want strangers trapsizing all over the property. Also, we can graze goats in there occasionally once it is established rather than mowing it like if it was in our yard.
Another thing we would have done is build a tiny house. Now, with a teen and a tween, i would build a small pole barn and finish it into a cabin with a loft for the kids so I could pay for the large house as I went. (Then it would become the shop). We had a lot of restrictions from our lender when we were planning our build, such as not leaving the master bath roughed in and not allowing uncovered subfloor, etc. which added to the upfront cost of the big house. Good luck! I look forward to reading about your adventure!
Thanks Frogmama!
I agree as you will be taking care of the homestead. So build conservatively.
Go to Becky’s homestead as she built a log cabin and recommends small place
People want large homes that are difficult to keep up with. Believe me
been there done that. The upkeep is more energy, more to clean, and so forth.
I am SO excited for you, sweet friend, and can’t wait to live vicariously through you on your homestead! 🙂 I’ll be praying for you all! xo
Thank you, Kelly! Prayerfully, we can have your family over sometime! Wouldn’t that be great!!
Hi Diana! So excited for you to be moving forward with your dream! We moved to a 10 acre farmstead about 3 years ago and it has definitely been a learning experience! One thing I would do differently would be to not try to do everything right away. We were so excited in the beginning, but ended up not quite able to manage it all. I would also advise you to practice contentment no matter where you are in the process. Following God’s plan will mean everything will happen with His timing and it will be just right! 🙂 I am looking forward to following your adventure!
Thanks for that wisdom, Dawn. Yes, I think slow will definitely be our pace! You’re so right, everything in His timing. Thanks for that reminder 😀
Congratulations! So exciting! We bought our land 3 years ago, built a metal building and moved into it 2 years ago. We are saving money to build our dream home. I am so glad we didn’t build our house right away as I have discovered that our needs are totally different than when we lived in a subdivision. I would recommend moving slowly and not trying to do everything at once. We were so excited to get started that we got in a little over our heads. Build proper pens, coops, etc. before adding animals. Otherwise, you may end up with chicks in your living room and donkeys hanging out on your porch… 🙂 Also, there have been a lot of expenses that I hadn’t planned on–everything from tractor implements to t-post drivers. That has slowed down our savings for the house. However, we are thrilled to be out here and learning as we build. I blog about our life at http://www.ourlifeouthere.com.
Great advice to move slowly, Mandi! I really enjoy your blog by the way! I’ll have to make sure to subscribe as I have a LOT to learn!!
That’s wonderful. You both look so at home there already. My advice would be about your future animals. Make sure to pick breeds that are well suited to your climate, not just ones you think are especially cute. Your animals should meet you halfway by requiring as little input from you as possible. Buy the best quality animals you can afford – bargains usually end up being expensive. Don’t buy from auctions, get to know the breeder and visit before buying.
Start with small, manageable numbers. Livestock are generally happier and easier to manage in pairs. They are herd animals and don’t enjoy living alone. Be sure the food, water and social situation is happier inside your fence than out – when animals learn to escape it’s usually because they’ve been needing something and you’re not being attentive.
And, consider building temporary housing that can be moved – you’re sure to change your mind several times about where and how you like things. Permanent perimeter fence is a good idea too.
Thanks Jackie! Don’t be alarmed if I come with a ton of questions ;D
This is so exciting!! I can’t wait to follow along on your journey!
Thanks, Liz!!
I could talk about homesteading all day long, but I’ll just say that you should look into building a rocket mass heater rather than using a wood stove. We have a wood stove, but the RMH is so much more efficient, we are researching how to build one in the place of the stove.
I wish you much luck in your homesteading journey! Just be patient and build as you are able. I’ve been doing this for quite a few years, and I still don’t have everything the way I want it!
Thanks for the advice, Maggie. I’ve never heard of a rocket mass heater so we’ll definitely look into that! Thank you 😀
So very excited for you! One of the best things we did when we moved to our new “old”
Farm 17 years ago was to put In about 10 thornless blackberry bushes all in a row. (ordered them from Stark Bros.) Those bushes have given us gallons of delicious blackberries every year after the first full year of growth, and being thornless they are so easy to pick.! Other than trimming back the old stalks each fall, they are the only thing in my garden that I don’t have to do a thing to and I get a bumper crop evey year, even after the Japaneese beetles! They are huge and delicious. Last fall my sweet hubby decided they needed to be trimmed back so he bushogged them. Well, they came back beautifully, but didn’t produce any berries this year. We have to wait till next July for any berries, so this summer I had to pick the wild blackberries on our fence rows. They were tiny and I got poked, pricked, and eaten by chiggers. Never again will he mow our berry bushes down!
Thornless bushes… great idea!
We are on the same journey! We recently bought 8 acres and are in the process of building our home. It is very exciting! God bless you in your journey!
God bless your journey as well, Dessa! How much fun 😀
Oh, you would have LOVED the Mother Earth News Fair this past weekend. We are in the same boat of building a homestead from the ground, but have a longer time frame. We filled ourselves with tons of information. One that stood out, Daniel Chiras has written several books about Green Building and he seemed to know his stuff. You could look him up.
Thanks for the book suggestion, Sarah! I’d love to go to a Mother Earth News Fair. I’ll definitely look into that!
I’m so happy for you! I just want to second the “master plan” idea. When we bought our farm years ago, my dad wisely suggested we draw a map of how we would like the farm to be laid out someday–barns, chicken houses, orchard, gardens, roads, etc. That master plan has been a great help along the way, and it feels good to check things off that list, even if it is just one or two things per year.
And yes, start small and slowly with the livestock. Each species has it’s own needs, health requirements, quirks, and schedule, and you need time to learn about each of them as you acquire them and time to figure out how to incorporate them into your every day schedule. There is also a big difference between buying animals to raise for meat, or breeding your own. If you decide to breed anything, talk to plenty of others who have done it to find out the hidden costs and extra work involved so you are prepared.
Easy to maintain, dirt-colored floors will make you a much happier mom! 🙂
One book that my husband and I love is _Born Again Dirt_ by Noah Sanders, and his blog: http://www.redeemingthedirt.com. Farming is wonderful, spiritual journey as we gain new insights into the workings of God’s vast and amazing creation every day. You already know this, but pray, pray, pray and ask for His guidance on everything you do on your farm and He will teach you to be a good steward of His creation.
Such great advice, Rachel! I really love the dirt-colored floor idea! I would not have thought of that, but you are so right! There are going to be little dirt loving rugrats mucking about ;D
You are so overjoyed i can tell. God is watching over you both as you are a
wonderful couple. I pray for blessing to on your new endevor. I look to your website
often. Keep us informed of the details as time moves on.
First and foremost, I’d say take that big vacation to Spain. I’m not a homesteader and don’t know if I ever will consider myself such. But since purchasing our property and adding ducks and chickens it’s sure heightens the stress level of even thinking about travel. We took a big trip overseas last spring knowing that our options would be limited once we started getting animals. We are also new to the area, and don’t have anyone we trust or would feel comfortable asking to help us out. I haven’t even figured out logistics for an overnight trip somewhere let alone any actual travel.
Then I’d say, in the areas you can afford it, buy and build for the future. If you KNOW you’ll want something larger, try for it! We had purchased a used greenhouse, but after looking at our proposed location decided we wanted a larger space. There’s only one place to put a greenhouse, so might as well go with something larger if we have any doubts about size or risk having to tear up and start new in the future.
And as others have mentioned, always budget for more. It’s amazing how quick things add up. And budget more for “time” if you are doing it alone. It’s just my husband and me when I’m not working. Sometimes things seem to go really slow. I have to take a step back sometimes and avoid comparing us to others – it can be frustrating seeing how quick some things happen for others, but I assume there’s more money or more help from friends and family. Each has his own pace. Congratulations!
Oh and take tons of pictures or video. We’ve done so much outside sometimes it’s hard to remember how it looked in the first place. No one knows the work we’ve done but us! When were feeling a little overwhelmed it’s nice to look back and see how much we really have done, even if it might still look like a junkyard to a first time visitor!