We are here, let the journey begin! Starting a homestead can be very overwhelming. Everything takes time, work and money far before you will ever make profit. We are still finishing our home remodel projects as the warmer weather comes, however time put into the homestead is time not wasted. It is a step-by-step process. Having a plan is the only way to begin!

Finishing the beautiful kitchen, porch and other remodel projects was my primary focus. Now that we are living here what is most important to me now is our future here, our livelihood, and functionality. Funny how your priorities can change!

Having a property that is organized is crucial. We have spent a lot of time focusing on this. It is always exciting starting something new. Finishing your current projects is just as important in order to move forward. Getting rid of unnecessary things that don’t serve you well is the first step.

As we move forward, homestead projects will start coming to life! Living on 5 acres gives us the ability to do many things. Reality is we have a lot to clean up on the property. Years of neglect proves extra work to clear down trees, for instance. Undergrowth all around the property needs to be cleared. We also have been clearing up brush and down trees. Not just to make it visually appealing, but critters like to nest in these cluttered areas and it brings unwanted animals closer like snakes.

In the front, we have a line of mature cypress tress bordering the property line. There were a ton of down branches. Using a pull saw and a ladder we were able to reach most of the broken branches. While doing this we discovered cedar trees! We did not know there were cedar trees on the property. We will be making some homemade cedar products from the branches we cut down, later. Cedar wood is beautiful and deters bugs outdoors and moths indoors. I can’t wait to get started on this project!

The next step is prioritizing your homestead projects. Some things require hours of physical work. Other things are mostly money driven. Looking at your budget may be the deciding factor as to what you start working on first. Keeping track of your expenses is important so as to not overextend yourself. Know what you can afford! There is no point in stressing your finances, so some things may be prioritized for later. Pick that first thing you can budget and get going on that! The rest will come with time.

Fencing

One of the most important things to me was having sturdy fencing for our dogs in the backyard. Out in the country there are often wandering stray animals and definitely wild animals. These two guys are tough, no doubt! But, they had been living in a small yard most of their life. Protecting them with a fence was the only way to go.

At the time, wood prices had increased significantly! Luckily, we had already purchased most of our wood for the home remodel. When it came to dog fencing, we decided on chainlink for this area. Chainlink usually would be more expensive than wood, but at this time was comparable. We put fencing around the backyard and tied the existing buildings and barn inside the fence. It keeps our dogs in and protects from outside intruders. We hired a local company, who did a great job. When we fence the entire property, over time, we will do a farmhouse fence with wood and wire. It may take sections at a time but thats ok, too!

We are looking to add a tractor to be able to create a ground garden and to use to make landscaping around the house. We can use it to scrape the driveway and clean out brush in the woods. It would be a game changer in how we function on this property and we are on the hunt for one now!

Update: We bought a tractor!

This was the most exciting day of my life, I have to say. I never would have imagined it before. A tractor will make certain projects that could take weeks and back breaking labor turn into days. We will get so much more done and faster. With a long list of things to accomplish, this is seriously a game changer. I have never felt so good about a decision. It is an investment in our future as well as a means to make money on the property. She’s also pretty and we named her Bearnice. She won’t be a stranger!

After doing much research, we decided on going with a Mahindra tractor. When comparing Mahindra to other brands of tractors, Mahindra has more capability with lifting more weight in the front bucket. Their tractors are heavier than their counterparts. They also have a two year bumper-to-bumper and a seven year powertrain warranty. The warranty was very important to us. We are really pleased with our choice, and the red is pretty cool! Bearnice has also been featured several times on @mahindraagnorthamerica on instagram!

Note: See Gardening for Life to see how we have been using our tractor so far for the ground garden!

The Barn

We have a one-stall barn with a mostly finished storage room attached. For now, this storage room contains things for decorating and extra storage from when we moved. The goal is to get most of it cleaned out and get rid of the majority of things to open up shelving space for storing canned food. Keeping extra furniture or decor we aren’t using does not fit our plan to thrive. There is a cutout for an A/C unit in here as well to monitor temperature if needed. Electricity is hooked up in the barn too. We are using the stall currently to store all of our ladders. A horse used to live here years ago.

When we had our house warming camping party we installed lights inside the barn. It extended our entertaining space to underneath it with bales of straw and pumpkins for fall decor. Add some cornhole and instant fun!

Our plan now is a barn addition. We are adding a lean-to roof to the back to have a designated space to store the tractor. On the side where we store and dry firewood, we are going to cut a door out of the backside and turn this area into a wood working shop. It will also be an exit to enter the tractor storage addition. We want to eventually close in the entire area, although I am kind of attached to the open feel. However, it would add additional inside dry storage for future farm animal feed storage and supplies.

There is one water well for the house and unless we wanted to dig a second well we need another water source. We are installing water collecting barrels to catch water from the barn roof. We saw one at our local Tractor Supply store that we are considering. This will give us gallons of water we can use to water the garden. The cost of installing will pay itself off in no time, and rain water is free!

Future Chicken Coop

We have an old “lean-to” building we currently keep the lawn mower in. We will be transforming this into a chicken coop! Working with what we already have is more cost efficient. We currently keep the mower in here but to build the chicken coop will give them a space that is already inside the backyard fence for extra protection. The previous property owners used this for a pigeon roost, so there are already some built in shelves we can transform to nesting boxes.

We will be adding an outdoor run area that will be covered to protect against the birds of prey. They fly over the property daily. They help rid the property of snakes. I don’t mind that at all, but we have to protect the chicks! We are still designing the coop, but will cut out a small door and add ramps and roosting spots. It’s fun to look at other people’s coop designs! There are so many creative coops out there. Note: Check back soon for our Chicken Coop Design.

We believe in free range chickens and the health of their lives. Happy chickens make the best eggs. Ours will have plenty of yard space to roam every day. Introducing the dogs to them may be a task! However, having fresh eggs everyday will be money saving too. Watch out Martha Stewart!

Future Greenhouse Project

I am constantly on the the lookout for materials to build a greenhouse. A greenhouse will give us the ability to grow year-round. The winters are cold and most plants do not survive in the winter outside. It will also give us the ability to start seeds indoors under a monitored environment. It will add more potential to grow and sell plants, prepare for the garden, and propagate. We will design and build this ourselves. There are so many styles out there to consider. I love seeing what other people are doing! I have a feeling after this happens thats where you’ll find me from now on. I may even set up my office in it!

Why Homesteading

The main purpose of homesteading is to be able to live or profit off of your land. You do not have to have 20 acres of farmland to do this. We continue to work outside the homestead, for now. You have to afford all of what you are doing. The goal is to take the steps to begin making profit from our efforts. As we grow, add livestock, it will open up more opportunity to make money. Doing all the work yourself is a huge money saver. It keeps you in shape as well. There is nothing more satisfying than getting out in the sunshine and planning your future. Nature has a way of clearing the mind and soul. Give it a try, if you haven’t. Free therapy is never a bad thing!

For now, the ground garden is our start in our journey. This summer you should find me selling our vegetables, herbs and plants at the local market, if all goes well growing. The goal is to pay off what we spent and make profit to afford the next years spending. The perk is having fresh vegetables to eat all spring and summer. The remainder of the produce will be canned and stored. Being prepared for unsightly times is more important than ever these days. I am far from a doomsday mentality, but to have backup food to feed your family is simply preparedness.

Investing in yourself is liberating, while helping others is divine.

Looking after yourself, your family and others is the end goal in running your own homestead. If you start to think in this way of how can you start to do this, you will find a new outlook in life. You begin to discuss things with your community. You start to support others, knowing they will support you. Trading ideas and resources prove we are all in this together. It feels good to be a part of a broader purpose in life. Thinking about contributing in a community which prospers together is a stronger foundation for a solid future. It all starts at home.

I am excited to update you on our homesteading progress! I have been gardening for over ten years and I finally have some space to work with. We are excited to be here and there are so many things to do. Now, don’t be surprised if we get goats in the future! I already have a space figured for them. You never know!

The goal is to bring it all to life, one step at a time!

Note: Follow us on instagram, it’s been an entertaining time over there. Bearnice, our tractor has had her spotlight, for sure!