Want to move to a farm... LOTS of questions... ???

[asy]

Well...

The time has come,' the Walrus said, 'To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing-wax -Of cabbages - and kings -
And why the sea is boiling hot - And whether pigs have wings.'

Now, we are looking at (finally) moving to a farm, and are looking for one as we speak. 

Being as this is hopefully something that will happen within the next 6-12 months, I have LOTS of questions.   

My (initial) questions are:

What size land is best?
(How many acres do I need to be self reliant. Not counting for Timber, just the house and farmyard bits)

What animals should I keep? And how many?
(I know Chooks...  but do I want a milk cow, how much work are they really, etc)

What crops should I grow for home use?
What do you recommend we grow, for year round self reliance.

Do I need a gun? If so, what type?
(Keep in mind I have never shot anything, also, what do I need to do to learn how to use it and keep safe).

What machinery do I need to run a Home Farm,
as in, not the Timber/agriculture side of things, just around the house?

What else do I need to know/do?

Thanks in advance for all your wisdom...

asy

[Texas Ranger]

Land size.  As much as you can afford and pay taxes on.  They ain't making any more.

Animals.  What can you effectively raise?  Chickens, rabbits, dogs, cows are tough, lot of long hours in morning and evenings just keeping the milk machine functioning.  Horses?  The land will provide snakes, lizards, rats, mice and the Aussie equivalent of varmints.

Crops.  What can you raise to feed  yourself?  Aussie thing again.

Guns.  Aussie laws.  Shotgun and .22 rimfire for varmints, at least.

Machinery.  What ever it takes to manage the land.  Tractor (multipurpose, till the earth and move the logs).  Small saw mill?  All the hand tools you can possibly dream of.

You will find out what you need and what you don't know for the rest of your life on a farm.

[GHRoberts]

asy ---

I think you need to think in terms of square miles not acres in your area.

When I was younger,  I think we could have lived off of

5 acres

a few dairy goats - milk and meat

a herd of chickens - eggs and meat

2 acres of garden (matches the manure that the goats and chickens make)

bought 100-200 bales of hay and a lot of corn to feed the livestock. It is cheaper than keeping machinery.

[Radar67]

Asy, Check out  www.motherearthnews.com there are alot of good articles that would help you out. Everything from farming crops, animal husbandry, building (cordwood, strawbale, etc), and altenative energy. I've been a subscriber (magazine) for over 20 years and always find something useful. (The web site is free)

Stew

[sawguy21]

*You will find out what you need and what you don't know for the rest of your life on a farm".  That's a fact. It will be a steep learning curve. Is there a farmer's organization or co-op in the area? This a great way to meet the locals and learn from them. What crops and livestock are being raised in the area and for what , personal consumption or sale? You will need tilling and harvest equipment for forage crops, feed handling equipment for livestock.  As TR said be prepared for long hours and hard work. It can be very rewarding but is not for the faint of heart. Good luck with it.

[WH_Conley]

You will never work harder, longer hours for less MONEY.

The return is the peace and contentment that money can't buy.

Gives you a sense of satisfaction looking at what you have around you and thinking" I did that".

You are already getting some good advice and will get more, so I will just wish you good luck.

[Minnesota_boy]

You can subsist on very few acres if you have the right climate and are willing to work yourself to death.  The real question is, "Do you really want to live like that?"  It may be better to think about what would make you happy to do to decrease the amount of money needed to achieve your limited dependence on others.  Sometimes it is better to let people specialize and pay them for that education that they have gained than to try to learn it all yourself.

[leweee]

Asy...talk to the old time farmers in your area...you will learn a lot from these oldtimers....what to do...why,,,and how often.

[Bro. Noble]

We started farming with 80 acres and still worked in town.  That was enough land to try various enterprises to see what we liked and what worked for us.  It was big enough to have a little 'elbow' room yet small enough to take care of.  The job in town gave us security untill we had a better idea of what we could a (and wanted) to do.

I would reccomend a 30-40 hp utility tractor.  I would pay the extra for power steering,  desil engine,  major manufacturer,  live power, and remote hydrolycs.

Everyone should have at least three or four guns and know how to use them reguardless of where they live (in my opinion).

If I had one gun it would be a Savage over under .22 magnum over a 20 gage Magnum.

If two one would be a .22 and the other a pump 12 gage shotgun.

Next I would add a medium sized high powered rifle like a 30-30 and then a revolver or two .22 or .38 special.

I would go from there as the need and desire led me

The best help for a beginning farmer is a good neighbor who is experienced,  intelligent,  honest,  caring,  and patient.

After 40 years of farming,  we have too much land,  too much work,  not enough money,  about a dozen tractors,  not near enough guns (in my opinion---not my wife's)  and still havn't found a neighbor with all the desired qualities,  but caring and honest is OK

[Ianab]

Hi Asy

A few thoughts...

What grows well in the area you are looking at buying? Is it suitable for growing vegetables or just grazing sheep? Crops will depend on climate and soil types. What are the locals growing already? This comes back to how much land you need. If you have good market garden ground you can grow a lot of veges on 5 acres. If you are going to graze sheep look for a couple of thousand Are you looking at a hobby or a business or something in between?

Chooks of course - milking a cow is a tie - it HAS to be done. I dont know if it's worth the effort. A few pigs is an option, but dont make them pets, or if you do give them names like Bacon and Pork Chop. Goats for milking or meat? Beef cattle ? Sheep?

Crops - depends on your climate. Something that can be harvested and stored (potatoes etc? ) or else sold in season and use the cash to buy groceries in the off season.

Gun - A .22 rifle is handy for them pesky wabbits, putting down injured/sick animals, stray dogs etc. You dont really need anything  more.

Machinery - what are you farming?. We ran a 300 acre cattle grazing operation with a quad bike. Contracted in machinery for haymaking and track maintainance. If you are going to be planting crops then you will want a tractor with rotary hoe, front end loader etc. Size of the tractor depnds on the scale of you operation. Spray equipment for the weeds, doesn't matter where you are, there will be weeds 

There's LOTS more you need to know of course, but that will depend on what sort of farm you are running..

Lots of work and stuff to learn, but very rewarding when you can make it work.

Ian

[Patty]

Asy, there are so many options that only you and yours can ultimately decide how much you want to work. We started with 3 acres, put in a small orchard of apple & cherry trees, and planted a huge garden. We had no idea how much work can go into a big garden!! Three acres also provided enough room to raise a few piggies (I fed them from a restaurant I owned), rabbits, chickens, geese, and ducks. Now we farm a 240 acre place. The amount of work that can go into a place is never ending and can be overwhelming. Don't let it get you down; I figure any progress we make is better than nothing. Throughout all this, we have both worked away from the farm, either at our own businesses or for others except in the summer when I stayed home with the boys and even then we did the farmer's markets to earn extra money.  I loved the opportunity to raise our sons away from town. That was by far the most important aspect of being on the farm.

Is it hard work? YES!  Is it worth it? HECK YES! 

Good luck.

[D._Frederick]

If you have not lived and worked on a farm, my advice would be to find a place that you could rent with an option to buy. There are an awful lot of headaches that go along with living and working in the country that can make you wish that you could turn the clock back. If you don't have a big savings account, don't think about farming!

[asy]

Thanks everyone, advice is very much needed, and appreciated.

I had sorta decided that a cow was probably too much work, as cute as they are...  Will get a flock of chooks, and maybe a goat or pet sheep (for lawn mowing purposes).

I can't wait to put an orchard in, and Raised veggie beds. There's NOTHING there at the moment, so I'm starting from scratch, which is good, coz then I can do what I want.  I more or less know exactly what I want in veggie beds. I will make 6 beds (to start with) all 2x3m (6x9ft) raised 2ft off the ground so I can reach them without kneeling (important for me). This way I can use a rotational crop system. I'll also have a small ground level bed for small crops such as corn etc.

I will also get a couple of horses. I want a Shire or Belgian (or at least a Clydesdale) for me (so I don't have to carry the horse...) and a stock horse for Stephanie.

I am scared lifeless of getting a gun, since I've never had one, but there are wild pigs on the property (coming off the state forest behind us), and I have no doubt there are also wild dogs and foxes in there, all of which are shootable in my books. I think I will see if there's a gun club or something I can go to to learn how to drive a rifle. (and yes, I know about gun safes etc... )

Keep the info coming! Please!!

asy

[Ernie]

Is this that 2000 acre block you were talking about before?

In Aussie, I imagine that the first and most important thing is reliable, potable year round water, If you've got that, you can do anything there.

Jan and I are coming over to Brissy for a couple of days at the end of this month, It would be nice to catch up with you guys and flap our faces at each other for a while.  PM me with your number if you like and I'll give you a bell.

[Sprucegum]

Wild pigs?!?  Get a gun, my wife used to be afraid of guns til she decided she was more afraid of bears

Check the local Associations to see if they have a young people's agriculture-learning group. Here we call it 4-H, its an assoc. that teaches young farmers how to farm properly. They would be more than pleased to hear from you.

[OneWithWood]

If wild pigs are a concern I would opt for a 30-30 Winchester over a .22.  You want to be sure and stop a wild pig, not just make it mad 

I think tree farming is the best of all worlds.  If you can't get to a job today it will wait.  The time frame of when things absolutely have to get done is much broader and more to my liking.  The only downside is that weeding can be a major operation if you do it yourself.

[asy]

Good point about the mad boar, OWW. Thanks...

Interesting, I had a chat with my Carpenter today, as I was working with him on a house I'm renovating. He is extremely well versed in firearms, and has consented to teach me to drive one, and keep safe. He will also help me to choose an appropriate one for our requirements.

He said a .22 would be too small for wild boar unless I just wanted to make them mad too.

If we get the block we are looking at now, it'll be fantastic, there's lots of wood on it, just gotta hope the government doesn't go too crazy on us.

As the law stands now, you can clear 5ac of land on any lot. Whether your lot is 20ac or 2000ac, you can only clear 5ac per year.

The new legislation coming through the state government at the moment is that NO Automatic clearing rights will be allowed. There are still some rights retained, for example clearing fence lines, and the home paddock, but we would not be able to walk out onto the land and cut a tree down and harvest it. Andrew is working to unravel the lunacy of the legislation now to see what we can and can't do.

Should be interesting.

Spruce, thanks for the tip on the 4-H. Will see if something similar is available here. Although the School I am looking at (according to their website) has ag subjects.

asy

asy

[Tom]

In my opinion:
If I had to have just one gun, it would be a 12 guage shotgun.  It has enough "oomph" for most bigger game and enough "finesse" for the smaller stuff.  It's slug capabilities will take down large animals and it's pattern of pellets will get flying fowl.

Twenty-two's have their place.  They don't mess up meat in small game.   If you are a decent shot, you will like one for squirrel and rabbit.   I have a couple of 22 rifles that I use mostly for killing cans.  I carry a 22 pistol when I am in the swamp.  It's mostly just for snakes.  Pistols are sure handy, especially when working in a field.  But, if you get one, allow for a lot of practice time.  Most folks have more trouble hitting targets with a handgun than they do a long gun.

When I was growing up, rifles were almost forbidden.  Their range was too great.  Shotguns will wade through brush and stay on target.  Rifle projectiles may end up anywhere within a couple of miles of where they were pointed.  A shotgun's range is shorter, but, that isn't always a bad thing.

Auto-loaders are neat.  Mine holds 5 shells, though legally just 3.   I have found that the first shot is what counts.  A second shot on fowl can come in handy if I can keep my wits about me.   A third shot is usually wasted.

Pumps are great for farm guns because they don't jam from dirt as readily as an auto-loader.  Most farm guns around here live in the cab of the pickup or utility vehicle and most will even have a dusting of rust on the barrel.  A lot of the farmers use single shots because they are so inexpensive.

Double barrel's are good guns, but, for some reason, have become quite expensive.   I think it has to do with image more than functionality.

[asy]

THanks for that Tom! Much appreciated, I'll read it over a few times to digest it.

I'm not likely to be shooting fowl, flying or otherwise, as I don't hunt. I envisage the only thing I will be shooting is wild dogs, wild pigs and the occasional snake. There's no way I'd shoot a native animal unless it was injured or viscious/dangerous.

ALthough, I am waiting for the day my daughter starts bringing boys home. I'm gonna be standing on the porch with a shotgun, and the backhoe within view and mention to them that if she gets into any 'trouble' of any sort, I'm gonna show him how the shotgun and backhoe can work together...   

* asy wonders if this comes under the category 'occasional snake'...

I do like the idea of a double barrel, as I think that if I miss with the first shot, I'd like to be able to take anohter without reloading. Also, am worried that both pigs and dogs run in packs.

KEep the ideas coming please everyone, I'm sure this thread will make good reading for all people looking to move to a farm.

asy

[Faron]

I would think about a 12 gauge shotgun, with slugs or maybe better yet, buckshot for those wild hogs and dogs.  I should qualify that with the statement that I have never even SEEN a wild hog, let alone shot one, so you better check with an experienced neighbor about the effectiveness of buckshot on hogs.  My thinking is an inexperienced shooter would have a slightly better chance of making contact on a charging hog with a few more pieces of lead.   I think I would go with a pump rather than a double barrell.

[Bro. Noble]

If I were going to shoot the critters you mentioned,  I would use a 12 gage with large shot-----between BB and OO buck.  You wouldn't have to be a sharpshooter and if you flinched or got buck fever,  you would still have a good chance of hitting your target.  A pump gives you at least five fast shots compared to two for a double barrel.

[Faron]

Great pumpk- er- minds think alike!

[Bro. Noble]

 
You were faster typing than I was,  but someone turned the page so it makes it look like I am an original thinker

Trouble is,  Faron,  you get to agreeing with me and everyone will ignore you too

[Furby]

Or turn ya into a pumkin or something.

[bcraw98]

We are loaded with wild hog  on our ranch and I can testify first hand that a 12 gauge loaded with 00 buck will kill wild hog. I've killed many with my 12 gauge, 30.06, and even a 22(depends on hog size and or shot placement. Once killed a large boar with 22 mag pistol at 67 yards  .  There are People in my area who get along just fine without guns. The danger posed by wild hogs and other varmits is overrated in my opinion, unless you decide to mess with them.

We are full time cattle ranchers and timber growers and we get by on 2250 acres. So much depends on the productivity of the land(does it take 1 acre or 20 acres per cow) and value of crops to be produced that it's not possible in my opinion to advise you on how much or what to buy. I think you should decide what kind of crop you would enjoy growing and work off that as to what kind and how much land will be needed. I'd only need 10 acres of the right land for a blueberry patch, but I don't want to raise blueberries.

[Ron Scott]

Ditto! on the 12 guage if that's your only weapon.  A Good defensive weapon.

Even a "miss" will get respect and attention to often turn an assailant around or make them run for cover. As Tom mentioned, the single shot is often carried as a "working" or "beater" weapon due their lesser cost and simplicity of use in the elements.

One can also get shots off fast enough if you have the shells in hand,

 

[broker farmer]

All your questions about the farm reminded me of the old story about the farmer who had inherited one million dollars.  Somebody asked him what he was going to do with all the money, he replied "well, I'm just going to farm until it is all gone"!         Keep that in mind.

[Tom_in_Mo.]

Asy, the first thing in farming is don't think you are going to make a living doing it. The payoff is the peace of mind of not being close to someone, raising your veggies, meat and able to hunt whenever you want and not having to ask someone's permission.

If you buy a tractor go ahead and get a front-end loader you will be glad you did.

I only have beef cattle. I calf in the late fall, vacinate in the spring (about April) do haying in the early summer and of course keeping watch on fences, calf not getting sick along with the cows. The fun part is watch those calves grow.

The taxes sure isn't fun at all.

guns: all you can get. .22, shotguns and of course every caliber of rifles

[Saki]

There has been some great suggestions here in this thread. I hope that I can add some more.

I don't think I can agree with anyone more than some of the folks that have suggested talking with neighbors or some old-timers in that area. Life is short, and you just have to realize that as just 1 person, you won't have time to make all the mistakes yourself . Learn from their mistakes and it could save you untold labor and money.

A good older tractor with a front loader is a great investment. Can do in minutes what it may take you days of hand labor. I say older just for simplicity's sake. I tend to my small tree farm and acreage with a tractor owned by my granddad that was brand spanking new in 1952. older equipment is generally easier to work on, but will also have limitations and will not have most of the modern safety features. Might study real long on that and realistically take stock of your situation. Who will be operating it? Do they have any experience? Will they be able to recognize a dangerous situation? I have a fella at work who's favorite saying about a chancy situation encountered anytime he is relating a story about his youth is " I didn't even know enough to be scared "

Firearms: I know things are vastly different in Australia than here, but I will at least give some food for thought. Many of the folks above have recommended a 12 gauge pump gun. If I could only have one gun, that would be what I would get also. Buckshot would be the best general choice for how I understand that you would use this gun. Most buckshot shells have 9 to 12 individual .30 calibre pellets contained in the shell. You would be sending out multiple potentially lethal projectiles with each trigger pull. If you say 10 pellets to the shell 5 shell capacity for the typical pumpgun, you have the capability of sending out a total of 50 projectiles before reloading. As mentioned earlier, you also have the widest selection of types of ammo including birdshot or slugs capable of dropping large game right where it stands. Recoil can be a problem. There is a distinct shove against your should when you trigger off a round in a 12 gauge. If you can, shoot several different guns before you pick one much like you would test-drive a car. There are other gauges of shotguns and the higher the number, the smaller the bore/shell. A 16 gauge is smaller than a 12. A 20 gauge is smaller than a 16, etc. Make sure that you are COMFORTABLE with whatever you pick. Often when you may have desperate need of it is when the situation can be most rattling and you don't want something that you are hesitant to shoot, or dread to pick up. It is another tool, nothing more, nothing less. Make sure it is a tool you are familiar with. Practice with it and be confident in its performance. That said, if you can afford to have more than one I am going to break with some of the rest of the advice given and recommend you look at an old military surplus bolt action rifle in addition to a shotgun. Military arms were made in mass, meaning lots of spare parts, reasonable prices, readily available ammo, and simplistic operation. Here in the us, it is still possible to pick up a decent used surplus bolt action rifle for 100 to 200 dollars.

Don't neglect learning from the sources listed above, and there are many books out on the subject. I received a good one for Christmas called " The contrary farmer " I am only partway through it, but it has some great stuff. Best to you, and I hope your move is everything you hope it to be.

[jon12345]

For a single gun, I think I'd go with the 22 mag/20ga over/under if you can get your hands on, but bigger guns can compensate a little bit for a bad shot.

If you don't have your pets running around all over the property, one option to keep the feral animals discouraged is to trap some of them out.  Most farmers I see here, don't really care about other animals because they see them as competition, which they are, but thats a different story...

As for growing food,  I think your best bet would be to start out with the easiest things, that way you don't waste too much time on trying to grow something that isn't going to be worth it in the long run.  I'm not familiar with wild foods in australia, but you may be able to spruce up your diet with naturally occuring foods.  You could also plant some low maintenance fruit or nut trees too. 

Are there any buildings on the site?  If not, it may be economical to build a 'green' house to save on energy bills.

Chickens are a pretty easy animal to raise here, but then gain there are no venomous snakes or snakes large enough to eat them.  If you free range them for a good part of their life this may become negligible given the cost of chicks.  Some people are also willing to pay a premium for brown eggs.  Trapping the wild piggies could also be another source of income?  I know some people down south trap them and sell the sows, and castrate the boars and release them, so when they are caught again or shot they are more palatable.  Selling fur from animals that have been shot or trapped in the early winter can also provide some income.

Just remember that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

No matter what you end up doing, good luck. 

[SAW MILLER]

  Asy.....my wife was raised in Detroit and she has lived on the farm with me for 33 years.You could't move her back to town now if you tried.There is nothing like the freedom and peace we get from living in the country.

  You should definately grow some GRITZ ..If you need some seed I would be glad to sell ya a bag of grit seeds.

  Good luck on your new adventure ,          Ron

[Part_Timer]

ALthough, I am waiting for the day my daughter starts bringing boys home. I'm gonna be standing on the porch with a shotgun, and the backhoe within view and mention to them that if she gets into any 'trouble' of any sort, I'm gonna show him how the shotgun and backhoe can work together...   

* asy wonders if this comes under the category 'occasional snake'...

Absolutly.  that sure enough is in the occasional snake catagory.

We live in the country but not on a farm yet.  my daughter is in the 3rd grade now but when she graduates in 9 years we are moving to Virginia to a farm we are paying off now. 

As far as a gun goes I'm with Noble on the as many as possible but that is just me.  IMHO The best gun to have is one that you can shoot well and are comfortable with.  I like a 12 gauge pump.  the wife doesn't like it and keeps a 20 gauge double barrel by the bed when  I travel.  My wife didn't like my choices so she went out and bought what she likes and is comfortable with.  Now we're both happy.

My uncle had a 120 acre farm for years and the one thing I remember was him checking the generator before winter and again in the spring just before tornado season.  That way of they lost power for a couple of days they had the well pump.

If I get a chance later I can post some pics of the farm and tell you about our choices if your interested

best of luck

Tom

[UNCLEBUCK]

Get a farm asy !  I think you would like it alot .  Just because you live on a farm doesnt mean you have to be a farmer . About 99% of all the farmers in my county by all their meat,eggs,dairy,grains, at the grocery store in town . They run too big of a farm and they dont have time to mess around with picking eggs . I believe someday they will find the time again. Hobby farms are selling like hotcakes now with all the tv shows showing that kind of lifestyle. I think keep it fun and have a few animals of every kind .small tractor etc..  low overhead, find a niche market and make use of the internet .  Excitement and no stress .    At one time in my life all my money was going to support beef cattle and machinery . I dont wish that on anyone so think of all the names for all the animals youre going to get and watch alot of shows like www.livingthecountrylife.com  www.rfdtv.com   and that mother earth news magazine is pretty cool too .   

[asy]

If I get a chance later I can post some pics of the farm and tell you about our choices if your interested

Tom

YES PLEASE!!!!!

What a silly question, OF COURSE I want photos!!! 

Ron, I think I can get gritZ seeds here, they's called CORN as I recall...  Aren't they???

Buck, we're working on it, it's our goal in the next year or so...  Still lookn...

asy

[Flyboy]

  ASY, I wouldn't buy nothin unless it had some "Sugar Maples" growin on it   Theres been a lot of good advice on this thread so far. I've always lived in the bush so it'd be like me askin what do I need to survive in the city.
As much land as you can afford. Some open, some woodland. A good saw. A small mill, I got a Norwood LM 2000, Love it! A good Dog Protection & company, if the missus got a headache. Guns: I got more guns than teeth 22 Pump (A Must) 12ga Pump, (I got an 870 Remington, simple, indestructable) Revolver, I'd go with a 357 Mag, you can shoot 38's in it till your acustom, then put in the big loads when your needin it. It'll stop most anything.  If you got big game? a 30-30, 308, 30-06, 270, 35 Rem. Most any will do da job. 35 Rem is my choice for the bush, slow movin, big slug that has the hittin power of a freight train. A 270 for the long shots.
A Tractor, most of what you can afford. A wide front end!!! Don't be going on the woods with a tricycle front end, unless you been on tractors a good long time. A 4X4, 50hp or bigger. A winch, like a Farmi, skiddin logs on the draw bar works, but sucks, Lots of things you can do with a winch, besides pullin logs. Front end loader too. A set of tools for when she breaks down. IT WILL   Critters: I grew up on a dairy farm (holsteins) forget cows!!! I'd get and have Boer Goats! Good for Meat, will clear your brush, easy to care for. Breed them with a milk goat or two, get the best of both worlds. You might be able to sell a few. Rabbits, better than chicken, No Feathers! sept for the eggs. Pigs, absolutley! they will till and fertilize the ground after the goats strip it. Take a steele bar and "plant" some corn around stumps & rocks, the pigs will excavate them for ya, you come along with your tractor and carry them off. Crops, unless your big time mechanized and such, grow what your gonna eat. Veggies. the waste can go to the critters, compost. You don't need grain, hay, etc unless you got cows. The goats will fend for themselves, pigs too. Don't be feedin cabbage to your rabbitts. They're digestive system can't take it in large quantitys, they can't fart. It'll kill them. Cept for the rabbitts, you can keep everthin where you want um with a good electric fence No matter what other folks tell ya. If your off the grid, go solar!
Best have a little grub stake stashed away for unseen catastrophies. You aint gonna make money livin off the land, BUT you'll sleep better, have less acid reflux, headaches, high cholesterol, sexual malfunctions, stress, and all the other ailments plaugein the 21st century from livin like rats in cities, pushin and clawin there way to an early death in the pursuit of a bigger portfolio. In time turn your nose up at anything you didn't grow yourself. You'll look at feedin your kid a Big Mack as child abuse! Have fun, and don't ever give up!! A good old pickup truck too, so you can smile at your neighbors when ya go to town!

[jdunmyer]

Get a copy of "Living the Good Life" by Helen & Scott Nearing, it will open your eyes, big time.

If you want cattle for strictly "home use", there's a new miniature breed now becoming popular. They're about 1/3 size of regular cattle, but otherwise about the same. Might even be a good business to get into.

[Andy Mack]

Guys

Lots of good advise and comments.

Flyboy:   Lots of Folk have Boar goats here "Down under".  But arent they difficult to fence in? 

Btw, rabbits are practically banned in Australia, particularly Queensland. And Asy loves chooks.


Andy

[asy]

Thanks guys!

Flyboy, neither of my kids has ever eaten a big mac in their lives, my son had McD twice when he was a little kid coz his godfather took him against my instructions, both times my son had gastro so bad it wasn't funny. He's decided he's 'allergic' to McD, and my daughter decided that if he got that sick she wasn't risking it.   Fine by me

As Andy said, Goats sounds good, and he would like goats (I think it's just so there's something more stubborn on the farm than he is, but not sure goats will do, may have to get a mule to make up the difference )

Thanks for all the suggestions on firearms, I guess it's gonna depend on where we end up, if we end up on 30 acres in between lots of other acreages, I don't guess we'll need one, but if we end up on 2000 acres surrounded by state forest, there's no way I'll be without several.

I will definately go test drive a few prior to purchase, and see what I'm comfortable with. The reality is it'll be me using it, so I'd best get something I can drive.

I still want a couple of horses, so I'd be obliged if you guys would stop telling Andy what they cost over on that horses thread...   

I can't wait to have a garden. And an orchard. And SPACE!

asy

[Flyboy]

  ASY, The joke over here has been for a while that McD's sold ROO meat , now I don't know. I aint eatin the S...
I take my goats when there real small and make a little corral for them about 12'X12' right outside their house. Put up three strands of wire hooked to a HOT charger-- Like 13,000 volts, with a 1/200 of a second jolt. After a few times gettin "Bit" on the nose, they learn to respect the wire. Same thing with pigs too. They are both very smart animals and learn quick! As the goats grow, add strands of wire up to about 6'. Don't be drivin nails in any GOOD Trees, neither!They can jump it but most times won't. You can train them to a bell too, Every time you give them a little grain, ring the bell, every time, after a while if they wander off, ring the bell, they will come runnin. This works especially good on pigs. I had some hogs one year that came flyin down off the mountain when they heard my pickup commin. The thing to remember with critters.... Their belly is a lot bigger than their brain. Killin and processin your own meat is no where as hard as the books you buy make it out to be. Cept FOWL (why do you think they call um FOWL) A goat dresses out just like a deer. A pig is easy too, and you don't need bath tubs and and 6 guys either. When you get ready, I'll walk you through it. The hardest part, till your a cold hearted Mountain dude like me, is pullin the trigger Don't be namein nothin your gonna eat. Period! It makes it taste funny, specially to youngins.
The tractor, shop around. I don't know what kind of terrain you got, maybe you don't need a 4X4. We had a Ford 5000, gas job with a select-ta-matic trans. We logged with it a good bit and it was one pullin SOB. Ring chains are a lot cheaper than that front X too. Just watch the "wheelies"
Farmstead (I think) and Small Stock Journal is a good rag too. Mother EN is a waste of money, IN MY Opinion, It's for wannabees. I love seein em up here with their LL BEEN coats, and Outback cars.
A transplant called me to take down some big, dead, ash trees for him right behind his "New Sugar House" I said sure, give him a price, then asked Why didn't you cut them BEFORE you spent 15K and built it there??? Said he didn't see them
No S... no bunnies in Aussy land. I spoze they do what bunnies do and they had plenty, huh?
I wouldn't be far from a piece no matter where I lived, Remember this too, there is nothin more useless than an empty gun. Cept maybe horses, Just keep track of them, and away from kids, till you teach em right. 

[asy]

ASY, The joke over here has been for a while that McD's sold ROO meat ,

HAH!

Roo meat is DELICIOUS!!!

I make a fantastic roo stir fry!

will cook ya some next time you're in Brissie!

asy

[Part_Timer]

ASY

Sorry these took so long.  Here are a few pictures of the farm.  They are not real good but you can get the idea.












There is around 40 acres there most of it being vertical.  THere is about 4 acres cleared including an orchard.  It used to be a tobacco farm.  We finaly got a quad this year so we can mow back the bush a few acres more.  I think that I might be able to clear 2 extra acres but I'll have to string some fence and turn some goats loose when we move down.  to steep to mow.  The drive way is about a half mile and it is shared between us and the Virginia forest service.  The barn is fairly large.  32x20 by 2 1/2 stories tall.  They didn't do a good job putting it together but we can fix it.  I have a couple of sycamores that I can cut into siding for it.  there is a small spring that runs most of the year.  We're hoping we can find dependable water up there.  If not we have a backup plan 

We have a plan in place for the move.  House,barn,workshops and even a forge.  We are going to put a couple of rental cabins up on the back side of the place.  We'll use the rentals if our parents health fails then we can move them in and everyone have their privacy but still be close.  We're adding some peach trees to the orchard.  There is a clear cut on the backside of about 1/2 acer that will get some chestnuts/almonds I hope this spring.  We're even thinking of some bees maybe when the time comes.

Well that's the plan.  Don't know if it will work but hay ya gota have a dream

[asy]

WOWWEE!!!

THANKS HEAPS!!!

WHat lovely photos! Well worth the wait!

It would take me a week to walk around your farm with my camera, it's gorgeous! I especially love the second last photo, I could really do something with that scene and a camera...   smiley_rainbow_colors

Your barn looks interesting, don't think I"ve ever seen a 2.5 story barn before, especially not on a HILL!

Are you farming the land? or is it a 'lifestyle block'?

asy

[getoverit]

Beautiful land part timer!

[UNCLEBUCK]

That is a nice layout P.T. and I also like your thinking about taking care of family as I have kind of the same plans someday ! Pictures are great .   

[Flyboy]

  ASY, I see a deal in the makin You got Roo, I aint never ate none, but would, I got lots of sugar maples, if you get my drift   I wonder about matin a Roo with a goat, would that make it a ROOT? Or a Go Roo
I'd like to be the first Roo Rancher in Vermont I got neighbors raisin some strang critters, This is Vermont.... Anything is possible...

[Part_Timer]

Thanks Ya'll we fell in love with the place when we saw it.  We'll see how the plan goes.  I just wish it wasn't 10 hours away.

Tom

[jon12345]

Part_Timer  and Asy, who are both lookin at moving...'home is where the heart is'  I'm sure you will love bein on a piece of land you can love and grow on, whether it be emotionally or trees   

[DoubleD]

Hello asy have you moved to the farm? I think the best thing in life is living on a farm. I hope someday to move on my little land in mountain and start a small sawmill/farm business

You aint gonna make money livin off the land, BUT you'll sleep better, have less acid reflux, headaches, high cholesterol, sexual malfunctions, stress, and all the other ailments plaugein the 21st century from livin like rats in cities

Flyboy trues words couldn't be said.
Asy good luck on your move

[iain]

Man every one is talking guns, water, animals, tractors , and stuff, no body being practical

Asy the "view" from the porch, and the "feel" of the place, should be your main concern,
along with the stream for the kids, the not easy to find drive way, not over looked by neighbors, along with space for wandering pig roasters on the southern leg of the world tour

Iain ( the only really practical member of the forum)

[asy]

Hey DD, thanks for asking!

Still looking for farmy.  Actually, we're off tomorrow to look at a very promising one. 50 acres. Right in the area we want to be in.

Will report back after we see it.

Iain. There's always room for wandering roastees. The southern leg of a world tour would be incomplete if devoid of my cooking, I'm sure.

asy

[Snag]

OK, maybe its just me or maybe I missed it, what in the heck is a Chook?   
I grew up on a farm and never heard that term...

[iain]

Say to your self quietly, chook, chook, chook, chook, chook

they  also lay eggs, and make excellant fox snacks


iain

[Snag]

I tried that, but now my co-workers think i'm nuts.
We had some things that went brock-bock-bock-bock....
Maybe its just a different dialect.... 

[iain]

See,  you gotmerican english
we got real english

chook, chook, chook



iain

[asy]

Here, they sound much like...

chook chook chook ch-k CHOOOOOOOOK!

That must be the aussie version, which is lots like the Engrish version...

asy

[crtreedude]

Asy,

I knew you all had a strange accent - but so does the gallinas?

[iain]

You think Sergey chook's, would under stand Dang's version of English?



 iain

[Tom]

In the Southeastern United States, there is a bit of a drawl.  The females say something like:

Buck buck buck buck-uck!

The males run around trying to catch the females (I guess that happens everywhere) and when they stop to catch their breath, they holler:
Er ER ER ER ER-r-r-r-rr-       Y'all   

[Snag]

At least the male hollering seems to be the same.....

[iain]

SNAG i dont think you know just how close to the truth you are



 iain