Getting started without resources

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Hi everyone... I'm new to this forum, but it is a great resource! I have read quite a bit. Anyway, I have a question for you.

We are a homeschooling family of 8 (kids range from 2 months to 10 years) and we are very interested in homesteading. We are currently in Washington State, but have found we prefer our previous state of Oregon. We've had an incredibly bad run of luck financially for the past year and a half, and our efforts on increasing our income have been pretty fruitless. :( We have raised chickens, ducks, and rabbits in the past, and done vegetable and herb gardening, so we do have some skills in the homesteading area. I am also a novice spinner, currently without a wheel.

Anyway, my question is... how do we get back to the land? We're stuck in the middle of a large city right now with no yard to speak of. There are no savings and no hopes for any at least for some time to come. How do we overcome this? Ideally, we would like enough land to live on and raise our own meats and produce. We are not afraid of hard work. We just seem to be running in place and getting nowhere but deeper. :(

DH would have to have a job off the homestead for income... he is gifted in web design, graphics, and audio/video. Besides raising children and animals and gardening, I can teach childbirth classes, provide labor support as a doula, make rag rugs, crochet, and am editor of a newsletter.

Is there a way to find land in these circumstances? Sweat equity is something we are willing and able to do. Anyone in Oregon (preferably western) that has acreage that needs to be worked in exchange for some personal usage and living space? I am willing to listen to any and all advice, and put it to good use towards our goal. Than

-- Toni Rakestraw (WA) (dabblmom@aol.com), October 05, 2001

Answers

Ooops! I meant to finish that last word! I mean thank you! :)

-- Toni Rakestraw (dabblmom@aol.com), October 05, 2001.

I am just wondering how you found time to even write to this site .WOW 8 kids under 10 .Hopefully someone will have something to help .I would suggest getting the local paper and maybe even placing an ad "wanted house and acrage on land contract or rent to own "

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), October 05, 2001.

Actually, there are 8 of us total... DH and I, and the 6 kids. :) I don't want to take credit for being better than I am! LOL

Thanks for the idea...

-- Toni Rakestraw (dabblmom@aol.com), October 05, 2001.


You still beat me by 2 kids !

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), October 05, 2001.

Perhaps your family could find a position as caretakers on a piece of property in Oregon. There is a newspaper, I think it's called the Caretakers Gazette, that matches up people looking for caretakers with people looking to work. It wouldn't be your own land, but at least you'd be out of the city and hopefully in a better position to start saving some money.

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), October 05, 2001.


It isn't Oregon, but the land can be bought with nothing down. I have no idea about employment in the area. You would have to check that out. And, then look at cheap alternative housing shelters.

Here's the link to the land: http://www.ozarkland.com/

You might want to join this public forum and see what these peple are sharing about cheap shelters: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cheap-shelters

If that link doesn't work for you, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/

and do a search for cheap-shelters and join so you can read the messages.

Good luck!

Kelly

-- Kelly longing to live in the woods... (angelridgemom@ameritech.net), October 05, 2001.


Wow... thanks for all the great ideas! I knew this was a good forum to ask! :) ::::getting busy doing research::::

Thank you all so much!

-- Toni Rakestraw (dabblmom@aol.com), October 05, 2001.


While your looking for a place to work, why doesn't DH get a job? Just because he's talented enough to do web design doesn't mean he can't do something else. Working two and three jobs is no picnic, but it is something many of us have done to survive. My resume is extensive, house cleaner: Domestic Engineer. short order cook: Chef. video store clerk: Customer Service Rep. trash picker: Antiques Dealer. Where there is a will, there is a way.

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), October 05, 2001.

DH does work, very hard. I also work, but am in an on-call position, so unless someone goes into labor on my shift, I don't get anything. This works out so one of us is with the kids at all times... a babysitter for 6 kids is very expensive. I also sell herbal salve, rag rugs, and anything else I can make. DH has done retail, customer service, and many other jobs as we

-- Toni Rakestraw (dabblmom@aol.com), October 05, 2001.

I think that this is a good Idea for a site ,but reading through your forum I find that you don`t address the issues at hand. The question is asked " how can you get started in homesteading on a nill budget???" I too am facing a problem of income and could aford to make a last gasp effort on an all or nothing gamble, but that just puts you in another job situation where you may still have to work two or three jobs to survive. care taker might work for me and my wife with no kids,but eight kids??? Get real man that just isn`t going to happen unless there is a miricle. So to rephraze the question..."Is there a land registry or something that gives a listing for just plain old fashion land for cheap that we don`t have to pay 39.95 for???

-- James Cline (Tap_one2001@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.


I am realizing my homesteading dream this year by starting with a work trade. I did work for the land owner last summer, which was my down payment, come spring, I will move out, and continue to trade work for land payment, on my spare time from other duties. It seems that you, Toni, have more than enough skills, and your husband should be able to practice many of his vocations by modem from a homestead, (as could you edit a magazine or newspaper). Heck, with your combined skills, and a computer, you could produce your own magazine. The Kids could get involved. Just an idea. There are a lot of people who love to help others out. You have already put the question out there; continue to feed it with positive energy. There are plenty of things that you can do in the meantime. You have some yard to speak of-get intensive in it, as well as in sunny windows, rooftops (if you have good support) trellis', etc. Get creative. Make bunk beds, and move into a smaller house. It creates tensions, but where there is love, there is a way. Sing. Dance. Do not be discouraged. SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND!!! BEST OF LUCK

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.

Thanks for your response, Roberto! We did, just this month, start a print version of a homeschooling newsletter I've been doing online for 5 years. I don't expect a huge amount of subscribers right away, though I do have about 900 to the email version. So I am hoping that will help us. I also am making custom rag rugs. My husband is currently looking for work, so that is holding up a lot of things, but so far we are managing. :)

What a nice deal you have going for yourself! I do wish you much success in your v

-- Toni (dabblmom@aol.com), January 30, 2002.


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