I just wanted to share my happiness today: We are now the proud owners of 20 acres of semi-remote, forested, undulating, backcountry in North Idaho!!!! It's seems like we have been waiting FOREVER for things to go our way so we could buy and start our own homestead. In fact, there were many times when we were very close to giving up the dream because it seemed so unattainable.....but it has finally happened! Today is a good day.

We went out and walked the land (again!) today, beginning the plan where we will put everything (house, barn, garden, orchard,etc.) It's sooooo exciting I can hardly contain myself!

I know that many of you have done similar things with your homesteads and would like to know if, looking back on it, there is anything you would have done differently,(i.e., bigger garden, different house plans, etc.). We will be starting out from scratch on this land, as there is not even a well yet. I realize that this question has probably been asked numerous times on this forum before, but I know the people here changes from time to time and thought I might get more perspectives. Any and all advice welcomed!!!!

And...to those who are still working towards their dream I say, DON'T EVER GIVE UP! It will happen, most likely when you least expect it (that's what happened for us).

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), October 15, 2001

Answers

Response to After many years, a dream has finally come true.......

If hitting well water is not a problem put your well on the highest part of the property. No mater where you put your septic it will be downhill from it.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), October 15, 2001.

Response to After many years, a dream has finally come true.......

I remember when hubby and I bought our farm in VA, we were so excited. We had to start from scratch too, it was 35 acres of cut over surrounded by timber company land and then personal propoerty that wa swoods. later it was the owners of that property that decided to sell for logging that prompted us to move after it was logged and sold to a developer. I miss our farm, it was so special, in the boonies, thought it was going to be our sanctuary forever.

We had to live 2 and 1/2 yrs without electricity, hubby was determined to not hire a contractor to re-dig the septic trenches, they wanted a contractor to do them, was agood ole' boy network. But fianlly he relented and when they came to inspect the inspector finally approved, he just looked, said "S0 and so did this" and signed the papers.

I miss those days, but we are happier now here at our new farm in AR, would like to sell it and get something more in line with our homesteading plans, but oh well.... guess its in God's hands and fate.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), October 15, 2001.

Response to After many years, a dream has finally come true.......

How wonderful Lisa!!!! So happy for you. We bought bare ground and camped on it for several summers and still made some mistakes when it came to building locations. I think the best advice I would have to offer is don't rush and really get to know your land before chosing your building location. I don't know what your time schedule is. We never experienced a really HARD rain until after we had built and found that we were really in a spot that the water rushed by kind of scary like. We thought we had chosen the best garden site and struggled for 10 years before we finally gave up and switched to a site that is a bit farther from the house than we like, but definately better drained and thus we can get into it earlier in the spring that the old site. Our first chicken coop was too far from the house and we suffered constant loss to critters, even with a locked up coop at night. Now it is much closer to the house and we never lose any chickens. All stuff to consider but I can almost guarantee you that down the road you will find you would have done something different if you had it to do over. This is my third homestead and I have made some mistakes each time. Enjoy the process!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), October 15, 2001.

Congratulations! We are in the process of making our mistakes so I have no wisdom to offer you. WEll, except make the coop BEFORE you get the chicks...(ditto for other farm animals, ha,ha)

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 15, 2001.

After planning and practicing for 25 years on a large lot in a medium sized city and trying out all kinds of organic gardening, knowing all the time the wife would never move to the country and about to give up the dream things changed. We split up and divorced. A year later I bought the farm. Thirty five acres with a large metal chicken house, a lovly farm house with green tar paper siding, at the end of a dirt road. Sixteen years later I have been remarried for nine years to a lady that enjoyes the farm as much as I. The house has been completely remodled, The chicken house is now a 3600 sq ft insulated shop, The wife has a 1600 sq ft summerkitchen and sewing room and the farm now consists of 99 acres, was a hundred but sold one acre with the house that was on the other side of the farm. You have your spot of heaven, now plan, plan, and plan some more. Write it down and draw it out. I even marked out all the trees within 400 ft of the house every thing to scale then in pencil drew in the changes I planned. Some did work some were failures. Now I only need another couple of million dollars and another 100 years and I could finish what started as just an unattainable dream. Once years ago the ex told me I had finally found something that I could never finish (the farm), and she was right. But the journey is so good and so rewarding I never want to reach the end of the dream. Best of luck, its hard work, its really trying some times but so wonderful. Today we picked cotton, the wife planted natural colored cotton, green, brown and rust and of course white. The flax was ready to be taken out of the tub she was retting it in and an new batch put in one by one we are getting to try all the things we dreamed of in the past now you will start the same journey. David

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), October 15, 2001.

oooh 20 acres!!! I am soo jealous (acreage envy). Welcome to the proud order of landowners!

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), October 16, 2001.

David: Sounds like Wife#2 found a gem! Im not sayin' I'd leave my husband for a summer kitchen.... but he could watch alot of football and baseball and every other sport if I found that was added to my house!!!

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001.

My story is kind of like Davids' except my first wife died of cancer. My brother divorced, there went our hunting ground. I bought 80 acres for deer hunting. Me and my soon to be second wife (she had taken one of my classes and developed a crush on the instructor!) developed a deeper appreciation for the land I had purchased. After a year of coming to farm to brush hog and stuff (she looks good on the old Ford Jubilee, too), we decided to get a small double wide installed. After it was in place, we stayed one night, looked at each other and said almost together...."let's move here"! We started the exit process, and finally moved on Feb.22, 1996. It has been a joy and a dream come true.

One of the funny things, when we were still in the big city, we would be talking about....barns for example. I'd say..."wait a minute, I've got a book on that". Seemed like we did this four a five times on different things, finally she asked "Why do you have all these books, your first wife would never have moved to the country?" It has always been a dream of mine. Funny how the Lord works. I loved and enjoyed my "First Life". And the same goes for my second. I was lucky to find two women to love and to build journeys with.

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), October 16, 2001.

Lisa - Congratulations on your land. I know you must be very excited. I wish you the best on your journey.

Rickstir - Quite inspirational. I am the one with the books on everything. Hubby (of 21 years) is the city-slicker. I only hope that he will come around so that I can live out my dreams with him. He is slowly starting to entertain the idea of getting away from the heart of the city. I am keeping my hopes and dreams alive. Blessings,

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), October 16, 2001.

When I moved onto my acre, I made the mistake of putting of all of the FUN stuff in favor of the "responsible" stuff, like unpacking all of the boxes instead of just the essentials. By the time my house was in order, I had forgotten some of the plans that I had made; like where the new fruit trees were to go. Also, the weekend was over and I had to get back to work. I also bought my land in October, and because the "fun" stuff was put off, it was a couple of years before I really got going outside, as by the time I hade worked out a new master plan ( plans are easy when you are excited, and the trees are bright with fall color, but come slowly when you are tired and cold ) winter had set in. Next spring brought its own problems, as it usually does, and I didn't get in any trees or perenials in until the FOLLOWING year! If I had to do it over again, I would take the time to plant just ONE OR TWO TREES, PUT SOMETHING IS WRITING EVEN IF IT RUNS SEVERAL PAGES LONG, and do SOME of the fun stuff first!

-- (hooperterri@prodigy.net), October 16, 2001.

To Greenthumbalina: my husband was also a city boy. We were able to move out here because it had what we both wanted: he got a short commute and a house that he liked, and I got a one acre yard. The commute is short because we are two blocks from a major highway at the edge of town and there are very few stop lights. The property was within our price range only because few people want to live so far away from shops, doctors, etc. (Not a problem here!) I would have liked more land, and Ron never goes in the backyard because he really isn't interested, but we've been very happy here. It sure beats living in the city! So, why don't you ask your "city-slicker" what he enjoys most about about living in the city? Perhaps you can find a place that suits you both?

-- (hooperterri@prodigy.net), October 16, 2001.

Thanks everyone! I'm just bursting with ideas (the realization that I won't be able to do them all in one year (!!) has not really hit me yet!!). It is also hard for my hubby to realize that he cannot do everything himself with no help from anyone. DAvid really hit on something I was thinking about the day our offer was accepted - the fact that the journey we are embarking upon will never really end. I like that.

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), October 17, 2001.

we bought our 80 acres 3 yrs ago and i think if i was going to start my farm instead of buying it i would make a small yard as the time you spend with a mower is time you could be doing other things

-- leroy hamann (yorel_56714@yahoo.com), October 18, 2001.

Congratulations Lisa. . . I hope your land gives you and your family everything you are looking for.

Like David said, PLAN your homestead prior to building it. Try to identify many of the plants and stands of trees already established and don't remove them until you are sure you don't want them. Envision what they might be used for. Those trees over there would block a cold north wind . . . or those trees over here would provide summer shade. . . that kind of thing. This experience was one of my cousin's more memorable regrets

She removed a bunch of 'plants' and tried to raise spinach in their place. It turned out that she removed Jerusalem artichoke, a substitute for spinach that is easier to raise (it was ALREADY established, for God's sake!), and was free to boot.

If you and your husband have a favorite view on your property, don't build there, unless no other recourse. Instead build so that you can enjoy that view from your home. Hope this helps.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), October 19, 2001.