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wifemommy
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Well it is a 13.4 acre "hobby" farm with pasture, woods, barns and the most awesome stream  We are having an inspection done on Saturday and I was wondering if there is anything special to look for...one of those in hindsight things. Also what are some good resources, books,websites, magazines etc. We are thinking about gardening, raising chickens and alpacas. We are also looking into back up systems for the electric. The whole family is excited about this new "adventure"  Thanks -Annie
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Mary G
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Oh Annie -- no advice but how COOL! I'd love to do this sometime ... but I'm so urban, it may just be a dream (altho I do have a BIL who has a farm in NC so I can get my "fix" annually  )
Good luck and blessings on your next adventure!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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folklaur
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I have wanted an alpaca farm for so long. (but, like Mary, I'm a pretty urban girl, I think my idea of a farm is pretty romaticized). Recently, my in-laws started raising llamas up in Colorado.
I think what you are doing sounds SO COOL! And, can I just say, the image of a stream is just wonderful!!!!
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LLMom
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I wished we would have looked closer at the type of soil we had and the kind of grass. We have 10 acres but neither the soil or grass are good so it has made gardening extremely hard and we can't run any animals without supplementing with quite a bit of hay. Right now with gas prices so high and the drought we are experiencing, that makes it out of budget for us to have animals. I do have a garden, but it is small because I would have to add so much to the land to make it productive.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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chicken lady
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Check the well and septic, both can be costly if they go on you!
When you get settled in, pm me, there are Catholic homesteading groups that I am certain you would like 
And get Carla Emerys book, Encyclopedia of Country Living (sorry no time to link) it is a wonderful resources.
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lapazfarm
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chicken lady wrote:
Check the well and septic, both can be costly if they go on you!
And get Carla Emerys book, Encyclopedia of Country Living (sorry no time to link) it is a wonderful resources. |
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Ditto both of these.
In particular make sure your well and pump can handle the extra capacity of an ag enterprise.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Taffy
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No advice, just wanted to say congratulations and that I'm envious!
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Susan
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juststartn
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Definitely check the soil. Check out your neighbors (go meet them, if you can--some of them may have animals that they would like to get rid of the manure and bedding from). Also, check out what sorts of development may be in the works for your area. Large power lines may be an issue (don't know about you, but I don't want the ginormous lines running across MY property)....
HMMMMMmmmm. Check out the foundation, look at how much of a rodent problem there may be there. I'm trying to think about what I would want to check out...
The roof. That's another one. Is there power to the outbuildings? Check the lines there--make sure that they are up to code (most inspections DO NOT include the outbuildings, so you may have to be specific on it). We insisted, when we bought this place, that the septic system, heat & a/c got a servicing/pumping before we moved in. Wish we'd also insisted on an exterminator (mice).
HTH
Rachel
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Roma
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check to see if there is any type of water filter system on the well water. if no i would use that for extra bargaining off the price. ours cost several thousand
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wifemommy
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Thank you all for the congratulations and advice.
Meeting the neighbors....they are who we are buying the house from they built a new smaller ranch on part of their property and parceled off the original house and farm area. It looks like the barn has it's own well and water. Yes we are getting the septic and well checked. A new water treatment system has been installed I didn't think about the soil but they do have a nice garden started. The house is still lived in by either adult kids or renters I did not see signs of rodents in the house, the barn didn't look too bad either not sure about some of the other buildings. Thanks for the power line reminder I think we are a bad location for them but you never know.... Thanks Annie
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lilac hill
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| Posted: May 23 2008 at 10:13pm | IP Logged
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Congratulations and what a great adventure you are beginning.
That said--
start small.
depending on your situation small could mean fewer animals or no breeding animals.
especially if you are going to keep animals--- (I have worked up to goats, sheep, egg and meat chickens, turkeys, pigs and beef)
Before you get the creatures have their shelter and fencing. Figure out how you will handle manure ( how will you move it--compost?-and where will you keep it?) and winter feeding and watering. Where do you get your water? Is ther electric in the barn? Until we had running water in the barn in the winter I did not keep anything more than sheep and egg hens and I carried water from the back bathroom. I did raise meat chickens in those years but they had an 8 week, summer lifespan. This coming winter will be our first at overwintering beef so I have a whole new set of issues. I will be moving square bales of hay for winter so DH will probably have to make a trap door in the floor of the barn for moving hay. After cleaning horse barns last winter I learned about winter watering too.
I find that most publications are geared towards larger operations than mine so I have to adjust for size and equipment. I find the Homesteading Today board and helpful .
I like the more rubbery buckets and feed bowls, they last through the winter without cracking and it is easier on the body to carry two half full buckets than 1 full bucket.
A big flash light in the house will help when the sheep and dogs start making noise in the middle of the night or you forget something and have to run outside in your nightgown.
Premier fencing is wonderful and well worth the cost, I am on my 3rd electric net fencing for the sheep. I use 2 of the shorter fences (2 lengths of fence are easier for me to handle) and rotate the sheep through the orchard. When the goats are grown I will use the taller fence.
Get some boots, Wellies for the summer and if you spend alot of time in the barn, Mucks for winter are great. I used Wellies/rubber boots with thick socks in the winter until this year. Tall boots over pants and a longer apron over everything keeps you relatively clean on your quick barn check or before a trip to town.
One of the hardest adjustments to make was to accept that two of my girls do not like barn work. DD#1 "does not do outside stuff", thank goodness she helps inside while I am outside. DD#2 likes her cat and can occasionally help. DD#3 is the horsewoman and is a big help but I do not have horses so she helps but not with enthusiasm.
Again , have fun!
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Viv
Wife to Rick (7/83), Mom to dd#1(6/87), dd#2(1/90), and dd#3(6/94) in central PA.
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juststartn
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Make sure to have your DH go thru the attic and look for "race tracs" in the insulation. Inspectors may or may not tell you. Mouse sign doesn't have to be blatant (move the appliances and look underneath!!!).
We didn't find out about our mouse problem until we got into the house, and saw one scamper across the dining room floor one night. Found where it went out, and started finding other holes in places we hadn't noticed before (hidden, behind things, etc).
When we replaced our old stove, well, let me tell you, I could tell cleaning under there had not been done recently. OH MY WORD. Honey, gag a maggot. That's the best thing I can say...ugh!! And I had to clean it up before we put the new one in (as well as plugging up the holes in the wall behind the stove).....
We've filled in more holes, and had an exterminator come out...he found alot more than we had suspected. We've got a 30 yr old brick house, built on a slab, with no exterior entrances that we can find. But they still got in somehow. Hopefully, they are all dying off now...
Anyway, rodents will be a constant battle when you are in the country (barring a bunch of good barn cats--something I hope to get soon).
Rachel
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Rebecca
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Waaaahhh! That's the sound of your crying friend who will miss the five minute drive to your current house! 
But, hey, the longer drive means we will stay ALL DAY when we come to visit!
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Vanna
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Barn cats are GREAT for keeping the mice population down but a word of caution (make sure they are spayed and neutured or you will have a cat population problem before too long).
I grew up on a small farm and loved it. I have so many memories of just running around the pastures, exploring the woods and investigating animal tracks. It was a great childhood. I hope and pray someday to be able to own a small farm of my own.
All of God's blessing on your new adventure. It will be fantastic.
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MicheleQ
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lilac hill wrote:
start small.
depending on your situation small could mean fewer animals or no breeding animals.
especially if you are going to keep animals--- (I have worked up to goats, sheep, egg and meat chickens, turkeys, pigs and beef)
Before you get the creatures have their shelter and fencing. Figure out how you will handle manure ( how will you move it--compost?-and where will you keep it?) and winter feeding and watering. Where do you get your water? Is ther electric in the barn? Until we had running water in the barn in the winter I did not keep anything more than sheep and egg hens and I carried water from the back bathroom. I did raise meat chickens in those years but they had an 8 week, summer lifespan. This coming winter will be our first at overwintering beef so I have a whole new set of issues. I will be moving square bales of hay for winter so DH will probably have to make a trap door in the floor of the barn for moving hay. After cleaning horse barns last winter I learned about winter watering too.
I find that most publications are geared towards larger operations than mine so I have to adjust for size and equipment. I find the Homesteading Today board and helpful .
I like the more rubbery buckets and feed bowls, they last through the winter without cracking and it is easier on the body to carry two half full buckets than 1 full bucket.
A big flash light in the house will help when the sheep and dogs start making noise in the middle of the night or you forget something and have to run outside in your nightgown.
Premier fencing is wonderful and well worth the cost, I am on my 3rd electric net fencing for the sheep. I use 2 of the shorter fences (2 lengths of fence are easier for me to handle) and rotate the sheep through the orchard. When the goats are grown I will use the taller fence.
Get some boots, Wellies for the summer and if you spend alot of time in the barn, Mucks for winter are great. I used Wellies/rubber boots with thick socks in the winter until this year. Tall boots over pants and a longer apron over everything keeps you relatively clean on your quick barn check or before a trip to town. |
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I copy and pasted the whole thing Viv. I've been to your farm and I know how wonderful it is. Great advice. Thanks!
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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crusermom
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Congrats! I jumped in feet first into a similar situation and it was so much fun. Joining 4-H with the kids and the great people I met there was a big help. They were so helpful.
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Mary
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wifemommy
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I started this thread over 2 years ago and I just want to say the move and this life is the best thing we ever did!!! Everyday I thank God for this place and lifestyle. The people we bought the house from have been an extra set of Grandparents and so incredibly helpful. We have a lovely homeschool group out here. 4H was a great thing plus the neighbors with lots of experience raising animals we just jumped in and learned along the way. The Storey books are the best. We have chickens, goats, pigs (in the freezer now), rabbits a dairy steer ..waiting on some new babies. Ducks and another neighbor willing to come and get the fox that is getting way to brave with the ducks.  We truely feel like we have come home...we even have a small church in the middle of a corn field Thanks for all your advice and encouragement.   Annie
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Erin
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Annie
Sounds so lovely, the thought of the Church in the corn field makes me smile.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
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Chari
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That's a wonderful story, Annie!
Congrats!!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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MicheleQ
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wifemommy wrote:
| I started this thread over 2 years ago and I just want to say the move and this life is the best thing we ever did!!! Everyday I thank God for this place and lifestyle. The people we bought the house from have been an extra set of Grandparents and so incredibly helpful. We have a lovely homeschool group out here. 4H was a great thing plus the neighbors with lots of experience raising animals we just jumped in and learned along the way. The Storey books are the best. We have chickens, goats, pigs (in the freezer now), rabbits a dairy steer ..waiting on some new babies. Ducks and another neighbor willing to come and get the fox that is getting way to brave with the ducks. We truely feel like we have come home...we even have a small church in the middle of a corn field Thanks for all your advice and encouragement. Annie |
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I would love to hear more Annie! This is exactly what our family is planning to do sometimes in the next 6 months.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: We are buying the farm???
