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I think OP should read "coldjensens" post above for a realistic description of what her small scale idea would actually turn out to be in reality.
I'm not sure that I see a lot of room there for the creative crafty stuff, unless one were to forgo sleep, or pay everyone above market rate to do things like weeding, watering, fertilizing, tilling, weeding, repairing fences, weeding, figuring out how the heck to keep the deer from eating everything, weeding, figuring out how to keep chipmunks, raccoons, squirrels, rats, mice, etc., from eating everything that the deer have left, weeding, etc. Oh yes, someone mentioned that chickens are likely to enthusiastically die in droves till you master the art of keeping them: I'm going to bet that everything else you plant or bring home (flora and fauna) will also vie to be the first to die, so you can expect to do a lot of things three or four times before you figure out how to keep some of it alive long enough to get something back.
I am not a rural person, but all of my family came from the farm. There's a reason why most farmers who make it work have been doing it all their lives and learned much of what they know from the generations before. It ain't easy, either in terms of the pure physical work and time required, or in terms of the amount of intelligence, knowledge, and risk-taking involved.
And even with knowledge, sometimes Mother Nature just likes to make things harder. Last summer we had so much rain, so heavy I had plants rotting in the ground from overwatering and lord, the soil fungus battle(s) near killed me. But I am at best a hobby farm, I don’t true homestead and the amount of work is a ton just for my little farm.
I'm no VA expert, but I don't believe they're going to lend money on raw land. There has to be SOME habitable home on the property, and I imagine the value of the home has to be > value of the land...by what margin, I cannot say. I do know that conventional generally aren't lending 80% LTV where the land is 70+% of the property value. I say all this because of what you provided:
if you're able to be clearer and provide more detail, then it will help all of us give you better answers.
The VA home loan will allow land to be bought as long as a house is immediately built on it. The only question I asked is if anybody knew the names of land purchasing websites they could point me to. The rest of what I wrote were unnecessary details. I overshared and will not make that mistake again, LOL. Thank you for your reply.
Wow.... this is an astounding collection of over-reactions to a simple exploratory question.
People! What the heck are you all talking about? Is it the word Homestead that is freaking everyone out?? Really? It's a very common popular term for small hobby farms around here.
There are a LOT of people who successfully buy a few acres to have a garden and some chickens and love every minute of it. It's just NOT that scary or hard. There was NOTHING in the OP's post that should have led people to believe she was intending to build her own cabin with hand tools from scratch and live off grid and raise all her own food like a cave woman.
She said she wants a little farm with high speed internet and easy access to medical care. She sounds a lot like .... me. And many of my friends in our local homesteading group. Most have chickens, some have goats, some of those actually milk or eat their livestock, and some DONT. Some bake things or make hand-made soap or artsy things out of wood. Most have some kind of job in town that actually pays the bills.
They just like to have a garden and talk about chickens.
OP.... I encouraged you to seek out some local homesteading groups and still think that's a good idea.... and a good buyer's agent who will help you find a smart homestead property you can handle. My advice would be start of slow... and take on new things as you master the old ones. And have fun.
All right, I can see the signs of a downward spiral here, but I am going to try to provide something constructive.
OP, I think your question as it stands is too broad to admit of any kind of simple answer. I mean, the lifestyles you're talking about could range from "big garden and some hens for eggs" to "totally off the grid" with many gradations in between.
I would suggest going to the library and systematically reading through everything they've got - and there have been many books written on this subject and allied ones over the last 40 years or so - to get a more well-defined view of how you envision yourself doing this. Also, talking to some people who have made this change.
All I asked for was names to some land purchasing websites. All I wanted was some names or links to some websites. That is all. The other answers I received were my fault because I overshared. I will not make that mistake again.
There are some sites, but the best site of all would be the MLS, and a good agent can set you up on a customized search that will get you started looking.
All I asked for was names to some land purchasing websites. All I wanted was some names or links to some websites. That is all. The other answers I received were my fault because I overshared. I will not make that mistake again.
I agree with those that said find a realtor that knows land.
And I'm sorry you don't appreciate any of the info myself and others have posted for you. I appreciate it as I'm interested in doing the same thing eventually.
Wow.... this is an astounding collection of over-reactions to a simple exploratory question.
People! What the heck are you all talking about? Is it the word Homestead that is freaking everyone out?? Really? It's a very common popular term for small hobby farms around here.
There are a LOT of people who successfully buy a few acres to have a garden and some chickens and love every minute of it. It's just NOT that scary or hard. There was NOTHING in the OP's post that should have led people to believe she was intending to build her own cabin with hand tools from scratch and live off grid and raise all her own food like a cave woman.
She said she wants a little farm with high speed internet and easy access to medical care. She sounds a lot like .... me. And many of my friends in our local homesteading group. Most have chickens, some have goats, some of those actually milk or eat their livestock, and some DONT. Some bake things or make hand-made soap or artsy things out of wood. Most have some kind of job in town that actually pays the bills.
They just like to have a garden and talk about chickens.
OP.... I encouraged you to seek out some local homesteading groups and still think that's a good idea.... and a good buyer's agent who will help you find a smart homestead property you can handle. My advice would be start of slow... and take on new things as you master the old ones. And have fun.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I just want to have a pesticide and chemical free veggie garden and have some chickens for eggs and meat. Maybe a couple of goats for milk. I just want to grow and produce enough food to feed myself, ONE person. I am not trying to start a full farm. I am not looking to have horses, pigs, or other livestock. I just want to feed myself and monetize my gifts/skills to help pay the bills. Like you said, SIMPLE.
All I asked for was names to some land purchasing websites. All I wanted was some names or links to some websites. That is all. The other answers I received were my fault because I overshared. I will not make that mistake again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by codeninja
What's the minimum amount of land I need to do this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook
... People! What the heck are you all talking about? Is it the word Homestead that is freaking everyone out?? Really?
... She sounds a lot like .... me. And many of my friends in our local homesteading group. Most have chickens, some have goats, some of those actually milk or eat their livestock, and some DONT. Some bake things or make hand-made soap or artsy things out of wood. Most have some kind of job in town that actually pays the bills.
They just like to have a garden and talk about chickens.
Because that's not homesteading. That's hobby farming. The OP asked what was the the minimum amount of land needed to do homesteading and people here tried to answer her question.
Quote:
Originally Posted by turf3
I am deeply deeply sorry that you got answers to the question you asked.
In the future, it would be easier if you would post your APLC (Astral Plane Location Coordinates) so we can easily read your mind and determine which of the questions you ask, you want answered, and which of the questions you ask, you will be deeply offended if we attempt to answer.
I would have repped this comment, except I repped another one by turf3, so the system won't allow me to, but
Because that's not homesteading. That's hobby farming. The OP asked what was the the minimum amount of land needed to do homesteading and people here tried to answer her question.
Good communication requires a good understanding of nuance and context. Homesteading is a term that is being used for a wide variety of small farms these days.
Semi rural living described above can be done almost anywhere. We live in a suburb of Detroit. the Chrysler engine plant is within about a mile of our house. I could hit the old McClouth steel mill with a bottle rocket (well a really big one anyway). We have one acre of land. We have had up to 20 chickens. We have room to grow many crops that do not take up big space (corn or wheat for example need too much space to be very practical for us).We can even have a horse, or a cow or some goats. We have a few fruit trees and plenty of room for more. We even have enough woods in the back to provide all the firewood we will ever need. However there is very little we can grow or raise that will not fall prey to the avarice of deer (or raccoons, rabbits, foxes coyotes, mink, stoats, etc. )
There is not enough to live off, but semi rural living meaning growing things or raising livestock as a hobby, - you can do that pretty much everywhere. Not every municipality allows it, but pretty much every major area has some places that allow it.
We lived in Santa Ana California and the neighborhood to the north of us had chickens running all over the place. You had to dodge the chickens when you drove through it. That neighborhood was about 85% apartments.
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