Few topics today evoke emotional responses as much as starting a homestead. Our agrarian ways long behind us, many people today cannot conceive of anyone wanting to leave the “safety” and creature comforts they love so much. When we moved to the country no one at first thought it was odd. Except for the longer commute our friends and family seemed to be okay with the move. Buying a large parcel of land seemed to some like a good investment, to others it gave our daughters more room to play.
The well wishes and positive waves came to a screeching halt when I started saying things like, “I’m thinking of getting a cow or a goat”. No one I know thought it was a good idea. In fact, most thought I was having a serious breakdown and were very concerned for my physical and mental health. There was even talk of an intervention.
Why would a computer engineer want anything to do with animals other than dogs or cats? Who in their right mind thinks they can start a homestead from scratch? What does he know about anything anyway? In truth, they were right on the mark with most of these concerns. I certainly knew virtually nothing about livestock, larger scale planting or operating a homestead. However, I figured I was smart enough to learn, ask the right questions and read everything I could find on these subjects.
Our move occurred before the world wide web began and there was no internet connectivity in the area for a few years to come. So off to the library where I spent many hours combing the shelves and catalogues looking for info and finding very little. A farming community with virtually no books of farming or raising livestock above a third grade level. No Amazon.com yet, so I was on my own. I started scouring every magazine I could find looking for ads that might point me in a direction. Companies selling equipment, other magazines closer to my goal, even feed companies.
When I found a small ad for the Countryside & Small Stock Journal, then published by the great Jerome D. Belanger, I knew I hit pay dirt. I immediately subscribed and the fun began. However, as my search for knowledge raged, I started to meet people who lived in the area and were of like mind and interest. They grew their own food and raised livestock, which they harvested for meat, eggs and milk.
So over 25 years later our family still thinks we, mostly me, are crazy, but they have accepted that we aren’t returning to the city. Some like to tell funny stories about the times they came to the farm and met our “pets”. The current resurgence by young families to find a better way to raise their children means homesteading will continue to grow. Now that my children are having children I feel comfortable that my “insanity” may take root in yet another generation. If this crazy farmer has his way.
I enjoyed this little story, I chose to move out of the city and start homesteading too :) I think its the best kind of life, definitely for me at least!
Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you. I certainly would not change anything.
I was lucky that we started our "real" homesteading adventures 3000 miles from my family who definitely thought we were crazy to start this adventure in Central America. 18 years later we are still in Central America and I didn't get committed to a hospital for my mental health. I am still living our dream!
That is wonderful. Congratulations. I always tell my wife that when we walked out of the church after our wedding we should have drove across country until we hit the Rockies. My fault for not being smart enough back then.
Wisdom comes with age!
Many of our family and friends thought we were crazy too. One of my close friends told me that moving to the country is what people do when they retire and that we should move to the city so we can have better jobs. Lol. She's super supportive now, but her lack of support several years ago put a kink in our friendship for a long time.
That's good your friend came to her senses. We're still outcast in our former world. Okay with me. Who wants to be included in a world gone mad?
Exactly!