tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post1887931984255569386..comments2012-07-28T21:47:30.726-07:00Comments on SincerelyRhoda: Finally a start to building our Dream!SincerelyRhodahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13172798820534970349noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-27313289483751759902012-05-29T12:31:27.280-07:002012-05-29T12:31:27.280-07:00That looks like a nice piece of land, and since is...That looks like a nice piece of land, and since is has a water source all the better. What is the soil like? As for a house, there are several home builders here is this area that will build a home for you on your land. Oak Hill and Western Homes are two I can think of. Animal shelters, you can start out small, fencing, consider having perimeter fence professionally. Livestock panels (wire 16ft by 4ft tall and t-posts can be used to contain livestock in smaller (night time areas) and moved as needed. Good luck on your dream. I agree this area of the Sierra Foothills is pretty arid, but if you have a good well you can make it work. This year my pastures are already dry and brown, yes it would be nice to have more rainfall, but, I would not move to tornado alley or hurricane prone areas to have summer rain. Oregon is a good choice, but if you are looking for the now aspect, start small, see how you like it, go from there. Maybe in about 5 to 10 years down the road you will figure out the ideal place to go.Tombstone Livestockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07022776395762826903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-49933522922690178112012-03-20T18:13:23.437-07:002012-03-20T18:13:23.437-07:00Not sure what arid means to you but we get 10 to 1...Not sure what arid means to you but we get 10 to 12 inches of precipitaion a year. Sometimes I think the perfect place is simply doing the best you can where ever you land. As for my garden, the soil is so... bad, we grow on top of it hauling tons of manure and shovel sawdust from the goat sheds on top. Fruit trees struggle to survive, heavens, any tree struggles. Our animals are on leased land a couple miles away. Definitely not perfect but we've made do for almost twenty-eight years. Do I wish for the perfect farmstead, you bet, and hopefully someday in the next few years we'll get to move to someplace better, but for now, I'm learning all I can right where I'm am.Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15845252729189467819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-4000154700839253782012-03-11T08:39:30.721-07:002012-03-11T08:39:30.721-07:00Hey Rhoda,
You may want to look at the Willamette...Hey Rhoda,<br /><br />You may want to look at the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I live in Washington but we will be checking out the valley this spring. I have been there once to a farm with a friend that had a friend that owned a farm there until she got too old and had to retire. Her place was in a little area called Alsea. Nestled in the coastal mountain range about 60 miles from the coast. Someone else owns it now and they have a blog called Leaping lamb farm. It is well worth checking out. The other thing I have been thinking since I read your post is there is no such thing as a "perfect" homestead unless you are made of $$$. Getting a farm up and running is hard, time consuming work. It isn't romantic and you will never have decent fingernails again! :) Here are a couple blogs and a book that I highly recommend. Book is Goat Song by Brad Kessler. About an author and his photographer wife who lived in New York and longed for a farm so bought 75 acres in the mountains with barn and farm house. They raise goats and make cheese. Look it up on Amazon and read the intro but you should be able to get it from the library. I did. Also look at cam mather.com. He is a Canadian living off grid with solar and wind power. He has an enormous blog chock full of info and has written two books. Little house off the Grid and Thriving during challenging times.He and his wife have a publishing company (from home)call Aztec press and publish those kinds of books. Take a look and let me know what you think. <br />Have fun and check out my last blog from welcometothehenhouse.blogspot.com We have new babies. <br /><br />Sistasistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09568280906820691641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-35093033123392307752012-03-05T08:51:11.778-08:002012-03-05T08:51:11.778-08:00Thank you EACH of you for responding.. DH and I we...Thank you EACH of you for responding.. DH and I went to dinner with some friends last night and apparently the reason there are so many lovely homes in the foothill areas available for sale is because wells are running dry. What used to run at 35 GPM now runs at 3 they are having to buy the water for their house and have it delivered. That was some Great information and has helped us decided that California is NOT the place for us unless we go way North. I dislike much of the States laws, (they don't reflect our belief systems) so I guess we begin to look into other places to live. Oklahoma was really green so I don't know. We Will keep you all posted. Oh I am currently living in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in Clovis. We rent a 4 bedroom and are waiting to make the decision as to where to move. Until then we continue to weed it and and trust that we are being led by One who loves us and has a great plan for us! <3 Now to go finish my Kombucha Making it not drinking it) and get the car smogged and buy some new tags!SincerelyRhodahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13172798820534970349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-28631618939728463012012-03-02T15:32:04.882-08:002012-03-02T15:32:04.882-08:00Don't know about California but you seem to ha...Don't know about California but you seem to have a pretty good well and the growing season is longer there. I live in the Pacific Northwest so year round growing is a challenge. It's easier to put by for the winter. A green house is mandatory if you want to grow somethings here in the off season. You didn't say what part of California your property is in. North or South. <br />I do have something to say about goats though. Check out the Kinder Goat. I had them at my other property and loved them.(Can't have them here or I would) Great dual purpose goats easy breeders and kidders. Small enough for kids to handle and just a great all round goat. Been know to kid up to 6 at a time. Most I ever had was three in one kidding.sistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09568280906820691641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-28514042936132847052012-03-01T19:38:13.339-08:002012-03-01T19:38:13.339-08:00I know nothing about CA. I know you can grow lots ...I know nothing about CA. I know you can grow lots of veggies on even less ground. Most all are grew among my flowers & shurbs among the rock beds. I live on 1 acre. I have a 5 acre property that is cleared with no well or septic that my Pap & Gram gave me. It is my some day plan. I think it is amazing you have this many children. Your faith had to be strong for all this. My advise is to keep your faith & pray about property. I have so enjoyed my adventure of raising a small flock of chickens. I had a chicken coop built & had no chicks. What do thay say counting your chicks before they hatch. Children I have found seem to bond with creatures of all kind & are made happy by them. Me too! Maybe you would enjoy books about Tasha Tudor. I hope you find your goats & all your dreams come true. Looking forward to your future posts. Stop by my blogs & visit any time. Blessings!<br />LaraA Primitive Homesteadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06205375008312950661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-25078481602357303332012-02-29T19:27:46.961-08:002012-02-29T19:27:46.961-08:00Chai Chai! I love your blog, Admittantly I spent o...Chai Chai! I love your blog, Admittantly I spent over an hour there trying to learn or glean all I can about your farm family! I saw you raised Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I have actually spent a few hours online today looking for the perfect goat for me and hands down I think those little ones are "the ones". I look foerward to going backto your blog, I have to admitt the "Ghost" story was quite adorable! Thank you for stopping by!SincerelyRhodahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13172798820534970349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-708555378440730674.post-87119430825228560562012-02-28T19:22:28.507-08:002012-02-28T19:22:28.507-08:00I don't know the answers to your questions as ...I don't know the answers to your questions as they relate to CA but I can say that goats are well worth the money. They provide kids for selling, milk for drinking, and they clear brush better than any other animal. You would be surprised at how easy it is to raise chickens, and the eggs are wonderful!<br /><br />Good luck.Chai Chaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05845100961653150736noreply@blogger.com