Today's giveaway is: The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan.
There is so much information in this book! Besides my Carla Emery tome, this is my most-used reference book. It covers broccoli to bees, parsley to pigs. It's a well-written, well-researched, well-designed book.
Topic for today's comment: What is your dream homestead like? Are you living your dream?
(As always, cut off for entry is midnight Eastern time tonight!) I need to add a disclaimer here -- I can only ship to US addresses, so many apologies to any readers from outside of the US.
Congratulations to our Domestic Goddess: SweetLand Farm! Send your mailing information to me at swomersley at gmail dot com.
33 comments:
My current backyard is a blank slate, just waiting for some homesteading action to happen!
My dream homestead has always been a geodesic dome house on about 40 acres totally off the grid. At my age, unfortunately, it will remain a dream.
Oh Dang! I already have this one! But I will answer anyways. My dream homestead is our 20 acre farm. I say farm, but right now it is just a piece of land with an old bank barn on it. I can't wait until I am done with school, have a job, and we can move from city slickers to country folk.
We're trying to build the dream. Slowly but surely it's coming together. Well, actually, I would love to have more land and be able to quit my day job and start a CSA. But that is just a dream....
Judy
In the past I have had chickens and pigs and gardens, but had to leave that because the commute was too far, my carbon footprint too large, and my parents were not doing well, so I moved back to the city. Now that I am retired I am planning my way back. So far I have 20 acres of pasture, and woods with a creek, and have been exploring small structures so I can be totally powered by the sun, and possibly wind. I will have a hoop house, bees, a gray water system, and composting toilet. When my Mom goes to heaven, (Dad already has) I will turn all this into reality!
Hmmmmm.... funny you should ask this question. My dream homestead, I think, would pretty much be like the one I'm living on here. Of course with "tweaks". Ya know... cause you asked about the dream homestead. I think it would just be a bit larger. I'd finally have goats and a home for them. Oh, and I think, since this is my dream homestead, I'd have a regular house and move out of the r.v. Other than that, I'm living the dream right now!
My dream homestead would be right here! Well, maybe with actual finished floors, a metal roof, fenced pasture, etc., etc., etc.. But if all those things were already finished, what would I have to complain about on my blog then? That's certainly no fun :)
Once again, don't put me in the pot today....still holding out for the others, thanks :)
I have my 20 acre dream, however, sometimes all the work and problems makes it more of a nightmare, but I would never give it up. I may feel better if it ever rains again. Hottest on record August and September and first 3 days of October were 100 or above. Rain would really help my attitude.
Jenyfer - The possibilities are endless!
Spiderjohn - I started late, too, but I still have hopes for the Vermont farm dream - maybe even a yurt!
Tiny Gardener - Hey - you've got acreage and a barn; you are more than halfway there! How much school do you have left?
Judy - That's a WONDERFUL dream! And it seems like you are making progress in that direction.
Mike - I am in a similar position; although I do have the opportunity to live in a pretty rural setting, I still have the long commute. I am hoping for the same all-encompassed homestead, off grid in the future.
SFC - I would bet there are benefits to the RV, though. Lower taxes, mobility. You could build your house and move the goats into the RV!
CR - I like that you have your 'dreams' listed on the side of your blog. We can keep track with you, as you check them off. Thank god you still can find things to complain about! It makes for great reading for the rest of us!
TL - I'll send you some of ours - no, I'll send you ALL of it. Hardly any rain all summer and now nothing but. Getting rid of it would help MY attitude. I know what you mean about the flip side of our dreams - sometimes that silver lining masks a big, black cloud.
I feel so very fortunate to have Boulderneigh, even though it is far from my "dream homestead." But then again, I RARELY spend time thinking about what I would REALLY like, because it only serves to make me dissatisfied with what God has blessed me with. But since you asked, I will briefly summarize what my dream would include: 1) more acreage, all fenced and crossed fenced for use by both horses (fewer than we have) and sheep (a few more than we have) and a couple dairy goats (both land and dairy goat impossible dreams); 2) a LARGE chicken tractor that I could move around with a tractor so the girls could get fresh browse and bugs every day; 3) raised beds in my garden for more productivity; 4) a canning kitchen in my basement; 5) an off-grid way to power our well (I'm thinking some sort of exercise bike/pedal system); 6) a trained herding dog; and 7) more space between us and the neighbors.
Would love this book!
Congrats to SweetLand Farm!! :)
We pretty much have our dream homestead but, of course, there are always "improvements" that could be made. I always wanted chickens and dairy goats and, thanks to my sweet hubby, I now have them! That, combined with my little bakery business, is pretty sweet!
We are blessed to be right where we want to be and I'm very, very appreciative of that. But we all have our want and wish lists we're willing to work for, don't we? I'd love a real barn with room for feed and hay and straw storage and proper stalls/housing for any animals we might decide to get. Also a nice, BIG three sided pole building to get all vehicles, machinery and equipment under cover. And I'd love a perfect little garden shed to hold all gardening equipment right down near the gardens. And . . . okay, now I'm getting greedy. But, hey, if you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?
Michelle - It's good to have dreams, blessed or not. I am all for the 'more sheep' dream, but I, like you, would need more acreage and good fencing. And I am DEFINITELY with you on the more space between you and the neighbors!
Candy - If anyone should have the 'sweet' life, it is you!
Mama Pea - As usual, you have hit the nail squarely on the head - how, indeed, could we have our dreams come true without a dream? Once your dreams come true and your want and wish lists realized, give me a jingle and I'll move right up....xxx
My dream homestead would be an old white farmhouse with traditional red barn and outbuildings, 4 distinct seasons and lots of access to wood on our own land and trails to hike/ski & ride on right on our own land. Wait... sounds like the place I couldn't WAIT to leave so many years ago LOL! I'm done with city life and ready to go back and I can hear mom & dad now "we told you so!"
What is your dream homestead like? About 2-3 acres with a decnet small house, barns, couple of goats, an orchard, pasture to raise feed, more chickens (of course), woods and some natural water. Preferably somewhere with seasonal changes, no tropics for me!
Are you living your dream? I'm practicing for now :) And learning more skills, which is why I could really use the book! :)
Erin - I think some of us need to sow our wild oats first! It sounds absolutely perfect!
Nancy - I like the natural water - that's something I tend to take for granted, but water is so important. A large, spring fed pond would be ideal! I totally agree on the seasonal changes - although I could do with a little less summer...
Aside from health issues, living my dream? Pretty much so, yeah. Better than my dreams, actually :)
my dream homestead eh? Well right now, in our 1/8 acre or so in the city we have chickens, bees, fruit trees, rain gardens, regular garden space, rain barrels, etc. When I dream, I dream of having a double lot with a few less trees so we can actually grow some things (and have more room for the chickens!). I dream of a remodeled kitchen where there is better and more space for canning and other kitchen activities. I dream of better rain barrel systems. Goats! though they're illegal still. Maybe rabbits? More herbs, more flowers, more veggies, less squirrels, a wood stove in the house, having the time to make more things from scratch. Well, I could go on and on I think. Eventually my homestead dreams start moving into the country. =)
NOT ENTERING THE CONTEST - just wanted to say I only recently found your site and I'm enjoying reading your posts.
Charlotte - Hello, Charlotte! Welcome and thank you!
Petey - I would have to agree. What a paradise on earth (or so it seems to me!)
Aimee - Well, holey cow, Aimee. You are doing more with less than most of us do with more! I believe you will explode onto the landscape, one you get your country place!
Just now got time to play catch up on some of the blog posts I've missed. I looked at this book and a bunch of others at TSC last summer, and couldn't decide which to get, so I didn't get any. Nice to see that you think it's worth getting and keeping. I'll have to go back and get it now!
~~Lori
Post a Comment