The property is part of a sod outfit that's being broken up. My brother acquired the adjacent 20 acres. We are like minded and have 7 children between us...6 of which sons.

Initial plan is to survey, fence, dig a pond, put in a couple wells, get some bees going, and then a 60x40 pole barn that will in time become a barndominium.

We are going to garden,  keep animals etc. It's a blank landscape so we are going to be planting a lot of trees.

Also curious about your solar experience. Ill definitely have shore power, but I'd like to investigate a system that can run essentials.

I'm interested in hearing from any that went through a similar process. Things that you would do differently.  Equipment that makes life easier,  etc.

I'm on my phone right now,  but I'll add some questions later.  

My brother had the same goals.

Quad or SXS ATV is extremely helpful getting around and doing chores
Tractor with front loader is a must, backhoe is optional but you will find uses for it
Well/septic obviously. A shallow well with hand pump.can be a life saver in power outages
Electricity, solar is great when it's sunny but not so great when rainy or snowy
Generator
Wood stove in all buildings (home, shop, etc)
Lots of tools and handy skills, the more you "farm out" the more it costs

There's alot more but this is a short list for now, the wife and I have been working on our 7acre property for the past 5 years. It's nowwhere near where we want it.

You need a tractor.

You need a schedule or in 15 years you will be in the same spot.

I wonder how fucked that soil is from decades of chemical fertilizer and the top soil getting stripped inch by inch with the sod.

I bought 5, and immediately wanted more.   But, 5 is more than I have time for.   Hope you saved some money for equipment!

Read this thread https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/What-was-the-best-decision-you-ve-made-regarding-your-homestead-/19-700349/

I have both a quad and a 13 hp golf cart.
We have a backhoe on the family cattle ranch that I could borrow for big projects - Its just a couple miles down the road. I'm not rushing to add another.

I started a thread a couple months ago about bison pumps, but didn't get hits. I need to research that further. Our cattle ranch has solar driven water troughs (45 watt) so I'll be looking into those as well.

I had not considered a wood stove, but I can haul as much wood as I could possibly need. If I went that route, a good splitter is in my future.

I do need a tractor of some sort. Something with a bucket that can mow. A box blade would be nice to keep up the road as well.

I can't say I'm terribly skilled. I can build fence, operate backhoes, loaders and I know animal husbandry, but I'm just not a general "handy" guy. Mechanical, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, etc., aren't in my wheelhouse.

We are meeting with the barn contractor tonight to get thoughts on a layout and time table. I'm in cash right now, so I really want to ramp things up before the dollar totally goes to hell.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Good to know on the soil.

I have kept bees on the family ranch, but it was hard to make the time to work them in the summer. It was 45 minutes each way. I just carried the kit in my truck. The new location is about 15 minutes from my office. I'd like to get some going well before my wife gets serious about the garden part.

YouTube and patients will save you alot of money around the property as far as the handy stuff. I grew up in the trades so that's kind of my thing.

As for a log splitter, I love the countyline one I got from tractor supply last year. Thing is sweet for just about $1k.

If you have the additional funds a zero turn mower is better than any belly mower on a tractor. I went from 5 hours of mowing with a craftsman 56" garden tractor (I know it's not a kubota but similar maneuverability and speed on a smaller scale) to 1.5 hours with a 54" ZT mower. The time saved is worth the money for me. And contrary to the arfcom belief you don't need a commercial grade emark. My cubcadet is serving me well for $3k.

I'll keep the zero turn in mind, but it won't be near the top of the list. The property is a blank landscape with zero obstacles. We are going to plant a acre or 2 of various food-producing trees and fence of a garden. I may just throw a couple of our cows on the balance of the property.

Funny you mentioned youtube. For years, my wife and I have been trying to figure out a way to get on lakefront property in town. Since all the nonsense began in Spring of 2020, she has been studying daily. Mike Adams pods, yt channels on sustainable gardens, rain water catch systems, various animals, power redundancy....she has been an animal. She's created a number of notebooks. Between all that, she has been dehydrating seasonal food around the clock. I couldn't be happier with the turn she has taken. I'd always wanted to live rural, but never wanted to force it at the risk of making her miserable.

My wife was afraid of moving rural too but she is loving it now. We were driving home from somewhere a few weeks ago and said how much she loved living where we are and could go bad to having neighbors right next door. Our lot is very wooded and one of the perks is being able to go in the pool without neighbors watching you

That brings up another good idea, a pool or hot tub dont hurt along with some comfy outdoor furniture

This guy is cool.

Legit concern.  I'd look into your state agriculture school soil analysis for assessment, probably quite nutruient deficient, lacking orgnanic material, hardpan, and you really need symbiotic soil fungi which is guaranteed gone.

The sod farms here are terrible, they over pump the aquifer(redueced capacity/subsidence) and run the soils until production is no longer profitable and then sell and repeat.

ETA:  sod is made on the premise of shallow high input monoculture growth, it's absolutely terrible for soil health, run off and all that jazz

I'm working on the barn first, but my wife is pulling soil samples.

We will have this property forever more, so I'm willing to cure any deficiencies it may have.

The actual garden wont exceed a couple acres. I'm hoping an Aeschynomene cover will take on the balance. We have a solid ag extension office that is always willing to help.

I have zip for farming experience, so there will be a learning curve for sure. I know cows, but that's about it.

We met with the contractor last night and he strongly believe materials will be coming down again this winter. We are estimating $100 per foot for finished space. The kit itself is a 4-6 week wait.

Perimeter fence existing and in good shape?  We paid a guy to replace some fencing, and while we've done plenty of our own fencing, it was well worth it to hand the dude a stack of money and get a good fence in short order while I drank beer and did other stuff.

Basically just think about what you want to do.  Anything you build can't be too big, from garden to animal facilities.  Start with water and electricity, go from there.  After that, I like a way to clean up, and go to the bathroom.  Finishing out the bathroom in our shop was a godsend.  And keeps the nastiest of stuff out of our house.  We have some rabbits, quail, and sheep.  And I'm already thinking of ways to have more quail.  Sounds like you already know cattle, so if you aren't sure what to do with an area, fence them in with electric and let them eat and get fat while you work on the garden/small animal stuff?  I know there's all kinds of fancy grazing systems, but if you are just establishing, anything can be better than nothing.  Which reminds me, I should be looking at what I need to add electric wire to my perimeter fencing to make it easier to subdivide our yard.

Oh, and when you do watering, you'll probably want to add more lines.  Run some kind of manifold with electric valves as close to your source as possible.  Then you can have auto watering.  We retrofitted several faucet auto waterers into one big area with decent sized PVC pipes running all over.

As for the tractor for mowing, use what you have, or rent/borrow when possible.  There's always something to spend money on, but between beating up our riding mower, and wanting to do more landscaping type stuff, we did finally get a small tractor and have a flail mower on the way.  Spendy, but we finally figured it was worth it.  Also, only the stuff near the house really needs to be mowed regularly.   The rest can just be beat back every so often.

Good stuff. The perimeter fence is good with quality gates. My brother's fences is going up now. I will need to fence one side along the easement between my brother and I, and I'll later do a cross fence when I am ready to add animals. I am pulling soil samples this week. Our Ag Extension office is awesome and tied in with USDA and the University of Florida.

I am meeting with a USDA guy onsite and at his office to discuss NRCS programs. On the cattle side, they gave assistance with the solar wells, some fencing, gravity tanks and several other items. I have no idea what's available for smaller parcels. Application deadline however is September 1 and nothing can fund until March of 2021. I wanted to start hitting the project hard soon. I need to run some numbers and see if the wait is worthwhile. If nothing else, I can dig some fill for the homestead and get the shell going.

It will be $13,000+ to run power to my desired building site. While I'm hesitant to go all solar, I am going to take a hard look at it. That said, finishing out a 3K residence without sounds terrible.

I'll grab some pictures this weekend to show condition of the pasture, but there really isn't much to look at yet.

Tag for what you find out about solar.

I think Tesla's solar tile roof makes a lot of sense, especially if you can keep it in DC and onsite, you don't lose half or more of your power.  My understanding is install incompetence and potential for a slight hue have been setbacks. With all the electric powered tools/equipment and vehicles now, it makes more sense.  In 2013 an electric car battery cost ~32K, last year the avg price was 6K and better performance....strides have been made, but you won't hear politicians or utilities championing this as it makes more independent/self-sustaining and people aren't making $ off ya.

Since you are starting with a blank slate, one thing that would be near the top of my list is electricity free cold storage. I.E. a root cellar.  Not easy in low land, but need to have somewhere to store your hard earned crops that won't fail is the grid goes down or you run out of fuel.  Even if you have to build something and haul in dirt to cover it like a bunker to keep it above the water table.

We have a conex but our water table makes burying things tough. I have a call into my septic guy that works in the area to find out what I can get away with. I can't pull the pic that my wife found, but we could mound over it. We probably can't achieve as good a temp, but I'm really not sure.

something like the following, but with the roof completely covered.

So much to research!

I was browsing other arf threads an came across this. It might be an idea for when I'm ready to build an outbuilding for storing vehicles and implements.

Build the shell and use the panels for roofing. Although, I'll have plenty of room for an array. I haven't found any genuine experts in my area yet - just the guys that run around sticking cards in neighborhoods. Most that I've spoken to really know jack shit about the tech. Just scripted salemen.

Over the years I like solar more and more.

Currently only have one of those power gate openers solar powered, and and old low-end solar powered fence energizer.

For 13k, I'm thinking you could put in one heck of a solar setup!  Panels, batteries, and you are off to the races.  Don't know about solar power wells, but at 10 acres, it's not that far to run power from your main source.  But I'd also assume that solar powered well equipment is pretty well established.

For buried shipping containers, I always hear about the downsides, rusting, collapsing, etc.  Unless you are trying for an earthship type building, they don't seem the best from a cost/sq ft.  And the ones I've dealt with are quick to heat up, and always seem way too narrow.  Around here, people seem very happy with steel buildings.  They go up really quick if you hire it out.

I don't have any pictures of our, but this is a similar setup. Ours have concrete troughs and a gravity tank, together with a 45 watt panel and motor. Very slick setup and quite reliable if you can keep chameleons and bull ants from chewing on the wires. We also have one at the gate for a camera system.



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That's the idea. I live near Great Dismal Swamp. The water table here is so high you can dig a well with a post hole digger, so I know where you're coming from.  If you are able to get a couple feet of earth over it, and maybe plant stuff on top for shade, should stay fairly cool.

There is a book called "Five Acres and Independence" that has a lot of good stuff in it on how to do things the "old way".

Plant the trees farther away from each other as you think.  My dad owned this place before me. He planted 4 maples about 40 feet apart. After 20 years the limbs are growing together. Spread them out some.

I prefer oaks, although I'll be an old guy before they start looking great. I hate pines.

My wife is stoked about the moringa for actual farming. Apparently we have a local co op that deals in moringa. I had never heard of the damn thing.

Pretty nuts if the below values are accurate.

for trees you want them 2x max size in 100 years from the house or out building.

Never plant trees close to drain lines, leach fields, and other areas that would attract the attention of a back hoe to retrench the septic lines.

Good access to water, septic, and such is a must - I would  that there be a high and dry spot to setup a trailer for living onsite, maybe a semi-custom garage (high and dry) and covert part of it into a real living space.  If power is going to be an issue; I would have a specific building setup for the generator, gas, and other things to make life worth living until I can figure out the power issue.

Being a cheap sort of person, I would attach solar to an outbuilding so I could have at least lights and a bit of power without having to start up the genny.  I would run a DC setup so no power loss from going to solar -> battery -> a/c converter -> device.

If LP gas is a good option, nice large tank with solid road bed access to said tank.

If I am in a bad weather zone, I would consider the house would need to designed to take a solid hit from said weather; or at least an out building.  This outbuilding needs to be a bit higher to prevent / slow down issues with flooding.

Consider having a few conex style storage on a cement pad.  Useful to store stuff while work is in progress; maybe have two setup a bit apart with a support "roof" to provide shade.  Said conex containers would be anchored down to prevent tipping over.  I would not recommend conex container to live in; unless you buy a nice converted office trailer built from a container.  Consider putting the containers under pole barn to keep direct sun / rain off that shelter.

Wire the house and at lest one of the out buildings with good 220 service.    Your local genny should also be able to provide a good 220 source esp if you are running well service.  If running well service and I expect spotty power issues I would also consider adding a few pressurized water container systems in series.  This way the water is always fresh, the tanks will trap sediment, and provide a clean source of water if the power go's out.  

Kitties - spam away buddy. While I've always been an outdoors guy and we have a working cattle ranch, I've never "lived" completely rural...nor farmed. And thanks for the heads up on soil improvement. Pulling samples this weekend and I'll share the results. Our ag extension office here goes out of their way to help.

As for variety, my wife intends to plant:

Mulberries

Loquat

Japanese persimmons

Sand pears

Pindo Palm

Figs

Nectarines

Bananas

Chestnuts

Pecans

Cinnamon

Collee

Jackfruit

Sapodilla

Jamaican Cherry

The oak is just my preferred shade tree.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts.

Good stuff. I actually spoke to a solar outfit yesterday. Its going to cost me about $13K to run power to the site! I *thought* a solar setup would run me about $30K, making solar quite viable. A whole house setup with batteries is more like $50-60K. That will have to wait until more money comes in.

As for weather, we were the hardest hit by Irma and get hit by ordinary storms every 8-10 years. The 2005 building code requires 150mph wind mitigation. My ground is high and the lower portion has good ditching.

The bardonimium concept may not be a go. Although they are damn popular in Texas and gaining traction here in Florida, banks can't put the loans on secondary markets. There are simply no comparables. I think its ridiculous. And there are no comps because families that go that route don't sell! Therefore, I'd be stuck with an "in house" loan that would be adjusted every 5 years. Not good with the current fuckstick in office. Carter days would not surprise at all. I don't currently have a mortgage and am not pressed to make the move. I'm now leaning toward the owner builder permitting and doing a traditional cbs home.

I need that long term money @3ish%, even if cost of construction runs higher, the math doesn't support the barn for living. So many other things are going to be chewing down my cash on hand. Tractor, implements, big gen set, dragging electric over, septic, etc, etc. A bit daunting.

My brother's barn is on order and he's next in line. At least I'll have a structure that I can put things while my world is getting situated.

Again, thanks to everyone that is sharing their knowledge. Sorry I'm talking so much, I'm just excited to finally put something in the works.

I threw this in the "Show me what you have done with your tractor today", because of the traffic. Kitty - I'll figure out a better name for the thread.

Alright...I started another thread on general planning, but have been following this one. Short version:

My brother bought 20 acres and I'm under contract for 10 acres adjacent. We both have plans to homestead it and have 7 little ranch hands between us.

He visited our local orange dealer (also a client) today and got some prices. 84 months @0%.

Its flat ground. We will both be gardening and have grazing. I'd like an assessment of his list. He is now shopping used stuff, but the plan is for us to have 2 machines and share implements. Commonality isn't a bad thing.

We are a citrus/cattle family, but have never lived the "rural" life. I didn't wish to start yet another thread, as the audience here is awesome. The nearest green outfit is a couple hours away. I rather doubt we both need the hp he is considering. The only other thing we'd both appreciate is a digger, but he is going to pass initially. We have a jcb 4 miles down the road if we have a bigger project. That said, trenches, ditch maintenance, etc., may warrant one.

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Tractor is dependent on what you want to do with it. What is the heaviest item you will want to lift with a set of pallet forks? Go bigger. What size bush hog do you want to run? Go bigger. Want to park it in the yard or use it after a rain? Go smaller. Feed a 1200lb or round bale? Go bigger. Skip the land pride grapple and look at everything attachments.

Forgot to add for 4K that trailer better be nicer than any I’ve seen in every standard L packager ever. They usually do a 7k 18-20’ no name car hauler which only cost 2-3k new.

I bought a Kubota l3901 last year, but I didn't buy the Kubota brand FEL.  I bought mine with an Ansung FEL, and it saved me enough that the bush hog I also bought was almost free.  Ask your dealer if he can offer the Ansung FEL and 3rd function.  

I would also second buying a grapple from Everything Attachments

Thanks for the machine comments guys.  I'm in Alaska for a couple weeks,  so my homework is on hold.  I'm trying to move my closing up to the week I return.

former sod farm?  Plant trees yesterday.

This is good advice.  I have a 33hp New Holland.  Most of the time it is the perfect size.  60” attachments are cheap.   I am up to 115 acres now and would like a bigger one. Likely 75 hp.   Definitely keeping the small one.  Big one for a bat wing mower and more fork and loader capacity.

If I could have only one tractor for homestead use it would be 45 hp and 72” attachments.

Thanks!

I'm sadly back from my 2.5 week trip to Alaska. Excavator coming next week and I'm studying pond designs that I can later stock with fish. I haven't even closed yet due to the title agent, and the owner is saying "dig away!".

I have been studying the following thread as well. A lot of great information in there! I'm afraid that op is much handier than I am.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/cucamelsmd15-s-never-ending-list-of-homestead-projects/19-686628/