Homestead mailing list

["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

IMveryHO, I believe the true homesteading lifestyle takes at least two
people who are both mentally invested in the idea, goal or plan (whatever
you call it) to make it work. There is also a serious learning curve of a
few years if you weren't raised this way or didn't apprentice. Perhaps
1.5people would do, one full-timer and the other a part-timer who gave
evenings
and/or weekends to various tasks. It's a commitment. At our place, we've
learned that we aren't homesteaders and never will be. We were trying to get
things done with one person between the two of us while running other
businesses, at least one (then two) in-town. As my husband said this past
fall "I don't want to prune 50 fruit trees 2x a year for the rest of my
life." Perhaps we bought the wrong place. We've learned that a few fruit
trees on 5 or 10 acres would be manageable, 50 fruit trees on 36 acres is,
for us, too dog gone many, unless you desire to market the fruit and can
until your eyeballs pop out. Fortunately, the deer have not been picky. I
enjoy canning but not the obligation. This year there isn't any fruit but
raspberries.

We moved here with a little bit of consumer debt (head hung in shame) and
bought a farm w/ a mortgage (more shame), which is not the way to become a
homesteader. Hindsight is enlightening. Three fabulous mortgage biz years
(paid off the consumer debt) were followed by three not-so-hot mortgage
years, thus we ended up w/ consumer debt again (shame & guilt).

When husband opened a retail music store in town in April 2004, it sealed
our homesteader fate. He was not a happy homesteader and I couldn't be happy
enough for both of us, my enthusiasm has also waned. It's a lovely store
that has grown by 35% the last three years every year and fills a niche.
Heck, it even got a mention w/ a photo in an article on The Crooked Road
(which begins in Floyd, our town) in the April issue of Every Day With
Rachael Ray magazine.

We are back on track. I left the mortgage biz a year ago (big cheer--can you
hear me now?!) and have a job based from home that is more fulfilling to my
soul (some days) and has a steady paycheck. Will be rid of consumer debt in
one year (the mortgage will last much longer). We will have a late
summer/fall garden. We're thinking about getting more poultry next year. We
live as sustainably as we can, grow what we have time & energy to take care
of, buy local produce & meat and support local businesses. For the first
time in three years, I'm staying even w/ the darn bind weed (lack of rain
has helped). It's a trade off, like many things. We live a mostly rural
lifestyle. If the time comes that we have to exist from what we can produce,
then we'll band together with others within a couple mile radius. We may
lose some weight in the process, but we'll survive. We're fortunate to live
in a county with several CSA's, many homesteaders and farmers.

I admire the true homesteaders on this list for I have learned it is hard
work and it is not for me.

Lisa