Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Mar 8, 2008, at 9:54 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:

> Is homesteading a genuine, viable, feasible, permanent lifestyle?  I  
> have
> intended to find out.   I read a lot of homesteader's testimonies in  
> books, and I
> have two abrevieated lists of books use as references:
>
> List one:
> Far Out Is Not Far Enough    (Tomi Ungerer)
> You Can't Live on Radishes Alone (Jerry Bledsoe)
> A Small Farm in Maine  (Terry Silber)
>
> List two:
> Payne Hollow (Harlan Hubbard)
> The Good Life (Scott & Helen Nearing)
> Fat of the Land (John Seymour)
>
> This is a partial list in both cases.  I have found many things in  
> the books
> in the second list to be insightful, useful, and have stood the test  
> of time.
> For example, all the homesteaders in the first series of books had  
> the notion
> that they would be mineature agribusiness farmers.  They would raise
> vegetables, sheep, what have you, pay all their expenses with the  
> proceeds, and maybe
> eat a little of what was left.  All the homesteaders in the second  
> list
> disparaged the notion of selling food off the homestead.  Not only  
> did I try this
> and found the latter authors were correct, but I do not know of a  
> single
> instance of the paradigm of the former authors that has ever worked,  
> although it is
> tried or at least planned often enough.

Did not the Nearings sell maple syrup and maple sugar in Vermont, then  
blueberries in Maine?

But that is picking nits. I often fault you for using too many words.  
In this case you used the generous, right amount.

Each life is a quest for personal meaning and truth. Unlimited numbers  
of paths beckon. It is inspirational that yours is successful. Don't  
just write about authors who have inspired you. Write your own story.  
The timing now is propitious. Many factors of modern life that have  
been on weak foundations are beginning to wobble. Young people  
especially, need to know that there are viable alternatives. While  
homesteading as you do it is unlikely to become in wide practice, it  
is a unique and useful niche and there are many who would profit by  
trying it.
>