Homestead mailing list

[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

On Jan 19, 2009, at 10:17 AM, outwest4us AT yahoo.com wrote:

> My name is Rene' and I live on a small ranch in the mountains  
> (actually in the valley between 2 mountain ranges) of SW Montana  
> with my husband and 2 children.

How did you happen to go there? How old are your children?
> We have horses fie pleasure but its getting expensive...price if hay  
> is ridiculous here.  We used to have chickens but its just too cold  
> most of the year here, even with heated coops, so we gave up.  :-(
>
> We are putting up a green house this spring and will be installing  
> solar panels and a windmill for power hopefully this year.   
> Currently, we do all our heating with wood that we cut ourselves.

Consider making room in the back of the greenhouse for chickens. To  
save space build their coop two story, like bunk beds. Your veggies  
with enjoy the carbon dioxide and the chicken poop fertilizer and  
chickens are a wonderful way to process kitchen waste on its way to  
feeding the soil of growing beds.
> The rural and most self sustaining lifestyle we can have is for us!

Well, you will find a mixed lot here, but the name of the list  
explains the overall focus. The best way to become an enduring part of  
this list is to ask carefully considered questions. As you may well  
understand, some questions have been asked and answered many times  
over the last fifteen or so years. You may wish to acquaint yourself  
with the archives. But by all means fire when ready.
> Nice to be part of an active list.

Rene, please tell us how you learned of this Homestead List.


Gene GeRue
www.RURALIZE.com