Homesteading for Beginners
- 1). Read as many books on modern homesteading as possible before you begin your adventure. "The Encyclopedia of Country Living" by Carla Emory, "Storey's Basic Country Skills" and "The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It" by John Seymour are all good books to start with.
- 2). Choose your land carefully. Ensure that you have rights to access the utilities needed, such as water, lights and telephone and that the land has access from a main road.
- 3). Plan how you are going to earn your living. Decide whether you will commute to your present job, find employment closer to your homestead or work at home. This decision must be made before you consider the move.
- 4). Get to know your new neighbors. They can be a wealth of information and help. Along with this thought, make sure that you keep your animals contained, and this includes cats and dogs, and on your own property. Nothing will create disputes between neighbors faster than ranging animals.
- 5). Be prepared for electrical outages. Rural areas are prone to longer times without power than cities. Always have food that does not need to be cooked and water on hand for such emergencies. Candles, flashlights or other nonelectrical sources of light should be readily available.
- 6). Find out what type of Internet service is available at the new location. In many rural areas, your choices will only be dial-up or satellite. If you plan to stay connected in your new country life, these options are important.
- 7). Begin small. If you are ordering chickens for meat and eggs, start with a small flock first. The same goes for garden spaces and other animals. Caring for animals and growing a garden are time consuming tasks that can cause stress when you are first beginning the adventure.
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