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Thread: Rural folks - School me on homesteading safety

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eurodriver View Post
    Why can’t I live on 20 acres in the middle of nowhere and still get my food from a grocery store?
    Where I lived in the story above, about running code for 90 minutes, it was an all day trip to the supermarket, or Home Depot.

    There was exactly one mom-and-pop grocery store in the entire county (2200sq mi, think the size of Deleware) which was farther away than going to one in the next county over. There were 2 Subway's at gas stations... no other fast food, no pharmacy, no medical services. The nearest hospital was an hour away from our jail one way.
    "I am a Soldier. I fight where I'm told and I win where I fight." GEN George S. Patton, Jr.

  2. #22
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    I know I could not afford the property taxes on my place if I was not getting taxed at the agricultural rate. Currently pay $1400/yr greenbelt vs about $25-30K if I was being taxed residential. I "lease" my grazing to a guy who pays me in beef and maintains my fences. I am able to write off certain projects to improve the land as range improvements. State offers certain bennies from time to time like grants to reseed the pasture after last year's wildfire.

    Seriously, look into the rules for your state, FL right?. Worst case get some sheep. You can always pimp them out to guys from Texas or Wyoming for extra cash.

    ETA: My place is starting to get closed in on by growth, which is one reason for the big disparity in taxes. It was not always so drastic.
    Last edited by utahjeepr; 02-25-21 at 20:05.
    Go Ukraine! Piss on the Russian dead.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eurodriver View Post
    I will be living there full time in a house. I’m not going into it assuming I’m going to be growing my own vegetables and living off the land. That may come in time, but I have no idea what I’m doing and I would starve to death.

    Why can’t I live on 20 acres in the middle of nowhere and still get my food from a grocery store?
    Because that’d just be called “living in the country”

    I’m mostly just busting balls, and you can do whatever you please. Heck I wish I could afford land in the country myself...not to mention the logistics with kids, but homesteading is a pretty big undertaking, at least how I define it, and growing your own food is pretty much just the tip of the iceberg.

    For frame of reference, OH58D is what I have in my mind of what “homesteading” means. Someone needs to pull him in here for his perspective. Sounds like some dudes in this thread are pretty self sufficient as well.
    Last edited by Ironman8; 02-25-21 at 20:08.

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ironman8 View Post
    Because that’d just be called “living in the country”

    I’m mostly just busting balls, and you can do whatever you please. Heck I wish I could afford land in the country myself...not to mention the logistics with kids, but homesteading is a pretty big undertaking, at least how I define it, and growing your own food is pretty much just the tip of the iceberg.

    For frame of reference, OH58D is what I have in my mind of what “homesteading” means. Someone needs to pull him in here for his perspective. Sounds like some dudes in this thread are pretty self sufficient as well.
    Haha. I absolutely want to get to that point.

    I’m still on step 1. I don’t know what I don’t know.

    I need to “protect” my land, crops, self, animals, before I can actually raise them.

    The biggest worry I have about living rurally is burglary. As tanksolder mentioned, a simple trip to the grocery store is about 2 hours. In a neighborhood, there are 1000 other houses. A neighbor lives 15 feet away and can see a big truck pull up and start unloading your belongings. You also blend in a lot more.

    In the country, I’m not sure that’s the case. Trailer trash mixed with a few nice houses look like easy targets to me. Hence the gate, cameras, etc. maybe I’m overthinking it.

  5. #25
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    There is literally nowhere that offers "homesteading" anymore. Maybe interior Alaska? Like a land grant for making a go of it homesteading. I was taking that term with a grain of salt.

    Anyway, I thought "Casa de Euro" was in the sticks? Didn't you deMetro a couple years back like 5 min before hurricane season?
    Go Ukraine! Piss on the Russian dead.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by utahjeepr View Post
    There is literally nowhere that offers "homesteading" anymore. Maybe interior Alaska? Like a land grant for making a go of it homesteading. I was taking that term with a grain of salt.

    Anyway, I thought "Casa de Euro" was in the sticks? Didn't you deMetro a couple years back like 5 min before hurricane season?
    I think we’ve established the terminology is incorrect. I have rural property but didn’t live there. I liked McDonald’s and Tinder girls way too much.

    That’s changed.

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eurodriver View Post
    Haha. I absolutely want to get to that point.

    I’m still on step 1. I don’t know what I don’t know.

    I need to “protect” my land, crops, self, animals, before I can actually raise them.

    The biggest worry I have about living rurally is burglary. As tanksolder mentioned, a simple trip to the grocery store is about 2 hours. In a neighborhood, there are 1000 other houses. A neighbor lives 15 feet away and can see a big truck pull up and start unloading your belongings. You also blend in a lot more.

    In the country, I’m not sure that’s the case. Trailer trash mixed with a few nice houses look like easy targets to me. Hence the gate, cameras, etc. maybe I’m overthinking it.
    I’ve had the exact same thoughts regarding blending in to the 1000’s living in a suburb and think it’s true to an extent. But I think there are more honest people in the country than not and you just have to choose your area wisely, know your neighbors, and present a hard target as suggested by everyone else. Just do a little recon of the area, talk to local LE and find out what the threats are and prepare accordingly.

    Starting out simple and slowly layering in the self sufficiency is a really good thought process.

    Quote Originally Posted by utahjeepr View Post
    There is literally nowhere that offers "homesteading" anymore. Maybe interior Alaska? Like a land grant for making a go of it homesteading. I was taking that term with a grain of salt.

    Anyway, I thought "Casa de Euro" was in the sticks? Didn't you deMetro a couple years back like 5 min before hurricane season?
    I agree it’s more of a relative term these days.

    I grew up in the country (not as far out as some of y’all, but not a suburb either), we had chickens and a garden and still got food at the grocery store, and were NOT self sufficient to a large degree. That was just living in the country.

    Homesteading, to me, just means being as self sufficient as reasonably possible these days. Maybe that means you still buy clothes or other products from a store and certain foods you can’t grow or raise, but I still think there’s a distinction.

  8. #28
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    I don't know how it is in your AO, but around me it takes a lot of ground to feed a beef. Most cattlemen can't afford the land and the trappings needed to run a big operation. I work 60 plus a week, often out of town, I can't tend cattle or fence but I want my space. Leasing my grazing works for both parties.

    And not that I'm living the high life by any means, but like the old saying goes, "Cowboying is a hard way to make a meager living". Look for a win win of your own.
    Go Ukraine! Piss on the Russian dead.

  9. #29
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    Signage everywhere..NO TRESPASSING/PRIVATE DRIVE/BEWARE OF DOGS/PITBULLS ON PROPERTY ect ect.
    Fell some trees across that 100 yard path to prevent vehicles from entering.
    DEFINATELY string a barbed wire fence up along access point...rolls of barbed wire aint that expensive.
    Cameras/detectors that cut on flood lights.
    Im telling you- people DO NOT give AF about personal property now..just wait until SHTF. As stated, genseng hunters & game hunters will tresspass without a care in the world. The only ones Id give a pass too, is coon hunters looking for their dogs, as dogs dont know property lines, outside of that, Id let it be know you WILL prosecue all trespassers.
    If that isnt where you grew up in...if you dont know anyone there or care to..Id become "THAT OLD BASTARD OVER THERE WHO'LL SHOOT YOUR ASS IF YOU COME ONTO HIS PROPERTY". We had dudes like that back in the day..AND THEY DAMN SURE WOULD & DID.
    Had a guy close to us who hid his son out in the woods after getting a draft notice for Vietnam..as of 15 years ago, those weathered old wood signs that read YOU ARE BEING WATCHED & TRESPASSERS WILL BE KILLED were still out in the woods. Every time I saw themit gave me chills as a kid.
    Lastly, an un-asked opinion...youd be very...foolish..not to use your property to its fullest extent by planting a garden, and Id even start setting up feeders for small game & deer. Those grocery stores you put so much reliance on wont be worth squat two days into a real SHTF.
    Best of luck to you.
    Last edited by Straight Shooter; 02-25-21 at 21:01.
    The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than the cowards they really are.

  10. #30
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    As for the self reliance bit. Yeah you can garden. But unless you are willing to make a serious time commitment to canning, preserving, smoking, curing, etc. You aren't really gonna make it long. I'm surrounded by Mormons that take that 1 year food storage thing seriously. It's a lot of work. I'm not that good.
    Go Ukraine! Piss on the Russian dead.

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