| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BuckBellHill |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 07:05:13 AM
Hi all: I was so excited to read about Mary Jane in a magazine. It feels good to be connected to like minds. I seem to be an oddity in my neck of the woods. I bought my grandfather's homeplace in Belfast, Tennessee. It's 45 acres of God's country. Ahhhhhh. I was beginning to feel like my ideas for the place were just too far fetched, but all the women on this site are giving me courage. I would love to connect with other farm gals who are using their farms for "school" purposes. I intend to start my own journalism program on my farm and it's a daunting challenge.
Fern |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Anastasia |
Posted - Jul 30 2005 : 09:29:28 AM
Hi Fern and thanks for the welcome Randi (and everyone else!)
My farm is near Smithers, BC, about 1400 km northeast and then west (driving) of Vancouver. I have 160 acres that was logged of most of the pine and spruce about eight years ago. I still have lots of cottonwood, trembling aspen, a few white birch, and some balsam standing. I bought it dirt cheap from the bank as it had been repossessed and then abandoned for a year. The area itself is somewhat depressed for real estate at the moment (good time to buy, Randi!). Smithers is different from other industrial northern towns as it had a base of hippies way back when and the current population is half made up of folks who were passing through and fell in love with the place, then stayed. Seriously. The musical community in the Valley is spectacular, dinner parties naturally turn into jam sessions and everyone travels with their instruments. Because so many people live there by choice, the artist/entrepreneur/telecommuting/music/etc community is wonderful, supportive, and large.
But I digress...  I'm about half an hour's drive from Smithers and my driveway's a kilometre long (I have a snowplow attachment for my pick up truck). I'm separated from the highway from a section of forested Crown land, and I live in dread of the day the gov't decides to sell it off because timber-wise, it's very valuable. 
My house...what to say about my house. It's enormous, about 3300 square feet with 1/3 full basement and 2/3 crawlspace under two floors. Airy and spacious and whoever built it was kind of, hmmm, shall we say challenged??? I've spent the past three years (and have a few more to go) firring out walls to 2x6 instead of 2x4 thick, adding insulation everywhere, redoing the electrical wiring (thanks to my dad), drywalling, painting, flooring, putting in drainage ditches, etc. The biggest challenge was power as the house is not on the grid and the last people used a diesel generator during waking hours. Too noisy, polluting, and annoying for me! I have four solar panels on my roof, a wind tower, and a backup 12 kilowatt propane generator. The whole mess is run automatically by my invertor which keeps the 12 batteries charged and the house running normally. A wonderful system!!!! The genny is rarely running at all, at the most five hours at a time, but even during terribly dull weather in the winter that would be only every fourth or fifth day. Learned a lot, putting that system in/up/on. Have taken the genny apart and put it back together. Learned way more about just about everything than I ever thought I would!!!
I grew up in the city but love the farm life. Would like to be able to make a living on my land because it's so hard to leave. I have eight animals and I'd like to raise a few differnt types. I'm not sure how I will deal with slaughtering though...is it too late to learn after 35 years of ignoring the killing part behind my food? I'd like to give my beasties a wonderful life and know where my food was coming from. I just don't know how I'll ever be able to end a life. Thoughts?
I've been published a few times, articles about living off the grid, raising heritage breed turkeys, distance education, etc. I'd like to have more time to write, be able to work from home. The arctic, while gorgeous, is so far from where I want to be. And today, the mosquitoes and black flies are out in full force and it's terrible! I think they could carry away a small child!!!! I'm working in an exploration camp, 4km south of the Arctic Ocean. It so beautiful up here, if any of you ever have the opportunity to head this far north, I'd highly suggest you take advantage of it. I worked up here all spring, too, but that was cold!!! Woke up one morning to -52C, and that was without the windchill. It's still beautiful though. Yay for thick down parkas. 
I'd like to do a few writing courses via the internet because I find they keep me motivated and get me writing. I'm picking up some more goats in the fall as my one goat is beginning to think she's a dog I think! I have lots of cross fencing to do come October when I get home. Most of my firewood is already in (if anyone wants to talk about alternative heating, especially biodiesel, please contact me!!), my hay will be delivered next week, and I think I'll be okay for the winter. Not sure what the job will be yet, but...
Anyhoo, another novel! Coffee break is over and it's back to looking at rocks for me. Thank goodness for satellite internet service!
Good luck all, and enjoy a wee bit of summer for me. I'll be searching through the archives to figure out what I can do with my property, too. I'm just finishing the most recent MJF magazine, which led me to you all. Thank you for being there!
Hugs,
Anastasia
"Speciality is for insects." -Robert Heinlen |
| quiltedess |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 7:54:10 PM
Fern:
My grandpa grew up on a Tennessee farm and I have relatives still farming there; near Fayetteville, just north of Huntsville. It is beautiful. Have fun imagining all the possibilities!
Nancy |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 7:09:50 PM
Welcome, Fern! A Tennessee farm is a wonderful thing to own! How great for you. I know other farms that have started schools, even long ago at the turn of the century. Many have "camps" that people come to stay for a day, or a week and take classes. There is one in Brasstown, NC called the John Campbell Folk Art School. It also has a huge flower and veggie garden, and interns help out. Perhaps that is large scale thinking right now, but look at MJF and how she is developing her farm into a place of learning. There is another great role model for you!
Anyway, perhaps you can look at some of these existing school/farms and find ideas on how to set your place up. Good luck!
jpbluesky
Heartland girl |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 6:52:52 PM
WElcome Fern (love your name by the way!!!) I am glad you found us...sounds like you have alot of possibilities !! 45 acres..how wonderful!! a flower farm would be great! You could easily incorporate chickens ....or rabbits...making your own fertizer (chicken poop soup) by putting manure in barrels with water to make a fertilizer "tea". If you grew herbs as well as flowers there are even more possibilites...will you want green houses? I am excited for you!!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
| verbina |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 5:16:07 PM
welcome anastasia, we are all farm girl of sorts. i love canada. been looking into some land up there. tell us about your farm randi from jersey , ( dont know why im still in training) |
| BuckBellHill |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 09:57:19 AM
Anastasia: Where is your farm? Today, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed because of this website. There are so many creative ways to use the farm. Trying to figure out a plan and find the money will be a challenge. I'm also a bit obsessed with creating a Protea flower farm, in addition to a school of course!
I teach journalism at a university and there's only so much the educational system will allow in terms of innovation. I'm stifled by the block schedules and a host of other things. I just want a few students and a real learning environment, plus pretty flowers all around. I spent several years living in South Africa, and Protea flowers there are something to behold. So, I'll have to find a balance somehow....
What kind of plans do you have for the farm life?
Fern |
| Anastasia |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 09:50:37 AM
Hi there and welcome!
I'm so curious to hear about your dream of a journalism school on your farm... I'm trying to figure out what to do with my place, how I can stop working so far away and instead make a living on my land.
I know what you mean about all these farmgirls being so inspiring! Makes you feel much less alone and...crazy?
Good luck!
Anastasia :)
"Speciality is for insects." -Robert Heinlen |
| BuckBellHill |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 07:26:38 AM
Wow, my very first personal connection! Thanks for the welcome. I can't tell you how re-inspired I am from this web site. I just don't feel so alone and overwhelmed anymore. Thanks!
Fern |
| mollymae |
Posted - Jul 28 2005 : 07:22:11 AM
Hi Fern welcome to the board!! How wonderful to be living on a piece of your family's history! Must be beautiful! Looking forward to getting to know you!
Cead Mile Failte,
Molly
"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain. If I can ease one life the Aching or cool one pain, or help one fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain" ~Emily Dickinson
**When life throws scraps your way ~ Make a Quilt!**
Sisterhood of the Traveling Art |
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