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A Farm of My Own:  Starting from scratch TIPS wanted  |
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 10:06:43 AM
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I've always heard people say you don't know what you really want in a house until you've owned your first one. As you live in it and enjoy the positives and deal with the negatives, you come up with a mental list of all the things you want different in your next home.
Well, I'd like to apply that to setting up a farm. If you could start over from scratch with a piece of land, a bare canvas so to speak, what would you do?
For example (but *just* to get you started, so consider *anything*):
what direction would you face your home?
veggie garden close to the house? where?
where would you put your outbuildings?
what kind of fence would you put up?
what kind of animals would you have?
what would you NOT have?
type of structure of home (log, prefab, traditional site-built, etc.)
Okay, ladies, dream a bit. Those of us who are just starting out have so much to glean from your wisdom and experience, and I'd love to hear what you have to share.
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - happymama58 on Mar 12 2006 10:07:46 AM |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2006 : 11:38:06 AM
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I love my old house. It faces east, which out of the 5 houses we have lived in, I find the best direction. MY bedroom is in the northeast corner and gets the first morning light, which I love because I get up at 5:30-6:00 anyway. My kitchen is in the back of the house and gets the afternoon sun, which is when I am in the kitchen most.
My veggie gardenis the closest out of all the homes and I like that also, as a result I spend more time in it.
Unfortunately the previous owners allowed all of the outbuildings to fall down and that is the homes biggest flaw. If I had my way we would build them like in Maine where they are all attached and form a kind of courtyard with the home.
You could take care of all of your animals in the winter without even walking outside. This is not as practical in the south.
The most important rooms have been my mudrooms, we just added another one off the back of the house. |
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Debs
True Blue Farmgirl
100 Posts
Debs
Wellington
New Zealand
100 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2006 : 08:31:03 AM
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Patti, it is so exciting to hear about your plans for your farm! I have ideas about what I would do - it would be fantastic to have a "blank canvas", I have ideas about what I would do, but would love to hear any inspiration and advice from others who have already set up their farm. My ideas would be the following:
what direction would you face your home? North (that would be in the southern hemisphere!) to make the most of the sun - the living room, kitchen and front deck/porch would face this direction. At the moment our kitchen gets all day sun and probably why I spend a lot of time in there, either cooking/eating  /reading or watching the wildlife and local cats outside!
veggie garden close to the house? where? Not too close to the house, (a few metres away at least) but carefully planted to take advantage of the sun and shelter from winds! Raised beds are a good idea too.
where would you put your outbuildings? Not sure...probably on the other side of the veggie garden? (i.e. close enough to get animal manure from their shelters to put on the compost pile, but the buildings not blocking the garden from any sun)?
what kind of fence would you put up? Depends on what animals you have(see below) chicken wire for chicken fencing should be buried below the soil a few inches, so they don't scrape their way out.
what kind of animals would you have? Depends on space - prob. chickens at first, maybe a cow, start out small, and build up as you get experience.
what would you NOT have? would not have too many animals - too much to cope with unless you are experienced.
type of structure of home (log, prefab, traditional site-built, etc.) Log from sustainable sources, or natural materials: cob, straw bale etc.
I hope that has given you some ideas, I am not dreaming though - I am planning! Look forward to hearing more dreams/plans/advice.
Debby |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2006 : 3:41:14 PM
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what direction would you face your home?My home faces north, south, east, and west. When you're this far out in the sticks, it doesn't really matter; all views are open. I live on the prairie, and live in a 140 year old house. Since it was built before electricity was invented, they knew how to build to take advantage of prairie winds for cooling. Winds predominantly come from the northwest in winter, and south/southwest in summer. Since my bedroom is in a northwest corner and has four windows, I run a fan just sometimes in summer. We don't do air conditioning. It's very cool and pleasant inside!
veggie garden close to the house? where?Ours is a bit to the west to take advantage of the most sun. You have to be able to reach it with a hose, have tools close by, and out of the way of stock. (Your chickens will dig up your seedlings if your garden is too close to the coop.) We use an old cob house as a tool shed.
where would you put your outbuildings? Like a lot of old farmsteads, we have a lot of outbuildings. They were planned by people far smarter than me! All are a good fifty paces away from the house except a toolshed/cob house and milk house. You want to have your animals a good ways away from your well, or your health inspector will probably fail you. You need to remember to have doors to the south and east, and windblocks to the north and west, or you stress your stock.
what kind of fence would you put up?I have diamond mesh no climb fence with a one and a half inch tape on top. It can be used for chickens, but it's awfully expensive for that. I chose that because it's safe for even the youngest horses. For cattle I'd use regular four inch woven or welded wire with a strand of electric or barbed wire on top to keep them off of it, and for chickens, hardware cloth or chicken wire. Be sure to bury it plenty deep to discourage coons and possums. And go over the top for hawks.
what kind of animals would you have?Oh my, I've had lots of different kinds of animals! Right now I mostly have horses, dogs, and cats; but I've also had dairy cows and feeder pigs. Milk fed pork is a delicacy.
what would you NOT have?I personally don't have much use for goats. They're pure trouble! I have a friend that had one that was ingenious about getting in the house and jumping on the bed. Her husband would honk the horn when he'd come home from work and the goat'd come running for his cigarette butts.
type of structure of home (log, prefab, traditional site-built, etc.) I love my old home! I love the sense of history and craftmanship. The same friend who had the goat had built a log home, and she really loves it.
I wish you lots of luck! And I can tell you from experience, you're going to have a lot more questions in time.
"What another would do as well as you, do not do it. What another would have said as well as you, do not say it; written as well, do not write it. Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself, and there, make yourself indispensable." ---Andre Gide |
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MullersLaneFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
596 Posts
Rock Falls
IL
596 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2006 : 12:17:02 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by happymama58
what direction would you face your home?
Bedrooms on the east and kitchen to the west.
quote:
veggie garden close to the house? where?
Close to a water source is more important to me than being close to the house. I do like my herb garden outside the kitchen though.
quote:
where would you put your outbuildings?
Downwind from the house!!! Which ever direction that is!
quote:
what kind of fence would you put up?
For what?? Different animals need different types of fencing.
quote:
what kind of animals would you have?
What kind of animals do you have experience with?? If you don't have any, then consider chickens to start and then figure out what you would want to do with the animals before you buy them. Horses are nice IF you have time to ride them. We have drafts, but try to make them earn their way on the farm. Horses are VERY EXPENSIVE pets.
We have a menagerie - Draft horses, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, Jersey cow, Berkshire hogs, honey bees. We do have 'pleasure' animals though ... roller pigeons, cats, dogs and little mule.
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what would you NOT have?
Maybe more of what I WOULDN'T do instead of Not have ...
I wouldn't tear up more virgin land to create my homestead. There are plenty of old homesteads and farmsteads about and virgin land is scarce. Once you start developing it, it's no longer virgin.
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type of structure of home (log, prefab, traditional site-built, etc.)
What ever is already on the land.
eta:
I highly recommend "Buying and Setting Up Your Small Farm or Ranch"
http://store.alpdev.com/view.phtml?store_id=12&prodid=384 by Lynn R Miller
Say NO! to National Animal ID
http://www.NoNAIS.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Illinois_Against_NAIS
"As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15
Muller's Lane Farm
http://www.mullerslanefarm.com
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Edited by - MullersLaneFarm on Mar 17 2006 12:20:12 PM |
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akcowgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
296 Posts
Valerie
Homer
Alaska
USA
296 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2006 : 5:06:41 PM
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My only tip is to have the master bedroom on the first floor. Right after we build our house both me and dear other half had a knee go out. We really wish to this day the the bedroom was on the first floor.
what direction would you face your home? South i live in alaska and that is where most of our sun comes from.
veggie garden close to the house? where? close enough to the house to get a hose to. if it is close i will work in it more.
where would you put your outbuildings? behind and to the side out the house as to not interuped(sp) the view and sun light to the south/front.
what kind of fence would you put up? depends on what you are fenceing in. if just a fence around the property then split rail
what kind of animals would you have? Horses, chickens, rabbits, goats.
what would you NOT have? Geese
type of structure of home (log, prefab, traditional site-built, etc.)
Log but I am Biase(sp)i have a log home.
Good luck with your planning.
Valerie
Alaska Girl all the way
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A Farm of My Own: Starting from scratch TIPS wanted |
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Starting from scratch TIPS wanted
