mrbstephens
Lovin' The Homestead
Lately my DH and I are feeling we are at a dead end. We live on Long Island with our two children in a 3 bdrm/2 bath house on .43 acres. We pay over $7,000 in taxes for this puny parcel. My DH is a talented woodworker and runs the fabrication department of a cabinet shop. I stay home with the two children, homeschool my DS (6), play with my DD (3), and care for the house and animals and everything else that comes with being a SAHM. My DH works his butt off so we can live here. Why? Well, the area and the beaches are beautiful, BUT that's about it! We feel we could do better with our lives. We bought the house in 2001 when prices were still pretty low and if we sold now we could easily walk away with $150,000 in our pockets. We've been researching Maryland and may want to move there. We could buy a 10 + acre parcel of land with a house and barn with $100,000 down and be paying half the mortgage and less than half the property taxes.
My dream;
To live and work on an organic farm growing and selling organic fruits and vegetables and raising farm animals for eggs, dairy and fiber. To hold festivals on the property and workshops teaching self sustainability and living green while still being home with our children. I have a back round in horticulture, but would like to move toward agriculture.
My DH's dream;
To work at home. Currently he has a workshop in our basement where he makes wooden bowls and other things with his lathe. He knows he'll need to continue his career as a cabinet maker, but eventually he'd like remain at home working for himself, doing what he really loves to do. He loves the idea of living on a farm where I'd be able to help with the income and help sustain our family. He'd need to have a garage or barn where he could use as a workshop on the property.
So, I'm wondering if others on the forum have done anything like this? I would like some advice as to where to start. Should I take any courses in agriculture, or would reading a researching be enough to get started? What do I look for in a good fertile land? Any suggestions would be great!
My dream;
To live and work on an organic farm growing and selling organic fruits and vegetables and raising farm animals for eggs, dairy and fiber. To hold festivals on the property and workshops teaching self sustainability and living green while still being home with our children. I have a back round in horticulture, but would like to move toward agriculture.
My DH's dream;
To work at home. Currently he has a workshop in our basement where he makes wooden bowls and other things with his lathe. He knows he'll need to continue his career as a cabinet maker, but eventually he'd like remain at home working for himself, doing what he really loves to do. He loves the idea of living on a farm where I'd be able to help with the income and help sustain our family. He'd need to have a garage or barn where he could use as a workshop on the property.
So, I'm wondering if others on the forum have done anything like this? I would like some advice as to where to start. Should I take any courses in agriculture, or would reading a researching be enough to get started? What do I look for in a good fertile land? Any suggestions would be great!
