Matthew Steven

I have 14 acres of land in North West NJ. I’ve been pretty busy with other things and I haven’t had the time, energy, or help to grow the things I want to grow or plan the things I want to plan.

So. I’m not looking for love, I’ve given up on that.

But I have been thinking about finding one or two people that want to grow their own food on my land. I have been growing a fruit orchard and I’m expanding it every year. I cleared a large patch of land a few years ago and I haven’t gotten around to planting a vegetable garden.

I wasn’t sure where to post this. So here I am.

Is there anyone near Hope NJ that would be interested in growing vegetable on my land?

I have a tractor and all the equipment. I’ve grown plots of corn and pumpkins in the past as well as a lot of other things. The orchard is coming along nicely, I have about 15 trees now and another 13 already ordered for the spring. I need to clear more land for next years trees. I have loads of asparagus that will be ready to plunder in the spring and I’m excited about that.

So. Is there anyone near me that has wanted to grow things but haven’t had the space or equipment? Maybe we should talk

Send me a message. My name is Matt

Hello,
The holidays are upon us again and I would love to find someone to enjoy them with. Is she out there?

I’m 46, I think, tall (6’3”), educated (BSBA), sane (mostly), and mostly normal.

I live in Warren County NJ, in the woods on 14 secluded acres.

Is there any “mostly” normal woman out there that looks to work towards self sufficiency. Or just having fun while trying to do so?

I had sheep but I ha for sell them because I didn’t have the proper time for them. This year I was able to start my perennial garden (finally). And next spring I hope to expand my gardens.

I don’t like talking about myself but I welcome questions. Send me a message. I will do my best to respond to any questions you have.  

I hope to hear from some cool people!!

Hi M,

Thank you. I think I have a nice piece of land. It would be amazing to find someone who wants to join me. Love is hard to find, and I admit i am probably hard to love because of the way I want to live. Is there someone out there???

And I have Shetland sheep. Those are newborns I was holding. They are adorable!

Thank you Helen

Without the rain, the sun wouldn’t mean anything. I guess the same could be said about the winters. It makes spring more special.  

And thank you for the compliment.

It’s snowing here in rural New Jersey and it’s suppose to snow for a few days. So here I sit, on my 14 acres of land in North West NJ. Wishing I could find someone to grow and share life with.

About 4 years ago I sold almost everything I owned and bought 14 acres. Then I quit my job of 17 years and went into business for myself. I was tired of the rat race and I wanted to control my own destiny. And life is too short to dislike your job and where you live.

So here I am. Enjoying life and wishing I had someone to share it with. My vision is to be as self sustainable as possible, and with the current state of this country, I believe lots of people are wishing they took control of their destiny.

About me... I’m 44, 6’3”, educated, sane, drug free and social drinker. I can fix just about anything and I love working with my hands. I am a licensed home improvement contractor, so I keep as busy as I want to be.

What I’m looking for... a woman who wants to live off grid. Someone who likes to grow food, build things, and someone who is creative.

What I have... 14 acres of mostly hardwood forest. About 4 acres of overgrown pasture that I’m bringing back. And a stream that runs across my land. I have Shetland sheep, chickens, and bees. Last year I started breeding my own queens and I find the bees relaxing and very very interesting. By the end of this year I would like to expand my apiary to 20 hives.

I have plans for an orchard and I want to put in a permanent large garden. I’m planning on expanding my blueberries and I’ve planted ginseng on my land years ago and it’s finally started producing berries last year, so they are taking off.
I just bought a tractor with a backhoe and I have plans on building a cabin this year, as well as a root cellar to store what I grow.

Is there anyone out there that wants to take control of their destiny with a smart, not so bad looking man?

Hello,
So much to say but a daunting task to actually put it into words, but I will try

I’m in Warren County N.J. on 14 acres. I’ve been living off grid and my goal is to be as self sufficient as possible. It’s a long process but I’m making progress. I have bees, Shetland sheep, chickens, and even mature sugar maple trees.

I am seeking someone who shares the same goals and desires. I am 42, 6’3” tall, blonde hair, blue eyes. I will try to attach pictures.  I’ve been divorced for over ten years and I have three kids, 14, 16, and 19.

Where do I see myself in five years, you ask?? I see my flock of Shetland sheep growing, my soon to be planted fruit orchard maturing, my small cabin built, a root cellar built, and my garden producing a lot of food. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Ok not sure what else to write here, but I will answer and questions you have.

I hope to hear from some interesting people.  

Matthew

No worries at all.
The land was, and is, mainly covered in Russian olives and wild rose. Their wasn’t much other stuff growing in the underbrush, and there was about 6” of dead leaves, branches, and other duff on the ground.

I could have let them graze the garbage but I guess you’ve never dealt with a sheep’s long wool caught in thorny rose branches.

So I made the decision to clear the land, which was a good opportunity to till in lots of lime to bring the soil ph up. Which afforded me the opportunity to plant a healthy grazing field for my sheep.

If I had goats, I would just let them graze and follow behind them and reseed but the sheep are different, their wool poses a different set of issues.

I appreciate your advice and I might try something similar in the future.

I’m clearing pasture for my sheep and I’m wondering how many pounds of seed per acre is normally used? I’m using a mix of about 6 types of forage seeds, annual rye, perennial rye, birdsfoot trefoil, bromegrass, Timothy, and orchards grass.

I had my soil tested and I tilled in the recommended amount of lime so I’m good on nutrients and my ph is on the rise. I have an starting from dirt. I can only find info in reseeding, not starting from scratch.

So, what’s the recommended amount of seed to use on my freshly tilled pasture?

Thanks for the info. What kind of sheep do you have?

I would like a slatted floor to help keep it cleaner. Not many harmful reptiles around here.

It’s mainly for nighttime sleeping. The shed might be used for birthing and I can always put wood on top of the slats.

And I would like to try a slatted floor just to see how it works out. I can always replace it with a solid floor in the future