Cara Wright

I wish I could keep a few animals but aside form a dog and a cat, apartment living makes that nearly impossible. I am hoping to cultivate a few crops on my porch to produce food/seeds. Working in my preserving skills is a great idea and luckily something that will be easy to learn from the older generations in my family. (A small brag but we currently have 5 generations of women on my mom's side.)  
I have also worked at learning other little skills such as soapmaking, crocheting/knitting, and hope to work on my sewing skills.
There is currently a fully renovated cabin down the road from the property I plan to move onto so I will be staying there for the first year or so. I am hoping to build a wofati style house on the larger property once I get settled and have time to plan/work. But it will be interesting to see how it all works out. I could do with the additional insulation in an area that can reach 30 below in the winter's.

Ive read through quite a few posts about that and it's definitely something I'll keep in mind. I'm thinking a couple of goats and a few chickens to start off so that I can get an idea of what the reality is when it comes to taking care of animals. I want alpacas and maybe a pig or two for the future, but definitely don't want to bite off more than I can chew. Coming from a city and never having to really look after animals or dispatch them for meat means that it will be a big adjustment.

Hello James,
Thank you for your advice! Unfortunately, I won't be able to make the drive too often as it is located about 4.5 hours from where I live. On the bright side, my stepfather spent a good two years living there so I will be able to learn quite a bit from him.
I will definitely look into different books on the topic. I never considered maple syrup, but that would be a dream come true.

Hello Everyone,
I guess this is my introduction? I'm a 20 year old female based out of Idaho and for the past year I have been hardset on a change in lifestyle. I am already tired of the rat race and living in the city, so I have been on the search for properties within a small budget, and close enough to town that my boyfriend and I would be able to work and pay the bills.
I count myself extremely lucky, and while discussing some properties up towards salmon, my mother asked why I wasn't just putting down roots at her husband's cabin on the Yankee fork. I was confused because I was unaware that we owned any property. Apparently, we have 120 acres with a small cabin on it and otherwise untouched land, and I'm set to inherit about 30 acres assuming my siblings claim their portion of the land. I feel beyond blessed, and am very excited to embark on the journey towards becoming self sufficient.
I am waiting a year (stuck in a lease until September of 21) but plan to go up and start mapping out the property. Does anyone have advice/ideas? I imagine I would only start working 7-10 acres max as I plan to garden/have a small herd of goats and alpacas. I would also like chickens but with the hard winter's climate it does make me nervous.
Any tips, tricks, or wisdom you would like to pass on? It would all be very appreciated!
Thank you in advance! 😁