not sure if I belong here

Hi!  I'm not sure if I belong here, so I'll blather on a bit and y'all could let me know.

I'm looking to get some forest land.  For timber, forest farming and maybe some clear space for chickens (maybe someday goats).  I want to get a sawmill and maybe even a Woodmaster to get into custom molding.  I'd also like to try my hand at making Native American style flutes.  Maybe other woodworking.  I'm also looking into growing trees from seed for nurseries.

This idea has kind of sprouted others.  I'll need a tractor, maybe I can do mowing, gravel driveway repair and garden tilling on the side.  Likewise, I'll want some power available, maybe I can get into off-grid solar.

Right now I'm learning many new things.

You're in the right place.  Welcome.  Looking forward to seeing your progress.  Lots of great, helpful people here.

if your looking for a bunch of oddballs you found us, welcome home!

Welcome to permies, Mark! Where *no* question is too weird, or gets funny looks! Many new members have been surprised at all the good ideas that are volunteered in response to a question, but there are also tons of questions that have already been answered, so don't be surprised if all the info becomes a little over-whelming! We're all on the path to a more sustainable future, and we're all moving at our own pace.

Hello Mark, and welcome! It's actually a big tent here, with many skills and experiences and values intersecting to make  things happen. I think what you propose fits in very nicely.

Welcome to Permies, Mark! Obviously, we think you belong here, :) so you'll just have to take a look around and decide for yourself. Permies is a big place, but based on the interests you mentioned, here are a few forums that might be worth a look:
- Forest Gardens
- Woodland
- Woodworking
- Trees
- Chickens
- Goats
- Solar
- Farm Income

Take a look around and feel free to join in conversations and ask your own questions! Permies is a great place to learn new things.

Thank you all for the welcome!

You do have a lot going on, but it seems well organized.  I'm still overwhelmed, though, lol.

Lol I was overwhelmed too when I first joined. Lots to learn but take your time and have fun! This is a great community.

All the things that you want to do are common topics around here. Even if you think you don't belong, you'll find it pretty useful.

Welcome, Mark! We have all kinds here, from soil scientist Bryant Redhawk, to farmer and highly accomplished plant breeder Joseph Lofthouse, hard-core homesteader Nicole Alderman, and the hugul-obsessed Paul Wheaton, and it would be an injustice to leave out Konstantinos Karoubas, who is on what looks like a one-man, multi-decade mission to reforest Greece. Everyone has his niche. The only way you could fail to fit in, would be if you are consciously and deliberately trying to destroy the earth or something. Anyway... see you around!

Hi Mark,

Quite normal goals for this board. Ive a bit of experience with both trees and musical instrument making, its a small thing but I am a great fan of Prunus serotina for flute/fife wood, that's Wild Black Cherry which grows to wopping size, gives cherries, the wood is excellent quality for all sorts of crafts, furniture, gunstocks, luthering wood, the bark is harvestable for conversion into a traditional medicinal cough syrup, the young starts are great rootstock for sweet cherries and its a pollenator for sweet cherries too.  Erratta if you are working with a brushy dense forest you may wish to consider a goat or 5 to help clear it out, also try to get a tractor on the oldish side, something mechanically simple that you can fix, maybe even a riding-mower, which can double as transportation not too greedy on fuel. This board is a great place for advise and to clarify your thoughts, and its so much more efficient not to have to reinvent the wheel as they say again and again. Best of luck~