James Landreth

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:I thought this one was cute though I thought the picture at right was an unfinished hugelbed!

100% accurate

Dale Hodgins wrote:I've seen a lot in this thread about barriers to entry into the housing and land market. I think the biggest thing driving that is people's reluctance to move to wherever is necessary to make that happen. I would never consider living in Toronto or Vancouver if I were a millennial earning a typical Millennial wage. I would get my ass to wherever I had to go so that I could prosper.

I made a decision to head for greener pastures 25 years ago and it was the right decision.

Both of my children are millennials. Both are teachers and both save very large percentages of their incomes. They don't have a desire to be farmers or homesteaders, but they are certainly on track to be able to pay cash for those things, should they have a change of heart. They live frugally but they don't want for anything. They just don't do the really financially draining stuff like drugs, alcohol and financing things. And neither of them spends a huge amount on rent. They don't have cars. My youngest daughter was quite attracted to the bright lights of London, but now she his back on Vancouver Island, spending about a quarter of her income on her upkeep.

Both me and my oldest daughter have done some third world traveling. And both of us agree that our system is much more conducive to people getting ahead, should they decide to put in the elbow grease and stop spending money frivolously.

I will soon be married to a millennial a little younger than my daughters. She comes from dire poverty, but she's a worker and a saver and ultra frugal. I'm going to her country in three weeks and I will be there for 3 months. If she gets a visa to come back with me, I expect that our combined income will be 70 percent savings, which we will invest in the means of production.

She has three siblings that are all going to school on my dime. But once school is done they are expected to be productive and not subsidized. So I have in a way put myself in the middle of the financial futures of four millennials. Her two sisters will be fine. One of them is only in grade 8 although she's an adult. They all went to work as house servants at 8 years old. But they are bright and motivated, so I'm hoping that my input helps to cancel out the very poor start that all of them have had. I'm not so sure about her brother. He seems like a hopeless case because of mental problems. That gets really serious in places that don't have a social safety net. I will probably create a permanent farm job for him.

While I think this is true and valid, I also think that the category of "affordable places" has changed (degraded) significantly. When my parents were young affordable land could be had in places like canby Oregon, Vancouver island, or the Olympic Peninsula. Millennials and younger have to go much further and often to much harsher climates to find affordable land

John Ope wrote:

Dale Hodgins wrote:Welcome John. Any chance of showing us what you're selling?

I used to sell shipping supplies but it took over my small townhouse. I slowly made my way to stationery products - mainly stickers. This was easy as I was able to store all my supplies in a small office. I've ventured into selling digital clipart and slowly growing my library. For clipart I'm mainly focusing on watercolors that I've hand painted and clipart I created on my ipad. I wanted to create a life where I can pretty much move my things and move to whatever state. Small stickers and digital items seems to work for me. I also just started a mug shop where I sell mugs with my designs on them and custom made mugs for businesses with their logos or mugs with personal pictures on them.

California continues to get more expensive each day especially near the san francisco bay area. I'm lucky enough that my mortgage is only $1300/month which is super cheap compared to current rent rates at $2100/month for a house my size. My hope is to someday save enough for another property with at least 2 acres of land outside of California. Then Rent out my townhouse to a family/friend and use it as residual income.

You should consider Western Washington!

https://permies.com/t/100135/Praise-Lewis-County

So far so good! I also might be putting in a food forest in southern Oregon at the Jackson Wellsprings. I intend to contact more libraries too. I've begun collecting trees and am hoping to learn bud grafting this summer.

I'm 24.

If I were in your position, I would talk to your daughter directly about it. Is she uncomfortable with you dating a woman your age? (I would ask that) If so, why? I think that asking that will open up any other issues, but I could be wrong. It might be that they would bond like you said, but it might also be awkward because of the nature of their relationship. If she hasn't booked, maybe ask your daughter to simply come to where you are in the Philippines  and spend some time with you and your fiance there

Alex Arn wrote:My grandmother's farm in northern Missouri had quite a few of them.  Does anyone know varietals that will work in zone 3b?

If any would do it it would be Northrop (sometimes spelled Northrup). I believe it's good to zone 3. That's its rating but I would definitely protect it when young

https://www.treepeony.com/products/northrop-mulberry

Jennifer, I just wanted to say that I've totally been there and still struggle with this!

It's hard because there is only so much time and energy. There's only so much you can under realistic constraints to make something delicious out of what you have on hand. And I understand wanting to eat well. Life is short, we might as well enjoy every meal

This is a tough one. I usually sow carefully (or get impatient and just throw them down) on the soil, then water it in. No need to cover as the watering will do it for you. If you want to mulch you'll have to wait until they're established plants

I think planting more is a great idea. If clover isn't growing on unused portions of your farm, what will be? Grass? I think clover is much better. It's nutritious for livestock of many kinds, good for bees, fixes nitrogen, etc. I'm told that if you don't cut if before it seeds that it won't release nitrogen, but I personally don't care too much. The presence of the microbes that they work with to bring down nitrogen probably increases soil life in total, even if the bacteria they work with just become food for other microbes at the end of the cycle.

Timothy Markus wrote:

James Landreth wrote:

Timothy Markus wrote:

James Landreth wrote:I accept that I am going to die someday one way or another.

With a defeatist attitude like that, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy...

Everyone is going to die. I might die elderly or from an accident or collapse. But I will die. In the meantime, I want to make the most of my time here. A farm activist once told me, "I don't know if what I do will save the world, but I'd feel really bad for not trying"

Sorry, James, I was trying to be funny.  One day I'll succeed.  

I wasn't sure, so I just went with it