Jeff Welder

   
I told my neighbor about the SKIP program and Otis said, "Looks like a scam to me.  All these people pay for classes and work to learn skills and they have no way to contact us property owners. No way we can see their qualifications.  We should be able to have a database so us Otises could look through their pics and qualifications and see if we want to contact them."
    I am 55 and just building my farm, but eventually I will be looking for someone to help and eventually take over if I can't find a wife with a qualified child.  
Otis up the road is in his 60's and has more physical limitations than me.  Otis up the road is ACTIVELY LOOKING.

   I am searching for my forever homestead.  I recently sold my house and am traveling AR, MO, and OK in my search.  I met an 88 year old woman who is all alone and needs to get in contact with a couple of SKIP members.  Not sure if she would be interested in eventually selling or gifting the farm, but she is open to you buying some cows and running the heard as one.  I got her number, but I can't find a way for her to get involved. (Paul, we need a banner link to a page with "get involved" for all these kinds of programs. Maybe you have it and I just can't find it.)

While searching for a farm to purchase, I spoke to an 88-year old woman with significant acreage who desperately needs help.  She was amazed to know this even existed. WWoofers, too.

How would she find skip-oriented help?  
I am going to call her with the information as soon as I can get it.   Email me.  jeffery19677 at  yahoo.com

Like a swale, wouldn't your water lens benefit from a good mulch, too?

Rob Kaiser wrote:What projects do you take on first when attempting to build a homestead from scratch?




Approximately 50 feet away, there is a 64' x 40' pole barn.

There is a small, finished space inside the pole barn, 15' x 40'.

Water and electricity have been run to the inside of this space...

...but unfortunately are not accessible outside of the barn.

Its easy to 't" off the water line  that goes into the barn. The problem is having to find the water line going in. Plan to hand dig a lot.


...which is what this post is about.  What's FIRST on your list when it comes to building a homestead?
Chickens in a portable coop and consider locations for fruit nut trees.  Summer is a great time to purchase used hoop houses for cheap. You can buy a 200 foot long one and only put up 50 feet if thats all you want. Wait till fall and sell/barter the rest for  your original price. (Sell 50 foot sections at a higher profit to support homestead projects.




What projects do you take on first when attempting to build a homestead from scratch?

 You have half a homestead already. Just build on your existing infrastructure.  I would also consider a ram pump below the pond to pump water up to livestock area.. Or back to pond for areation..

I am a world away. I am in SE Alabama.  Few people heat with wood nowadays, but on occasion, my "Ex Uncle-in-law" (Owned a logging company.)  would be approached by someone asking to cut firewood from their slashpile. He would always refer them to the property owner and a couple of times, the owner told him to NOT clean up so people could cut firewood.  You don't HAVE to push it all up and burn it if you are going to use a dozier to replant the property. But it does look like shit for a couple of years until the new trees start covering it all up..  My rambling point is,  CUT FIREWOOD. Hell, some of the wood would be good for someone with a portable sawmill..