Thomas Brinn

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since Jun 06, 2016
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Grew up on a farm in SW Florida (cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens). Stint in the Army as an Aircraft Electrician.  Lived in Miami, FL for a few years after, then to Deep South Easter TX. Met my wife (Dad is a Dairy Man) from IN. We now have four kids (5, 4, 3, and 1, with one on the way.) We want to move to the Appalachian Mountains. We have ancestry from there, I have family in the Knoxville area, and we are central to both our families. We are familiar with farming and raising animals, but want to be able to raise our growing family to appreciate the things we hold important in life rather than slaving at a job to provide monetarily for all the modern "needs."
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Corpus Christi, TX
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Recent posts by Thomas Brinn

Necro-Posting but... kind of bummed no one has tried this yet, or at least they haven't shared their results!

I had the same idea about the root hormone and misgivings about antimicrobial effects on germination, but I have some aloe plants growing wild and a stash of heirloom okra seed that I have been naturalizing to my garden over several generations.

I am in Corpus Christi, TX so it is brutally hot and what little rain we get is slurped up by the heavy clay soil. Supplementing our garden with city water and all the chloramine, fluoride, and who knows what other contaminates, just doesn't seem to want to sprout the seeds like real rain does! Sprouting in a seed tray inside and they all die off while trying to harden-off prior to transplanting. I have black-eyed peas and okra that don't mind the heat and can still produce despite forgetful, hap-hazard, watering schedule, but getting them to sprout if you don't have real rain is tough. We got only a single rain band from Hurricane Beryl but was sure to take advantage by putting in a few more rows which have already jumped!

I was wondering if planting directly into an aloe pad could be a better method to sprout them, cutting the sprouted piece of pad, and planting both the aloe square and okra sprout directly into the prepped garden bed? I am on day 3 since putting 20 seeds into the pad. I will report back my results.
6 months ago
Thank you all for the wonderful feed back over the past year or so! We still have the itch to "head to the hills" but continue to weigh out our options.

Lorinne Anderson wrote:I think the idea has possibilities, but, I would adopt all/most of the "changes" (home schooling, canning, thrift store living, etc. For at least 12-24 months, IN your current location.

This would accomplish two things. First it would give you a "taste" of how this alternative lifestyle would "feel" and "work". Second, it would give your home time to accrue more equity, to salt away more money from both employment and the lowered expenses that would arise from extreme frugal living.



We have always Homeschooled our children since we want to pass down our beliefs, traditions, and culture, not those of the State.

We have done some canning and have recently acquired a pressure canner in addition to our water-bath canner.

We have always shopped at the local Thrift Store for most of our own clothes and all of our kids clothes in addition to the hand-me-down rotation at the Church we attend.  One of the benefits of living in an metro area, most 2nd hand clothes are brand name, in excellent condition!

Lorinne Anderson wrote: You will NEED some sort of income stream. What do the other family members already there use for money? Can you either piggyback on to something or start a business? Lastly, who will "OWN" what? Will you have title to anything? Who pays for the needed infrastructure (water, tractor, irrigation fencing..), taxes, how is the "profit" shared? Will you just get the kiddo's raised and have to immediately transition into "eldercare"?



Due in part to many of the concerns mentioned above, I am getting increasingly leery of sharing with family. I love them all dearly BUT, family and business rarely mix well.

I have been getting about $950 per month from the VA, have about $30K liquid, $180K in 401K, and $160K in equity in our house (according to Zillow) due to the crazy inflated housing market. We have ZERO debt other than the mortgage.  With a more optimistic financial outlook, we are leaning more towards purchasing our own land. Eastern KY has remote, undeveloped land that is still relatively affordable.  

My aunt had a homestead in that area with a huge garden, a small orchard of various fruit trees, bees etc. They did use fertilizer and pesticides but used many other sustainable practices before they were cool. She walked away from the property after her husband passed, rather than squabbling with the heirs over anything. Sadly her mind isn't as sharp as it once was, so her knowledge and experience isn't too helpful of a resource.

I've been researching various programs for Veteran Farmers, 1st time Farmers, etc. Business planning, market research, etc, etc... the Big City markets where farm goods would go for premium prices are in Lexington, about a 2 hour drive in good weather. Knoxville, TN where I have some family isn't too bad of a drive either but legal hurdles crossing State lines with meat or produce need addressed.

3 years ago

John C Daley wrote:
Another thing to be aware of, if you think 40 per week takes all your time, i spend about 70 hrs per week fiddling on my place and I have a house and shedding!!



Yes that 70 hours a week will be with my family fairly close at hand, my older boys right by my side, teaching, training, mentoring, etc. Eating our meals together. Being there when they go down and when they arise. Currently, I spend most of my waking hours at work and know my co-workers and subordinates better and better while my own children are growing up relative strangers. I have worked 56 hours overtime as of this past paycheck! While I am grateful for the additional income (single income family), it puts a heavy strain on family life. BTW, the OT is not optional, but rather "management directed" AKA mandatory.  

My two older boys, 10 and 9 years old, have shown interest in woodworking, but I simply do not have the time to devote to proper instruction. I cannot provide them any justification, or plan for a later date. I work at the whim of the big-cheese in the office up stairs, who is oblivious to what happens on the production floor. Maybe some day I could explain to my boys there are animals to feed, pigs to slaughter, fields to plant, but after harvest... or after morning or evening chores...  we will plan to do XYZ together. We can prepare and organize in anticipation for that event. As of now I cannot plan from one week to the next. In nature there are cycles and seasons to plan around an in accordance with.
4 years ago

Karl Treen wrote:

Artie Scott wrote:
You are asking good questions here. Don't get carried away with the dream, because it's going to be hard. Maybe heart-breakingly hard. Make sure that VA pension is in place before making any decisions, also make sure you understand the ins and outs of the social services system in Indiana. Maybe your family can help sort that out?

My recommendation would be to put your finances down on paper and do some worst-case scenario calculations. If you have experience with farming and raising animals, and a government stipend you can conceivably live off of, this could be a viable move. If you have no agricultural experience, and lots of kids, you are conceivably putting everyone in a very difficult position and may end up regretting it.

Also, I'm assuming you know where everyone would sleep, and that you have a little money in the bank... If the answers are "I don't know" and "not much" I would say you aren't ready for this.

Finally, when one of the kids steps on a nail or falls off a ladder, will you be able to pay the medical costs? With 7 kids, it's not a matter of "if" it's a matter of "when". Can you get free (or affordable) healthcare in Indiana?



The VA claim is key to much of this. At least that will be guaranteed income should all else fail. It may take longer than we'd like to wade through the red-tape for approval, but better to be certain. The family up there has been chomping at the bit to have us up there. They have had hard times in the past and have a strong disposition that they'll endure just about any adversity.

We have shelter covered.

We have a fair nest egg, just don't want to burn through it too fast; running out before we see a return on investment. IF/ When approved for VA we'll have food covered and enough to put clothes on our back. Vehicles are paid off and in good shape. The only regular expenses would be phone/ internet and what little power we use.

Health Care coverage is a good point that will need further research.

We both have experience with animals and have done some small scale gardening; however, producing on a large enough scale to feed us all, eventually scaling up to a marketable quantity will be a learning curve. Marketing is another skill to master as well.

4 years ago

Michelle Heath wrote:From your post there are two dwellings on the property, the cabin your mother-in-law lives in and your sister-in-law and husband live in the main house.  Do you and your family plan to build on the property or is there another dwelling?

Adding nine more people onto an existing septic system can cause problems.  Has it been pumped lately?  How many gallons does the cistern hold?  Once again, the additional people will require more water.  Can you adequately provide water for your family and the crops using only the cistern?

You stated that the land has not been used in years.  Were chemical fertilizers used in the past?  What was the last crops grown there and how did they perform?  What is your level of farming/gardening experience and methods of growing are you planning to use?

I don't begrudge anyone SNAP benefits if they need them, but some states require at least one adult in the family to either be working or looking for work to qualify.  You might want to be sure about the VA stipend before you take the leap.

As for frugality, we only have utilities, insurance, internet and an Amazon Prime subscription which is mainly for my daughter.  The majority of our clothing is bought at thrift stores and our house and vehicles are paid for.

Good luck with your venture and another piece of advice I'd like to offer is not to go in debt to get started.  It sounds like the perfect solution to begin with but can quickly turn into a nightmare (don't ask me how I know that).  Start small and pay as you go if at all possible.



My sister-in-law has converted their 3 car garage into a cabin/ apartment when one of her sons moved with his family back home. It will be cramped, but the kids will likely be cycling back and forth between grandma's and Aunt D's, so it is flexible. It has been pretty well insulated for the winter and has a wood stove for heat. The cistern will likely need upgraded and we plan to install rain harvesting off the house and garage. There are 2 septic systems on the property and we were also planning to recycle the grey water for irrigation. Should reduce the load on the septic. I wanted to do humanure but as of yet it is a hard sell.

The land has had a few cows, years and years ago, when my wife was little. They have had a couple of pigs in a pen that is still there. My wife's brother tried the homestead thing there too but lacked the patience and perseverance. They put in a large garden but it quickly went to weeds. They were fairly successful with poultry and the coops are still there. No fertilizers or pesticides.

I want to avoid debt at all cost! I have about $30K immediately available in addition to the equity from the sale of the house. Hoping for about $60K in equity, but with corona, who knows. The utilities you mentioned sound like what we are after. Fairly minimalistic.  
4 years ago
I forgot to mention that we'll be mortgage free, and have some available funds from the built up equity in our house when it sells. Don't know how long it will take to sell though, especially since Corona-Mania has impacted the housing market. Maybe a rent-to-own deal would be a better route to get out from under the house quicker, and maybe at a better price point.
4 years ago

Artie Scott wrote:Thomas, are you assuming neither of you will be able to work off the farm when you move?  I think you will want/need some form of income to succeed in this endeavor if you don’t already have a nest egg piled up.

Or maybe the VA stipend will cover basic costs and health insurance, supplemented by what you can raise/grow?  

When making these sorts of decisions, I tend to look at worst case and try to figure out how to mitigate risks from there, vice looking at the most optimistic outcome and assuming that will happen.  If you are confident there are fallbacks in place should things not go as planned (jobs in town, family support, etc...$) Then maybe you are ready to go.

I know I probably wouldn’t want to rely on SNAP as my backup plan for feeding my family. Government programs are slow and unreliable, with many traps for disqualifying, so be careful with your assumptions there.



The main objective is to not "HAVE" to work a regular 40 hour work week. I have a crack-head that lives in our neighbor hood that can drum up a few hundred bucks doing odd-jobs, cutting lawns etc. If he can support his habbit, certainly I can find something to make ends meet! My dad never could make ends meet with his 80 acre ranch. I attribute most of this to a lack of business savvy; however, he had precious little time to do much intensive management of the land or livestock either.

Health Insurance sucks. I feel it is a total racket. Like paying protection to the mob. In the unfortunate event of illness or injury it is a necessary evil though. We've been researching our options. What do entrepreneurs do? My wife found a few medical expense sharing plans, where member dues cover others expenses when needed.

I am a pessimist by nature. I can easily talk myself out of anything. It is a family curse! If I keep doing what I am, by the time I officially "retire", I'll be too old to do anything... used up. My dad had a stroke within a few years of retirement. His whole life savings were totally depleted due to the long term care he eventually required. He never was able to write the book he always wanted to.

I want my children to grow up in the country, where they can occupy themselves with various animals, start their own farm enterprise, be close to family, and where I can spend the time required to mentor, teach, train, and develop their innate talents and interests. Here in the suburbs/ city, we have a garden and can have a few chickens but the cost of mortgage, taxes (ever increasing), insurance, and utilities, is growing faster than my paycheck is. At the property in IN, we have family (we don't currently have any near by), we can share in certain expenses, and help each other as the need arises. I do have a modest nest egg that is readily accessible and a retirement account that I can take a loan off of if really needed. I want to achieve sustainability for our family, then expand to various entrepreneurial pursuits in time as opportunities arise.  
4 years ago

John C Daley wrote:I have to ask, have you had any experience with building and growing.
Its a big leap from nothing to production. .



I have a small wood shop fairly well stocked with most tools. I mainly build rustic furniture, wood toys, etc. I grew up on a ranch, building fences, mineral boxes, and feed troughs for the cows, and repairing pig pens, etc. I currently have a pretty good sized garden but have precious little time to devote to it due to working craze hours at my job.

John C Daley wrote: Have you thought about a 18month transition program where you start learning, collecting things and even doing things on the ground to help get the ball rolling when you are eventually on site.
It took me 45 years to make the leap!! quote]

This is the sort of thing I was considering. I have tools and gardening implements, but will need to purchase electric fencing, feeders, water troughs, etc, etc, etc for animals, and miscellaneous equipment for a bigger garden. I've been reading the book "5 Acres and Independence" and it recommended to take things on a very small scale 1st, then after seeing what works in your area, with your limited knowledge, and resources, build up from there.

I plan to have a very limited number of smaller animals 1st chickens fastest to raise to dinner plate size, quickly adding layers, then pigs to help with tilling and clearing, aand eventually goats/ sheep for meat and milk. Want to do some form of rotational grazing to make best use of the available land with room to expand for market crops/ products.

Nearest markets are in Bloomington, Terre Haut, and Indianapolis, about an hour drive. There are Amish stores much closer that may be a viable outlet for goods as well but that would be a relationship that needs to be built first.

4 years ago

John C Daley wrote:If you have the rainfall and dont freeze all winter rainwater catchment and tanks are very viable. Much less cost than a well.



They looked into drilling a well years back but there was an issue with the purity of the water or it was too expensive to go deep enough.
4 years ago

Paul Kennington wrote:I'm more than a bit worried about the water situation. I'd suggest you price getting a well dug. Also, be set up to do and store a lot of canning. How far is the closest farmers market that you could sell things in?
Are you able to get a very large water tank and funnel roof water to it?



The 1st project we'll be investing in (other than the family food plot), is a big cistern to supply all our drinking water as well as water for the animals and backup irrigation for the garden and future market crops. Water is a huge constraint!  They currently haul water from town, taking about three trips to fill it all up, using an in-bed tank in a little Ranger Pickup. That's a lot of time invested that could be devoted to something else. Rainwater will be harvested from the main house and garage. I need the square footage of the house & garage and average rainfall to be sure things are properly sized.
4 years ago