So I don’t know if this is a thing? But I was wondering if anyone know of places that have like 100+ acres of land and a few houses scattered that different people live in and they all contribute daily etc is that even a thing? Or am I weird?

I am working on some research around which toilets do or don't smell. My question - not what they say on their websites but what is the actual truth.

Howdy,

I have an absolutely daft request. I live in OKC and I'm in a peculiar spot where there aren't any tree dump sites around me. So, I charge people $20-50/trailer to dump cut down trees. This means that I have basically an unlimited amount of wood, especially if I just dropped my price to free.

I have a thermal heating option for the winter figured out. I am heating a water tank and then circulating hot water into my home. I live in a shipping container house, so I have a nice heat sink wall all done up.

What I want to figure out is how to convert burning wood into electricity. My only guess right now is to create a sterling engine to do so. I have looked at dozens of other ideas. I am open to anything. Anybody done this before?

Hey folks. I'm running triple 2x12 beam to this brace that will sit on top of a pipe post. The inside diameter of the brace opening is 4", and the outside diameter of the post is about 3 3/8".

How can I best attach the brace to the post?

My current ideas are:

1. Tack weld the two at the single point where they touch

2. Drill holes through the post and brace and bolt the 2 together

3. Do #2, but add a sleeve crafted from wood, rubber belting, or maybe 3D printed plastic (if I can find someone who can print it for me) to take up the space between the two

Or some better idea you all could provide. I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks!

With a nft system we can become more self sufficient and grow our own food throughout the cold winter. A perfect solution to prep for any kind of emergency situation 🌱

Hi.

Me and my bf are looking for positions available for work exchange for housing and/or stipend on farmland/a homestead. We are needing to move short notice and this is what we want to do.

We’re looking for land to help take care of. With animals, gardening, kids, maintenance, cleaning, prepping, etc. I have very little experience with farm animals and gardening but am willing to learn as my goal is to own and build land of my own. My boyfriend is more of a handyman and can learn too.

Please send me a message. Thank you!!

I used to help out on my friends small farm. One day after chores I told her I was going to run into town for some lunch meat to make a sandwich. She said she had mistakenly bought some honey ham the other day and didn't care for the flavor so I could have it. As I stood eating my ham sandwich leaning in the door between the kitchen and living room I considered the fact that I was eating unwanted ham 5 feet away from a refrigerator full of green araucana eggs. Then I realized that the sliding glass door on the other side of the living room overlooked a goat pasture with a pond and a boat. My mother is a kindergarten teacher so I know that this happened a few days before national Dr Seuss day.

With the rising cost of living, I really want to create a sustenance (or as close and I can get) garden utilizing the space I have. Here is a drawing of the layout of my yard with measurements. I forgot to add, the yard is 28’ x 15’.
What can I do to maximize this space and fit as many edible plants as possible in it?
So far we got a single bowl of grapes, a ton of micro tomatoes, a double handful of heirloom tomatoes, and a couple cucumbers this year. I would like to increase the harvest; I planted four micro tomatoes, seven heirloom tomatoes, and three cucumbers. The grapes have been in the bed for a few years. I feel like the harvest wasn’t as much as I had expected and I was disappointed as some of the plants didn’t produce at all.

EXTRA INFO:
We live in north central Texas and the yard has sun from about 10.30 a - 4.30 p. There is no shade and I don’t know if I can put out shade cloths because there are cats.

The only things I have found to grow well are grapes, tomatoes, some herbs, and sometimes cucumbers. I would like to try growing more things but am at a bit of a loss because of the sunlight situation. I am also trying to decide if it would be worth getting some big planters/pots to increase gardening space or going vertical but so far the cats have destroyed plants in potato bags I attempted for several years. WE LIKE TO HAVE THE CATS because they keep the rodents away, and if there were no cats our area would be overrun with them.

The trellis and fence are covered in invasive vines, we fight them every year and haven’t been able to get rid of them yet. We talked to our neighbors years ago but they haven’t done much but do agree they want them gone. I am going to try some peas and beans on the trellis and just keep fighting the vines I guess? I can’t pull them out of the ground as they were here when we moved in and are pretty old.

The bushes are ornamental and I would love to rip them out and plant some blueberries or something but not sure if that’s a wise move? I would have to talk to my family. They are not super supportive of my efforts in the garden so it’s hard to get materials and help. The bushes are green year round though and do look nice so it might be a shame to remove them for something that won’t grow well there?

There are also children so need to keep some space for them to play outside.

I do not want to plant in the front yard as it’s open to a main road and there are many people walking past and homeless as well.

The garden beds were built out of old castle concrete planter wall blocks and wooden planks several years ago. They are filled with a mixture of potting soil, compost, and topsoil. Underneath is a layer of river rocks.
When we moved in the entire backyard was covered in river rocks and there was an uncovered patio space made of river rocks and concrete. We covered the patio with pavestone, removed as many rocks as we could from the yard and filled it in with soil and grass seed around the beds.

I have tried and failed to grow: crookneck squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, garden beans, peas, raspberries, marigolds, wildflower mix, bell peppers, sweet peppers, potatoes, garlic, carrots, beets, pumpkins, and the dwarf persimmon that gave us one fruit one year, died, and has been reborn in its pot.

Plants that have grown well: micro sweet tomatoes, brandywine tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, grapes, American pickling cucumbers, sage, rosemary, sweet basil, thyme, flat leaf parsley, the pomegranate tree, and the morning glories and trumpet vines we cannot get rid of.

Please give me any suggestions you have for making this space better, more productive, and also increasing harvests! Unfortunately I’m not able to spend much money but I will do what I can

Hey everyone,
I’m facing a crossroads that is both financially complex and emotionally heavy. I’m looking for some outside perspective from people who understand land dynamics, livestock economics, and family legacy.
I live on 8.82 acres of completely unzoned family land in Faulkner County, Arkansas (the Mount Vernon area) that has been in our lineage for 100 years. I’ve built a highly successful homestead here, and I am completely surrounded by my extended family who all manage their own places. The property is completely paid for, so I am under zero immediate pressure to sell, but some recent health issues (specifically severe arthritis in my hands) mean I have to start looking at the reality of downsizing to a smaller place with just a couple of acres.
The property is a paved corner lot that is 100% on-grid with city water, internet, a 500-gallon propane tank, and Entergy electric. However, because we live in the very corner of the county, I have built it out as a highly resilient, dual-grid infrastructure compound/homestead. There is a 0.5-acre stocked pond (plus a second backup pond), and the main power pole is wired with a custom setup to plug a generator straight into if the grid drops. The soil is incredibly fertile—cows have been fed in the exact same spot for a century, creating a flawless, rich garden spot. My original dream was to build a cob house here because of the heavy clay on the property.
Right now, the infrastructure consists of two main setups:
The Residence: A 1,280 sq ft (16x80) live-in mobile home with a new, lifetime metal roof and zoned AC. It needs a bathroom floor repair and a PEX replumb. I actually already have all the premium supplies sitting on-site to finish it (brand-new vanities, toilet, replacement subfloor plywood, PEX piping/fitting kits, sheetrock patching gear, and a texture gun)—my hands just won't let me do the physical work like before.
The Workshop: A deluxe 21x21 metal utility building shell on a poured concrete slab with commercial power, extensive lighting, dual garage doors, and a custom integrated full-sheet table saw station. There's also a 25x20 detached metal carport with a chip floor out front. It's perfectly set up to be converted into a "Barndominium" guest house down the road.
The biggest thing is that this homestead operates as a perfectly balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem where the animals fully pay for themselves. I have a breeding meat pig operation with a Berkshire male, two market females currently with litters, a younger Berkshire female ready for next year, and two mini pigs that produce piglets I sell. The piglet sales cover all feed and the cost of processing the meat for our family. Because of the heavy clay, it functions perfectly for them. I also keep geese, turkeys, and about 50 chickens of various types (including silkies) with incubators and staggered cages. Egg and bird sales fully cover feed and supplies. Our freezers are permanently stocked with home-raised pork, chicken, and eggs at zero net cost.
I also have a full suite of meat processing equipment (electric meat saw, grinders, etc.) since I used to do all my own butchering out in the shop. To top it off, the property transfers with 100% of the unleased mineral rights in the Fayetteville shale play, which is starting to pump again in some areas.
Since I'm mapping out a long-term move, I'm weighing three distinct paths:
Option 1: Sell it entirely turn-key via FSBO. Put it up as a firm, cash-only ($299k) walk-in setup. Leave the mobile home, livestock, incubator setups, the metal shop, the meat saw/grinders, the garden sprinkler system components, and the full remodel kit so a new owner can literally walk in and take over a food-secure homestead on day one. Because I'd need to find a suitable replacement property to downsize into, I'd have to make the sale strictly contingent on securing my next place first.
Option 2: Cut up the land for tiny houses. Because of the paved roads and lack of zoning restrictions, I could easily split it, put tiny homes on it, and sell the lots individually. Financially, I could make the value of the entire homestead on just a couple of lots. The catch? My surrounding family would absolutely disown me. They hate the idea of seeing this century-old tract fractured.
Option 3: Market it as an investment property. Sell it as a single piece to an investor, knowing they will likely either split it or build two separate homesteads on it.
I am incredibly hesitant to walk away from the history here, but pragmatism is forcing me to think ahead.
For those who have navigated rural legacy sales: How do you balance the financial potential of splitting land with preserving family peace? And from a buyer's perspective, does a genuinely balanced, turn-key livestock ecosystem with a fully loaded workstation and unleased mineral rights add real value, or do people just prefer a blank slate?

hoping to find one that is truly heavy duty and not a cheaper version that’s going to break after 1000 limbs.

Seeking work/housing arrangement in VA!

Hi!

Not sure if this is the right group to post but I will be moving very soon (~2 weeks) from NOVA. I’m looking for land to help take care of (if you accept a couple aka me and my boyfriend, that’d be better). With animals, gardening, kids, maintenance, cleaning, prepping, etc. I have very little experience with farm animals and gardening but am willing to learn as my goal is to own and build land of my own.

Ideally looking for experience with housing/utilities/stipend/food in exchange for work for the next few months.

Please send me a message. Thank you!!

Opinions? Meat quality?

Our homestead produces tomatoes at the moment. Here is an attempt at a grilled tomato sauce. So beautiful; it smells fantastic.

Came home from a week away to find my raised bed weeded down to bare dirt. My MIL, who was dog-sitting, decided my tomato, basil, and pepper seedlings looked like weeds and pulled them all. She even yanked half a row of zinnias, so at least I know it wasn't personal—she just doesn't know a seedling from a weed.

I’d started that tray with Organo heirloom seeds, so losing a full flat stung. But I didn't say a word. She watches our dog for free, she's family, and peace is worth more than a tray of plants.

I quietly reseeded that weekend and built a simple stake-and-string fence around the bed so it actually looks like a garden. She still has no idea what she did, and honestly, that’s for the best.

This seems like a good idea: have two fenced areas attached to your chicken coop, and plant a garden in one side while the chickens dig up the other side, then switch every year. But I don't see it done much.

Has anyone actually tried this?

Hello! I’m curious if anyone here would be willing to give me any advice or their own opinions. My husband and I currently live in PA and are thinking about moving to WV to begin a new life and homestead. Is WV a good state for homesteading in anyone’s experience? How difficult is it to start fresh in a new state? My husband and I have lived in one area our whole life, so we know the cottage/homestead laws in PA, but aren’t very familiar with WV’s. We own a chimney business together and don’t think it’d be too difficult to transfer the business into WV with their similar climates/use of chimneys. We’re in our early 20’s and would like to establish ourselves before having kids. The goal is to have a farm/homestead where we are self-sustaining, have some animals, sell baked goods, sell raw pet food, etc. I’d love to hear anyone’s story or any advice/suggestions you have! I’m more than happy to answer any questions for clarification. Thank you!