81–90 of 188 posts
There should be no reason why citylife is intrinsically worse, except for the noise and the pollution (car tyres create loads of microparticles).
Agriculture became big business for efficiency reasons, not due to some capitalist plot. Living in the city (if you commute by public transport) is likely more ecological than living in a rural area due to efficiency reasons.
We’re planning to buy 10-20 acres about 30 minutes outside the city, have a few animals, have a large garden (0.5 acres probably), but I intend to keep my job. Our goal is to produce something instead of only consume, reduce our dependence on a supply chain that we think is untenable, and be able to grow most of our own food should we need to. We’re going to focus on growing food that’s easy to grow. I expect this wi…
That seems like a great model for the modern world. What is the food that's easiest to grow?
I'd recommend a middle path. Homestead, but adopt some modern conveniences where it makes your life comfortable. Reject the things that would just lead to more difficulty, expense, complication. Then disconnect from your friends for a while and see if you don't start to feel good about your life again.
Personally, the more I'm out in nature and just comfortable enough, the more I think everyone else is crazy for living in cities. It's really beautiful and quiet and interesting out here. And I really appreciate every little advantage I have. Just being able to lie in my bed, snug and cozy, with a glass of wine, some mushroom risotto, a movie on the laptop, and the whole world outside just quiet and blanketed in pristine snow ... How could anyone ask for more?
Something I've noticed among the "successful" youtube homesteaders is that they almost all invariably have property "in the city" that they rent out (generally unseen, usually unspoken, and always off camera) for significant passive income and treat homesteading like a virtuous hobby. Many of them also have side hustles like giving paid talks on homesteading, renting out "farm experiences", or offering classes on var…
As a rural dweller(15 miles from the nearest town) the whole homestead(read: (semi)off grid, no prior experience, DIY ALL THE THINGS!) movement to me seems completely stupid. It's encouraging people that have no experience or knowledge to leave the world they know, and enter a world they don't. Then, start that world on extra hard mode, and if they don't do it all they're laughed at. They also neglect to tell folks t…
Adding something to this incase folks are thinking "I can do this...I love manual labor." You're not alone alone. In some cases you're actively disliked by towns that you'd move into. Sure the stores and such will take your money, but make no mistake you're the city folks moving out to drive up land prices. You will NOT have the network that people that have lived there forever will have. This network is really what…
But then i am a conservative and a lover of God.
I got people on speed dial to help me out if i need it. For anything. Often for free or in exchange for my skills. I have developed a lot of skills.
The social aspect is key out here. Trying to do it all yourself is a fools errand. Also dont expect things to happen overnight.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's nothing new https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouvard_et_P%C3%A9cuchet (1881) is a novel about two clerks who move out to the countryside and try to learn how to manage a farm (and other knowledge) and completely fail
even today where knowledge of farming and land maintenance is basically free and available to anyone with a phone, farms fail ALL THE TIME. And not just startup farms, multi-generational farms. I live around a bunch of farmers & ranchers, I don't know a single one without a side gig or 8(more towards the 8). My personal ranch is just a money pit. It's my hobby, it makes a little bit of money but it would never be sus…
"requires an almost soul crushing amount of hard work"
I consider the work I do, coding for a large organization, to be soul crushing.
It's all about what you want and your perspective. If you want social status, money, and city life, then it sounds like you've already figured out that homesteading is not for you.
I made the jump 8 years and 3 days ago. (In fact, I wrote books about it https://www.amazon.com/Escape-City-1-Travis-Corcoran/dp/B093... and https://www.amazon.com/Escape-City-2-Travis-Corcoran/dp/B093... ). My first two years were full of buyer's remorse. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I had expected, the work was very hard, I felt incompetent, I missed my friends back in the metropolitan area, and I missed out…
Something I've noticed among the "successful" youtube homesteaders is that they almost all invariably have property "in the city" that they rent out (generally unseen, usually unspoken, and always off camera) for significant passive income and treat homesteading like a virtuous hobby. Many of them also have side hustles like giving paid talks on homesteading, renting out "farm experiences", or offering classes on var…