I was just wondering how mauy of us are trained to do something other than what we do now. I do not know of any universities that teach homesteading (thank God). I am a Real Estate Broker, but I really fancy myself as a homesteader of sorts anyway. We have been on our homestead for 12+ years now, and I can't really see us anywhere else. We are at McArthur, Ohio. Abuut 3 miles from the only traffic light in town. There are only two traffic lights in Vinton county. Our place has never had indoor plumbing, and probably won't in the near future. I consider myself a pretty good outhouse builder, as well as a tire gardner. The things that I studied to do in life are somehow taking a back seat to the things that I actually are doing. I jusd wondered what others had been trained to do, and then actually did in life.

ED COPP

-- Ed Copp (edcopp@yahoo.com), July 18, 2000

Answers

Yee Gads, I'm an ex thirty something University Professor, used to teach environmental studies and Oceanography. My research took me from Antarctica to the Arctic. Now we homestead in the Ozarks. We don't have indoor plumbing either but are working towards a sink and indoor tub! The toilets, will however, remain outside! Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), July 18, 2000.

Hi, Ed. Looks like we're almost neighbors. My family just moved to western Washington County and my husband works in Athens. We are just getting started toward developing a homestead.

Although I have a degree in Public Relations and Spanish and masters work in Spanish, I have worked 3 years as a paralegal, 7 years as a marine biologist, and 3 years as a massage therapist. Now I am a full time, professional mother and expect that to have a little more longevity, say at least 20 or more years! Back when I was in the work world, I billed myself as a project coordinator, which is a great catchall term.

-- Lori (klnprice@yahoo.com), July 18, 2000.

I started out as a Cosmetologist, owned my own salons for over 10 years--worked for a hair coloring company & traveled & did platform work, worked for a beauty supply company--was an image consultant,owned my own company-- I have always bought & sold antiques--owned & managed a natural health company--owned & managed a motel--owned & managed two more antique shopes--owned a counrty store that sold everything. We have had children, grandchildren, & foster children--I have done volunteer work, always. We moved from a town of 300,000 to maybe 50 on a nice day. I still buy, sell & trade--but not any longier as a business. We are prepareing for my hubby's retirement from the business world. We garden & have livestock--have slowed way down from our many years, of owning our own businesses & working 24 hours a day--& I'm not jokeing as when you have a motel it is 24 hrs a day! We are useing every day something, we have learned along the way, even if it is a reminder, that I don't want to work for the public 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, anymore! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), July 18, 2000.

For myself, a HS education and an on-again, off again factory grunt. I've done alot of different things for a living at one time or another and have become basically functional in a number of things which have been helpful around here.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), July 19, 2000.

i went to high school and college at the same time was told i was going to finish my degree before 4 yrs. so instead i got married moved overseas and lived on the wildside for 7 yrs., moved back here lived in an old slaves house and began working in the plant ind. got divorced at 28, remarried at 29 bought this place had babies and i do not regret one part of my life. just wish i grow up on a farm not in the city.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), July 19, 2000.

Well, I started out majoring in piano in college years ago and switched to religion and then when working on my MA switched to counseling....but I wound up being an investigative newspaper reporter/photographer for the past 20 years AND a homesteader!!!

I think all of life's experiences help in one way or another and life is really the most valuable education! We were a homeschool family (last one graduated homeschool high school May 1999) and I always said if a child had a love for reading, you wouldn't have to worry about their education! And the same is true of us homesteaders! I have learned so much from this and the BACKWOODS HOME forum and I have learned so much from reading COUNTRY SIDE and BACKWOODS HOME magazines (back issues and current!!!)

I've learned to garden, can, take care of animals and so much more!!! All from reading about them before I started!!!!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 19, 2000.

Ag business degree (which teaches you to do paperwork, not to farm), half of a bio science teaching degree, lots of business classes. Have worked in various factories (paper products, cabinetry, printing), hog confinement, greenhouses, orchard, specialty farming, waitressed, tutored, seamstress, child care, convienence mart clerk - did I forget anything?!! Lousy pay with most of them.

Nearly five years ago, I was working in the printing industry. Hot, heavy, nasty, dirty work. Got passed over for promotion twice - in favor of males with less seniority and lower scores on their apprenticeship exams, but much larger muscles. Got mad, decided then and there that I was going to look for an industry with decent pay and decent job opportunities for women. Nursing fit both those requirements and my personal goals as well. Got my promotion at the printing palace two weeks after I started nursing school, tuned in my notice 8 weeks before I reached jouneyman status - and four months before I got my nursing liscense.

I would encourage anyone looking for a career or job to mesh with homesteading to at least consider nursing. Decent pay, lots of job openings in lots of areas, flexible hours (count on working weekends and holidays if in hosp or nursing home tho).

Hubby is a mechanic (motorcycle) and Pop is an electrician - both of which are darned handy here on the farm. Unc is a tractor mechanic which also is a help. Sis wants to be a psychologist - maybe she'll be able to explain to us why we want to keep doing this!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), July 19, 2000.

I've got the PhD. and work with folks who are equally educated. I draw pictures of chemical compounds for publishing. I thank God I had the ability and perserverance to finish my education to enable me to live comfortably within the system without compromising my beliefs.

What I've learned is that no amount of "book learnin'" can replace or teach better than life experiences. Some of the stupidest people I know have PhDs...they can't even change a furnace filter let alone tuneup a tractor. Intellegence is totally relative and the main reason college degrees carry the prestige they do is because they cost $$$$$$$. What else? I've known home taught vets who know more than a college graduated veterinarian. My grand dad once said "there is no greater fool than an educated fool." Intellegence and education aren't the same although they are many times thought to be one and the same. I'll listen to a 75 year old farmer who has been farming his whole life and uses words like "ain't" and "fixin'" before I'll take advice from a 28 year PhD in agriculture who speaks text book English....who knows more?

Now, on the other hand, if the 28 year old PhD. can accept that he/she can continue to learn from people with less formal education than he/she, then this person can become very intellegent and wise...wisdom isn't taught in college its learned by living and listening to everybody.

Sorry, I got on the box. I deal with unfounded "intellectual" arrogance daily...I guess because I "lived" before I got my college education (42 years old), I see things differently than people who got their college degrees right out of high school...I wasn't above learning from the "uneducated"...thank God for that. I count my blessings daily. I'm not talking against formal education, just the unrealistic practical value society puts on it..."teach your children well."

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), July 20, 2000.

My background is in administration, but have turned my hand to several things in past years -- including publishing and internet development. My DH and I have just finished building a portal for Saskatchewan -- the technology is there, and we currently have four data entry people doing the grunt work of finding sites to populate it. Check it out at www.westzone.com. This is what pays the bills.

Other than that, my most rigorous training has been on the job -- unpaid labour with lots of benefits -- being a mommy to the (I think!!) two greatest kids in the world.

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 20, 2000.

Ed. I guess I owe all this to my mother and stepfather. My mother grew up on a farm and hated store bought eggs and milk, had tomato plants growing in the flowers. We moved aound a lot but when we finally settled down, there was a chicken house in the backyard and a rabbitry in the garage. My mother graduated from high school at 15 but girls did not go to college in those days esp farm girls from Nebraska. My stepdad was a neer-do-well and we got to live in the country under primative coditions cause he was out of work a lot. I thought it was great fun. I finally went to a local community college after marriage/divorce and 3 sons and got an associates in laboratory technician, then years later and two more boys I got my LPN license. Now I work in the lab at the nearest hospital(30 miles) and have been doing this back to the land thing for over 25 years. I know that a degree does not mean you are superior only that you were fortunate enough to get to go to college. Oh, I really like indoor plumbing, I did the outhouse/carry buckets of water for years and still have my illegal outhouse(cleverly disguised as a dog house) in the backyard for emergencies. But bursitis made carrying buckest too painful so I now can turn the handle and thee it is water, hot or cold. karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), July 21, 2000.

This is an old joke. Two older farmers are talking about their sons. One said he sent his off to an ag college and four years later he came home with a BS degree. Well, both farmers knew what BS was. Then he sent him for another year and he came home with a MS degree, which as near as he could tell stood for more of the same. Then sent him back for another two years and he came home with a PhD. Farmer said as near as he could tell it stood for "Piled Higher and Deeper."

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 21, 2000.

I graduated from high school and decided I wanted to work rather than go to college. After working as a Secretary with the Federal Government I realized that I would never get any better paying work unless I had a college degree, so I put myself through college while working full time. Took me seven years but it was worth every minute/dollar. I got a break into the field of Personnel and have progressed up to a Human Resources manager over my 26 years with the Federal government. My income allows my husband to stay at home and work the homestead. I work in Washington, DC but commute 40 miles from our 6.5 acres which is worth the commuting tradeoff to have my piece of heaven. Hubby has been able to have home businesses over the years including retail greenhouse, antique shop, and dog breeding. Because he is home, I don't have to do the grocery shopping, fixing dinner (he is a better cook than me anyway) and other chores which makes life easier for me and he has the freedom to pursue interests at home such as building several greenhouses, raising dogs, making gardens, building fences, etc. I look forward to completing the next eight years which will allow me to officially retire with a retirement that will allow us to homestead in comfort and I will finally be able to do full time what I love doing.

I agree with the comment about formal education does not always mean someone is smart or knows more. In my case, I didn't learn anything in college that I use in my job but I had to have the degree to get the job.

I sure wish that jobs we love paid a decent living wage. If that were the case, I would be writing for a living.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 21, 2000.