Hi! i am looking for other countrysiders that live in North Carolina. We are a family of 3 and would like to be homesteaders someday. We do grow a garden every year, but that is about it for homesteading right now. Would like to hear about your way of life and how your day goes. We have 4 pets. We have 1 dog, 1 cat, a parakeet, and a hamster and now my husband wants to add fish to the list. I am a stay-at-home-mom, so I am usually here because I do not drive. I do not get out much. If anyone would like to be a penpal that would be great. Karen

-- Karen Saunders (KSaun54653@aol.com), January 27, 2001

Answers

Hi Karen! I'm not from NC, but there are others here who will no doubt stop in to post. If you hang out here, you'll get to meet lots of nice folks from all around the country. We're pretty diverse as to our "state" of homesteading, politics, and philosophies, but everyone is pretty helpful. Spend some (lots?) of time reading the current threads and the archives, and join in the fun! Welcome!

-- Joy Froelich (So.Central Wisconsin) (dragnfly@chorus.net), January 28, 2001.

We live in NC. Afraid that I don't have much time or patience for pen pal writing (all my fee time is taken up with the forum!). We still work outside the home. Homesteading for us is still a goal rather than a reality, but our country rental allows us to "practice" on someone else's property! The only thing I dislike about the area is the lack of a discernible spring! It goes from 20 degrees to 70 degrees just like that, sometimes within 24 hour, and often the highs and lows for most of the "winter" months fall into the freeze and thaw variety. Makes growing lettuce a real bear!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 28, 2001.

Hi Karen,

We're a family of 6, and live in the beautiful mountains of NC. We homeschool, so that gives the kids more time for what they find interesting. Right now, we have chickens, dogs and cats. Just found a milk cow and will be getting her soon.

Where abouts in NC, are you located? What ages are your kids?

-- Lena(NC) (breezex4@go.com), January 28, 2001.

Hi All! Oops! I forgot to tell you where in NC we are from. We actually live inside of Oak Ridge, but have a Greensboro address. My husband and I have a 6 year old daughter. We can't really have any livestock where we live, but someone told me we probably could have rabbits. I do not know anything about rabbits if we were to have one. Glad to hear from you all. Have a great day.

-- Karen (KSaun54653@aol.com), January 28, 2001.

Hi Karen,

I was born and raised only a hop, skip and a junp from Oak Ridge. In the Madison-Mayodan area. We now live near Ashville, NC. Near the Parkway. I only post now and then, but welcome. Beth(NC)

-- Beth(NC) (craig@icu2.net), January 28, 2001.

Hi, Karen-I live in the Sandhills of NC. We are working toward the goal of homesteading. My husband works away from home and I do most of the gardening and animal care. We have 2 different places. Our farm which we will one day move to is about 25minutes from our home. We go almost everyday to build, fix, feed and/or plant somethings. I love the forum. I do not have a public job so this is my "outlet",& library. I enjoy reading of everyone else's ideas,projects, struggles and their accompliments.

Enjoy and visit often.

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), January 28, 2001.

Hi Karen, Welcome! I just moved to WNC from OR. and love the land and the people. Just bought a place in Crabtree, north of Waynsville,and already have bought 2 Alpine goats and an order of chicks placed this morning!! I homeschool my 4 children and always welcome someone to correspond with- feel free to e-mail anytime. I rarely post but get on every day, I continue to learn so much from these very generuos people.Although, after !0 years getting the magazine I still am thrilled every time it arrives- Again Welcome

-- Brigid Luckey (lckysmth@gte.net), January 29, 2001.

Hi Karen, Welcome I live outside of Charlotte in a small town. I have three children and we homeschool. We have chickens,cats and dogs. I would like to get goats but we travel alot with my sons baseball team and it is hard to take care of animals. I would love to have a penpal I dont post much on the forum but feel free to e- mail me anytime.

-- Sarah from NC (Caswell995@cs.com), January 31, 2001.

Hi Karen I live 4 miles from Oak Ridge #150 just off the Forsyth/Guilford county line. I have 10 horses Mostly AQHA and Appaloosa. 2 stallions 3 mares 3 foals and 2 outside mares that I Keep for friends. I try to read the forum daily. These are very nice people with a world of knowledge.Email me any time Jay

-- jay vance (jay.l.vance@worldnet.att.net), February 04, 2001.

Hi, I live near Greenville, NC, along the coast. I just got my chicken coop completed, and as soon as my chickens are settled in and doing ok, I plan on getting a couple or three goats to add to the collection. I already have a small zoo - 1 dog, 3 cats, and 9 birds, not to mention fish, so .... raising farm animals seemed a good way to take it "outside," so to speak! :-) I actually grew up on a farm where everything was done the old-fashioned way, with handtools and animal power instead of electricity and machines, so I guess I'm moving back to my roots.

-- Susan McCoury (misskatonic@hotmail.com), March 06, 2001.

Just over the border in VA.... about 20 miles from line near Oxford, Henderson, Middleburg. We shop in NC and are members of their dairy goat assocs. Plus I love showing with my NC fiends at their shows, very nice folks.

-- Bernice (geminogoats@yahoo.com), March 07, 2001.

Hi Karen! We live in the Seagrove area, about an hour south of Greensboro. We have raised-bed gardens, orchard, herbs, chickens, a dog and cat. We're considering building the first phase of an underground house soon. We do both work away from the homestead, but on a part-time/as needed basis. If you ever take your kids to the zoo, we're about 15 mins away. Laurie

-- Laurie (lepick3@hotmail.com), March 20, 2001.

Rabbits? I am from Nashville, NC, moved here from Kernersville last year. If you have any questions on rabbits, i have raised them for meat, show, sale and (mostly) pets for a few years now. Right now I have 50 rabbits, but with easter on its way I have been selling them like hotcakes.

-- kevin (vantravlrs@aol.com), April 05, 2001.

Hi Karen,

My husband and I live in Mebane, NC. Our kids are all grown, married and have kids of their own! We aren't homesteaders YET, but hope to be someday soon. My husband has his own business and I stay at home and keep the books. We have 2 pets, 1 kitten, and 1 dog. I have a small garden and lots of Roses! We are planning to build a Log Home as soon as we can find some land that will allow us to raise animals like we want. I am home all the time and would enjoy getting email from you. Welcome to NC....it is a beautiful place to live.

-- Brenda Frye (CherokeeMaiden2@aol.com), June 02, 2001.

Hi everyone! I am so glad that Karen submitted her question. I have been curious as to whether there are any Countryside readers in our part of NC. My husband and I have been avid readers of Countryside for several years. We live in town in Fayetteville, NC, but have land about an hour away in the Pinebluff/Aberdeen area. Our land provides us with a source of relaxation (if you call "relaxing" trying to tame "wild" land and have a garden all while only getting out there on weekends!) and our two Weimaraners with some much needed exercise. We also have four cats and a very spoiled guinea pig. I did have a horse, but sold him due to the arrival of our second daughter. We have two girls (ages 2 1/2 years and 3 weeks) under the ages of three, so I stay very busy. Countryside provides us with a source of inspiration on a regular basis! (PS -- Before we had two daughters, we used to go through Mebane several times a year to go to Busick's Quail Farm to let our dogs participate in hunting events. It is a very beautiful area.) Marilyn

-- Marilyn Uslick (uslic002@yahoo.com), October 12, 2001.