The perfect homestead (for my family) this of course does not take in account where the $$$$ is coming from.

It would start with 100+ acres, fenced and cross fenced, 5 acre garden space, 10 acre stocked lake (catfish, bass, perch), A fast moving stream that has a natural waterfall with a 45 degree drop, water moving 5-10 mph (enough to hook up mini hydro power station), The center of the property rising so that the high ground is almost dead center. 65 acres of hardwood trees that is healthy and has never been cut, surrounding property. Good rough cut road to lake and gravel road to center of property. Center having level home site. Good brown dirt all over property.

Well with good clean water. (Sweet water as my grandma called it)

Log Home with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, living room, den, laundry room, big kitchen with regular table, dining room with big table, Breakfast nook, sewing room and radio room. Insulated 8” in walls, 28” in ceiling, 6” in floor. Underpinned with triple crawl doors. Interior lights the new white LED’s. 12V & 120V electrical system.

Solar heat (hot water) panels, 5 large solar panels with storage batteries and sine wave inverter, back up propane or gas generator with 100-gallon tank, mini-hydro power plant running into utility grid type interface. On Grid as back up. (power bill should very small).

Septic (triple filtered) with ½ acre drain field. Drain field covered with periwinkle. (no grass to mow and no deep roots).

24’ x 100’ out building. Insulated and wired.

Neighbors that are homesteaders or at least self-reliant types. Believing in loyalty, truth, friendship and personal freedom. Preferably one or two that likes to target shoot, fish and visit trade lots. The wife would like female neighbors that like crafts, yard selling and canning.

Weather that stays around 60-70 summer, 30’s winter. Some snow in winter and moderate rain in summer months.

Little to no humidity. Hmmm not a whole lot of pesky bugs.

Employment opportunity for marketing, assembly and managerial skills.

Now that would be our perfect homestead. But where in the world is it?

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 09, 2001

Answers

When you find out where it is, please let me know!

-- Dianne (willow@config.com), August 09, 2001.

The PLACE will be a lot easier to find than the $1,000,000 it will take to buy it. Might ought to be looking for a double wide mobile home. Temp ranging from 0 to 100. We might be able to help you. "If" you find it, can I come live with you? Every family needs a Grandma.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), August 09, 2001.

Hey--I think I could be your neighbor.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 09, 2001.

Belle, be careful what you offer both me and my wifes grandma has passed. The 7 year old is looking daily for a grandma. :o)

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 10, 2001.

O.K. I woke up ! I have 140 a , whinnie kids, high power bills , a dug well which we don't drink,a stream thats now almost dry, no rain for 7 weeks,2 weeks in the 90's,sheep are out of there fence again, most of my neighbors are nuts .Anyone want to visit ?

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), August 10, 2001.

well----I think my idea of an ideal homestead right now would be for us to have this one paid off!!! that's what we're working toward. It's only 13 acres and it's too close to a small town to suit me....but it's ours and the banks....the 25 chickens are doing well and have started laying and I'm getting about a dozen eggs a day so far....the bunnies are doing well and the experiment to get a dark colored angora seems to have worked well as three of the black four week old bunnies look like they're going to be long-haired....plans for the goat pens are pending and a man may fence in about three acres if I'll let him keep a couple of large draft horses for about a year....that will be a great way to get the rest fenced.....

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), August 10, 2001.

Oh that sounds wonderful. I have a problems keeping weeds out of my backyard garden so I would hate to weed a 5 acre garden. The weeds win by the end of Aug anyway. You know you could feed your family and the senior lunch center daily with a 5 acre garden. Sound like a wonderful dream tho.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), August 10, 2001.

With a couple of comprimises your post could be titled how to: get rid of $400,000. A bit pricy but it makes a good daydream.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.com), August 11, 2001.

DREAM, dream BIG! Dream the details, I swear they helped me keep my eye on the prize. & notebooks full of sketches & clippings of my Ideal Farm Home helped too. The bank & I own 1.5 sunny acres, w/ terriffic,not in shouting distance neighbors. The partially built storage shed that came w/ the house will be the 'chicken palace' this spring, the fencing will be done before i die,this little house will have a wrap around porch, grey water system, & be off the grid someday too! The realator thought i was a bit daft, 'cause i kept taking not of what weeds were growing, & digging up some dirt for informal soil testing in a jelly jar! The northern west coast has 64 deg. temp. year round,but it is a temperate rainforest,+sigh+ can't win 'em all.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), August 14, 2001.