Reply #19: Here's a start...

[triguy46]

From our 30 years of living on a small farm, our dream too. I may be too pragmatic, but we've lived the good and the bad.

When you build, consider having a propane backup generator installed. You will experience extended outages during winter, and roughing it without power is rough. Have done it and it isn't fun.

Buy the best tools you can afford. You will use them hard and the good ones last, the cheap ones will break and have to be replaced.

Hand clearing sounds good, but a tractor can really help.

For septic, since I assume you are far enough off the grid not to have sewer, get an aerobic system, not the old fashioned anaerobic.

Clean your chimney EVERY year if you burn wood.

Good fences do make good neighbors.

Be very careful with chainsaws and use all safety devices, kevlar pants, eye protection and ear protection.

Get a couple female mouser cats from neighbors. These need to be outside cats, feed them to keep them, but you want them working. Mousing it a taught behavior, so be sure to ask if the kittens are good mousers. You should not have any mice problems with them around. Beware, if you bring them in and keep them in most of the day, they will lose that hunting edge. These are your workers.

Chickens are cheap and supply great eggs. Get pullets you don't need a rooster particularly. You must have a varmint free house for them you will loose them quick.

You will need a gun, small gauge shotgun, .410 is just fine for the small varmints that come around. Rabid skunks are not your friend. Also, you will prob encounter tick diseased racoons.

In general, it is not inexpensive to live in the country. What you gain in peace and quiet comes at additional costs of more driving, more expensive water and electricity. Its inconvenient. when you absolutely need something and its your 5th trip to town that day, its frustrating.

Keep it all in perspective. The benefits are enormous. However, we have seen so many families move out here and last a year, maybe two.

Don't expect the kids to fully share your emotions of all the great things of the rural life. They want a life too, and living "The Waltons" may not mesh with 14 or 16 year old needs. Our kids, now grown, live in KC and Raleigh. They now look back fondly of their growing up country. But it wasn't always that way.

Best wishes, be careful, have fun, work hard.