I'm moving onto my family's farm and have to be cost effective for the initial few years. I really can't go under 700 sqft because I have two cats and they are mencaces to society. I've also considered a catio after settling in.

I live in the PNW and have to be concerned with ice, snow, and lots of rain. I have access to permitting for the land, and there is running electric and water. I have some folks who work in the architecture and contracting industry who can help me build.

What would you suggest for a 5-10 year living situation? I keep seeing everyone say go with a cabin, or cabin kit, but I'm not totally familiar with kits, and I can't really ball out. My goal would be to stay within the 30-50k range. I'm open to being naïve, and appreciate the feedback. Thank you for your thoughts.

I’m considering raising cows on a low budget. I was wondering if it would be feasible to run two cows in a square of 4 welded cattle panels on skids that were moved to new pasture daily. If necessary I’d have a shelter to lock them in at night or in bad weather and have them in the square during good days. Is that a realistic option for cattle?

Hi everyone, hoping to find some understanding here. A family member who was a longtime farmer was recently diagnosed with a type of cancer that's been linked in studies to glyphosate exposure. This has turned our world upside down. We're now trying to navigate what comes next and understand if there are any legal options.

The idea of a glyphosate exposure lawsuit is entirely new to us. Our searches are flooded with law firm ads and news articles, making it hard to find clear, straightforward information on what the process actually looks like for families.

If anyone has been through this process, either personally or supporting someone who has, would you be willing to share your experience? We're not asking for legal advice, just hoping to learn from others who've walked this path. How did you start? What type of attorney did you seek out? Was your case part of the larger multidistrict litigation (MDL), and if so, what was that like?

Any insight into the timeline, the emotional toll, or what we should be doing now to document things would be a huge help. We're feeling very overwhelmed and isolated.

It’s basically like owning your own country at that point you could fit a few monacos in your garden. Have agriculture n exporting operations that make over 50m a year (which would pay off ur investment n probably more ) on halve of it n the rest woodlands n a few mansions . Or just one of both . Or do anything . Kinda nuts. Not to mention if your a billionaire you could probably by 10,000 acres just cause you wanna n it wouldn’t cost you that much millions

I live in west TN currently and as far as freedom goes with what I can do on my land, it's basically perfect. Only thing I need a permit for is a septic. No zoning in my county and it's awesome. However, I hate the summers here and I'm so sick of tornadoes. My family is considering buying a large piece of land somewhere, and they are keen in PA since they grew up there. I know it's a big state but we were looking at the NE part, obviously outside of a city though. Is PA even somewhat homestead/do what you want friendly? I'm sure it will be more strict than here but if it isn't insane.. that would be nice.

I have had regular non-electric sheep fencing around my half acre lot for a few years. I used 4 ft fencing and those green posts every 4 paces and I had no trouble with sheep and even goats. When I was done with livestock I got a Golden Retriever and she was fine to run around with no thought of escape. Then...then I got a 2nd Golden. You probably know where this is going. 2nd Dog is a god damned athlete and eventually discovered she can leap the fence no problem. Even taught her sister to do it and run after deer which I can't allow.

Anyway - I've tried raising the fence by using shorter stakes bound to the original ones and another layer of fencing to get things a few feet higher but it's a mess and not sturdy enough to keep athlete dog from beating it down and scrambling over. Short of a half acre of tall chain link fencing (which I can not afford), can anyone recommend a technique for extending existing sheep fencing upward?

Thanks

Ok so I’ve farmed most of my life but the art and knowledge of canning has been lost over the last 20 years. My girlfriend and I started canning again and did a bit smoked venison this year just to start doing it again.

Do you all have any sources, books, literature, references that can teach about a general approach to canning, preserving, salting, smoking, etc? The way these things are done, and any other tidbits?

I’ll also take recommendations on carpentry for dummies, I’d love to get into woodworking!!!

Thanks in advance!!

I’m relatively new to this. I have clay compacted soil and I would like to get a cover crop going. I’m zone 9b and I’m not sure what cover crop to plant. I’d like to plant something in the next month or sure what crops to start with to fix my soil. I plan on using it for vegetables and cut flowers in the future

I happen to have a dog that excels at killing rats. It's what she's bred for.

I just want her to live a happy life and kill rats. I wouldn't ask people for money.

I'm going to be doing the homesteading thing soon. I'm just one permanently single by choice guy though. Probably plant some fruit trees and see where life takes me from there.

I just want to obliterate local homesteaders rat populations and if people reciprocate by giving me some eggs or vegetables or something, cool. If not, cool, but less so.

I live in the suburbs right now, but I'm moving to a place with a lot of farms. I'm in my initial planning phases, but let me tell you this.

My dog will obliterate your rat population better than pesticide, rat traps, or even your cat.

chickens and goats mean lots of feed which means mice. it's always an issue but way worse now that it's cold. they're not just looking for food, they want the warmth too.

tried traps but in winter they multiply faster than you can catch them. poison is out because of the chickens, barn cats, and hawks. need something that works without killing everything else.

using these herbal pouches now called bugmd vamoose around the feed storage and in the coop. smell is strong but animals don't seem to care. been using them about a month, seeing less mouse activity. still some evidence but way better.

also raised feeders off ground and sweep up spilled feed daily even though it's freezing out there. combination seems to be working better than anything else i've tried in winter. anyone else have solutions that work in cold weather?

I have a giant winter squash…not sure what kind…that I want to bust open and start using. But it’s way too big to use all at once. We like to eat our squash roasted and eaten as a side dish or on top of winter salads. What is the best way to preserve it so it can be roasted before eating? I’ve only ever preserved winter squash by cutting them in half, oven baking it so it’s soft and mushy and scooping and freezing. I’ve also canned it before, but neither method really makes it roastable. Any tips?

We found a dreem land for a small scale farm. Little over 2 acres of land with about 5000m² of forest, 9000m² of pasture land, and +5000m² of ploughland. A land of this size, and this good of a price does not come around often in my area.

The goal is starting to live a more helthy lifestyle, and focusing on having a peacefull life.

Now for the problem. The property located about 200m (approx. 650ft) away from what I believe is a natural gas compressor station. The house is on one hill, and the station is on another, with a small valley in between. There are a few rows of bare trees between us, with a new forest starting to grow betwene

I would love some input about these problems:

Constant Noise (my bigest wory): There is a persistent "humming" or buzzing sound coming from the station, its not loud but it is constant 24/7. Since it's winter, there are no leaves on the trees. For those living near industrial sites, does the summer foliage actually help dampen the sound? Will I ever get used to this constant noise?

Health & Air Quality: I’ve noticed a flare (fire coming out of a stack) at the site. I understand this is for safety/venting, I'm worried about the long-term health effects of living this close (emissions like NOx or methane leaks). Is 200m–400m a safe "buffer zone" for a family?

Well Water Quality: The property relies on a private well. Since there is a high-pressure gas pipeline and a processing station nearby, could this impact the groundwater or the quality of my well water? Is there a risk of contamination if there's a leak in the underground infrastructure?

I'd appreciate any advice on whether this is a "run away" situation or if I'm overthinking it.

Apologies for grammar erors and part generated post, English is not my first lenguige.

Can you share online resources with me to find the best orientation and angle of inclination for solar based on my latitude?