Makin' a Living while Living the Dream.

Many friends and family members of mine have asked me, if and when I make the big move to a more rural life, how I'm going to make money... Which is a valid concern even when you plan to live off grid and mortgage free.

There will still be the need to buy animal feed; like rabbit food and hay for goats/chickens, dog food, etc. Not to mention vet bills. There's also the costs of maintaining tools and the house itself.

Let's face it, you can't make or grow everything you'll need on the homestead. There will be times where you have to spend money. So you need ways to make money.

So, how do you make money without having to go off and rejoin the rat race?

Well, for me it's more straightforward than with some people.  I don't really have to invent a business or move out of my current career path. I'm not an office worker, or in some specialized field dependent on the urban lifestyle.

Firstly, I'm an Artist.
I paint, draw, sculpt, and also craft. I plan on having a studio space in the cabin OR something built separately as a studio, and to sell through both an internet-based business as well as locally via a gallery or craft fairs. I also make "stick/rustic furniture"!

Secondly, I'm also a Dog Groomer.
A portable, flexible job, that I can do pretty much anywhere. It'd be pretty easy for me to convert a large shed into a grooming "studio" (I could work in a space as small as 10'x12'), and it would be pretty straight-forward to attract work from people who flood "cottage country" from spring through autumn. And if my land happens to be near a town with a good four-season population, all the better.

I also plan to make soap and cheese from my goat's milk (selling the occasional goat kid too naturally), and perhaps sell some of my excess meat rabbits from time to time. And there's always the possibility of selling fresh chicken eggs depending on how many hens I end up with.

Ultimately, I should be able to do alright being self-employed. Given the biggest bills will probably just be for wireless internet and phone services. (And perhaps the hydro required for my grooming "shed" IF it requires more hydro than I can provide via solar/wind/generator).

This is all fluid of course. We can't be putting the cart before the horse after all!  It'll be a few years before I'm in a position to have to seriously consider what I'll do for money. I need to buy my land first! And build the cabin AND drill the well. Then we'll see what's what. ;)

Goats!

I've been considering what Goats I'd like to get when I get my land and am all settled in. Given that I'd need hardy animals, able to handle cold winters and warm summers (that seem to be getting warmer!).

I think I've narrowed it down to the following:

-Alpine /French-Alpine.
-Hardy, erect ears, nice coat patterns, good milk production, easy kidders and good mothers who often have twins or triplets. Moderate size (130-170lbs).

-LaMancha.
-Hardy, nice coat patterns, interesting appearance with very small ears, are supposedly very friendly with people. Moderate size (130-160lbs).

-Nigerian Dwarf.

-Not a true "dwarf", but a small goat from Africa. Can be used to produce "minis" by crossing Nigerian Bucks to other types of Does (never the other way around).
-High butter fat content to the milk, erect ears, nice variety of coat patterns, small size (average 75lbs), easy kidders and natural mothers, friendly.

 I do also like Kiko goats for their hardiness, ease of care, and resistance to disease and parasites. They're also a bit smaller in size. I have seen some nice Kiko x's that make good dual purpose animals,  giving good milk and meaty carcasses. Having one in the herd would be interesting!


I can't wait to get my property so I can start actually posting about MY animals and how I raise 'em!

"Unorthodox" is the name of the game here!

Indoor "farm" update!

Yes, you read that right. I'm growing edible plants INDOORS right now. Seeing as I'm dealing with a serious lack of outdoor space currently (thus why I'm working towards my move to the Rural homestead). And honestly, I'm curious as to what does well grown inside with minimal care... this is something I've been experimenting with since January.



Radishes all got pulled today. Not a single one produced (other than the edible greens), so I give them a D rating. I don't know if it's the variety or what, but they didn't produce any "bulbs", so I got no radishes out of the deal. Only reason why they don't get an F is because the greens are edible and tasty.

Lettuce is about finished. Some of it started bolting, so it all got cut and fed to the Rat and the Canary. (If I had my New Zealand rabbits already, I would have given it all to them.) Got a lot of good greens out of the deal, once we got the aphid problem handled. So I'd give 'em a B+ rating. Will plant more once the weather cools off a bit. It's way to hot even indoors for lettuce right now.

Peas are still going strong. I've had two mini "harvests" so far and the plants are workin' on a third. Even though I have to hand-pollinate (which is easier than I thought), since they're inside and have no insects to pollinate them. I'd give 'em a B rating.

My little baby Watermelon is growing. Which honestly is shocking to me. Given that it came from a seed inside a watermelon bought in a grocery store (only one of two I found in the whole melon!). I've also planted three butternut squash seeds, out of a bunch I have stored away. I want to see if they'll germinate. They look viable... so we'll see. Dunno what I'll do with 'em if they DO germinate...guess I'll let them grow until they decide to die on their own... given the pot is far too small for long term growth. If the seeds are good, I'll get a big pot and plant new ones. So we'll see how this goes. I LOVE butternut squash and it'd make me SO happy if I could get them to grow inside (I have no issue hand pollinating squash flowers).

Hooray for unusual experimentation in weird homesteading horticulture. lol