We are getting a new house with 5 acres! It’s not a lot but the way the work is rn it was hard to afford much but as someone who really want to grow at least some of my own stuff, have animals, all the things we are excited.
But what would you all recommend starting out with doing? Prep? Fencing? Planting? ????
I feel like there’s so much we want to do, but I know me and I’m gonna get overwhelmed and obviously budget wise, I can’t do it all at once and it’s gonna frustrate me. What’s the general recommendations on best things to start with?
We’ve talked about gardening, egg, and meat, chicken chickens,
Raising cow for meat, horses because I have the opportunity of getting childhood horse back, (although I don’t think this will be enough land for those 2 just general things me and the husband have talked about)
All this being said, I do still have kids and dogs that will also be using the land. What’s all the ideas? Photo from the very back of the property it’s mostly flat minus where the house is is on a slight slope.
by Unfair-Caregiver-951
6 Comments
*also to add we have never had land before so things to buy that I may not already thinking of would also be helpful !
First things first: planning. Take your time. Really think about it for awhile before you start doing anything, so you don’t need to redo it later. Think about all the infrastructure first. Electric, plumbing, roads. Do you have your tractor and mower yet? You’ll need that.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. There are so many great stories in here of that.
Find a spot close enough to walk to from the house, but far enough that smell won’t be an issue, preferably out of the way, and start a compost bin! It’ll take time so best to start soon, but it’ll be well worth it. You’ll have organic waste anyway, best to put it to good use! If you’re going to want animals at all, I would do chickens first. Getting eggs every day and some meat in the end will be more valuable on a low budget than giving big investments in care to raise a pig or similar for one big harvest later.
Sheep and portable electric fence. Mobile chicken coop.
Whatever you do, make sure there’s no zoning laws or anything like that or too close to a neighborhood. They will shut you down. People are busybodies and look for things to tell on.
For example, some laws don’t let you put things past the front of your house, so if you put your house way back, you may be losing lots of land, depending on what you want to do.
Don’t forget about septic and the leach field and perc.
Test your soil, find your water, and go to your local agricultural extension office.