[DeepSouth]

I need moderators who have more time than I do to help answer quickly. I don’t see the posts but 3 or 4 times a day. I really try to limit my fun time. Lol

[Debbi]

I think it’s already turning into a great community center place. The comments I received regarding not having the equipment to be able to attend an upcoming event was very thoughtful. I can’t believe how many offers I got to use other cooking equipment just so my family can be involved. I said a quick thank you the other day because that day was swamped but thank you didn’t cover how touched I felt. We are seriously discussing attending but it’s not looking good because of a job situation.

I also think this site is nice because you don’t have to spend energy convincing others of what you already know. I don’t have to convince others that the self-sufficient things that I am doing are good. I get on Freesteading and it feels free-er than any other site or brag site for that reason.

I also like all the different topics being discussed.

[potpourri_of_life]

I’m still learning my way around. Sometimes I don’t see everything, but on a positive note, I don’t feel pressured. Basically, no one has hurt feelings if I don’t respond right away, as we all know we are each also “living” life while getting things done.

So far, no trolls…that is a bonus.

[RayR]

Just a couple ideas….

A) A ‘Marketplace’ – a dedicated place for people to post about their food produce, equipment/tools, land for sale etc.

B) A ‘How-To’ section – where people can ask questions or post their own solutions on how to fix/build infrastructure, vehicles etc.

C) A ‘Grow’ section – where people are able to ask questions or post their own videos of how to propagate and grow food, fodder crops/trees, and companion planting regimes/guilds etc.

D) A ‘Livestock’ section – a place all about husbandry, rotation techniques, breeds, etc – of livestock (including poultry) where people can ask questions or post their own video.

[Josh]

Agreed…these are great ideas

[Down_in_the_holler]

Great ideas would love a market place and a barter, trade and sell section

[poboy]

Marketplace is probably the #1 thing I’d love to see.

I’ve been wanting to find some mineral tubs like the folks from Living Traditions Homestead use but haven’t found them anywhere. I can look at craigslist on occasion but this site seems like a perfect place for someone to sell any extras of things like these they don’t need.

[GingerMama]

I have found some on Marketplace. I found them listed as muck buckets. Few and far between though. I am keeping watch for some pickle barrels with the screw on tops to use as a heat source in my greenhouse this winter.

[Omasharon]

Great ideas. Id love that!!!!!

[GingerMama]

I loved all of your ideas!

[Omasharon]

I’d like to see different homesteading methods of living

Gardening organically

Canning, dehydrating, herbals, recipes back to basics of living

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by  Omasharon. Reason: Misspelled words

[Kh62]

I agree with RayR. I’m also wanting to connect with people that are local to me. I’m on a fairly isolated property and on my own most of the time. It would be nice to have someone who would send a text every once in awhile to see if I’m breathing air or dirt.

[Wilburs-Place]

I am right there with you! It would be nice to receive an Alive and Well check every now and again from someone local! LOL

[PetraTilling]

So many possibilities. This is both a blessing and a curse.

My biggest priority is local.

I want to be able to connect with people in my area (WNC) for support and community.

I want to be able to financially support local people/businesses in my area. I don’t want to walk into a big-box store again.

I want to see and create local events (swaps, work days “barn raising” “corn shucking” days, picnics, fairs, range days, seminars, workshops, etc).

On a wider scale, I want to be able to learn from and support the wider community (large events, tips, tricks, advice, online shopping/workshops/seminars, etc).

Stay focused and have a priority list.

We are behind this effort and we are hard working people. Use us!

[SunshineKid-GardenCoach]

Ditto to all of these items. My husband and I want to purchase a high tunnel kit but need to find help getting it put up. We’re were just discussing the other day how nice it would be to know other people in our area that could help each other out like an old fashioned barn raising!

[Amy_AtHomeOnGoldenCreek]

I totally agree. My husband was trying to put ours up when his ladder broke and he fell almost 8 feet onto the hard red clay. He ripped his rotator cuff and busted his bicep and broke a rib. This was a whole years worth of recovery after surgery. We have had so much trouble finding people to help us do simple things.

[Omasharon]

Hello. Im so sorry to hear about your husband. I was in construction for a few years and have seen ladder falls from high places. It is scary. Thank God he is alive. I don’t know where you are, but if you lived in the area we would definetly come help.

[Grumpy_G]

Much of what you listed is in the works. Stay tuned, you’ll be excited with what is coming.

[Amy_AtHomeOnGoldenCreek]

I would to see a marketplace type option to buy, sell, trade. Also an about section for profiles so we can introduce ourselves to the community.

[Annabanana]

Love to see a marketplace type set up by area to support other homesteaders in our vicinity

[Omasharon]

I love Petras ideas. I would also love to help in my community of barn raisings etc. I can’t wait till this gets into full swing

[SunshineKid-GardenCoach]

It would great to have a section in our profile to list the types of activities you have on your homestead such as gardening, chickens, beekeeping, rabbits, cattle, permaculture, etc. if it was developed as a drop down multiple selection list, then it could be made searchable. You could also create sub lists such as Gardening – Growing zone, In ground, Raised Beds, High Tunnel; Chickens – French Bresse, American Bresse, etc. As the groups continue to grow this would help direct you to the people in your area that have experience in these topics.

[Grumpy_G]

That’s a pretty good idea. The ability to find and talk to people in your area doing the same thing as you would be nice.

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
1 Timothy 5:8

[Omasharon]

I love the idea. I just started raising chickens and we came up with a nice tunnel for our girls using scrap materials. Our next addition will be just using wire bend over like a circle that will have plenty of room for our girls to walk around without threat of stray dogs etc. We lock them up at night incase some critter manages to break in. I cant remember the name of the person on utube that showed their chicken tunnel. She states that since the chickens are able to go around the garden they keep away many bugs from the garden area. So that is ehere I got the idea of chicken tunnels.

Ill be excited to see more ideas on homesteading. Since we are retired from construction we are lucky enough to know how to build structures without too many problems.

[Wilburs-Place]

I would appreciate a support group for “Single Lady HOMESTEADERS of a Certain Age”. I love my lifestyle. I love my animals. But, sometimes the physical struggle is real. It is not easy finding someone who could pick things up and put things down for me! Although I was going to wait until my dog was a year old to start training him, I chose to put that muscle and energy to work for me around here starting this week! THIS is Wilbur! Seriously though…. Maybe in the future there could be some area where you could borrow labor from fellow homesteaders locally. Maybe some kind of local bartering page?

[dudeman]

they may need some kind of background check for this. someone could take advantage of someone being alone.

[Grumpy_G]

Agreed

[Wilburs-Place]

Back ground checks are fine with me. I’m just trying to shed some light on what I believe is a larger population of single ladies out here trying to live the self-sufficient/homesteading lifestyle. Every so often, we could use a physical hand. Do you have any idea how hard it is for older women to find a MAG? I suppose it is similar to ageism in the workplace. I am helpless by no means. I’m a US military veteran who still maintains her record as a sharpshooter. I farm my own land and raise my own flocks. I can build things and I can fix things. It is sometimes easy to get discouraged. No one wants to be a lone wolf necessarily. But in my experience, there is a certain population of preppers and homesteaders (like myself) who seem to be pigeonholed into that exact position. Anyway, I would love to be able to barter locally whether it’s eggs/produce, freedom seeds or silver and gold. I believe in community. With everything that’s about to go down, there is nothing more important than the ability to buy sell and trade within groups of like-minded people such as this. It is how we will all survive. (Apologize if I came off as ranting)

[dudeman]

one possibility is to have a live event near you so homesteaders can gather and meet face to face. establish that connection. I live in upstate south carolina and people are always willing to help.

[Wilburs-Place]

💯👍

[Grumpy_G]

Have you gone to your State discussion page? That is the perfect avenue for organizing meet ups.

[Pearl4estgarden]

👍

[Pearl4estgarden]

We live in upstate SC, we just bought a farm a few months ago. We are excited to see where this goes. Its an answer to prayer for sure! You should join the SC page👍🏻

[HoneysGarden]

I don’t see it as a rant; I’m not single, but could be at any time – hubby works hard, but tires more easily these days, and in addition he’s a paraplegic . . . so everything he does has an element of added difficulty. We’re both 70 this year . . . ironically we’re fortunate to have several friends who visit almost daily, and often help with things like splitting wood; the irony is that they’re not necessarily on board with the idea that prepping is necessary! Hubby keeps his mouth shut, and I get to be the ‘crazy’ one, LOL! But I almost wish I still lived in NC, because there appears to be a very active community there – and because of Hubby, traveling to participate in events is not in the cards.

[Wilburs-Place]

Thank you for your kind reply! We’ve got this! (Right?) 😅

[HoneysGarden]

Absolutely!

[Omasharon]

You know we are wanting to get with a group of homesteaders/preppers. Before all this mess started getting worse with gas, economy, etc., we were prepping and fine tuning some of our necessary skills of survival, just not as much as we do now. I sold my house and we bought a camper with all the intention of buying small piece of land somewhere that we could work. Im a retired Nurse(LPN) and construction. My boyriend of 9 years was a Construction business owner for over 35 years now retired. We thought with all we know to do we could find property close to people who felt like we do. That is tough to find these days. So now we figured if we can’t buy what we’re looking for then maybe we could rent a small piece of property and we could help with the chores, prepping etc. It has been hard trying to find such a situation.

[Coals-Homestead]

I think that’s a great idea, praying you find someone in your area

[Omasharon]

Thank you so much. We are looking all over. Not just here in Tennessee. 🥰

[Kjc3]

I like that idea! I am pretty physical out in my garden and stay in shape with all I do but sometimes I just can’t do it all(more times than I care to share) Wilbur is adorable! I have a older pit/English bull dog named Daisy that looks similar

[Wilburs-Place]

Oh my goodness! Daisy and Wilbur could be related!

[Kjc3]

Ya never know! I got her from Brother Wolf rescue here in Asheville in 2014. She was dropped of with a bunch of pups she had birthed

[Wilburs-Place]

My son is a professional UKC breeder of the American Bully. I told him years ago that once I found my Homestead land if he ever had a male run of the litter that was not breed standard, I would take him! Wilbur came to me with barely a taie to speak of and some pretty messed up teeth! I refuse to allow his ears to be docked. Although I have champion bloodline papers on him, he will never make it on that circuit! I named him after the story of Charlotte’s Web…. The runt of the litter, Wilbur!

[cheryl]

OMGosh! I love this!🥰

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by  cheryl.

[Unknown Member]

is that a giant squash

[Kjc3]

It’s a watermelon that I plucked to early. Oh well, chickens enjoyed it 👍

[Unknown Member]

ohhhh hahaha i was like wow thats huge lol

[GingerMama]

I had to do a double take. Here is my Smokey!

[culdesacgrocerygarden]

@Wilburs-Place I do love that suggestion for Single Ladies of a certain age!

[dudeman]

Information by grow zone would be interesting. To know what to grow and when in my climate zone.

[FortElswyrFarm]

I love this one!

[Coals-Homestead]

That is a great idea!!