[Wylde-Recluse]

Wow!! I really didn’t expect this thread to blow up like it did. Reading all the posts has been SO inspirational. So many Proverbs women here So many amazing, encouraging and inspirational stories. We spent the day yesterday in the hospital with my husband. He went into A Fib again. Had to have his heart stopped and restarted. I tell ya…some days. But he’s back at it again today. Back at work, doing morning chores, etc. He does what he can. And after hearing all your testimonies, I’m encouraged that I can do what I can too. Even when I’m tired. Bottom line is, I know that the life we are building, the farm/ranch is exactly where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing. And I can’t express the inspiration and encouragement you all have been. I hope that we can keep this thread going and lift one another up when some of us are tired. There is strength in numbers 💕

I’m sorry, I can’t figure out how to just post to the thread itself without reply to a particular person.

[MaBear]

I’m old and began my homestead a year ago. Lots of hard work but wouldn’t have it any other way. Chickens, 1 ewe, 2 goats, rabbits, dogs, 3 horses. Garden of course that is definitely a learning experience.

[c563]

So many strong women!

I don’t do this full time, I have a full-time day job, but I am blessed to have my office across the yard. We have had goats and chickens for over 10 years, and we are still learning. Sometimes I don’t want to get up at 5am when the alarm goes off, but we have to get out and get the chores so I can open the office.

This year I started gardening again. I am no longer taking care of my Dad, he succumbed to Parkinson’s last year, so I have more time. I am freeze drying what I have been able to grow. Cucumbers and Okra have done the best. I guess because both like hot temps. Glad to read the stories, I know I am not alone.

[Clairvoyant-Countess]

Hey Ladies,

I live in a suburb in Southern California and our house was built in the 80’s so we are fortunate to have a large backyard (1/2 an acre). I started gardening when my kids were young so I had a little time to myself. I remember laughingly saying that if times got tough, we’d always be able to grow food. Then we all laughed (seemed dramatic and far fetched). Yeah, now not so far fetched. I handle almost all home/garden chores. My husband built the chicken coop and takes care of the chickens and I do all the gardening, irrigation, and general maintenance. He works full time and often travel for his job and I never went back to work (ex-teacher). We are planning on leaving California in the next 2-3 years and are looking to settle in a rural location. I’m not a perfectionist so I just do my best and then avert my eyes to the parts that don’t look to good. Right now, I working to get my hoop house ready for in-ground winter growing.

[kelly123]

My husband has never wanted to help even now that he retired last April, I am 60 he is 63. I have had back surgery and some other problems that have made gardening, chickens etc. harder to take care of but so far I am still pushing along, maybe nothing is perfect but doing my best.

[Gardengirl52]

Hello to all. have a small yard @.5 acre (looks bigger everyday) in suburbs of Raleigh, NC. I’m 70 and not in best shape ever, but working to be as self sustainable as possible. Have just harvested what I could from summer and planting seeds for winter veggies. Which I can or dehydrate. Even though I can have chickens & another sm animals here, I’m not sure I could handle it sufficiently, so I support local farmers with eggs, etc. Anyone from eastern-central NC or southeastern VA? it would be great to have a fellow homesteader in my area Glad to be here.

[Wilburs-Place]

I’m right there with you. 54 years young Grandma in Hertford county North Carolina (Northeast North Carolina). I started my solo self-sufficient journey about 4 years ago. I sold everything I had, including the house I raised my kids in. Became 100% debt-free two years ago. I “considered a field” and I bought it! Just finished harvesting and putting to bed my summer garden. Most of my winter garden is in. I have a flock of 15 chickens now. I am waiting on the last four biddies to start laying. I am studying about the care and keeping of either goats or pigs at this time. I have been pressure canning and putting back whatever I can for the past year. I have spent this past year preparing for the zombie apocalypse! I am tired. I feel alone on most days but, I keep planting anyway. Part of me wonders at times if I’ve over prepared and at other times I wake up in the middle of the night afraid I haven’t prepared enough. Food, water, shelter, security, clothing, heating and cooling, tea leaf reading! LOL! The checklist seems endless sometimes. To all the single ladies out there doing it ALL, I salute you. Together, we got this!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  Wilburs-Place.

[Tamrock]

I am so encouraged reading everyone’s story 😊. I’m 61 and trying to learn to garden. My budget is so tight but I’ve managed a coop and a run, 3 hens and 10 chicks. My meager garden didn’t produce much at all but I’m pressing on. Trying to build my soil and am hopeful. My property is prone to flooding so my raised bed is an old fishing boat haha. Sending you all love. Keep going ❤️

[JerseyGiantChick]

Good for you, keep up the good work!

[Tamrock]

Thank you. The run is finally ready! Excited because I can have my spare bedroom back😂 we raised them in a tent

[Wilburs-Place]

I love the idea of using a boat for a raised bed! Congratulations on your baby chicks!

[Tamrock]

Thanks so much!

[AutumnDawn]

I have to say, I dragged my husband into homesteading. At least that’s the way he likes to tell the story. lol

When I planned my garden and livestock care, I planned the day to day chores in such a way that a person would be able to do it alone. You never know if someone would be sick or injured and HAVE to do it alone so better to just plan the work that way. Permaculture has been a big help in that design, and Lod help me, I’m about to start over and do it all again on a piece of raw land. At least I can use my knowledge and avoid some of the big errors this time around.

[Tiny_Little_Homestead]

Y’all are so inspiring!!!

Single Mama of a teenager here, at 55. Purchased an overgrown acre, 5 years ago. Paid it off in one year while clearing it off. Purchased a12x36 shed and converted it into a tiny house, all while working full time. Immediately put in some raised beds for herbs and increased the garden every year for the last 4 years. Just bought a chicken coop. Planning on 8 to 10 chickens. Was gifted a rabbit hutch that needs some work. Thankfully I have an engineer friend that loves to build things and wants to help. I believe next year will be more productive than ever. Looking forward to it being my full time job, one day.

[Hanidu-Farms]

Impressive!

[JerseyGiantChick]

Good work, keep it up.

[Tiny_Little_Homestead]

Thank you so much! Wish me luck with the new chickens. lol

[BiggKidd]

Good luck to ya! An acre is much more manageable than 20-30+. After fifteen years homesteading off grid and raising two daughters on my own my inspiration as dried up and blown away.

[Tiny_Little_Homestead]

Oh, Wow!!!! You are amazing to do all of that. I would love to hear your story. I bet it could help a lot of single mama’s like me. It may also help inspire you to see how far you have come and all that you have accomplished. It sounds like you wear a super cape every day.

[BiggKidd]

Well I’m a single dad but I didn’t think that should stop me from commenting. Us single parents have to stick together. 😉

[Tiny_Little_Homestead]

My last message still relates to you weather you are male or female.

[BiggKidd]

Lets see a bit of the short version. On 4/14/2005 about 7 am I thought someone had broken in my house and hit me in the back of the head with a baseball bat as I stepped through the living room doorway. I had a huge pain in the back of my head and hit the floor. Suddenly I couldn’t get up, walk, talk or write. In October the Dr.s figured out I had M.S. and had had it since I was about 15 from the number of scars and age of the scaring on my brain. Although at the time I had already started looking for a place out in the woods since I had seen the writing on the wall. Around the same time my wife told me she was pregnant with another child. (We had been together and married less than a year at this point even though our first child was born in 2000 it’s complicated) So I spent the next two years learning to walk talk etc.. In mid 07 we found this place and she, I and our oldest couldn’t wait to move. So I put a large down payment after refinancing my house. Then 08 – 09 happened and the house never sold and I couldn’t keep making both payments by the time 2010 rolled around and I lost the house along with about 170k in equity. That was to be the money to build a house here. We were living in a camper here on the land at the time. I was still walking with crutches or two canes to get around in 2010 and had been working the land that way since 08. My oldest daughter then about 8 through 12 would carry the saw around for me to cut wood while I braced myself upright. This place was all timber when I bought it.

In 2011 I was doing well enough and the wife decided she really didn’t like being a mother or a wife and left. So from then on it was just the girls and I. I HIGHLY doubted anyone would want to date a half cripple with two kids plus I had lost trust in people by then so I stayed single. I just continued to plug along and still do to this day.

[Tiny_Little_Homestead]

This is an amazing story! Seriously, have you ever thought about writing a book? I am sure there are other single fathers out there that have experienced similar things. Have you seen Single Dad Homstead? Its a youtube channel. Sounds like you have come a long way. Im so sorry she left you and the children. How are the children now?

[BiggKidd]

That’s a really condensed and limited bit.

My oldest is married and has a 2yo son and the youngest will graduate high school this year. The youngest did recently start counseling to deal with what she calls abandonment issues from her mother. She doesn’t remember her mother ever living with us and only sees her once or twice a year most years. Then again she was not quite 6 when her mom left. She is VERY independent and can not wait until she is old enough to go out on her own. She works constantly and has really good grades and has a bunch of collage applications out. I could not possibly be more proud of her!

[BiggKidd]

No I haven’t seen that Youtube channel. I have considered writing a book, even started one once, what there is of it is online somewhere on a PAW fiction site. I also thought about and am still considering a youtube channel. The big problem there is I hate having my picture taken much less being in a video. I even got another email and setup another youtube account to give it a try. Spent a few hours making a video and trying to upload it without any luck. I may try again one day.

[JerseyGiantChick]

Wow what a story, I can not imagine to leave my husband for my personally being married is band for live. I hope you will meet a woman who will see your true colors, the beauty inside is more then a good look.

You are more than welcome amongst us woman, single Homesteading dad.

[BiggKidd]

Thanks

[JerseyGiantChick]

Wish all you with chicks and chickens good luck! Just read your comments.

Our son is taking care of the chicks, young chickens now. A old breeding Bresse rooster Baba is watching over hus own and a copple Barbezieux. After school he brings them in de coop, sun down I lock all the chickens up so there save.

[Grumpy_G]

Ladies, I know you don’t need some Y chromosome tromping all over your thread. I just want to say, though, my hat’s off to all of you. This is a very inspirational thread. Kudos.

[JerseyGiantChick]

Lady’s man are welcome to right? Woman rule anyway, just kidding.

[Grumpy_G]

Woman rule anyway,

That’s what “She Who Must Be Obeyed” says, at least.

[JerseyGiantChick]

I realy feel sorry for them roosters, the chicks are just letting the rooster think he is the headmaster.

Maybe I am no better, makes you think (wink).

[Lorelee]

Wow, I just found this thread and I’m so encouraged by reading it! My husband and I have a 3.5 acre homestead in eastern France, but my hubby travels 2 weeks/month for work. That definitely leaves me as the main worker bee at our place. He is willing to help me with things that are too heavy/difficult when he’s here, but as I said, that’s not very often.

I just want to encourage all of you, whether you’re doing this on your own by choice, by circumstances, or for any other reason. Just keep doing what you can, each day, and know that you aren’t alone. Although most of us probably will never meet in real life, we can continue to encourage each other here and share our stories. Hugs!

[Robin0705]

I live on an island off the coast of Maine. My disabled husband and I have 1/4 acre and because we are mostly on ledge our gardens are mostly aised beds. Because my husband is wheelchair bound, I do all of the heavy work, but he does great with the raised beds. This year I planted an apple tree. Next year I will plant another one plus two peach trees. This year I did an experiment with tomatoes in buckets versus in the ground and the tomatoes in the buckets won in terms of height and number of tomatoes. Next Spring, I am hoping to get chickens. I am 62 years old; my husband is 75 years old. I still work a full-time job, thankfully, from home.

[Jen-in-Ok]

I do all the work around here. from gathering eggs to fixing fence, doing chores, butchering chickens, building structures to fixing the trucks. it is my job. i get bogged down sometimes. it would be nice to have help. everything seems always broken/in need of repair. I just try to keep on keeping on. don’t got any advice, but you’re not alone. hang in there. don’t be afraid to downside where you need to. burn-out is real. take care of yourself, so you will be able to take care of others.

[JerseyGiantChick]

Wow respect, you do so mutch.

[Jen-in-Ok]

just so you know, I don’t necessarily do it well or on time. nothing I build or fix ends up ‘pretty’. I learned how to do little bits of everything growing up, and learned how to figure out how to fix things if they broke – because if it broke, you can’t afford another one and nobody is going to fix it for you. I sure ain’t wonder woman over here…. I’m just scaping by usually. most things can be patched if you can figure out what is wrong with it. (and I can keep myself from getting distracted and wondering off… 🙃)

thank you for such kind words though! : )

[Summerhat-n-Chicks]

Are you kidding me, . . . yes, you are wonder woman ! You, me, and all the other women out there who do it all by themselves/alone ! We’re just too humble to admit it at times. Stay strong ! Hugs !

[Jen-in-Ok]

You are awesome! Thank you!