The Welcome Center
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New Member Introductions
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New Member Introductions
Hey New Freedom Friends. Introduce yourself here.😀
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102 Replies
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great journey. Welcome to freesteading
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Hi,
I’m Sheila, 37, from Pennsylvania.
I’ve always wanted to be a homesteader. The more experience I get in the 9-5 box, the more I realize how it detracts from my happiness and well-being. I’m not a social butterfly, and I’d rather have close, like-minded friends I can trust than live each day in a cut-throat deceitful environment called “the office “
I’m coming up with my escape plan, and I know I need to learn a lot. I hope to find like-minded people here.
I want to learn about basic home maintenance, off-grid electric and communications, gardening, raising small livestock, and successful self-employment.
I cannot find anyone else my age in my area with the same interests.
I’d love to hear from other single women who are pursuing this lifestyle on their own without a partner.
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Hi Sheila as a single male who’s been doing this 15 years while raising children let me be the first to say going this road alone is TOUGH! I wish I could find someone to share and help here but finding the right kind of person is near impossible.
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You can do it … I raised 2 daughters while working shift work at a power plant … it’s not always easy … and finding child care is a real challenge..But it can be done..
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Sheila, as a full-time off grid homesteader I can tell you that it is hard with 2 people. I can also tell you that you can do it alone. If I was to tackle it alone it would be a scale issue. Just start small and add things as you master the previous one. TAG
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I’m 41 from the clearfield area and am hoping to find some like-minded friends. Where abouts are you from in PA? I’m not single, but the garden and animals are pretty much all mine to take care of so I’m willing to talk and give you any ideas I can.
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Welcome to FreeSteading
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Hi Tag,
I’m still trying to figure out where to post a general question or make a statement so I hope this is okay.
Recently, as we grow, I have noted there are more and more new men who are joining and following women only. (Yes, I’m learning to check before I accept a friend request.) I haven’t checked but there may be women who are following men only. But my experience throws out red flags for me. I wanted to make a safety post. Maybe you can do that somewhere since I’m still lost? 😊
I have nothing against men at all! I have concerns about people in the wrong place with the wrong motives.
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Sorry, I didn’t see this sooner. Our members feeling safe if very important ti me. I would welcome any reccomendations.
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I was just putting it out there so people could choose to be cautious if they felt the need. It helps to look at their profile and who they are following before I accept a “friend”. I doubt there is anything that can be done from your end. We have to be aware of our surroundings and accountable for how we act amd react. This is such a great plàce.
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Lehigh Valley area
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I am not single. My husband several years ago had a sever stroke which left him with little to no use of his left arm/hand, balance issues and some minor cognitive issues. So often I feel alone in this lifestyle. Even though my husband supports me fully and helps any way he can. The biggest and hardest thing I have learned is things just take a lot longer. And while I am a very capable and resourcful woman I am not a man. Before the stoke my husband was such a hard worker. He could work 14 hours outside hard labor chopping wood, building retaining walls, putting up fences. And dɔ it day after day. I just can’t work like that. But we still get it done just way slower than we used to.
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You’ve got the right attitude you’ll be fine. MS caused me to have to relearn how to walk talk and write in 05-07
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Hey y’all I’m sky, new Here to Freesteading.com, just made my account a-few days ago. I’m a welder by day but my passion is sustainability and ecosystems Look forward to the benefits I can already see here on this site. Would love to make good connections with good like minded people, I’m from the Great Lakes region more specifically northern Michigan. Thanks everyone.
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Hi from Mississippi!
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Welcome
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Hello everyone, I from Kansas. I’m kinda late posting because well kinda a tech-tard when it comes to anything electronic. We’re currently packing to move to our 14 acres in a very rural area. It’s taken us four years to find a property, it’s not 100% what we want but meets most of what we’re looking for. We’re a family of 5, hubby, myself, two disabled adult children and a 9 yr old grandson with Asperger’s (autism). Once we’ve moved we will began our journey to getting the property ready for goats, rabbits chickens, and pigs. Not looking to start out big. We currently live in the city not my choice but hubby’s a city boy so it will become very interesting when we get moved. Hubby was forced to retire in 2019 due to medical issues, spent his first hospital stay in ICU for 10 days. Hubby is (62), I am (52), and at first he wasn’t thrilled with moving to the country. I want to get moved back to the area I was born and raised. About 12 weeks ago he finally was on board 100%. It only took our quiet neighborhood of retired military and families to have a drive-by shooting to bring him in 100%! Looking forward to meeting others that are like-minded as well as learning to become self-sufficient. I don’t see any issues with our move since most of the family are mostly shut-ins with the exception of myself. I can’t wait to get moved and begin our journey.
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Welcome neibor. Happy your here
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I so happy for you and your family!
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I am also in Kansas, North east part of the state, also former military. What part of the state are you located in?
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I live in the Holton area
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Hello and welcome!!
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Hey y’all I’m Aleta from southern Ohio, go ahead with the jokes I tell them too 😄. I’m happy I found this site and from what I’ve seen so far I think I’ve found my peoples.
As of now I’m far from being a farmer, a true homesteader or living off grid but I’m trying my best to get there. When I was a youngin my pappaw and mammaw had a homestead and I loved being there. I remember helping pappaw milk the cow, brushing the horses, feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs and finding big ole snakes in the hay loft 😱, I’m not a big snake fan. Pappaw would grow a big ole garden and he would go out pick us grandbabies all kinds of stuff to snack on then he’d draw the coldest water up out of the well and let us drink it out of these old tin cups, I’m guessing everyone drank out of them, heck we weren’t skeert, no one had germs back then😄. My pappaw taught me how to fish with whatever he could rig up, taught me how to drive the old green tractor and the Willys Jeep even though I was maybe 5 or 6 years old, he taught me so much and he never had a cross word for any of us. My mammaw cooked for everyone that stopped my, which was a lot of people all the time, she canned and preserved everything and worked a full time job outside of the home. They divorced when I was about 9 years old so that was hard on us. Pappaw passed in 1991 and mammaw in 1997, they both taught me so much about living life, I truly miss those days.
About 10 years ago I divorced the second husband, it was a very horrible situation and I had no choice but to move in with my folks. I left my place, my animals, my garden, my lil slice of heaven on earth. My folks started having health issues so now I’m their full time caregiver which leaves me with little time to do much. After moving in with them they told me they didn’t have a place to put my chickens, ducks, pig, dogs, cats and rabbits so I had to find homes for them, I was heartbroken but I had to do it. I couldn’t have a garden but I did grow some tomatoes plants in buckets and cucumbers along side the house, it’s not the same as having a garden.
About a year before the pandemic I finally talked my folks into letting me use the old dog kennel area for a garden area and I got the approval for that. My dad bought a rototiller and I began to work up my new found slice of heaven. It has been a lot of hard work and it’s still a work in progress but getting there. I’ve grown a bit, canned, froze and dehydrated a lot of stuff from my lil garden which gives me such a wonderful feeling.
I’ve been trying to convince my dad we need chickens and he tells me yes but he also tells me that he’s going to build a coop but I know he can’t, when I tell him I’ll do it he says no he wants to do it, so I recon I’ll either have to do it behind his back or wait for him.
I’m no spring chicken but I would love to get back to raising animals, growing fruits and veggies, making soaps, candles, sewing and crocheting. When one of my siblings decides to drop by to visit with the folks and I have the chance I get in my vehicle and drive around looking at farms and dream 😁
Sorry for the long winded introduction, sometimes I get a going and can’t stop. Y’all have a wonderful day and stay safe!
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Enjoyed reading this
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I’m just now reading this. Welcome!! We all have our journeys that we can all overcome, despite the initial hardship.
Could I make a suggestion without offending? Maybe, since your dad wants to build you a chicken coop, and you know he doesn’t have the ability to accomplish it, that if you suggest you work together it could get done? I’m thinking that maybe he simply desires to see you have what you find joy in, so if you work together, maybe he could “supervise”, provide ideas that will provide more opportunities for conversations of homesteading and why this is important to you.
Welcome!!
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Helllo, Fellow New Members!!! I followed Danny and Ms. Wanda from Deep South Homestead over here and was so happy to see, Heidi, from Rain Country has joined as well!🤗.
I am not a homesteader nor a farmer…. but had always dreamed of having a small farm in ‘country’ and living like the pioneers did. Alas, I was sucked into “the Machine” and have spent far too many years in urban survival mode in Nee Jersey! Over a decade ago, we moved to Pennsylvania near where my husband grew up to raise our son. We wanted to get away from the rat race. It was a good decision, but hubby wasn’t keen on farming ( still isn’t) but I do enjoy learning about food preservation, clean cooking, maybe someday get a couple chicken😉 I am trying to grow veggies; trial and error….. I always loved crocheting and knitting but always wanted to learn to sew…. Been a bumpy ride lol. Our son is now grown and on his own….. looking to eventually downsize. Still trying to talk hubby into a log cabin similar to Doug and Stacy’s but I will need to learn how to chop wood and work with a wood stove first!! If I ever get to take a vacation I may look into volunteering on one of our local farms!
Looking forward to meeting likeminded folks!
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Hello everyone!! I’m Lisa from Tennessee. Just joined and am trying to figure this all out. I’m 57 years old and planning a homestead alone I was raised a homesteader when small and then life happened over and over. The rat race isn’t somewhere I want to be anymore. I’m so glad I found y’all!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Hi guys! I’m kinda new. I didn’t realize this was here and am trying to learn how to do this social network. I’m excited to meet people who are “growing” in all kinds of ways.
I live in zone 7b/8a in Mississippi. This is my first winter with an 8×11 greenhouse so I’m enjoying trying everything! Thanks for allowing me to be part of your group. I look forward to “meeting ” you all.
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Hello, Robin66. I am in 7b in MS also.
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Hi B.Lynn! I’m in the backwoods in Choctaw county and love it:) Are you planting anything yet?
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I am going to start a few seeds this week. Very sorry for the late reply. Tate county here. Which I call God’s country. Lol. Now wishing we lived further from the city….started to sell off farms around here and planning dreaded subdivions. I might have a breakdown! Hahahahhahh😂
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Hi Robin66
I just came across this thread myself. This is a different platform and I’m still learning. But in life, we are all learning, which makes freesteading/homesteading an adventure.-
Thanks Potpourri! Nice to meet you. What zone do you live in? I’m in 7b/8a.
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I am in zone 5a 🌱😊
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Ooo I bet it’s cold there. I love snow!
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Hello all,
Not that much to share other than I am an orthodontist living in Vermont. I am into organic gardening, reloading, collectable firearms, and the great outdoors!
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Welcome Dr John
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Welcome Dr. John. Glad to have another Northeastern member here.
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Hi all, I’m Marcia. I’m a 64 yr old singlesteader actively moving to 5 acres at Lake of the Ozarks, and hoping to connect with others in my area. Very soon I won’t be so alone, as my sister will be getting her place close by.
Thanks for having me. I’m already enjoying this platform.
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Welcome to the group
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Hello, I’m Jeff from Minnesota. 35ish and moved back to the family farm recently from Fargo ND and guerrilla gardening the farm as I’m the only sibling that wants to buy it. I’m a machinist with a homesteading addiction.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by JeffJag.
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Welcome jeff
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Welcome to the group Jeff.
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Hi Jeff. Pennsylvania here.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by
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Welcome Jeff, Many of us on here have the same addiction… 😁
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Our Introduction:
My wife and I are new to the group. I have worked hard to move my organic herb farm (and home of the FlorAlive® flower essences) to complete self-sufficiency. We have solar and hydro turbine power and magnificent water resources, gravity feed irrigation, and lots more. We grew dry land rice last year and plan better production this year. It is my intention to be able to produce bluegill or yellow perch in aquaculture. I must learn about that.
Having my first child at age 68 (3 1/2 years ago) leads me to realize how very important the old adage is: “It takes a village to raise a child.” We are praying for the right young farmer (and family) to show up to provide the essential work required to keep up this land, and to benefit from use of all we have developed. We hope that the Freesteading community will help us get the word out so that a special McGyver-like fellow shows up. (We lost our magnificent man and wife team of fourteen years as they had to join family out of state.)
When the right people are found, we look forward to a non-hippy intentional community of very focused and fun people!
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Welcome from a fellow off gridder.
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What’s up friends. Just figured I’d introduce myself since I finally have some time to start using this app a little. I found out about this site from Deep South Homestead’s podcast and I think it’s pretty cool.
My name is Nick and my wife Irma and I are based in central California, on the west side of the Sierras in the foothills. We’re in our mid 30s and have two beautiful girls. We’ve been wanting to get back to living closer to the land for awhile, and we were starting to look at buying land in southern Mexico, where my wife is from, since the prices in California are so ridiculous. But we ended up with an opportunity to buy a small house on 40 acres here in the foothills close to where I grew up. It felt right so we went for it. Now we’re deep in debt, ha ha, but we’re super happy and excited to begin working towards our dream of living off the land, and getting free from depending on a corrupt system that doesn’t have our best interests in mind. We also trust that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to, in terms of being able to survive and pay off our mortgage, because we have faith, and we believe that we were led to this place by the Creator, so we just need to work hard and do our best, and the rest will be taken care of.
It’s going to be a long journey in terms of getting our place to where we want it, since I’m working full time and my wife is working part time, and most of our income is going to paying off the land and daily expenses like food and gas. But even though we’re not rich in terms of money, I feel we’ve been very blessed with riches of other kinds, like community, creativity, and optimism. I’m confident that things will go well for us, as long as we stay humble and in tune with the Creator’s will for us.
For now we’re working on fixing up the house a little, and cleaning up brush and down trees on the property. This year we’ll probably just focus on building a good woodshed and getting down wood cut and split to sell for firewood next fall. I’d also like to get a couple hives of bees this spring, and maybe some chickens.
Eventually we’d like to focus on grazing either, cattle or sheep, or a combination. I like Greg Judy’s style of regenerative grazing (you can check him out on YouTube) and I’d like to try that in our climate.
We also want to grow fruit trees. The trees that grown good in our particular neck of the woods are, persimmon, apple, mulberry, fig, pear, and pomegranate.
Anyway, it’s gonna be a tough journey but we’re excited and feel blessed to be taking the first steps. It’s cool to see the discussions on this app and everyone who is at different stages of similar journeys. Look forward to forging connections here and building this movement, towards getting back to the way life’s supposed to be. Sometimes you just gotta do what you know needs to be done, even when people tell you it’s impossible. Sure is cool to see others who are going out and doing the impossible too!
Hope everyone reading this has a great day. Peace ✌🏼
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Welcome to the group. We meet our goals by working hard. You got this!!
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Definitely agree. Thank you for the good words!
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👍♥😊
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Hello Nick and Irma. Good to read your story.
Young and with wife and two beautiful children.That is a great place to be. That is the kind of energy my wife and I (and little boy) are desiring to bring to our homestead to help us keep it up and finish developing our dream that is nearly complete. If you get a chance, please read our intro and profile.
I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles and left there for rural Tennessee at age 40. It has been a long road to develop our 160 acres of forest with 7 open acres of organic farm. (I maintained a holistic chiropractic practice and still do.) That was only possible with the unbelievable support and diligence of a man and wife team (Mayan Indians from S. Mexico) that worked for us for fourteen years. They just had to depart to join family members in another state, so we are intending to attract to our land a young couple that would love to work here, and possibly develop a CSA (community supported agriculture) business. We have several areas that can be subdivided and developed as building pads so that independent houses can be built to create a supportive community. Many possibilities.
I figure that in parts of California (with its odd political twist) there will be young folks looking to move to another state to carry on life. If you happen to run across such good people, please invite them to contact us.
Wishing you the very best in your dream, and there are wonderful ways to energize dreams so they become real.
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I’ll definitely pass on your info to anyone I know who might be a good fit for helping on your farm. Sounds like an awesome opportunity. I hope your prayers are answered and you find the right person or family who you’re looking for.
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Thanks much. All in God’s hands😇
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welcome, happy you are here.
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Thank you, and thanks for the work you’ve put into creating this platform. 👍🏼
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I’m so excited for you! It is especially great that your family is all together on this! God bless!
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Thank you, and you’re so right. It’s amazing how much happiness comes from working together with my wife on the most simple tasks, so far we’ve just been making burn piles and cutting firewood, but it’s more fun than going on a date, 😂. Because we’re working together to achieve something that we both believe in. Our girls are still small, but they also love being on the land. Feel very grateful to be all together. God bless…
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hi there
i came here via @rain-country latest video on her youtube channel
i am interested in all things homesteading, camping, wild-camping, bushcrafting, frugal-living off-grid-living to name but a few
my latest venture i am in the though to draft phase at the moment is to help folk in local and surrounding communities with things like medical-aids food clothing and all goods and services necessary for living as comfortably as possible
similar ideas to the Amish for their community and surrounding communities
to start with i am concentrating on portable solar-panel kits to keep folks medical equipment going if power gets cut off by planned-power-cuts in the UK of if they cannot afford the raised electricity prices
thus i am looking for an alternative to go-fund-me as we know they do non always play nice
if you have any ideas from experience please feel free to let me know
no-one will be left behind
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My connection to Freesteading is also through Rain Country. But, I live in western Washington state. Are you in the UK?
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