so I'm sitting at the kitchen table with my little boy Hunter.  He's having some sweet fizzy water with me and stealing my ice.  I'm chewing my way through my taxes for this year, working along diligently if grudgingly.

Then as I sit there idly bitching under my breath about my lot and all of life's hardships I come across, quite by accident, a question on the TurboTax pop up 'help' sidebar. 


"My daughter was born in March and lived only 9 days. Can I claim her as a dependent?



We have a birth certificate, social security number and death certificate -- she died after 9 days and never left the hospital. Do I claim her as a dependant?"

 
It broke my heart.  Both for the astonishing amount of pain all wrapped up in that little question and for the (as usual) lack of life perspective I walk around with on a daily basis.
 
I am amazingly, undeservedly fortunate and for today, at least, I will try to remember just how much.
 
peace and light all.
Jer

Consideration

Brain Storming


Must be within 40 miles of major urban center.  
     40 Miles is the 'magic' number.
Must have reasonable 'farmers market' to start
Inspected Kitchen (estim 10000.00)
Must know on-farm slaughter laws (for poultry for commercial sale)
Must know on farm sale of eggs regulations
Must know off farm regulations for egg sales
Must now on-farm slaughter laws for local use only sheep/cattle/pigs
Must know off farm slaughter regulations for all meat animals
Must be within 40 miles of an abattoir.




Nice to have:
     local 4H clubs
     local rotary clubs
     local growers association
     local Co-Op


Buy the land outright.  Must remember for most land loans must have 40% down payment.
Oregon Tax Credits for maintaining riparian zones (annual inspections)
Must have approved zoning use rights.
Easy to get building permits.
    Keep in mind that skidded outbuilding often qualify as 'temporary' and therefor require no permit.


Build a minimalist house for weekend/vacation work.  
Home depot $10,000.00 'cabin' concept
    http://www.shelter-kit.com/kits.php?kit=lofthouse


These kit homes look awesome.  Probably a bit pricey considering you don't have to even drill any holes, but might be worth looking into.  A 25,000 mortgage for a 3 bedroom home is manageable. 


    Running water (yes)
    Outhouse (yes)
    Electricity (yes)
    Woodfire warmed (yes)
    Telephone/cell access
    Propane generator (yes)
    Solar cells (maybe)
    Windpower (maybe)
    Water mill (if possible)




For self sufficiency
    Truck Garden
    Wheat
    Orchard
    
4 wheel drive truck (w/tow hitch and trailer)
4 wheel drive tractor (w/ front loader bucket/skidder)
portable sawmill




Pond
    w/catfish to eat the chicken guts
Stream
Well
Rainwater Cistern


Money Makers
Chickens - to sell meat/eggs
Sheep - meat and milk/cheese
Cattle - meat/milk
Pigs - pigerators for barn midden after winter cleanup , de-stumping the fields and meat

Boots to beat all

http://bedstu.com/product/88/crecy/in/cobbler-boots

Damn what a fine looking boot.

Wow!

I was looking at land in Oregon this afternoon (oodle.com is a very cool Real Estate search engine) and I came across this little gem of an offer:

http://www.landflip.com/land.asp?listing_id=27270&source=oodle

What amazed me the most was how well it could dovetail into what K and I would like to do either on our own or, I suppose, with this group. They seem to be doing two things at once. Selling the idea of a planned farming community (complete with covenants) and the like and also creating a ready made organic farming cooperative.

It's compelling but also a bit concerning. I wouldn't consider moving forward with it until I knew what restrictions were in place and was very comfortable with the leadership of the cooperative.

The likelihood that they have or are working out the farm to market logistics and the thousand other variables for making a small, sustainable organic farm work are decent. I am intrigued I will just need to get some more information.

I plan to email the leadership today and request additional information on the rights/responsibilities and details as a potential investor-farmer in the cooperative.

I also came across this little site. I haven't had any time to look it over today but at first glance it looks like it could be a goldmine of information.

http://www.landthink.com/

Jer

I was poking around on a couple of Land for Sale sites the other day and I came across a beautiful listing in south western Oregon. really, just lookin' to see what was out there.

I realized, as I often do, while reading through the listings that my ignorance regarding zoning restrictions was abysmal.

I downloaded a couple of documents from both Oregon and Colorado and read through them. This exercise was sufficient to convince me that (as I already knew) before I make any sort of land purchase decisions I have got to have a complete grasp of many, many variables.

Things to keep in mind on a land purchase or lease:

Location (x3)

annual climate suitability

availability of water

arable land

riparian maintenance (tax advantages exist in Oregon)

timber sustainability

advantageous zoning

access to a farmers market/meetup/distribution zone/restaurants

access to a cooperative

access to the grid

Below are some cool links I found on http://mountainhearth.blogspot.com/

• 
  
• ReWild Eugene
• Whole Earth School
• Alvord Farm and Museum
• MaryJanes Farm
• Nearby Nature
• Wild Food Adventures
• Acorn Naturalists
• Wildcraft Board Game
• Oregon State Parks
• Recreation Rentals of the Pacific Northwest
• Umpqua Discovery Center
• Siskiyou Field Institute
• Trackers Northwest

Well here goes something...

Hi and welcome to my dream. Welcome to the sand box in which I am going to lay out my plans for my homestead and for the life I want to live.

Make yourself at home, stretch out your legs and warm your feet by the stove.

The water is warming for the coffee and the mutton roast will be ready sooner rather than later. I have potatoes on the boil, greens warming in the hearth ashes and, if your thirsty, cool beer or cider in the root cellar.

Be welcome in the steading.

Jer