2011- Our first time haying our own pasture
Many of you have been interested in the details of my own homestead, so here is a little more info for the curious.
We purchased our little piece of Wyoming in July of 2008.
As far as we can tell, the original homestead was established around 1910. It had been very neglected for many years, but since we were looking for a fixer-upper, we were beyond excited to find it. Thankfully, the seller had completely remodeled the house, so we got the best of both worlds: an old-fashioned house with lots of character, but still brand new sheetrock, flooring, cabinets, and appliances.
Our little house sits on 67 acres of Wyoming prairie, surrounded by sprawling ranches. No subdivisions for us!
Many modern homesteaders have to start from scratch with their outbuildings, so we were very thankful that a large barn, chicken coop, and shop came with the property. Since purchasing our homestead, we have logged countless hours hauling away trash, mowing, fencing, roofing, painting, remodeling, and landscaping. But, we have loved every minute of it and have many more exciting plans for the future.
Oakley the Milk Cow
The Lifestyle:
Though we didn’t purchase our land with the intention of becoming part of the modern-day homesteading movement, we quickly fell in love with the idea as we began to explore options for our property. And to think that it all began with a compost pile…
My husband and I both enjoy a bit of adventure in life, so the harsh weather and unpredictability of living 30+ miles from town doesn’t bother us at all.
Some people pity our lifestyle. Some people envy it. I suppose regardless of what side you lean towards, you can come to the honest conclusion that we are just a little bit crazy. After all, as I’ve said before, we tend to thrive on just a little bit of organized chaos around here. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Food Production:
It is our goal to produce as much of our food from our land as is possible. So far, we are meeting that goal with several vegetable gardens, chickens, dairy goats, and most recently, a Brown Swiss milk cow. The horses, dogs, and barn cats round out the zoo. We were “animal people” long before we started our homestead, so getting more critters hasn’t been much of a sacrifice. We recently started butchering our own grass-fed beef, and we also fill our freezer with wild game whenever we can.
We’ve found that producing foods as naturally as possible not only makes for an ultimately superior end product, but also eliminates a lot of hassle and expense.
Anyway, if you stick around long enough, there is bound to be some sort of excitement. From tornadoes to old-fashioned blizzards, grasshopper plagues to rattlesnakes, there is never a dull moment around here! We are so glad you decided to visit our little homestead on the prairie- enjoy your stay!
i recommend checking out Acres USA. Lots of good farming stuff.
I am one of those who “envy” yalls lifestyle!! How BLESSED yall are
A friend recommended your blog and I am excited to start keeping up with it.
Me again from over at your giveaway! What part of Wyoming are y’all in? I grew up in Green River and lived in Pinedale before we headed South to my husband’s stomping ground….and where my homestead roots are now planted! I’m excited to keep up with you and share our goings on around here!
From one ‘former’ Wyoming girl to another…..
Homestead Blessings In Christ!
Jennifer
(If you’re like me and a little funny about sharing details for all the world to see, feel free to email me!)
Jennifer recently posted..From Cherry To ‘Sun Dried’ & Little Workers On The Move
I have to say I was very surprised and pleased to see that you all are very young (at least in comparison to me). My wife and I would be interested in how much places like yours are selling for up there. Just ballpark figures are fine, and we don’t mind searching. Thanks
Don
Donald Hausmann recently posted..VISIT FROM GRAND KIDS
Idaho was our favorite place in the whole world, but as we drove back to the east coast about 7 years ago, we decided to go through Wyoming and my husband and I were in awe of how beautiful the state was. We’re in the very beginning of homesteading in New Mexico, but we don’t have 67 acres. More like 1.2 acres! But we are making it work. I’m amazed at how much we’ve gotten done in one year. No matter what size the homestead, I think it does take a little bit of insanity (creativity LOL) to do what we do.
I learn something new everyday, and I’m so glad to have found a homesteading community to stay in touch with along the way.
Angela recently posted..The Ducks Are Three Months Old Today!
SO glad you stopped by Angela! Glad to have you as a part of our (crazy) little online homestead community.
Amen!
Susan recently posted..That was then, this is now
I have a brown swiss cow too. We love having the fresh milk and cream! She is a sweet heart (for the most part:). You sound like you have a fabulous set up! We are doing the same thing on 5 acres in the Arizona desert.
Our family is moving from Pennsylvania to Montana in June. We are very excited to have space to homestead. Praying that God will take us to just the right place for our family. We make our first purchase for our homestead this weekend. A beautiful brown Newfoundland Puppy to grow up and watch over our kids in the Wild West. I’m a little scared of all of the things that they have there that we don’t have here, like grizzlies, rattlesnakes and mountain lions. I’m enjoying reading about your homestead! Thank you!
I am envious, most definitely.
After living such a hectic lifestyle (Army wife) I crave the simplicity and hard, honest life so very much! Both my husbands and my dream is to one day have something similar for a life.
Boy you sure have progressed faster than we have towards the goal (produce as much of our own food as possible). Producing meat and dairy yourself is no small feat! We talk about goats, but the milking schedule might conflict with our band’s gigging on weekends, and camping trips, When we do leave for more than one or two nights, it’s already a pain to get someone to come deal with all the watering and feeding as it is with just poultry and the gardens. And I love that compost started your adventure. We lived our first summer with no house, but had a garden and compost going in less than three weeks! It all begins with compost, doesn’t it?
We are also really lucky to have a good well with 30′ static level and 20 gpm year round. Do you worry about oil and gas extraction affecting your groundwater in Wyoming?
Twitter: Rita
says:
Hello Jill,
I just discovered your website. I was looking for details on how to make vanilla extract. My husband and I are farmers at heart. We built an homestead in Chenango County, NY some years ago but our hunger for more of God took us to Pensacola, FL for 10 years going to Bible School. We have a 20 year old son, now in GA for army boot camp and 2 other children already grown up.
I have been making milk Kefir at home for sometime now and I have extra grains. I would like to share those grains for free. Just let me know if someone is interested and I will send some. We are also looking to buy a property where we could raise chicken and have a garden. We are in the North East part of New York state.
Be blessed Jill!
Hi Rita- You know, I actually might be interested! I would be more than willing to pay you for shipping- let me know what you think!
Twitter: Rita
says:
Hello Jill,
Yes, I will send you some grains. I did not find your address. Where would you like me to send the grains?
I will use “next day delivery” via mail.
Rita
I just found your website and LOVE it!! I am new to the farming/ranching way of life and love your ideas! We just moved to Craig CO, just south of Wyoming and bought 35 acres. We already have a little dairy goat herd, chickens, turkeys and pigs and cows coming in the next month. I am very new to the natural way of doing things, but love learning all about it! Thanks for your website, it is great!
Okay just a tad jealous here. Beautiful property. What a fun adventure you have!! We are attempting to homestead on a quarter of an acre-so a lot less land needless to say-but nonetheless we are getting ready for chickens! I have two girls: a four and half year old and 18 month old so we are excited to watch them interact and learn to care for these feathery friends. I LOVE your blog. It’s so exciting learning about how other people live and farm. Thank yo for blogging!!