Example of a Homestead Site

I wanted to see what I could come up with after cross referencing some of my data for homestead considerations. After some very minimal searching, I came up with something, which is encouraging. This place in Oklahoma fits a number of categories for a good homestead. Here is the map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=E1020+and+N3710&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl

The actual location is outlined in yellow here:

Here are it's assets:

1. Oklahoma is a great state for homeschooling.

2. The location is 1 hour west of Tulsa, and 1.5 hours east of OK City. So within distance to do a CSA or some selling to two large populations, yet not to close to either one.

3. The property is $2125/ac, which for arable land in the eastern half of OK is not a horrible price. And the terms seem good.

4. It has pasture, woods and a pond.

5. It is on a county highway.

6. 35-40 inches of rain a year.

7. 3 Catholic Churches within easy driving distance.


Problems:

1. Only 20 acres.

2. For someone who needs to work in a city while getting things going, the drive is too far for a commute. So this is an "all or nothing" location.

3. Not sure I like Oklahoma that much. Flat, and not enough winter. But who knows.


Anyway, that was fun. In about a half hour I came up with a place that fits a really good amount of my criteria. That gives me hope that there are probably loads of places out there just waiting for me.

"Fresh" documentary available free until Saturday, March 3rd.

"Fresh" documentary available free until Saturday, March 3rd. Joel Salatin is featured. I havent seen it yet but it looks to be good. See it here. Also highly recommended is Food, Inc. I think it can be seen full length on You Tube with a little looking.

Location Considerations for a Homestead

Off the top of my head, and in no defined order as of yet, these are some things I thought of as serious considerations for where to look for an area to start a homestead. Not that I am doing any such thing next month, but gathering information is always a good idea. And hey, a guy can dream, right? So if you have any thoughts, whether new items or elaborations of current items, please comment and I will update the list!

1. Proximity to sacraments.


2. Proximity to a Catholic community that is traditional, and therefore less likely to change over time from a new priest, etc. Devin suggests: "Ideally a monastery or convent is close by that is a new evangelization/orthodox/traditional community."

3. Proximity to like minded families.

4. Close to a city large enough to support some selling of domestically produced products. (Salatin recommended within 40 miles of a city of 25,000 or more. So ideally, it would seem an area in the center of a 40 mile radius circle of 2 or more such cities on the perimeter would be perfect.)

5. Far enough away from metropolitan zones (starting at 50,000+ population) to be immune to urban sprawl. No closer than 60 miles from the center of a 0.5 Million+ metro area, perhaps adding ~10 miles for each additional 0.5 Million.

6. State or foreign country with liberal homeschooling laws that is likely to remain such.

7. State or foreign country with liberal agriculture laws that is likely to remain such.

8. Large variety of production types possible from the land.

9. Diversity of landscapes. Pasture, woods, water, hills.

10. Water --preferably rain fall that is over 35 inches annually. (From Devin)


11. A state that has a lower cost of living. Colorado and California are beautiful but everyone wants to live there, so everything is expensive. (From Devin)

Joel Salatin: Herald of the New Christendom

This is what the New Christendom looks like folks. Families living and working together in community with each other as stewards of creation. This is Distributism in action. I am fully convinced that if we are truly to return to a Christian culture, the majority of people need to be owners of productive property, and land is about as productive as property gets.
I particularly love what he says about getting to big: A large "factory" farm could not do what he does. Period. No amount of machines can do what he does. It takes bodies with brains. And bodies can only do so much, which means things can only get so big and still maintain the system as far as quality, and even viability. Sounds like a perfect way for a for a family to make a living.

Watch the short video below, and there will be more to come.