13 acres surrounded on 3 sides by over 1000 acres of empty land. I have a pond stocked with catfish, 50+ chickens that I get over 2 dozen eggs a day from. 2 cows, 10 goats, a couple of turkeys and 7 ducks. I have an 1 acre garden. The property is fenced and I have a gate on my driveway. I am in the process of drilling a well for water and getting off the city water. I have several weapons. If need be I can hunt on the land around my property. I am going to someday get solar panels when I save enough money from the little side business I have. What else do you think I need to do? I know there is a lot more to do but I think I could make it a little while now... Just looking for ideas.. Thanks
When I first began prepping I found the above list and used that as my very beginning model for starters. Since then I have worked out a much larger list that fits my area of operation.
Yep, Do you have SECURE Comms for your local AoO? (Area of Operations) Can you hear others, who may be "putting the sneak" on your AoO, using FRS/GMRS/CB? (Most common Comm Gear)
A stockpile of staples to go with that meat, veggies and eggs... Rice, beans, wheat/flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, spices, etc. Canning supplies. Medicines/medical supplies. Ammo? (you mentioned weapons but not ammo) Trade goods for the things you don't think of.
I'm certainly not the expert, but I see a few things that might be beneficial... Add animal feed to your list of staples. Animals gotta eat too... Plant a few fruit trees, for both nutritional value and a little more variety in your diet. They could also help feed your animals. (Chickens will eat anything.) Not sure if you intended to have one or not, but I'd put a hand pump on that well. No point in trading one form of dependency (city water) for another (electricity). Yes, I know you said you're going solar, but why take chances with something as important as water? (For that matter, maybe add a cistern to collect rainwater, IF it's legal to do so in your area...) Do you have a wood stove? Seems like an easy and inexpensive step toward self-sufficiency, if you have the resources (trees) to feed it. Again, I'm not an expert on any of this; it's just my 2 cents. That said, it sounds to me like you have a really sweet set-up, and your apparent "homesteading approach" to self-sufficiency is respectable. One last thought - do you save your seeds from one year to use the next? Might not be a bad skill to have...
spices... the cooking gear to cook on an open fire ... When u say 1000 acres of empty land do u mean no trees or no people???
A 1 acre garden is good size and in a SHTF situation you may well expand it. How? I assume you have a good tiller (full size Troybilt) or small garden tractor to work the ground and if not you might want that. You should have a good supply of stabilized fuel for it. Spare parts for the equipment. You may want to graze some animals on the neighboring land during the day and bring them in at dusk. Some extra electric fencing and solar chargers would be good. These could also be used to bolster your fence security especially if you add a fence monitor or two to the setup. You will obviously have food. You need plans to be able to keep it. That means security, alliances with neighbors and getting them to prep so they aren't the ones looking to liberate your food supplies from your possession. AT
Its mostly trees. It is owned by a gas company and there are a few dirt roads on it that go to the gas wells. there are also a few green fields. It is actually more land than that, after tha gas company land there is some timberland and then it gets into private owned large tracts of land. I have 3 septic tanks, ! for the house and 1 in each of 2 barns...
Thanks for the ideas. That is why I posted this on here. there are a lot of ideas I did not think about. I do keep my seeds to plant the next year. I have 3 pear trees and 3 blueberry bushes and 2 plum trees. I plan on planting a few more. As far as fuel goes I have 2 200 gallon tanks by the barn. 1 is filled with off road deisle and the other is gas. I do not keep them full but almost, about 150 gallons each. A friend of mine owns a big excavating company and has a fuel truck so about every 6 to 8 months I use it all and he comes and fills it back up and I pay him the bulk rate so it is cheaper. I am also getting 4 hives of bees this year and am purchasing a few more acres across a creek, The bees are going to be on the other side of the creek, Will be build ing a small bridge in the next few weeks. I have some plans to build a small sealed shed with a underground room to store food and keep flour, sugar, etc in. I have lived like this for the last 10 years and never thought of it as prepping or anything like that, I just like living this way and enjoy the work. I have a full time job that pays for the house, land and everyday living. I have a couple of small businesses that kinda run themselves, I use this money for building things on the farm and other projects. I have a small stash of money and silver and gold coins. Keep cpming with the ideas, Will give me more work to keep me busy....
