I hear from more and more people who want to move to a country lifestyle. They want advice from everything from property selection to animal breeds and even dating. I searched for a long time trying to find someone doing this that I could relate to as a city girl. I found many families or women who blog that have a husband and kids but no one I could actually relate to living this life so I had to wing it. I can’t go into all the details in one blog but here’s my top advice for city people (single or married) who want to do this:
- Know why you want to do this. Is it for solitude? Food? Animal Husbandry? Business reasons (maybe you want to make artisan cheeses)?
- Figure out where you want to be located and why. For me, I wanted to be close to a college town for some measure of culture. I also wanted to be in an area where land was inexpensive and varied.
- Make a wish list for what you want in a property. This was mine (I found everything I wanted except the fencing):
- Water feature (pond, stream, etc)
- Producing nut trees and, if possible, fruit trees
- Off the beaten path
- A house not too close to the road
- A barn or shed
- Fencing – I still don’t have this and it sucks. For me, fencing makes a farm.
- The house MUST have a wood burning fireplace (I really didn’t have high house expectations at the time)
- At least 3 acres
- A mix of hardwood trees and open grassy areas
- I wanted to be on a hill
- Start small and take your time. You can always sell something manageable if it isn’t for you.
- Know what animals you want and what their needs are. Goats and chickens can handle a variety of landscapes other animals may not.
- Know that once you have animals you’ll need to find help for times when you have to travel or are ill.***
- Property planning is important. I’ve seen people make use of two acres better than most make use of far more (like me). For instance, having my house in the middle of my property means double the work for my livestock guardian dog. He can’t see through the house so he has to run around a lot.
I can’t express enough how important these things are. I’m know I’m forgetting a lot and will come back to add to this list as I recall them.
***For those of you thinking you’ll still be able to vacation and leave as often as you wish I hope you have enough money to hire a solid, farm-educated and caring caregiver while you’re away. This lifestyle isn’t for those who just want to have a place to say they have it and add to their story, it’s not about ego. It’s for people who actually have care and concern for their animals and even plants. Be prepared to return home to sick or dead animals or a dying garden. Few people pay enough attention or keep a schedule that the animals are used to so finding good farm sitters is far from easy. Even a varied schedule is enough to throw some animals into stress and illness.
I’m Jake Keiser, a former city girl seeking self-reliance and a fabulous farm life in Oxford, Mississippi.