I posted a brief time ago about the feasibility of having a large number of goats/sheep checked on weekly. The consensus was that’s impossible.

Now I am thinking about hiring a caretaker to live on the property full time. They would manage the livestock and keep an eye on things. Possibly more depending on how this post goes. Maybe they can also give life to other projects we don’t have time for. That would be the minimum I’d expect but if I need to pay a real living wage then I could grow that list by 100x

We would provide a small cabin with water and electricity. A monthly stipend/salary?

Our property is on the central coast of CA outside buelton. It is a beautiful area to retire to but not many opportunities for someone to supplement their caretaker income. We are also 30 minutes from the nearest town.

What kind of person in terms of age, demographic, etc am I looking for? What is a reasonable amount of money to expect to pay them? And, finally, where should I look for them?

I’m basically picturing either someone older who wants to semi-retire who maybe doesn’t have the means, a vet living off some kind of disability, etc. I really don’t have any clue though.

Looking for advice on realistic expectations and rules of the road when it comes to this kind of thing

This is our first group of 4 wethers and 1 doe. We got them at 3 months and sent one to the butcher at 8 months today. We love them so much and jokingly called them our “edible dogs”. I’m glad someone came to do the deed because I don’t know if I would be able to do this one myself. I’ve had no issue processing chickens, ducks, turkeys, and rabbits, but goats are a different level of personality and interaction. Anyone else go through this with their first goat? I’m sure it will get easier after this one but man I was sad today. This is the price we pay to respect the circle of life and to ensure our meat comes from a good place 🙏

RIP little Meatloaf. You were the cutest and most annoying hangry goat of them all.

Just thought I would share.

I made it from an old smoker I had in the barn after cleaning it out really good.

Like definitively if someone says they have a homestead with appliances

Or could it mean apartment or condo

He's a working dog, he has a job. But he's a hybrid. Because he spends part of his day and Mom's grooming shop when he needs a nap in the AC 🤣

I don't have anyone in my normal life that would understand what that means. Thought you folks might get it :)

As the title says, please recommend me a book on off grid living. I know the concept, but don't know that facts. And I want anything that is more actionable facts than vibes.

Ok dumb question would there be any problem feeding chickens filleted fish carcasses or animal organ like deer turkey rabbit etc that i should be aware about

We just moved to an acreage and have a garden planned for the spring. Setup of the rainwater collection was needed before winter so that we can catch the spring runoff.

Located around Edmonton Alberta Canada

- 1500 imperial gallons

- will be pumping to garden using self priming diagram pressure pump located outside the tank.

Hi everyone,

Managing the health and daily activities of my cows is getting a little difficult, especially when it comes to keeping track of each cow individually.

Recently, I heard about cattle health monitoring belts that can help monitor cows' activity and identify signs of heat or potential health issues.

I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to try them on my farm. Do they actually make things easier? Are they reliable, and are there any downsides I should know about before investing in them?

If anyone has used these belts on their farm, I'd really appreciate hearing your honest opinions and experiences.

Thanks!

I come from a remote mountain village in central asia. My family owns some land on which we have built quite a nice garden (2nd picture is from the garden). I decided to move to the city and my job requires me to be there or even move abroad in the near future. My mom is now taking care of the land and the small farm we have there by herself (Dad passed away 4 months ago). We have some fruit trees like apples, walnuts, apricots, rosebuds, prunes; and a lot of elms and populus trees, which are quite in demand. We also have a good amount of pasture grass that we use to make hay and feed it to the animals in our farm. After dad's passing, the financial burden of taking care of the garden and the farm has been transferred to me. As I am paying for the expenses, I have realized that the cost of picking the fruits, cutting the pasture and collecting it is much higher than the costs they require. I still want to take care of the land and I never want to sell it, but paying a lot of money and not receiving much in return makes me question whether this is a viable thing in the long term. What do you think would be a balanced decision in terms of expenses and keeping the place taken care of? I appreciate any response. Thanks

PS. Some pictures of my village near my home and the land

A couple of red foxes have taken residence on our property this summer. They seem to have no fear. Almost appear tame. They have been on our deck, under our lean-to. Always moving but do not try to avoid us. Is this typical?

The University of Maine and University of Kentucky created a free video library resource that demonstrates how to cut up beef, pork, and lamb carcasses into their retail cuts. 27 videos all together. We used simple tools, 2 knives and a hand saw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8WZrPCNyvE&list=PLeiaOD-wUNSI