A commenter named Paul Myatt left told me about this site while commenting on one of my blog entries: http://www.livingoffgrid.org/homesteading-blogs/

I am going to immediately add your blog to the list of links on that page, and will also be subscribing to your feed.

I too grew up in Ohio (Cincinnati), have my family roots in Eastern Kentucky (Hazard County) and am looking to start a homestead in south, western Virginia (or western North Carolina, possibly Eastern Tennessee). My wife is also a graphic designer. Lots in common!

So feel free to email me. I'd love to keep in touch and learn more about the area where you've decided to settle down: everett@esizemore.com

Regards,

Everett

PS: If you want to reciprocate the link from your "friends" page, I'd sure appreciated it!

We tried something like a chicken tractor which seemed to work fine until it rained. What do you do about a roof to keep the chickens dry?

Also, I hope you know about NAIS and are working to stop it www.nonais.org

kcrchervey @ yahoo.com

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the blog, Michelle. I'd be curious to hear more about your adventures with rabbits. I hear folks talk about raising them for meat, but have never tasted it. Do you find them tasty enough to make them worth your while?

Chicken cleaning isn't really as disgusting as it sounds --- I don't think it'd be much worse than a rabbit! Sure, you have to pluck the feathers, but that goes really fast.

Yes rabbits seem to be very easy. They multiply fast and yes I find the cleaning alot more tasteful than chicken. Just cut away the hide peel and clean the inners. slow cook your rabbit. I also heard that rabbits have a sensitive digestive, though I find our rabbits eat bread that we have found from local bakery (Free) all natural organic whole grain, that they have over produced and sometimes just going out of date for store sale but still good to eat. We get it by hte garbage bag full. We feed to horses rabbits chickens even the dogs find it to be a treat, It fattened up our rescue horses and good source of grain, which is expensive. This is all we feed our horses except hay. Anyway, yes rabbit is very lean and clean. very good in alfreado with veggies and noodles, Rabbit noodle soup, rabbit pot pie is favorite with the kids, . Also rabbits love most garden items as they say all things in moderation and I dont find that they get sick like they say. Also rabbits seem cleaner less disease or germs than chicken. Rabbits love the fall leaves which we gathered and stored in bins or garbage barrels for feedin in the winter. Any left over stems or veggies that may be on the way to going bad. Dandelions and so forth. I did trial and error, so far no errors with rabbits. And I have started stock and breed with free rabbits people are giving away as no longer wanted pets. I have started saving pelts to tan for different uses Hats blankets so forth. Also the whiter fur with less color skins easier for some reason, it is 28 days for gestation And you process rabbits at 63 days old, 6 months old for breeding. 1 male and 2 females would definatly keep meat on the table for two people. rabbits breed rapidly and they also can get pregnant like 2 days after they have a litter. although i dont breed that frequent. Love your web.' Michelle

Anna,

You say you pluck your chickens. We don't. We just skin them. Please comment back on the pluses and minus of skinning. Maybe we should try plucking, but we heard it was so hard, and were just going to remove the skin anyway.

Thanks

PS: I consider rabbit harder to slaughter and clean than chicken. It is very healthy meat, but is so fat free that most people would want to add fat (butter, whatever) to it.

I hear a lot of people talking about skinning their chickens instead of plucking them. We don't actually find plucking difficult at all. If you scald them right (dunking them up and down in a pot of 145 F water until the wing feathers pull out easily), plucking is easy and doesn't take long. Mark and I like to do it together, which cuts down on the time even more --- four sets of hands get rid of feathers in minutes.

Of course, I like to use the skin. I know it's fatty, but if you've got free range chickens then the fat is pretty good for you. Roasting is my favorite method of preparing a chicken, and that requires the skin. Then I cook up the bones and skin to make stock, which we use in everything. We think it's definitely worth a few minutes of plucking!

Landed up at your blog tnx to Joey's blog. Joey's writings has helped me in computing on Debian GNU/Linux. I too live in a farm where we cultivate black pepper and nutmeg. Here had some bees, the hive went dead due to CCD and wild geckoes. Now the geckoes are hunted by a pair of cobras and another fast moving king cobra. The king cobra lives off fishes which are abundant in small pond like formations. A bunch of wild mongeese have landed up and the cacophony of their daily fights with the cobras is deafening. One of them, a huge guy looks real experienced when fighting with the king. He has had no successful kill till date. The farm is in a shambles with wild grass growing all over. The quietitude is soothing and the rains are pretty heavy, they are called as the "monsoons".

All this talk about rabbits and chickens, cleaning, taste of meat, etc.

Have you guys ever thought of goats? Either for meat or milk? I've thought for a while about raising rabbits since I really like the taste, and I had rabbits when I was a teen. But people that I know that raise goats for meat & milk seem to swear by them. I've got three acres here and I've thought about goats for a while. Maybe I should take the plunge. I'll definitely have to make sure that I have my garden protected from them.

Personally, I'm all for tractors instead of coops. That said, you might be a little cold to overwinter your birds in tractors. We can get away with it in the mountains of Virginia, but I think people in zone 4 or colder usually put their birds in a house for the winter. I advocate small tractors (easy to pull so you'll be sure to move them every day!) but big coops (lots of space since they won't get new ground to run around in.) Some folks have coops with movable runs, or have four runs which they rotate their birds through, one run per day. There are a host of options out there!

Mark's Avian Aqua Misers work here in the winter since it usually doesn't get below freezing except at night. The birds are asleep at night, so we just bring the waterers in --- they're clean and have an easy handle and hanger, so it's no trouble. Other folks sell heated waterers for situations where it sits in the teens or twenties all day.

Hope that helps!

Hi, I'm concerned about plastics leaching their endocrine disrupting plasticizers into water, especially plastics that aren't intended to be UV stable and may be exposed to sunlight. What type of plastic are the ready to go waterers made from? Also have you had any feedback on how much duty is charged shipping to Canada? Thanks! Angela

They're made with food grade plastic (#5.) I figure that since they're food grade, they should be safe.

We shipped one to Canada and there didn't seem to be any problem on the Canada end that I heard about. That said, we do have to charge an extra $5 for shipping to Canada, so drop me an email if you're interested and I'll send you a special invoice.

Hey Folks,

Love the site. You guys rock. We're planning an extended transition from suburban and corporate life to homesteading and are just starting to learn the ropes. Hoping to take you up on your labor for room and board offer later this year or early next as part of our training.

Just saying hi from some friends in South Jersey.

Cheers,

Dave

What a lovely web page you have, and what lovely people you are! I have added a link to your page from mine: www.gardenofpoetry.com

I'll be back to visit again, I promise!

= )

We are definitely still here!

It's hard to diagnose your problem without a picture, or a better description of what you mean by "acting funny." However, I'll hazard a guess anyway.

This is the time of year when the onions put all of their energy into producing their top bulbs, so they do often fall over and look a bit brown and bedraggled. That's quite normal and nothing to worry about. They'll start sending up green shoots in a month or so, especially if you pick off the top bulbs.

You can divide them, or just leave them alone (and maybe give them a top dressing of compost.) This is the one time of year when I don't eat our Egyptian onions, not that it's a hardship since the garden is so vibrant elsewhere right now.

Hey there! I have been enjoying your blog for a while now and thought it was time to introduce myself.

I'm currently living in Atlanta, but my parents live near Lebanon, Virginia. I lived with them for two years (in fact, I'm visiting right now!) and I love it there.

I was just wondering where you are, and if there would be any way we come come by and say hi one of these days. I'd love to see your farm, and I know my parents would, too.

I do hope we get to meet one of these days, soon! Nathan

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I started using your chicken waterers before I realized where you were or started reading your blog.

LOVE THEM! I've got two of my friends converted to them too. Thank you so much - they're brilliant! Nathan

Hi ya! Just found the site and ordered Chicken nipples today-oh boy! super excited. We're getting ready for our first chickens this is such a great solution to the water dilemma. I also just ordered the rat race ebook-can't wait to delve into that. I'm wondering if i can get Anna's May Volume 1 book as a pdf too? I don't have kindle and that's the only option I saw. Thanks for such a great site. I'll let you know how the water nipples work!

I absolutely love your guys site! I really liked the "chicken waterer" It was very insightful, Ill have to get me one of those! I really liked how you did the killer multi-shots of the chicken taking a drink. I have several chickens myself and take pictures of them all the time (sitting on the golf cart, taking dust baths in our new garden, and running off our swans when they get too close to mother hen's chicks) Thank you for all the informational posts on chickens.

Sincerely,

The guy who makes Chicken Doors.

Thanks for being such a regular reader!

We're always happy to answer questions, no matter where they show up. To answer yours --- we've pondered rabbits, but haven't quite worked our minds around them. On the pro side, I think adding an edible herbivore of some sort to our farm would make it much more efficient (and a better ecosystem.) On the con side, I've never eaten rabbit, and I always hesitate to embark on a venture if I don't know I'll like the results! I'm also a bit leery of all of the killing involved for so little meat (although, when I look it up as I type this, it sounds like a meat rabbit carcass may weigh more than a chicken carcass!) It's one of those back burner projects we may try out once we've got the basics down enough that we're not running as fast as we can just to stay where we are in the summer.

Just yesterday I was searching for info on potato onions and your blog post on them popped up. I got to reading, I am now fully hooked! Btw, do you think the potato onions would grow well here in Florida? I'm finding that its either they will or wont, its not very helpful.

Anyway, hooked for sure! I'm rather young I suppose, as it is Ive just recently fallen hard for what you have. Ive always been an animal and plant person, but growing up around housing developments and no land aren't conducive of that. (Though in 07, on an impulse buy I got an old rooster and 2 hens. Things have exploded since. This just being said because I am very interested in your Aqua Misers! As soon as things loosen up a bit, I will be purchasing them for sure:) Yeah, Its fascinating(your blog) to me, the homesteading life, and the way people go about it. Its what I'm working towards now in my life. I'm very happy that you and others chronicle your trials, Its put me on track to where I finally think I know where start and where to go.....

Thanks for the blog, keep it up!

Welcome to our blog, T! Florida is quite a different growing world, so I just don't know if potato onions would do well there. I know that garlic is very hard to grow so far south. No matter where you grow them, variety selection seems to be essential with potato onions --- we're trying out a new variety this year since the one we'd been growing for two years just won't produce large bulbs.

Good luck with your homesteading adventure!

Hi guys, congratulations on your lifestyle and accomplishments. I live in Australia and my hubby and I are on a homesteading journey Walden style. My last name is Walden and I have done a lot of research on the name and Thoreau's philosophy. My name has become my philosophy! Blessings Carol Walden

Hi,

I am Nandan, from Kerala,India and do part time Fukuoka style natural farming and part time software development. I was also experimenting with no-till farming for grain, but not successful so far, so thought of sharing some experiences with you.

my contact - p_k_nandanan@yahoo.com

Regards, Nandan

Anna and Mark -

For the past half-decade I've been searching the internet for blogs about small farms and big gardens, and yours is, by far, the best one I've found. The focus on soil health, the no-till and cover crop research, the pragmatism. Your blog manages to be a very useful resource for others interested in the same sorts of farming techniques, and for that I, and I'm sure all your other readers, am tremendously thankful.

I really appreciate you thinking of us (and I enjoyed visiting your blog!) Unfortunately, I'm afraid we have to decline the honor. I don't like to "waste" posts --- I always seem to have far more to say than one post (or even two posts) a day will allow.

I'm looking forward to reading more about your journey, though!

Anna, Mark, are you still interested in Rocket stoves? Just wanted to tell you about the Cob Cottage Company and what they have done with Rocket Stoves. Theirs are really simple, designed to be hand built, based on fire brick and a 50 gallon drum and vented through long stove pipe that runs through built in cob furniture like a window seat or wide couch to heat the seat internaly and thus the air inside the structure eventually. The eventually vented gasses are just slightly warm, you can hold your hand in front of the stove vent and it feels like getting breathed on. They even had one in cobville that ran under an old castiron bath tub to heated the water, too hot if you let the fire keep going, but if 20 people in a cob workshop are willing to take bucket bathes that is enough water for everyone to have a warm bucket each night. Yes, i've seen it work up close and personal, but no, I don't think your trailer is the optimum location for a rocket stove install. Now if you ever built a cob or adobe or rammed earth structure up out of the flood plane...then a rocket stove might be the best thing since hullless oat cover crops. p.s. sorry I am link challenged, just google it.

I saw that you were going to try Oyster mushrooms on sycamore. How did that end up doing compared to other tree types?

Thanks!

In Christ, Jeff

hey guys, since we live in the same area, NE TN here, do you grow wheat? If you do, when do you plant? Is it possible to plant now, like right away? I have some heirloom seed that needs to be reproduced and hate to have to wait till winter.

We have lived in Nigeria for 13 years, and for more than half the time each day, we have no power. Our first lighting solution was to buy a charger, a truck battery, and an inverter, and some 12 volt lights--about $200. When the power is on, the charger charges the battery (with a cutoff when full). When the power is off, we run the 12 volt lights, and our computer, electronic piano, and printer, etc, off the inverter.

In our new home, we got a bit more sophisticated, and bought a charger inverter and 4 solar panels, and 2 deep cycle batteries. We just hooked the inverter into the regular wiring for specific lights and plugs. So we didn't need 12 volt wiring, or separate plugs. When the power goes off, it automatically switches to the inverter and battery. We also got a 12 volt Koolatron cooler which has run continuously day and night for more than two years--not a complete replacement for a refrigerator, but good.

When the power goes off, we can do most everything except wash clothes. So we don't run our generator any more. It is much quieter and relaxing. And our headlamps are great for reading in bed. Becasue the overhead light isn't on, we can fall asleep more easily.

Craig

I find your blog very inspiring. Thank you for sharing such treasures!

I wanted to let you know that I've included you on a growing blog list for those inspiring others to live simply: http://www.liveinart.org/2012/05/community-of-bloggers-for-simple-living.html. I can't find a tag line for your blog - is there one that I can include?

Please check it out. If you have a moment, it would be great if you could share the resource with others and leave a comment.

Thank you! Nicole http:www.liveinart.org

Hi Anna, Big fan, much appreciative of the good info you share. I had been purchasing each weekend homesteader as they came out on kindle. Missed April and now I have them all but that months. I can't seem to find it on amazon, but I would love to have the full set. Could you possibly direct me to where to find it?

Much appreciated for this and for all you share with us.

Thanks.

My husband and I just bought land in west Texas. We are so ready to get out of the city(Baton Rouge La) and start homesteading. I lucked up and got your July book for my kindle fire. My first concern was where are y'all homesteading? As I found out if I am correct Ohio? The reason is I am in a different climate. Different growing zones. Is there any way I could adapt all of your wonderfulf advice to my area? We are planning on moving in March. We can not wait to start our new journey together. Are there any other advice or books you would suggest to a newbie just starting out?

Thank you Karen

Hello Anna! I just discovered your blog last night and stayed up well past my bedtime reading and becoming inspired. Well done! My husband and I are aspiring homesteaders in Colorado. We are preparing to purchase our first home and land and I am excited about all the projects we will finally be able to undertake (we rent property at the moment, but it is primarily horse pasture and other than a small flock of chickens and a small garden plot, we cannot get our landlady to agree to any other use of the tragically bare forty acres). I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind!

First, I want to try no-till growing in our new space. Colorado is not known for its soil quality and we want to help improve and preserve as much as possible. However, this is not something I've ever practiced before and I'm in need of some suggestions on how to get started. I understand that kill-mulching with cardboard will rid the ground of any weeds as well as prepare a bed for future planting, but is there a way to prepare planting areas that can be used right away in the meantime? I don't want to "skip" a growing season while waiting for the mulch to decompose, if possible! Would you suggest using some traditional tilled (or filled) raised beds in the meantime? Or is there another solution for an area in transition?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice. I have already downloaded and read your e-book on cover crops, and will probably read the January edition of Weekend Homesteader this afternoon. I love your writing style and enthusiasm for what you do, as well as your willingness to share it with the rest of us. And expect an order for a chicken waterer kit from us next week!

Ursa --- Thanks for your kind words about the blog and ebook! I've had good luck making the type of modified kill mulches I explain in Weekend Homesteader: April and planting directly into them with many types of vegetables (although I wouldn't do it with roots). I've also laid down kill mulches in late fall and had ground ready for anything come spring --- it's possible you could lay some down now to be ready on your frost-free date if your grasses (or whatever is currently cover the ground) are on the easy-to-kill side.

On the other hand, if you feel like your current groundcover is too tenacious, you can till up an area for this year. Before I learned about no-till, I used this method to create free raised beds, and they have worked extremely well for me.

I hope that helps!

Hey guys, I heard your interview with Jack on the Survival Podcast, came to your blog and found out that you are in Va too, Looks like I now have reading material for the foreseeable future. My wife & I are in Bedford, between Roanoke & Lynchburg, and are planning a small homestead in the county on some family land in the next year or two. Give us a shout if you are in the area!

Please help! I purchased your book on Amazon all the way back on January 30th. They have yet to find a copy and it has now been over a month since i bought it and i NEEEEEEEED it! Please help me if you can, I am ready to get knee deep in your book and transform my yard and garden. I appreciate anything you can do to expedite my order.

Thanks!!

Hi - stumbled upon your site, and really enjoy it. I was wondering it I could get permission to use one of your photos (with photo credit attached to it), and maybe get a higher res of it. I am a volunteer with a group in town that promotes pollinators and would like to use your picture on one of our signs. It is the picture of the bees nesting in the twigs and you have it labelled with empty ones, full ones etc..

thanks

you should update your website. On 7/20/2013 I read your paperback book is "coming out in 2012". Should at least change that to "came out in 2012", or if it still hasn't been published change the anticipated release date/year.

I found you through a Google search while trying to discover an inexpensive substrate idea for growing oyster mushrooms. Thanks for the info.

I thought you may appreciate my feedback to help you improve.

Michael

Hello, We just wanted to say how delighted we are to meet you both in the new book on Modern Day Pioneers. Maybe one day we can meet in person. Your story is wonderful and so encouraging. We have posted a blog link on our site back to you for our readers. Feel like we already know you! "North Trapping and Bush Life" in Canada.

I recently finished reading your e-book on Trailersteading (WONDERFUL book,BTW,my Wife and I loved it!),which is how I discovered here (just yesterday),looking forward to reading back through and catching up,as well as reading your other e-books

We're in the border-town of TN/VA now,but my Wife and I both grew up in southwestern VA ourselves (Buchanan County,Grundy area),so nice to meet you,Neighbor

Stephen

Hi there,

My name is Ally Siegel and I work for BBC Worldwide Productions. I came across your blog while doing research for a documentary about off grid living. If you have a moment I'd love to talk more to hear about your lifestyle and to tell you more about our project.

Email: AlexandraNsiegel@gmail.com Cell: 818.521.6376

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

Elaine --- Thanks for reading! We considered goats, but I love my garden so much that I'm afraid the first time they broke out and started eating vegetables, we'd have goat for dinner. We may still try them someday, though, if we make some awesome fences.

Still not sure about the pig experiment. Mark and I were just talking about it yesterday, and are thinking maybe sheep would be a better starter animal. Stay tuned!

Hello Homesteaders!

Sorry for the email blast here. I know I have emailed before.

I am a development TV producer at Crybaby Media always on the hunt for new TV shows. I develop mostly in the male skewing space - like Nat Geo, History, Discovery etc....

Right now we are developing two separate shows in this space that you may be able to help me with. The first is Bare Hand Builds about people who have or are about to build their own off the grid cabin old world style! Think Dick Proenneke in Alone in the Wilderness. The second is Nothing Wasted, which would focus on groups of people or a person that specializes in using every part of a hunted/harvest animal. If this is you OR you know who would be perfect - please get in touch with me as soon as possible.

Look forward to speaking and thank you for your time!

I purchased your Homesteader book a while ago in Middleburg, VA, and just found your blog by happenstance while searching for how to introduce a dog to chickens! I live on .25 acres in the DC area, and have two vegetable gardens in my front yard (where the sun is best) and I'm renting some chickens this summer to try it out. I only went through a few month of blog posts, but I bookmarked your site and I look forward to reading more!

Thanks for posting!

Hello!

Yes another message from a production company! Sorry!!

I am a producer for Original Media in NYC currently doing a search for a Wilderness MacGyver. Who is that, you ask? It’s that guy who can make anything out of anything, when modern day technologies and machines might not be available. He’s your handyman in the middle of nowhere. If he has to make tools or use down logs already on the property for building materials - he does.

Think Off the Grid. Think of a guy who can make Dams, Outhouses, Smokers, Log Cabins, Fish Wheels, Hunting Blinds, Fences, Ice Houses, Make Shift Saunas, etc…. Anything made in remote areas that make use of the elements around you - is what we are looking for. A modern day Dick Proenneke!

Do you know this person? If so - I’d love to talk to you and hear your story. Please call or email anytime and look forward to telling you more about the project.

hello,

we'd love to use the sheep with the haha image to illustrate the concept in our book, Canada West Landscape Architecture

very cute!

jill

Hi,

I notice in your bio on Mark, that he has learned to do without paper towel.

In the attempt to not have to be so dependent on commercial products such as paper towel and toilet paper, first of all, in relation to paper towel, which is so often used for cooking and cleaning up messes around a house, what do you now do and/or use for such things? Further to cooking, sometimes if you cook bacon or greasy food, paper towel is great for getting rid of excess grease by wrapping the bacon in that and allowing the paper towel to soak up the excess grease. What would you do in a situation like that?

As far as not using toilet paper, some homesteaders or minimalists may have some solutions for that, what do you do, if anything for replacing toilet paper.

Years ago, I bought the Humanure Handbook, which I generally think is a very good book, though I don't think that Joe Jenkins knows about how to increase soil fertility, and there is only so much that this will be able to do for increasing the soil fertility, even though I think it is a great way to deal with human feces. Do you use a composting toilet system? What are your thoughts on them, and in the end using compost created from our own feces to put on the soil?

Thanks.

Eric

Eric --- Great questions! We use a lot of rags (old t-shirts cut up into small pieces) for the things normal people use paper towels for. I wash the rags if they're not too gunky, or toss them if they're really nasty. We always seem to have too many rags, not too few, despite trashing the occasional rag.

For greasy foods, I generally just let bacon, etc., sit on a plate so grease drains down. Probably only 80% as effective as a paper towel....

We haven't tried to avoid toilet paper, though. Sometimes I wish we did...but apparently that's where I draw the line at self-sufficiency. Instead, I always mean to stockpile extra rolls, but don't quite get around to it.

You can read all about our composting toilet here. I love it (although Mark is only slowly being won over). Last fall was our first harvest, which we used around the base of our dwarf apple trees. Hopefully we'll get to eat the nutrients from that deposit this coming summer!

Hi, I enjoy reading your site! Is it okay to contact your through your email? Please email me back.

Thanks!

Cailyn cailynxxx gmail.com

I stumbled on your blog last week, I love it! This is the life my wife and I have dreamed of since meeting and we are slowly working toward it. We live in SE TN in the valley. We are in zone 7, but a lot of the things you guys experience are similar to us!

I love the goat stories and the chicken stories and I hope to one day be able to put together some experiences like you guys have!

Do you ever allow visitors to your homestead? I'd love a field trip to see all of your projects, it might help push my wife over the edge (one way or another!).

Thanks and keep posting!

Willie Shannon --- I'm glad you've been enjoying reading along! I hope it helps jumpstart your own adventure.

Unfortunately, Mark and I are both severe introverts (me more than him). So visits beyond friends and family are very rare. Sorry I can't help you push your wife over the edge!

Hi Anna & Mark, I just wanted to say thanks. I have been reading your blog for 5 years now and it is so inspiring. We moved to the 10 acre remains of a run down old dairy farm in South Western Victoria, Australia almost 3 years ago. Since then we have been slowly working to become as self sufficient as possible. So, thanks again for all the wonderful ideas, info and for giving us a look into how your homestead works. P.S thanks for putting the corresponding Southern Hemisphere months in The Weekend Homesteader.

I happend across your blog a few days ago and have to say thanks for taking the time to share some of the day to day happening on the farm and some of the how to's and life lessons. My wife and I have been dreaming about a simpler unplugged lifestyle for a long time. We are currently saving to buy 20-40 acres in the woods and to build a simple cabin so we can start on our journey. Our plans are to transition into it slowly and then sell our house and cut the ties to daily grind. Nevertheless, I have a lot of questions and concerns about paying the bills without a full time job. We have 5 kids ranging from 13 to 2 years old so stability and being able to provide is important. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty and we plan on raising goats, chickens, rabbits and bees. Plus gardening and canning as much as possible. I just assume that you guys are full time and if so, how do you do it? The feed for animals, property taxes, utilities, gas for the car? Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Erin --- Thank you so much for your kind words! They were such a pleasure to wake up to yesterday morning.

Matt --- I answered your question this morning on the blog. Hope it helps!

Hi Mark and Anna,

Have no idea how on earth I ended up on your blog, but I began reading and couldn't stop. I've scoured nearly the entire site archives included. My wife and I are not homesteaders though we have the grit to do it. I grew up on a 50 acre grape vineyard in rural Michigan. Heather grew up in the city. I'm now a full time musician with a very successful career and this necessitated us building and moving into a bus. The website I listed shows the photos of us converting the bus ourselves including raising the roof on it 9" cause I'm tall. Anyway, we live a lifestyle way out of the box from others and now have a 4 month old to enjoy too. If we ever settle, we would love to be involved in some level of homesteading as the simplicity of it appeals to me. Always enjoy your posts. Keep them coming. We enjoy reading them as we travel the country.

www.scottmichaelbennett.com https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#album/112938923773048709099/5662953938083749729

You guys are awesome! Makes me want to do the same thing. Really inspiring story.

I work in development at Original Media in NYC and wish I had found you guys just as you decided to quit your jobs and move off grid. Because that is exactly what I am looking for and was hoping you might be able to help.

Currently, I am developing a show that would involve three different couples/families as they decide to buy a piece of land and truly live off of it. I am looking for people who are gonna not only build their homestead from their own land, but then work it and live off it.

Ideally, we would be at the start of it all the construction and see their dream come to life. I know it might be a little late for you guys - but is there anyone you know you might be interested in possible documentation of their journey. Any help or contacts or would be much appreciated!

And again - awesome work! So cool.

I have retired from the UK and moved to Bulgaria. I have bought a house and small plot of land and was looking on line for help on growing my own food. I downloaded your book Weekend Homesteader to my Kindle and was in the process of reading it when I found your web address. I have been on your website and though I will not be as adventurous as you two are it was of great interest to me.

I have started looking at your archive blogs and will be watching your future blogs with great interest

Jenni

Hi! I stumbled across your blogs on persimmon trees and hope maybe you've seen or heard about the issue I'm having with one of my persimmon trees. I can't yet find any info on the internet about this.

I live in the Bay Area in California, near San Jose and have two persimmon trees in my back yard. One is about 5' tall and kind of bushy, the other has gotten to be about 12'. Both are the 'fuyu' type persimmons. And before this year, both were doing great and producing lots of awesome fruit. This year, though, the 12' tree did something really odd.

It has tons of fruit on it -- but they are really tiny - like 1/2" to 3/4" big each. I thought they'd get bigger - but they haven't. I'd have thought I was going nuts, except one branch on this tree still has produced nice big, 4-5" diameter normal fruit this year. And the other tree is fine.

Have you heard of this before? Will my tree be ok next year? Is there something I can do or change to 'fix' it for next year?

My God-Mother is Korean and she said she's seen this before and calls the tiny fruit 'goy-yum' ... but I can't find any reference on-line about it, and if its temporary or if my tree has changed somehow forever...

Any comment or site you know about would be very helpful! Much thanks! Holly

Hi Anna and Mark,

Awhile back I was looking to raise useful, tasty and little to no waste critters. One fit all that and if pushed can kill a lion in one strike. EMU is a large flightless bird that provides well over 150lbs of meat, skin can be tanned and used for clothing, boots, gloves or what ever you can make from cow/pig hides. They are relatively bright, curious and friendly. Their eggs are OMG large. Big enough that 2 eggs make 2 huge omelets. And the feathers are used in decorative clothing. Had a neighbor near Sacramento, CA who raised them. You might find them a good fit for your place. I live on our family ranch near San Jose, CA now and have thought of raising chickens but am not sure how much armor would be needed. There are, in no particular order, Coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain Lions, Black Russian Boar, Red and Gray Fox that would love to have a chicken buffet set up for them. Hope all is good for you. Enjoyed reading your site and the pics. Can't quite figure what Mark is attempting with small log, metal handle and a bear trap. Did it work? Any blood or stitches? Take care and enjoy. -marty

Hi Anna & Mark,

I'm the Associate publisher for the Backwoodsman Magazine, and a freelance TV producer. I am developing a television concept with RIVR Media titled "Wild Appalachia". It's a show that feature people living 7 preserving the Appalachian way of life. We are concentrating on featuring people who live off-grid & self-reliantly in the Floyd County, VA area. I reached to some subscribers of ours that live in the Floyd County area, and a gentleman who doesn't kn ow you personally but mention your names. I located your website and i was impressed with how you guys are living,and i think you guys fit what we are looking for. But I did notice that you guys have moved to Athens, OH (where my wife attended college). So if you still do hold residence in Floyd County and you are interested please email me and maybe we can set up a call. We have 2 major networks already interested and if you appeared on the show you would be financially compensated. If you know someone in the Floyd County area that might be a good fit, I could trade you guys subscriptions to the Backwoodsman if interested. Also, you guys may be interested in advertising with us so i could trade advertising in exchange for information that leads to that person appearing on the show. So i hope you receive this message okay, and i also hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks, Charlie Richie Jr.