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Cost to clear 10 acres

Started by Leigh Family Farm, December 12, 2013, 12:01:33 PM

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Al_Smith

The ones we have do get huge sometimes larger than the red oaks which can be real large for an eastern tree .

I've heard it said the eastern cottonwood grows rapidly for the first 40 or so years then gradually tapers off to a slower growth rate .It's been years since I fell one and I never really paid much attention to the size or amount of the rings .I do know they hold a lot of water .

Leigh Family Farm

Quote from: Delawhere Jack on December 15, 2013, 06:06:04 PM
Brian, if homesteading is your objective you should look for places that have strong Ag Extension, 4H and FFA programs. There's a lot more to successfully raising chickens, sheep, goats, cows and crops than you will ever find in a book.

Have you considered Cecil Co. MD? They have a 4H program that is consistently in the top 5 nationally for the past 8-10 years, and lots of small diverse farms. Land costs vary widely, as some of the farms are home to the best race horses in the nation, but there are bargains to be found. Elkton is only about five mile further from center city Philly than the site you mentioned, but the commute should be much better once you cross the PA/DE line.

Thanks for the tip DJ. Chester County, PA has a large extension office and Penn State as a bunch of programs too. I've already talked to several organizations that assist people getting started in homesteading/farming. You're right in that there is a ton of information that is not available in books, especially info that pertains to my local area.

Cecile County is just too far for me at the moment. I know mileage wise its not that much further but something about being below the Mason-Dixon line makes it another world away!  ;)

To reply to a few comments, I am not looking to make a living off the homestead/farm from the get go. I want to provide for my family as much as I can from the property (meat, produce, wood, etc.). If I have extras or its just as much work to care for 5 pigs as it is to care for 30 (just an example as I don't know the exact caring needs for pigs yet), then I would look into selling at a farmer's market or CSA. Another thing is that I have 16 years left before I get a pension, and during that time I would like to build or establish a second career (market farm, woodworker, pig farmer, whatever) so I can make the transition smoothly. I would rather make all my mistakes and learning curves now when I have the steady income coming in.
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

Delawhere Jack

Quote from: kilgrosh on December 16, 2013, 09:42:15 AM

Cecile County is just too far for me at the moment. I know mileage wise its not that much further but something about being below the Mason-Dixon line makes it another world away! ;)


Yes, yes it is. And as Martha Stewart would say "It's a good thing."

They call is "Cecil-tucky" for a reason.

SwampDonkey

Supporting a family off the 10 acres of cleared farm must have a different meaning. To me it's making a living as well as feeding yourselves. But if feeding yourselves is the goal, you can do that with far fewer acres. 1 acre would grow more stuff than a family of four could begin to eat. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Al_Smith

Oh tell me about it .My dad planted about a half an acre and fed a family of seven .I know very well where the old saying of "a tough row to hoe " came from .Green beans ,corn and Colorado mule deer . ;D

thenorthman

piggies are relatively easy, as long as you have a really good fence, good water and feed twice a day, they stay fat and happy, and grow quick too.  One good sized hog should keep us in pork for better then a year, although there never seems to be enough bacon...

chickens are a snap, and provide lots of eggs if you get the right breed, just get half again as many chickens as eggs you use in a day. (some would call chickens the gateway animal to husbandry...)

Moo Cows take more land and more energy to raise, hay is not cheap, so if you can have enough pasture to make hay and support your herd without buying in hay or silage, otherwise they can get pretty spendy fast, however one adult cow will keep a family in beef for quite some time.

most of this is from experience, where on a 1/3 of an acre here, and raised 6 piggies in the last 3 years, and lots of chickens, not enough room to raise beefy cows, although I have family that does.

And a vegetable garden really does not need to be very big, our little patch provides about 50% (maybe more) of our veg needs 22'x38' is all it is, with some raised beds in the front yard.

just be careful with parasites with all your critters.  some of them people can get too...

Now if I can get the apple trees to do some good...
well that didn't work

Leigh Family Farm

I completely understand that I can feed a family of four on a smaller piece of land, like an acre or less. I want the larger piece of land because I would like to develop into a market farm/CSA style farmette. My general plan is to start small with a simple vegetable garden, try my hand at corn & grains, raise a pig or two, and have a few chickens. As I gain experience and my comfort level goes up, I will increase to larger crop areas, more pigs, more chickens, and add in some goats. And finally, the ultimate goal would be to have several acres of crops, 30-40 pigs for meat, 50 chickens for eggs and meat, 10-15 goats for meat and milk, 15 ewes for lambing and wool, raise a steer or two for beef, and turkeys or guinea fowl for seasonal markets. I would rather get all the land I need now and grow into it, than have to move every few years as I expand. Not to mention but I still would like to do some sort of wood production operation (sawmill, firewood, furniture, etc.). Everyone can dream big  ;)

DJ, Pennsyltucky is any portion of PA west of the Susquehanna and north of the Ohio!  ;)
There are no problems; only solutions we haven't found yet.

SwampDonkey

You better work on the family, might need 8 or 9 kids to help.  :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Al_Smith

8 or 9 chillens .R-U-nutz? Sure the good book says be fruitfull and multiply but it didn't say you had to fill in for somebody else .

Lawdy can you imagine 8 or 9 youngins and they were all girls ? By the time they were all teenagers a man would think he lived in a hen house .Not good ,don't do it . :o

SwampDonkey

In my grandfather's time that was an average sized family. Lots of 12-14 kids to a family in those times. My uncle has 7 and had several great grandchildren before he was 80, when he passed away. His oldest daughter is not much younger than my mother. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Al_Smith

Yeah but some of those guys wore out two three women in the process .Start having youngens at 16 and dead and buried by 35 ,8 kids later .Go find another fertile one and do it all over again .

My Lawd a dozen kids if you didn't have a big truck patch you'd go weekly and buy groceries  by the pick up truck full .Can you just imagine just the amount of toilet paper you'd use ?You'd have to have 4 bathrooms or if you had boys a bunch of trees .You'd have to buy an old school bus just to haul them all around

SwampDonkey

Gramps uncle married a young wife, by 23 years. Grew huge gardens all over the neighborhood, since his father was the first homesteader. That old woman lived as long as any that had 2 kids. It's the old man that was worn out. :D Cut'n wood, growing stuff, hunt'n, fish'n for meat. :D There was no hauling anyone, they walked or they didn't get there. Toilet sheds had 4 seats back then. Heck even when I was young there was the two seater in back of the wood shed. And the woodshed held 20 cord. Had to be filled each summer (woodshed). :D Dad here had two to fill, plus the basement, plus the wood for two potato sheds. You cut firewood all year 'round. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thenorthman

God's bless birth control and the ford tractor...

Ya all know that a tractor made slave/child labor obsolete right?

Kilgrosh, you sure can aim big... there is a CSA out here called Fruitful Farm,(Arlington WA/OSO WA) ran by a Mennonite family, they've only been going for like 5 years on about 2 acres, but they've turned a piece of blackberry choked hard pan nearly swamp into a very productive bit of dirt.
well that didn't work

SwampDonkey

I think you have the issue of child labour or slave misconstrued. It was part of family survival to help on the farm at a young age. There was no money as in cash to speek of. Those children were my father and his father before. Both never spoke ill of the other or the ways. What you hear about (or I do) is some timber boss, company run store (work credits no cash) or food processor steeling what ever they could get away with. Your confusing the whole notion with some boss working you and your whole family to death so he can make big profits with low labour and material (timber, farm goods) costs. When those tractors came out, the majority of farmers couldn't afford to buy one.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Al_Smith

Swamp you're talking about the 30's .Everybody was poor .Rich and poor alike ate  Spam .

On ten acres you might raise some hogs or chicken and a truck patch and eke by but it won't work out very good if you ever want more out of life other than a spartan exisistance .Some people like that life style  and if so have at it .
I grew up like we were poor but really were not .Both my parents lived through the great depression which forever patterned their lives to be frugal .

I'm lucky enough to have a good trade make a very good living and refuse to live like a wharf rat .The only reason I tinker with old junk ,firewood etc is because I enjoy it certainly not because I have to .

thenorthman

Quote from: SwampDonkey on December 18, 2013, 11:49:01 AM
I think you have the issue of child labour or slave misconstrued. It was part of family survival to help on the farm at a young age. There was no money as in cash to speek of. Those children were my father and his father before. Both never spoke ill of the other or the ways. What you hear about (or I do) is some timber boss, company run store (work credits no cash) or food processor steeling what ever they could get away with. Your confusing the whole notion with some boss working you and your whole family to death so he can make big profits with low labour and material (timber, farm goods) costs. When those tractors came out, the majority of farmers couldn't afford to buy one.

Yer missing the joke..., and you never met the step drunk, to some folks kids just meant free labor or someone else that can do the dirty work, while they go to the pub or watch sports net...

well that didn't work

gaproperty

I am impressed by all the comments on being a good steward of the land including the Leigh Family's intention.

For what it is worth, here is my take on things.  Depending on the size of the wood, it appears that you need a tractor with a backhoe for your land clearing project and your future needs.  Call the loggers to cut specific dangerous trees then clean it up with your tractor.  Here is an example what can be done with a tractor that has loader arms, forks and backhoe attachment. Root around on my channel and you will see other land clearing projects.  

https://youtu.be/DoXWbYDKRIk

Good luck with your property.


Ray
lostcaper.com
youtube.com/c/LostCaper

nativewolf

Quote from: thenorthman on December 17, 2013, 09:34:30 PM
God's bless birth control and the ford tractor...

Ya all know that a tractor made slave/child labor obsolete right?

Kilgrosh, you sure can aim big... there is a CSA out here called Fruitful Farm,(Arlington WA/OSO WA) ran by a Mennonite family, they've only been going for like 5 years on about 2 acres, but they've turned a piece of blackberry choked hard pan nearly swamp into a very productive bit of dirt.
Yep, education and a tractor and women's life expectancy soars.  Until 1900 men far outlived women.  That flipped around wwii or shortly after.  If there is a country where men live longer than women you are looking at horrible ignorance and poverty.
Liking Walnut

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