Thank you for sharing your perspective. I have been following Dr. Malone's musings on "Homesteading."
Here is my experience with homesteading. I too, grew up in an Agricultural Community in Palm, PA where my parents were both Pastors. We had a large Garten at the Parsonage, and went to the local farmers markets …
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I have been following Dr. Malone's musings on "Homesteading."
Here is my experience with homesteading. I too, grew up in an Agricultural Community in Palm, PA where my parents were both Pastors. We had a large Garten at the Parsonage, and went to the local farmers markets and orchards to buy what we could not produce. Fall harvests were busy times with canning in Ball Mason Jars and many an hour with the Foley food-mill for Apple sauce. Many an eyebrow was raised when we seasonally fertilised the Garten with Chicken manure, or the most pungent of all, Pig Manure.
In 1972, my mother (Reverend, Dr. Mom) had a calling to the Church Synod, and my parents found a small farm at the other end of the Valley. I think they paid $36.000 for the place. It was built in 1711. Overgrown acreage, no running water, and electric only to the kitchen. After lots of effort of family and friends, it was liveable. On the table were "Garden Way, "books from the Rodale Press, and various nursery and seed catalogues. We planted over 60 fruit trees, and had not only a 100 square foot Garten, but also a half acre of various berries, Rhubarb and asparagus that we sold to the local markets. One of the books I still have, is a worn copy of "Five acres and Independence." If only it was that simple.
While reading what Dr. Malone originally wrote about homesteading, something was nagging at me. "How, could a young couple even manage to afford what he was proposing?" Yes, I read his financial suggestions, but remain sceptical. In addition, I can imagine that many of his readers are located in urban environments. Even if they were able to "preserve the harvest" from other sources, where would they be able to have the room for a pantry? When I first moved to Germany almost 20 years ago, we lived in an apartment, and having a large pantry in a 90 square meter apartment with two adults and two children would have been very challenging.
We bought a house out "in the country" in 2007. It needed extensive renovations, but had a 2000 square meter piece of ground, albeit with Northern exposure. I, too, was rocked ´by the financial crisis in 2008. When Lehman Brothers took a dump, away went my life savings, so now I need to "work for a living."
We have bees, and harvest over 100 kilos of honey per year, make candles as well as sell the wax as a hobby. We also have 16 fruit trees, and my goal is to have 20. Additionally, we have access to local farms for produce, and yes, Dr. Malone, eggs from chickens that are set free in the fields. We also have room for a pantry, as well as an attic to dry herbs. So life is good.
We are not "homesteaders" by any means, but me, growing up with the Organic readings from the Rodale Press, and my wife as a Waldorf Kindergartenerin, well, we are ahead of the learning curve.
We are very fortunate to live where we do, and thankful for the area and the close community. I still wonder about how folks in the urban environment can benefit. Of course, managing their diet by eating wisely are things that are achievable, but as far as "homesteading?" There are many community gardens here in Germany, but the problem is the space for a pantry. Maybe in the "bicycle cellar."
Thank you so much for sharing, most importantly when you wrote: "Our children flourished, we flourished, but much of the bills were paid by our “real” careers.” That might put things in perspective for folks, but even more was the struggle after the hardships- and it took teamwork. If anyone can take anything away from all of this that it is impossible to do alone. Doing it as a team, you share the joys of success, as well as bear the hardships and setbacks together. May the joys outnumber the hardships.
All the best from Kürten Germany, in this blessed time of the Year,
Hello from Kürten, Germany.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I have been following Dr. Malone's musings on "Homesteading."
Here is my experience with homesteading. I too, grew up in an Agricultural Community in Palm, PA where my parents were both Pastors. We had a large Garten at the Parsonage, and went to the local farmers markets and orchards to buy what we could not produce. Fall harvests were busy times with canning in Ball Mason Jars and many an hour with the Foley food-mill for Apple sauce. Many an eyebrow was raised when we seasonally fertilised the Garten with Chicken manure, or the most pungent of all, Pig Manure.
In 1972, my mother (Reverend, Dr. Mom) had a calling to the Church Synod, and my parents found a small farm at the other end of the Valley. I think they paid $36.000 for the place. It was built in 1711. Overgrown acreage, no running water, and electric only to the kitchen. After lots of effort of family and friends, it was liveable. On the table were "Garden Way, "books from the Rodale Press, and various nursery and seed catalogues. We planted over 60 fruit trees, and had not only a 100 square foot Garten, but also a half acre of various berries, Rhubarb and asparagus that we sold to the local markets. One of the books I still have, is a worn copy of "Five acres and Independence." If only it was that simple.
While reading what Dr. Malone originally wrote about homesteading, something was nagging at me. "How, could a young couple even manage to afford what he was proposing?" Yes, I read his financial suggestions, but remain sceptical. In addition, I can imagine that many of his readers are located in urban environments. Even if they were able to "preserve the harvest" from other sources, where would they be able to have the room for a pantry? When I first moved to Germany almost 20 years ago, we lived in an apartment, and having a large pantry in a 90 square meter apartment with two adults and two children would have been very challenging.
We bought a house out "in the country" in 2007. It needed extensive renovations, but had a 2000 square meter piece of ground, albeit with Northern exposure. I, too, was rocked ´by the financial crisis in 2008. When Lehman Brothers took a dump, away went my life savings, so now I need to "work for a living."
We have bees, and harvest over 100 kilos of honey per year, make candles as well as sell the wax as a hobby. We also have 16 fruit trees, and my goal is to have 20. Additionally, we have access to local farms for produce, and yes, Dr. Malone, eggs from chickens that are set free in the fields. We also have room for a pantry, as well as an attic to dry herbs. So life is good.
We are not "homesteaders" by any means, but me, growing up with the Organic readings from the Rodale Press, and my wife as a Waldorf Kindergartenerin, well, we are ahead of the learning curve.
We are very fortunate to live where we do, and thankful for the area and the close community. I still wonder about how folks in the urban environment can benefit. Of course, managing their diet by eating wisely are things that are achievable, but as far as "homesteading?" There are many community gardens here in Germany, but the problem is the space for a pantry. Maybe in the "bicycle cellar."
Thank you so much for sharing, most importantly when you wrote: "Our children flourished, we flourished, but much of the bills were paid by our “real” careers.” That might put things in perspective for folks, but even more was the struggle after the hardships- and it took teamwork. If anyone can take anything away from all of this that it is impossible to do alone. Doing it as a team, you share the joys of success, as well as bear the hardships and setbacks together. May the joys outnumber the hardships.
All the best from Kürten Germany, in this blessed time of the Year,
Jonathan Kriebel.