Hi! I’m KC. I’m in the process of buying my dream farm in Connecticut. It’s a ten acre property complete with a large antique cow barn, a small horse barn, and approximately 8 acres of fenced horse pasture.
I will share a LOT more about the property in due time. The closing date isn’t until July, so in the meantime I am in a holding pattern – dreaming big, researching what is possible, and planning as much as I can.
I have dreamed of a homestead of my own for much of my life. I’ve read hundreds of books, watched thousands of hours of video, and spent an uncountable quantity of time ‘trying out’ various aspects of homestead life – gardening, canning, dehydrating, cooking, composting, splitting wood, fixing things, and problem solving.
I did all of this in apartments, rented houses, or on borrowed land. It’s crazy to think that before long, I’ll have the time and space to build the infrastructure and systems that make this kind of lifestyle possible – while knowing that it’s permanent. The stability and comfort to set down roots is a gift I will never take for granted.
My goal is to be semi self sufficient. Essentially, I want to engage in the homesteading activities that I enjoy, and outsource the rest – because life is too short to wear yourself thin doing things you don’t enjoy.
For example, I will grow a lot of my own food… but I will still be a regular at my local grocery store and farmer’s markets, because they have things I won’t be able to (or won’t want to) grow in large enough quantities. I am privileged enough to live in a society and have the resources to engage with that society – and I think that’s completely fine. So many people seek to go 100% off the grid – that’s really cool, but it’s probably not for me. I don’t want to risk burning myself out by biting off more than I can chew.
My semi self sufficient goals, developed over many years of dreaming big:
Gardens: I will have a series of gardens large enough to meet my needs. I grew up with 1,000 square feet of gardening space, so I have high expectations! I envision a larger tilled plot as well as simple raised beds. This will include structures to support vertical gardening for vining plants. I will also use cold frames to extend the gardening season. (There’s already one on the property!)
Permaculture: I will have a small orchard with apple, peach, pear, and mulberry trees – and I’m open to other additions as well. Other permaculture elements, such as berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries) and asparagus will be dispersed throughout the property’s landscaping where appropriate.
Composting: I will have a composting system to make use of food and garden waste. This will be a bit tricky because I live in bear country, but there are some options available (including using the back lot to keep the compost further from my house.)
Food Storage: I will can, freeze, and dehydrate produce for use throughout the winter. I will have a storage system, likely in the basement, to store these products indefinitely. A long term possible addition would be a freeze dryer.
Animals: I am a vegetarian who eats very little dairy and eggs, so I see no need to have animals for their byproducts or to participate in animal husbandry. Any animals I have will be strictly for fun – with the possible addition of chickens for eggs, which I would use in baking.
Community: I want to know and be known by my neighbors. An important part of this is that I must be close to my ‘adopted’ family. I would have accepted being down the street, but luckily for me, my impending property purchase shares about a half mile of property line! A long term goal is to build a bridge over the creek that runs between our properties. This would give me ample access to their animals – including my horse and their riding ring. We will also develop trails for riding around our cumulative 30 acres.
Solar Power: I will have solar panels installed, but they will still be connected to the grid. If there is a battery bank system that makes sense, I will consider it – but based on the research I’ve done so far, the grid-connected system seems the most logical at this time.
Wood Stove: I will split and burn wood from the property for heat and general enjoyment. However, the house will still have back-up systems – including both an electric mini split heat pump and an oil furnace – to ensure consistent heating throughout the house. Essentially, I will keep the furnace low and use wood to heat the space I’m in – but if something comes up and I can’t run the wood stove for a few days, I do not need to be concerned about being uncomfortable.
Inside Vibes: I want to lean into the little luxuries that make life enjoyable. I have always dreamed of a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves. I want a space for making things – if I see something I like, I’d prefer to create a handmade version rather than buy it if at all possible. It would be nice for my late mom’s sewing machine to have a place to live, rather than be hauled out for the occasional project only to be tucked away again when it’s over. I want a kitchen that can host guests for dinner parties and also supports the heavy workload of peak harvest season. Cute, but functional – that’s the motto.
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I have a lot of experience with some of these line items – including gardening, growing berries, composting, food preservation, and splitting firewood.
Others will be almost entirely new to me – such as growing fruit trees, having solar installed, and most DIY home decor and customization projects.
The work ahead is very overwhelming, but luckily, with 6 months to closing and the full understanding that the task of building a home and homestead is never ‘finished’, I have all of the time in the world to research and plan.
In the near future, I’ll talk a little bit about how I’m using phases to plan, organize, and budget the numerous projects that will need to happen to make this home into a homestead. In the meantime, what are your self reliance goals? If you’re already homesteading, do you have any recommendations for resources that might help me learn more and achieve some of these goals? Let me know!
Talk soon 🙂
KC
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