Finding your place in the Country

A few years ago I lived on an old 350 acre farm. Most of the land lay as hillside and mountains, with about 25 acres of flat usable land. The house, barn and root cellar was conveniently surrounded by approximately two acres of open field. The closest house was over a mile away out the dirt road to the north of the property. To the south stood nothing but wilderness for over six miles.

Electricity and phone service were connected to the house long ago, but there was no public water service. Water had to be pumped from the well by hand pump, or carried by hand from a spring about half a mile away. The bathroom was conveniently located out back. During the winter months I stretched an extension cord to the outhouse so I could plug in a small electric heater to warm the 4X4 foot structure, before going out to put the building to use.

Deer, wild turkey, coyote and small game where in abundance over the surrounding area as were timber rattlers and copperheads. With a number of the later falling victim to my trusty Remington 870.

For the first time in my life I was at peace. I called that place in the hills my home for over two years. If I felt like going outside and running around the field naked while screaming like a madman, no one could hear me or care.

On the downside I never owned the place, I like a lot of poor saps payed rent to a landlord. The place was put up for sale and was sold a short time latter by the owner and I had to leave my little rented heaven on earth. This was one of the worst things I can remember ever happening to me, it broke my heart when I had to leave. I still think about the old place most everyday. I would have liked nothing more then to have bought the place but at $350,000 there was no way I could have, not many of us could.

Thankfully one doesn’t need a 350 acres to have a self-sufficient homestead. Which is good news for us poor folks, who would like to become as self-reliant as possible, but don’t have a quarter of a million dollars with which to purchase a retreat location. It can be done on a one acre.

Finding the right location seems to be the most difficult part of the whole ordeal. No, I am not going to tell you to pack up your things and move to Montana, Wyoming or Idaho as some have suggested in the past. The truth is most of us have work and family living in or near our present location. Quiting your job and leaving family and friends behind to head off to unknown country is something most of us will not do or contemplate. In most instances you are better off to find a suitable location in or around your present area, or to stay where you are now if you already have your place bought and paid for. If you live in or near a major urban area I do suggest you get out as soon as possible. The urban locations will be a dangerous place to be after any type of disturbance.

When looking for your retreat site the first thing you should look at is the water supply. Is there a working well or spring on the property? If not, can one be drilled without much difficulty or expense? Will the soil support a garden or will you need to resort to building raised beds? Is there abundant wild game and plant life in the surrounding area allowing the opportunity to forage for wild foods now and after the collapse? Having some sort of lake nearby is a plus. If you can find an acre located at the end of a minor back road, you will be one step ahead of the game. Avoid major highways.

With one small acre you will have enough space to raise a 50 X 100 foot garden plot, plant a few fruit trees, raise a flock of laying hens, keep rabbits and maybe a milk goat or two. You can forage the surrounding countryside for wild game, and eatable plants. You can become just as self-reliant on a one acre retreat as you could with 50 or more acres, you will just have less space to do it in.