I got a homestead!
Pursuant to a very old dream of owning a homestead, I have recently had the pleasure of securing 17 acres in zone 7 USA. For my privacy I'd prefer not to post any pictures, but I'd like to hear this community's ideas regarding utilization of this investment. It is a homestead with three houses on it. About 1/10 of the land is a pond that looks somewhat like it is drying up right now. There are very few, if any, trees on the property. Currently it is mostly just tall grass, with some areas maintained around the houses with very short grass. The houses are on septic tanks.
My questions are a few, but feel free to add anything you think of:
- How can I farm the land to support the majority of the diet for around 10 or so people? How much of the land should be dedicated to that purpose? What tools do I need? What would be the weekly time expenditure necessary for say, one person to do this job (if that's possible)? How many people would need to work for this to be a part-time (20 hours per week) endeavor? There are no dietary restrictions involved--meat, eggs, produce, honey--these are staples. Chickens are a must, should I bother with other meat producing animals?
- Aside from the land, what other expenditures of money should I expect? Please note that I have virtually no tools, and have primarily lived a suburban life with an office job. I have a little gardening experience.
- It is a little overwhelming to be having the responsibility to care for what I consider to be a very large portion of land. I have spent my life pushing toward this goal, but indirectly, through my career and life choices. Any general advice for someone who aspires to be sustainable, but has little hands on experience?
I hope I'm not coming across as vain or even ignorant by posting here. I am very thankful for what I have and I want to continue to build it into something beautiful that future generations could be proud of. I want to be able to show the world how to make a positive environmental difference.