Buying the Perfect Homestead Property

Food for Thought Newsletter - Issue 003

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Buying the perfect homestead property
• Planning an orchard and garden
• Food forests, Alaska style!

---

🌾 Buying the Perfect Homestead Property

Gosh, this seems like a whole elephant - we’re not going to eat this bugger in one bite for sure!

 

However, I talk with folks all the time who are trying to afford to buy a larger piece of land so they can be more self-reliant.

 

I can’t help but cheer folks on!

 

But man, with prices being what they are these days, it can be TOUGH! It takes a LOT of cauliflower to pay for a $25,000 acre!

 

Here are some suggestions and ideas I’ve heard along the way.

 

#1 - Know your goals

Okay, I want to help you think through this because it’s super important. First, are you wanting to supplement your groceries, be self-sustaining, or build a business and sell what you grow or make?

 

Just thinking through that specific question can make a world of difference in the choices you make. If you are just wanting a hobby garden, you can do that on a ½ acre of gravel with some raised garden beds. However, if you’re looking to raise livestock (even chickens) or grow ALL of your own cauliflower, potatoes, and apples then you’re going to need some space - and some soil! 

 

And if you want a market garden or orchard, or even a small storefront, you’ll need to be where folks will be able to find you easily! And where you have plenty of room to grow or create all of the things you dream of having in your store. 

 

Thinking through your future plans can really help you narrow down your choices.

 

#2 - Know the land

Doesn’t it seem like every new country song has the word “dirt” in the title these days? You know: 

• Dirt turns to Gold by Zach Top
• Dirt Cheap by Cody Johnson
• Buy Dirt by Jordan Davis
• This is my Dirt by Justin Moore
• And the oldie but goodie (it’s the ring tone on my phone, actually) Dirt by Florida Georgia Line

 

Tip: Create a new Spotify playlist for these - it’ll put you in the right mindset for buying your land. You’re welcome

 

The moral of each of these songs is that their property is so much more than just land. And that’s what you’re trying to do too, right? Build a legacy in the property that you buy? So many memories to be made, lessons to be learned, and laughter to be had.

 

But, in order to make these songs come true - you have to have some actual dirt. And in our rocky state, that can be hard to find!

 

When you’re looking at a piece of property, make sure you have spots that have deep soil and that the lay of the land is such that you can put gardens and pastures there. Your house can go on the rocky soil - you want a good foundation for your house, anyway!

 

Our property has a few areas where we’ve never even found the bottom of the soil/peet. We have other rocky areas that are never ending rock. We built the house on the rock, and put the greenhouse over the deepest soil.

 

#3 - Water Matters

We got lucky when we bought our place, we have the most clean, pure water. It’s flavorless, it doesn’t smell, and it’s plentiful. It’s pure, perfect water. But that happened on pure luck. If you’re concerned about your water, ask around the area - what a great way to meet potential neighbors!

#4 - Don't be afraid of FSBO but do be wise

When I owned a VA business, I assisted several realtors. I have to say, their job is crazy hard - and they have TONS of knowledge that I don’t think we give them near enough credit for. Man, they just navigate so many things to make the experience as simple as possible for their clients.

 

You CAN do a transaction on your own but you might want to either read up on it or even hire a realtor to help you walk through it with you. Sure, they will charge a bit but a flawless, ironclad transaction is well worth a few hundred bucks.

#5 - Let's talk money

Holy moly, everything is crazy expensive here in Alaska! Housing is through the roof! BUT - there are some good deals out there. My main advice here is to just take your time and wait until you find exactly what you want - within your price range.

 

Be willing to put in some sweat equity - BUT get creative! We’re homesteaders - of course we don’t mind working for what we have.

 

Sometimes we have to get creative to make it all come together.

 

Learn to build what you can. Make friends with those who have gone before you. 

 

We are all busy but we also are honored to help folks who are coming up behind us. Offer to work for a farmer in return for learning how to care for milk cows and chickens. Then it’s a win-win!

#6 - Making an offer

If there’s a place that is abandoned that you think holds promise - find out who owns it and reach out to them! You just never know how that will work out until you try, right? Share your story and your vision.

 

Remember - it’s currently their dirt and they are likely attached to the memories. Share how you will revitalize the place and bring it back to life. You just might walk into a great deal on a really perfect place!

 

This is obviously just scratching the surface but I hope it helped you work through the decision making process of buying your homestead.

 

---

⛏️ Planning an orchard and garden

 

This is when it starts to get so fun! Once you have your property, it’s time to plan where you will put your orchard and garden (and livestock but that’s going to have to be another newsletter). 

#1 - In the garden

Let’s start in the garden. What are you wanting to grow and how much are you hoping to grow? Will you have perennials or just plant annually? Will you be needing to separate plant varieties so you can save seeds without cross pollination? So many things to consider!

 

Here are just a few tips to keep in mind when you’re planning your new garden. 

• Alaska soil is just not good enough to dig up and plant. You’re going to have to amend your soil. Start with lime - and plan to lime your beds every single year for the rest of your life. Then find good garden soil or compost that you can use to build garden beds that are ultra productive. (We recommend Gravel Boss for this) 
• South facing is always best for warmth. 
• If you are planting perennials, you will be best served to put them directly in the ground and not in a raised bed - and then to put them in the warmest spot on your place . Raised beds will allow the roots to freeze through which can kill even the hardiest plants so planting them in the ground or in a very low raised bed is best. Same goes for hardneck garlic which is planted in the fall. 
• Think through how much space you need for your garden. We grow at least 104 cauliflower and 104 broccoli to have enough to eat them each twice per week. They take up a LOT of space!

#2 - Orchard

• Know your zone! SOOO important! 
• Not only do you need to know your zone but also any microclimates that are on your place. For instance, we have a low area on the farm where the cold tends to settle - we put Honeyberries and Saskatoon's there - not apples - because Honeyberries and Saskatoon's are much hardier than apples. 
• Know the lay of the land and when areas get full sun vs shade - plus know the slopes. North facing is always colder and most plants won’t thrive on a north facing slope.
• Ask a local farmer what varieties they suggest for your favorite trees and bushes. Variety, rootstock, all those things are super important. 

 

The variety that you can grow in your garden and orchard is plenty to keep yourself out of the grocery store for the majority of the winter - it just takes some planning. And time. Orchards take YEARS to start producing.

 

 

---

Building an Alaskan Food Forest (🥦 + 🥗 = 😀)

 

I’m in the process of building a food forest and I just want to encourage you in one thing. There’s absolutely NO wrong way to go about it! 

 

Put things in there that you love and would enjoy eating all winter and plant away! Perennials & annuals, veggies & fruit, you name it, you can grow it here! Heck, we even have a citrus tree that is made for our climate (Sea Buckthorn) - isn’t that so cool? So pick a spot, plant a bunch of plants in it, and watch it grow.

 

There are hundreds of articles online and dozens of books at the library about food forests but I really think it can be summed up in one sentence. Plant what you want to eat - and plant it all together in one place.

 

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading! I hope this article was helpful for you! Hit reply and let me know your thoughts. We want to make this helpful for you!