I have big news! we haven't really said anything to anybody because we wanted to be sure it was going to work out first. (You totally think i'm going to say that I'm pregnant, dont you? Loser!) well..................... My/our dream has always been to live out in the country on a small piece of land and homestead: raise dairy goats for milk/cheese, chickens for organic free-range eggs and meat, bees for honey, organic garden for all/most our food, stuff like that.
To make a long story short, we started looking at properties way OUT of town, which is pretty much the only place we could afford. We ran a real-estate search (my bro and sis in law are agents) in the whole greater Charleston area for 5+ acres priced under $150,000. Needless to say, nothing close by popped up, but that was ok with us. Our favorite one was in Walterboro (about 40 minutes far side of West Ashley), and it is 12.1 acres of land with a 3 bedroom 2 full bath (very nice) mobile home listed for $119,000. The area around the house is already completely fenced in (probably 1.5-2 acres worth), so that means Ayden and the dog can have free run. We're gonna put child-proof latches on all 3 gates, and he can come and go out of the house as he pleases. I can't wait! Theres a small pond near the house, and the rest of the 12 acres is a jungle, but that works well since goats are notorious for clearing woodland. They don't so much graze on grass like a cow as eat brush and trees as well. So that works out. I'm just going to have to devise a way to fence to boogers in, and apparently fencing is mad expensive. Well, anyway, we put an offer in and after about 2 weeks, have finally ratified a contract for $105,000. The closing date is set for July 13th, so LOOKS LIKE WE'RE MOVING AGAIN! The address is even on Our Dream Lane, which is really funny considering that every time we've spoken about the future, we've said, "Well, when we get to do Our Dream, then..." Creepy (but wonderful).
The listing has pictures and a 3D tour and everything, although pictures really don't do it justice at all. We were expecting a dump when we went to see it cause it was so cheap, but when we walked inside, we were like, holy crap! This is nicer than the huge house we're in now! It has a wood burning fire place, 2 living rooms, walk in closets... *sigh* Oh yeah, theres even a miniature grape vineyard in the back yard.
We plan to raise Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats, which are about the cutest little boogers you'll ever see in your life.
We'll be making/selling organic home-made raw goats milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and maybe even ice cream. I hear its fantastic. We'll be selling it for probably a little less than you could buy it from Earthfare or other stores, so for those of you locals that like it, I'll never forgive you if you don't eat mine. ;)
The goats might take a few months to prepare for, but in the mean time we will definitely be doing chickens. I know this, because I've already ordered them. WHOA! They'll arrive next Thursday, as day-old chicks. Don't get too excited, cause they wont be actually laying eggs till probably October. I already have a few standing orders for a dozen or so eggs a week. So anybody interested should feel me out now. With the chickens I've ordered, I can fill about 5 dozen a week. 2-3 or those are already spoken for. As soon as it seems there are more people that want eggs, I will be ordering more chickens. Eventually I would like to be able to find homes for the eggs of maybe 50 chickens. We ordered 14 Silver Laced Wyandotte hens, which lay brown eggs:
Five Ameracauna hens, which lay pastel green and blue eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And finally, one Ameracauna rooster to service all 19 hens, so that means future generations will not only be one funky lookin' chicken, but God only knows what color eggs they'll produce! Heres the handsome devil himself:
Within a few months, I would also like to procure a couple egg-laying ducks to service/decorate our quaint little pond, so will also possibly be selling duck eggs. I've never had one myself, but I hear they're fabulous and America is one of the few countries that doesn't eat them on a regular basis or consider them a delicacy. I hope to get Khaki Campbell ducks, which are not only good egg layers, but eat bugs, slugs, and will clean the algae from our pond. Not to mention look pretty paddling about it in. Dustin has big plans for the pond: a bench, some tiki lights, ect. *beautiful*
Next spring we will start keeping Honey Bees (too late in the year to order/establish now). We will be harvesting/selling local honey, which I am very excited about. We will have Italian Honey Bees, because they are docile and hard workers.
I really have done a lot of research on this, in case you can't tell. This is not a whim. This has been in the works for years, I just never thought it would happen this soon. All the pieces have suddenly fallen into place, and I could not be happier about it.
Many of you either already think we're insane, or will after reading this blog. And we're ok with that. My own brother apparently thinks we're gonna start this and hate it, but he's entitled to his opinion. He, as well as most of you, have only known me since I've been a bona-fide city girl doing the city-girl routine. Even my own brother didn't know me for the first 15 years of my life, spent as a total tom-boy traipsing about the deserts of Mexico bareback on a fat horse, or working on my best friend's pig farm every summer. I know this will be hard work, but its certainly no harder than confining oneself to the duldrums of a modern-day office job, and certainly more rewarding. To be working with your hands, out in fresh air and sunshine, producing what your family needs to survive instead of trusting multi-million dollar corporations to grow and make everything we consume. I really do think there is a better way, a smarter way, a more healthy way, and a much saner way to live, and we plan to do it. NEXT MONTH!
Thus concludes my first blog. *takes a bow*
