ISO: Man willing to relocate to Middle Tennessee with me and build a peaceful, slightly feral domestic life.

Important geographic note: TN is non-negotiable. My family is there and I am not negotiating with geography or genetics on this one.

Shared vision: small house near water, fenced yard, chickens (names TBD but likely unhinged), and a garden we aggressively believe in.

What you receive: legit home-cooked meals, clean laundry that mysteriously returns to drawers, zero criticism for excessive hunting/fishing/garage projects, and someone who thinks Tractor Supply is a date.

Pet policy: must love dogs, must be emotionally prepared to love dogs. Due to catastrophic cat allergy, household cat count must remain at zero. Yes this is a loss. We grieve together and move on.

Requirements: honest, kind, not an axe murderer, and willing to live near my extended family without panic.

Bonus points: handy, enjoys bonfires, accepts that at least one chicken will outrank us socially.

I’m just curious what most homesteaders think about this topic. I'm in the US and not a homesteader yet, but much of what I want and plan to do is simply because I cannot trust anyone else to do it.

Whether it's big agriculture practices, supply chains and grocery stores, construction and building supplies, municipal water, education, etc. So much of what is passed for normal is blatantly unhealthy, low quality, and overpriced to the point of being a complete scam; So much so that I would rather do everything myself and at least not support garbage practices.

Is this the main motivator for many of you?

Saw a post a couple weeks ago and had some totes sitting around (free). Took about 3 hours, sourced the wood from various leftovers. Had to buy bolts and i added wheels ($11x2) to the back. If i hadn’t used all my chicken wire id’ve had that but alas it was a restock purchase ($60 for 48”).

I visited a friend who manages a small homestead and grows a surprising amount of their own food. Seeing the harvest all laid out like this was honestly eye-opening.

In lawn care we talked efficiency and maintenance. On a homestead, it’s planning, patience, and resilience.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before starting homesteading?

I swear they're not underfed. They just want me to know I'm last in the pecking order.

Watching God paint the sky when the day is done right before Sabbath. Crispy Rare T-bone steaks fried up and all done with work for the day and week. Beef tongue boiling in the pot 😋 I'm gonna fry that up until it's crisp too.

Working 6 days a week really makes me appreciate and love God's day of rest. It feels like a much needed sigh of relief.

We started our homestead two years ago on three acres; just chickens and a big garden, and of course the dreams of expanding. The learning hasn’t been easy though.

One thing I didn't anticipate was how much the little farm equipment matters. I was focused on big purchases like the chicken coop and tiller, but it's the small tools that I reach for every single day.

Last spring I was using a regular kitchen knife to harvest vegetables and my bare hands for way too much. Everything took twice as long and my back was killing me. I couldn’t afford the large mechanised machinery prices I saw on Alibaba, and it’s not like we make so much profit from our sales too.

My father-in-law (who's been farming for 40 years) visited and just shook his head. He told me to invest in proper small equipment - good pruning shears, a real soil knife, harvest baskets, quality hand tools.

I bought the first set of tools locally. I've been using them daily for eight months and they're holding up beautifully. Harvesting lettuce now takes less time. My hands still hurt but at least tasks that felt like chores became a bit enjoyable.

Good tools matter more than I ever realized.

2 of my acres I mow regularly and keep in a “park-like” state. Trees trimmed up grass trimmed down etc.

But I have an enormous quantity of ticks. Think 3-5 after walking 5 mins to the other side. We moved in about two years ago, not sure if previous owner did the same.

I do have pets and will be getting chickens soon.

But what is the primary way to defeat ticks? Would prefer not to harm bees.

I’ve seen diatomaceous and bifen recommended

Enjoy this video of some of my favorite garden books! Also let me know if you want to see more I’m doing a whole Garden education series on my Big Jakes page

New livestock! The first we have purchased since moving to our new property!

We have a large walnut tree which would located about 25 feet from our future 30 ft x 20 ft garden. I have heard that walnuts and plants in a garden don’t mix. I would really like to keep this location a a garden. Any advice?

Looking for advice to rebuild the hand pump check valve assembly. Pulled the hand pump and rod to check valve came off. Anyone ever dismantled a 3X12 FS Dempster check valve?

My gf and I have a medium-sized enclosure with a large chicken coop and two smaller coops. We have 18 chickens and 4 ducks. I just went up there to open the big coop to let the ladies out and holy shit, mud everywhere.

Western NC if it matters. We've had several days of wet weather. What can I put down to help with the mud?

Every summer as the raspberry's on the bush ripen up the daily ritual begins. I'm sure anyone like myself with a significant amount of bushes, it becomes a daily chore. Has anyone built or designs themselves any mechanical pickers?

I've been looking at designs of commercial harvesters and thinking of ways to make something at a smaller scale but I am curious if anyone else has taken a stab at this?

The Geographic Mandate: SW Washington is non-negotiable. I’ve already secured the acreage in a small town straight outta Gilmore GIrls, the moss is currently staging a hostile takeover of my tractor, and I have negotiated a fragile peace treaty with a local gang of 11 deer. I’m not leaving them; they know where I live.

The Shared Vision: I'm already deep into the mortgage on a modern farmhouse with an open floor plan and a kitchen built for someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

I’m a WFH/remote engineer by trade, but a builder/DIYer by soul. I spent six months in Italy with the Rome Sustainable Food Project, so "dinner" usually means cooking from scratch and eating on the patio. The backyard is currently a sea of thousands of daffodils, dahlias, and sunflowers (in the summer). We have our own beehives, and the neighbors provide the cows, sheep, and donkeys—all the farm vibes, none of the 4:00 AM manure management.

What You Receive:

• The Personal: I'm a 37m who values intentional dating, wants kids, and actually knows how to communicate (emotional vulnerability is a standard feature, not an optional upgrade).
• The Practical: Professional-grade spider removal, heavy objects moved without a second thought, and a lifetime supply of seasoned firewood (and bonfires).
• The Social: Access to a hand-picked, tight-knit community of engineers, artists, and builders – e.g. we have 3-4 cider pressing parties each year and everyone takes turns hosting elaborate dinner parties throughout the year.
• The Range: Someone who is equally happy in dirty jeans at a gravel-lot taco truck as they are dressing fancy for the Oregon Symphony (because we'll do both – and I'll also need to take you to my old stomping grounds in Rome and visit my friends on the Azores).

Requirements: Honest, kind, and morally-opposed to being a serial killer. Most importantly: you must be able to survive eight months of PNW gray skies without losing your zest for life – we can keep each other warm and well-lit year-long.

Bonus points: You have a "favorite" flannel, you aren't intimidated by a chainsaw, have good taste in wine and food, and you accept that moving into a small town straight out of Gilmore GIrls just 25min from PDX has its pros and cons (mostly pros), and want to build a life and family together.

DM me!

My oldest dog Rizzo takes her job very seriously when a calf is born this time of year. She even "protects" the baby and will growl at the other two dogs if they get too close. Even though they are all sweet she is just being bossy

Their bathroom sewer sistem has direct acces to a stream that comes from a hill, pass trough the back of his property and ends at ours, filling our pond

The stream is pretty narrow, perhaps there is a way to build some filtration sistem at the limits of our property ( wich is where the stream ends and the pond starts. Right bellow the fence )

If we cease the water flow the pond will dry in a matter of weeks since there is no other watter supply

Hi, I'm looking for this pressure switch for a compressor. Do you know where I could get one?

For those who know me, I’ve been off-grid homesteading for over 20 years, and I share bits of that journey on here from time to time. I want to share something I saw unfold just last week. For those who know me, I’ve been off-grid homesteading for over 20 years and I share bits of that journey on here from time to time.

I want to share something I saw unfold just last week.A couple moved out near us about two months ago. They were excited, full of energy, ready to start their homestead. No real experience, but big dreams. Fast forward two months and they’ve already listed the property and are moving back to the city. It just wasn’t what they thought it would be.Their plan was basically: build a small house, get some chickens, plant vegetables, live the simple life.

They didn’t have a clear, detailed plan, just a vague idea. Trst me when l say vague plans fall apart fast out here. They underestimated how much infrastructure and backup systems they would need. What l'm saying is before you make the jump, you should already have answers to things like:

• How are you getting water? (Primary source + backup.)
• How are you generating power? What happens in winter or during long cloudy weeks?
• How are you handling waste and sewage?
• What does your first 90 days of food look like?
• How are you heating your home and cooking?
• Do you have basic medical supplies on hand?
• What’s your income stream, if you still need one?

And please, be careful who you’re taking advice from. A lot of influencers show the aesthetic, not the hard days. It’s better to learn from someone actually living it. If you don’t have access to that, books written by experienced homesteaders are the next best thing. I’m not saying this to discourage anyone. This life is incredibly rewarding. But if you go into it unprepared, it can turn into a nightmare real quick. Have a clear plan. Then have a backup plan.

Edit: Those asking for book recs:

The self-sufficient backyard (You can see the summary in my pinned post on my profile)

The Encyclopedia of Country Living" by Carla Emery

John Seymour, "The Guide to Self-Suffiency".

I was on the fence for a long time about buying a DR mower, but now that I have it and have started using it I have zero reservations about the investment. I’m on 19 acres and working on establishing silvopasture, this is going to be a staple tool on our homestead!