posted on Apr, 24 2015 @ 03:17 AM
I'm wanting to do this as well, somewhere in Missouri, Arkansas or West Texas in a county with no zoning or building codes. As long as you pay your
insurance and taxes the government shouldn't bother you. Now if you build a fort or some kind of military compound I can see you drawing the
attention of the local authorities.
Anyway once I purchase the property the first thing I wanna do is install some ponds and a swale on contour system that covers the entire property. I
want to dig a well at the highest point on the property next to a pond and I would hook the well to a solar pump that would run when the sun shines
filling up the pond to over flowing flooding the swales on the entire property. If I do this in West Texas I would have to add a layer of manure at
least 3 inches add worms and around 3 inches of mulch or any kind of carbon I can find. The next year I would plant nitrogen positive bushes and
trees and 6 months later I would plant fruit and nut trees spaced out between the nitrogen adding trees and bushes. If I do this in Arkansas or
Missouri I wouldn't have to add the manure or mulch as much, I would most likely have to cut down or thin out the forests.
My goal would be to have a pond and swale system supporting orchards and grasses that I would paddock off into sections for cows and chickens and
pigs. Each paddock would have a refilling water source for livestock daily the cows and pigs (separate paddocks) would graze on the grass and would
be moved daily into the next paddock, and chickens (in a chicken tractor free range kind) would follow the following day to spread out the manure and
consume the bugs effectively prepping the paddock for new growth. I want between 21 and 30 paddocks for each cows and pigs. I would design a central
building for birthing, milking, and wintering.
The pigs would be fed whey (byproduct of making cheese), and all the defective fruit and veggies and small ration of organic grain (hopefully grain I
grew).
I also want a aquaponic set up, mostly for feeding family and animals and I want a fish room to breed all kinds of fish, I would dehydrate fish and
fruits and veggies to make my own fish/rabbit pellets to use and to sell avoiding farm regulations.
My main products would be fertilizer, worm tea, live fish both tropical and local game types, bait worms, minnows, meal worms fish/rabbit food,
lumber, and possibly a pick your own orchard when they have started producing. Possibly other typical farm product like milk, ice cream, cheese,
wine, and meat chickens, beef and pork.
The farming aspect would depend on government regulations but my goal would be to feed my family and then some. Everything would be organic and
processed or sold live via feed supply stores, farmers markets, and a website.
Every dollar made the "business" would get 2 shares and 1 share for each who work on the "farm." The 2 shares for the business would goto
insurance and taxes and capital improvements, its possible I would have to modify this budget.
OP I would research geothermal heating and air system before doing a compost set up, seems like it would be hard crawling under your house removing
compose when its done and adding new material. Your group could do geothermal with some study.
Good Luck!