Welcome to the Dragonshire Homesteading
updated 2.5.02
Why Homestead ?Better to ask why pay rent? As pagans, we are supposed to have an affinity for the land. So, why not seek to fullfill that part of our lives, and make our life more secure at the same time. Life is changing at such a fast pace these days. It only makes sense to try and find a way to stabilize our life. Owning our own home is a good place to start.
Homesteading lets you get away from the "Rat race" and gives you more freedom to expand your Knowlege of the world around you. It removes the hassle of being under someone else's control. It allows you to be closer to Nature. It gets you out from under the whims of others. How many times have you had to move because someone else, raised your rent or sold the place you were living. It allows you to live in a healthier enviroment, both Mentally and Physically.
If these aren't enough reasons to homestead then this page will be of no use to you.
Finding the Land !!
The first thing to do is, decide if you want to live off the land or just have it as a place to escape to once in awhile. Then comes how much land do you NEED as compared to how much you WANT. If you dont plan on farming or ranching you dont need 100's of acres. 5 acres may be plenty. I advise spending some extra time on this phase, because if you start with to little you may not be able to buy more later.
The next part is a personal choice for you to make, as to which gets more priority. Is it more important that you be able to find a job close by, or is it more important where the land is. The two may not always match. I leave that choice to you. If you plan to run a Homebased Business then finding a job moves way down the list. Maybe you want to live in the mountains no matter what. It's hard to drive 75 miles each way, not to mention the cost of doing so. I think you get the point.
Some Thought's on things
This is where i give mor info on how and why i personally think homesteading is a good idea. First off let me define what i mean by homesteading.... it is when you make a decision to buy some land and build your own home on it and live there raising your family as you see fit. If that includes growing your own fruit and vegetables and raising your own livestock, that is your choice. As far as i am concerened anything that gets you closer to The Mother is a good thing. People for far to long have been caught up in just trying to stay even with the Jones, they have lost sight of what really matters to them personally.
With today's access to information you would be suprised how easy it can be to build your own home for very little money. There are so many different alternative method's of construction, that anybody with a little common sense and a little knowlege of tools, a person could build quit a nice home for themself. All you need is a little imagination and the will to do it.