My wife, Kat, and I are working with another couple in the pursuit of a dream. That dream is a mini-farm with hoop houses, small greenhouses, for year-round organic gardening.
I am reading a book I "Mini-Farming Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre" by Brett L. Markham.
It describes Intensive Agricultural Techniques. This techniques uses raised beds and grow vegetables more closely together than traditional row methods. It is said that this technique requires less land--thus requiring less water and labor while reducing the need for weeding. Intensive gardening produce the same amount of food in 20% of the space or even less that that, leading to greatly reduced costs.
The advantage of using a hoop house or a greenhouse is that it will allow for year-round gardening. Even when it is freezing outside the temperatures in a greenhouse can reach 70-80 degrees. Of course not all vegetables can be grown in winter and I will later be posting more information on which can and cannot be grown. For now this post is about the dream.
What is behind this dream?
Kat and I are in our early sixties and we have decided to take what little we have in the stock market and invest in a small farm of 15-25 acres. We believe that investing in this farm will be a better use and bring us a better return on our money. The main reason we are doing it is to become self-sufficient through having the resources for growing our own food. We have purposely chosen a small farm because it is something older people can manage.
On this farm we will build three different sized greenhouses to be used for different purposes. We will build a small barn to be used for farm animals and for a learning center for teaching other people interested in either greenhouse or hoop house gardening.
Mini-Greenhouse Farming also requires less expensive tools and can almost be done using the tools pictured in the photo to the left.
I will post photos as we move forward in pursuing this dream. The first photo will be of the land we purchase. The photos following that will be of the greenhouses, the cabins and the barn that we build.
One of the most important reasons we are pursuing this dream is because we feel it can be a ministry where we can use the gifts and talents God has given us to help others.
I hope this post will stir in you a desire to pursue your own dream.
6 comments:
Blessings Larry. Sounds like Heaven on Earth. (Whoops...no pun
on 'earth' intended) tee hee
I would love to live in the country yet be just close enough to
reach the suburbs for an emergency...just in case.
Kate
Thank you for your comment. I am not sure if I ever received a comment so fast after making a post. I received a great amount of encouragement from you today.
We are looking at purchasing our mini farm about 60 miles outside of Kansas City, MO so that we will have a market for the excess crops we grow. It will also give us an opportunity to give away a portion of our produce to the needy. We have decided to give the first 10% of our harvest to the homeless. We believe that whatever that God will bless the other 90%. We intend to be active in the small community that we locate in.
this is awesome larry! I can't wait to see this dream as it grows!
Hey Jason
We are doing this along with Rick and Karen. We are going to cash in our 401K which is losing money and invest in the farm.
Hope to have enough money to get the land, build a barn and two cabins as well as greenhouses.
We are looking in the Bates County Missouri area but are open to whatever God brings along.
God bless you! We are with you! We also have a small farm south of Overland Park, KS where we homeschool our 6 blessings from the Lord and and raise chickens, goats, horses and Great Pyrs and organic produce. We're learning as we go! God is so good. May He bless your work! Natalie and John Davis
Evan
Thanks for your comment.
Kat and I would love to come visit you at your farm sometime. We live in Louisburg so we are only a few minutes from you.
Larry
913 636 1862
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