My family of six has recently moved to Maine from New Jersey. It is quite a change. We all love it!!!! We have moved to a an old farm house in need of some repairs. It keeps us quite busy. What I want to know is what do you start with first. I've aquired two goat kids, (cashmere doelings) already. I plan on spinning on my unused spinningwheel. I plan on getting sheep in the near future(any breed suggestions would be appreciated, for a beginner ) I am also in the market for a dairy cow (Jersey(gentle) or holstein or anything that is tolerant of small children and a family animal. We live on 45 acres of beautiful land. rock gardens and all!!! We have @ 20 acres of pasture and are planning for more. What I want to know is where do you begin? I've been dreaming of this life for sooooo long and now that it is here I do not know where to begin. I know that the orchard is usually first, but mine is already there. What is next?? I am so overwhelmed with the simpleness or the lack of craziness that I do not know where to begin.I am hoping to get a dairy cow in before the winter and also a few sheep. The day we moved in (july17, 2000) I put in peas, green beans, swiss chard, spinach, radishes, lettuce, and cabbage. Hopefully we will get a crop of something. Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance cara lewis cnllewis@email.com P.S. Thanks to Joel for the offer of tomato plants earlier and I haven't gotten a chance to answer him it has been so crazy. Thank you for the offer Joel!!! I love being a Mainer sooo faaar. It is just so laid back and friendly, and I look forward to spending many happy years here!!! Thanks again Cara Lewis cnllewis@email.com

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), July 29, 2000

Answers

Don't jump in too big too fast! Set yourself a goal and aim towards it. Plan ahead how you'll get your hay & feed for any cows or goats you get. Hens are always an easy thing to have around, maybe you can get some from your local neighbors. I observed my friend with goats before I went and purchased some, that way I knew what to expect. She helped me to know exactly what equipment, etc. I would need. Sounds like you guys are gonna have a great place there! GOOD LUCK!

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), July 29, 2000.

Keep im mind that winter is just around the corner, plan for that now!

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), July 30, 2000.

Go slow, and spend the winter reading up on the Country life; that way you'll have some idea what you are getting into! You have a lot of work, fun, and sadness ahead, but it is worth it. I sure wouldn't want to move back to the city!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), July 30, 2000.

First things first. If the house needs to be fixed FIX IT. Does the roof leak anywhere? Is it drafty? Seal any roof leaks now while it is reasonably warm. The same goes for caulking of cracks, etc. You did not say how you intend to heat. We bought our old farm house 12 years ago intending to heat only with wood. We did and still do just that but, the first thing that we had to do was to build a new chimney. We did that in the summer of '88. I am sure that this would have been a nightmare in winter weather. I would suggest not getting any more animals until spring. The need for feed, bedding, housing, and fencing can surprise you at just the wrong time, so go slowly here. A special tip here: If anyone says "they are good goats, they won't need fences", disregard most of whatever else that they have to say... You did not say anything about income. I would suggest taking a strong look at where your money will be coming from. I once found myself with only $20 in cash going into winter on the day that my chain saw died, I did have an axe and my supply of firewood was short. I remember stating that I could make it the old ways. I could not, and the result was a disaster at least financially. Quite a severs setback. We can plan our way out of some of the problems. Post often, and hopefully you will do well (plan on it)...

-- Ed Copp (edcopp@yahoo.com), July 30, 2000.

Amen on the slow and cautious approach. I'd say spend a year reading and learning from others about a new enterprise before trying it, and even then slowly at first. Examples: If you don't know what milk fever is, you shouldn't own a milk cow. Volunteer to help someone with milk goats feed, treat and milk them before getting any yourself.

When I started my cattle farm I was going to do things almost completely different than what my neighbors did. Well, five years later I basically mimic what they do.

Make friends in your area with at least two people, a good vet and your county ag agent. Certainly your neighbors also. If you ask for help, then take their advice. Locally the custom is to sit and talk about things in general before coming to the point of the conversation.

Also check out the Countryside Bookstore. Good, basic reference books there. One suggested by several on the forum is The Have-More Plan. While it may seem dated, it still contains plenty of good information.

Study and go slow. Only add something new when you are comfortable you know what you will be doing. Continue to use this forum. The only dumb question is the one not asked. I'll give you an example of this. When Admiral Rickover was at the Naval Academy he was having a particular problem with one class, perhaps physics. He kept asking so many questions the instructor said for him to come on Saturday morning for a special tutoring session. Turns out most of his fellow classmates turned up also. Also turns out he became the father of the nuclear submarine.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), July 30, 2000.

Cara, I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to make sure your home is in liveable shape before you put too much money into livestock. If you plan to heat with wood, make sure your chimney has been cleaned and in good working order. Don't take the sellers word for it that it is clean. We bought a house in New Hampshire and believed the seller. We ended up with a chimney fire and if my husband hadn't been home and the volunteer fireman got there so fast, we would have lost our house four months after moving in. Maine winters can get you socked in sometimes so make sure you stockpile some food in the pantry and have back up systems for light, water and heat if you are without power for a week or two. As far as food, since you are probably a little late on your garden, buy some local produce when it is on sale in season and then can it. That will help insure that you have good eatin' if you get stranded. Spend the winter evaluating what you have for fencing and shelter to decide what animals you can manage from a shelter perspective. One of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make is thinking they will improve the structure/fences after they get the animals. Plan your garden as well during this time. As others mentioned, use the winter to learn more by reading and talking to people in your area who are raising the kinds of animals you want.

Overall, Mainers are a pretty friendly bunch although not as outwardly friendly initially so don't feel like they don't like you. Give them a little time to get to know you by joining clubs or local groups. If either you or your husband is so inclined, volunteer on the ambulance or fire department. They always need people and when you are accepted into these groups, you are immediately accepted by townsfolk. After our chimney fire, my husband was so impressed with the volunteer fire department that he joined up and he ended up really being a needed resource for them because he was in town during weekdays when a lot of the men were away at jobs. We both eventually joined the ambulance corps as well. We were very accepted in the town and that group of people is one that is always willing to give you a hand when you need it. Some of them cleared the trees from our land without our having to pay them and the timber was not valuable timber. Others helped with building our greenhouse and still others told us where we could find items that we were looking for at a reasonable price. It really helped us.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), July 30, 2000.

I agree with the go slow approach when it comes to animals in particular. We did the jump in approach when we finally got our farm and thought it would be ok since I had already homesteaded years before and my husband was raised on a farm. What a mistake!. I am still sorting out what each type of animal needs when it gets sick and that is after 5 years! ! ! We finally have cut down on our small livestock and are concentrating on the cattle and my daughter has her sheep. We also raise horses (mostly mine).

Definitely set down with pencil and paper and write up your "projects" and wants and needs. This should be everything so that as you do the intermediate projects you have the overall plan in mind and hopefully won't need to re-do things over the years. This should help to crystalize what you want to do with your land. Realize that this is a long term plan and it won't all happen at once, but will help to keep you on track.

Every winter we go over the "projects" list and decide what we will work on in the coming year and it works pretty well. You have to be flexible enough though to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves or to re-think what you are working on if obstacles occur.

Good luck with everything and e-mail me if I can be of any help.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), July 30, 2000.

I agree w/Ed Cobb: Check the roof for leaks. All the nice hay in the world will be ruined if the roof leaks. Same with the house. Make sure no water is getting in before sinking too much money in fixing up the interior. Start at the top. ;-)

I also concur with the "start slow" approach; too many folks burn out from getting too big too soon. Go slow. Find out what you enjoy; what you dislike doing; which animals you like; which are a pain; what grows well in your garden; what doesn't. Mainly, keep it simple and keep it enjoyble.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), July 31, 2000.

Focus on fencing, BEFORE you bring animals home, no matter how much you want the critters or what a good deal you're getting on them. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to keep animals in with inadequate fencing. That pretty garden you just put in will be ruined faster than you can yell "the goats are out!" if you don't have good fencing.

-- Shannon (Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary) (gratacres@aol.com), July 31, 2000.

I agree with everyone who says go slow but sure. I don't know about where you are but this time of year we have county fairs. Would be a good way to see different animals and meet a lot of the people who raise them. Also the crafts, cooking, canning etc. Might be a good way to meet people and get more familar with the different types and breeds of animals. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), August 01, 2000.

I agree with all of the above :o) Where in Maine are you? We're 15 min. from the border on the Canadian side. For your cow, I would suggest a Jersey. I think that a Holstein would give you way to much milk. I am second oldest in a family of six and we are satisfied with one Jersey tap!

-- Abigail F. (treeoflife@sws.nb.ca), August 01, 2000.

Since our pipes freeze almost every winter, I'd say check thopse pipes and the isulation in the house. The other thing I'd do is to clean out the barns and spread the manure on your garden site- this will give you a head start on next years garden work, which can easily get overwhelming. If the orchard is already there, it will probably need some maintenance and pruning when late fall and winter comes, in the meantime you can enjoy putting up the fruit! I would sit down with the family, and decide what your goals are, and priorities, and make a list of projects to work from. The pasture sounds like enough to me, to graze sheep and a cow, and maybe even to get some hay from. You can also plant fall bulbs (to bloom in the spring) and garlic this fall, for next year's harvest. I'd say, clean up as much as you can, because once you get entrenched in the place and have animals, etc, you won't be as likely to have the time or inclination to, and old farms often have old junk, snarls of barb wire, etc., laying around that can cause problems with livestock and children later on.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), August 01, 2000.

Welcome to Maine. Abigail and I have you bracketed, tho we are closer. Sounds like you have a great place. We're in Buxton, so not all that far away. I guess I'd go with the garden first, and for critters, chickens are a basic, at least layers. Next year, get the broilers, and if you are unfamiliar with turning them from feathered to frozen, come on down and I'll show you how. Ain't that hard, and one of the best places to start for home-grown meat. Don't worry TOO much about getting the house finished, because that's an oxymoron. The house is NEVER finished, even if it was new last week! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 02, 2000.

I agree with the rest about going slow. With winter coming on make sure the roof doesn't leak and the windows don't draft and start planning for spring. Major jobs do need immediate attention, however small non critical jobs can be put on a piece of paper and put in a "job jar" to be drawn out when you have a day to spare. My wife got the idea of the job jar from some old sunday comic strip, but it helps us to manage the things we have to do. A nice little angle I talked her into was for every 3 jobs she puts in my jar, she puts a "free day off slip" so every time I draw, I know I have a 1 in 4 of getting to play. Also look in the Nov/Dec 99 issue of Country side, they had articles on saving time on the homestead.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 05, 2000.