New Survival Location

Hi Monkeys,
I have moved to our permanent retreat and looking for survival guidance to get our new location survival ready.... I am looking to you for input on what I should focus on. I live on an 8 acre plot of land mostly usable, the rest is forested and have a great tight local community of about 12 houses. My well serves me and two other neighbors, I have a small garden that I am working to expand.

My questions are many, but where should I start my focus on survival improvements?
We have the basics of a year of food, plenty of ammo and some bartering supplies....
We recently moved here and I just am not sure what my priorities are......
Please throw some ideas on what I should focus on to create a place to survive and thrive.

 

Get to know your neighbors. Invite them alll over for a cookout. Water, shelter and food are essential, but good neighbors can make everything easier. Think networking. Learn what assets they have that could benefit you.

 

8 acres with a woodlot is a good situation. It's an adequate acreage for a family size self sufficient mini farm.

Put together a map of your property to scale with a clear acetate / plastic overlay....that will be a useful planning tool.

Familiarise yourself with permaculture...Permaculture particularly when planning location of gardening / grazing / woodlot and outbuilding sitings

A familiarity with Hugelkultur will be useful....it will enable you to garden intensively with a small footprint...and it can be integrated into a homestead defensive plan. Hügelkultur - Wikipedia

Develop an acquisition plan for self sufficiency tools, equipment and supplies to make the most of what you produce...home canning,https://extension.psu.edu/lets-preserve-basics-of-home-canning food dehydration,Using Dehydration to Preserve Fruits, Vegetables, and Meats pickling, Home Pickling Basics - What You Need to Know to Get Started smoke house,How Does Smoking Preserve Food? | Livestrong.com root cellar 25 DIY Root Cellar Plans & Ideas to Keep Your Harvest Fresh Without Refrigerators, etc You won't be able to buy it all at once, but work out a budget and priorities, and make the most of fleeting opportunities.

Diversify your domestic stock...and your crops...Discover the Easiest Animals to Raise on a Small Farm

Start a worm farm http://www.foodwise.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Worms-ONLINE-1.pdf...it will make good use of your food waste, turning it into plant nutrients for your garden.

Stock your farm dams with fish, and consider aquaponics What is Aquaponics and How Does it Work? - The Permaculture Research Institute. as a further means of diversification.

Depending on your homestead's location (climate and prevailing weather patterns) establish a green house, cold frames and 'glass house'. this will extend your growing season, and enable you to grow varieties that may not be common in your area. Make use of micro climates in your location.


Establish a permaculture orchard....with a mix of early, mid season and late season fruit and nut varieties...don't forget some species / varieties need cross pollinator companions, and some are self pollinating. https://permacultureapprentice.com/here-is-how-you-make-a-living-from-a-4-acre-permaculture-orchard/ https://misfitgardening.com/building-a-permaculture-orchard-how-to-grow-more-food-in-your-backyard/

More to follow........

 

If you are just starting out in a new area, the most important part of planning is your neighbors, the older ones know what works in your area, late tomato and potato blight destroys all crops, but Katahdan will get you some here, or watch out for that d*** building Inspector but one of the selectmen hates him too, and if you pull your permits from him, the inspector will basically ignore you. It is also important to be in the loop for which son, grandchild, etc, is home on vacation from prison, and what he looks like, who has the tools, rototiller, wood splitter, brush hog, portable saw mill, other expensive equipment and either does custom work or will just help out. Last and not the least, what is the attitude of the area, are they semi prepared due to life style, religion, or mind set, or will they be coming to your house the day after TSHTF for their fair share. Land and preps are a good start, but the community will determine if you do or don't survive.

A side note, but I think one needed, I rent out a place to a good Christian family man who works in the trades. He is an excellent renter, a very good father and husband, they are doing an very good job of home schooling their well behaved children, but as well raised as he is, being a "renter" he does not cut the brush, paint the house, do any routine tasks beyond mowing the lawn, and I doubt if they have over 2 weeks food in their house. I knew his grand parents, I know his parents, went to his Christening, but I don't really know how much use he would be in a long term situation. He is willing and a good guy, just not prepared like his parents and grand parents were. I am afraid that for most of us, that is the best we can hope for, is that our neighbors will not be a danger and at best be of some aid if things go bad. Then there is always the wild card of their children, grand children, other family, if things do go bad.

 

Pay attention to those around you who target practice.

Good slow aimed shots are always welcome sounds and those you should seek out for a meet up and further talks.

 

Build a trebuchet.

 

Based on past experience, shared wells can become problematic in really short order. Economics, shared expenses, is but one bone of contention. The most recent example I know of had two of the members of the cooperative arrangement punching their own wells on their own property and capping the common pipe that was on their property. (You didn't say if the common well is on your property or others, but the same principle applies, go your own path and be sure that the other co-op members know exactly what they can and cannot do with the well.)

All that aside, congrats on the new digs. Plant some blackberry bushes under all the windows and make sure the fences are in good order. Make range cards for all windows, then set back and enjoy the sunrises/sets from your own deck.

 

While I agree about a single well, the access to other folks property, with their permission , is a plus to see how they live. Wasteful of a common water source is an indicator you should be aware of and another indicator of not only how they live but how they treat resources.

 

I'd build a greenhouse to expand my growing season...

 

All of the above!

 

8 acres is not much for a wood supply unless it’s all woods. After a house,a big garden,a green house,there is not going to be much left for firewood. Try and find someone to supply you with the wood you need and keep at least four years supply on hand. Keep it under a shed out of the rain and you are good to go.
Trump 2020.

 

Bear in mind that if the well is on your property, they have the same access. Of course the agreement for sharing the well might say otherwise in either or both directions.

 

I'd scope them out first & for awhile - check for any overt bad sign >>> no use getting them involved in your property & biz if you can spot problems from the road - better yet up close ....

 

Agree, but the OP stated that it was a "great tight community."

I've had renters nearby that thought my house was abandoned. Takes me awhile to warm up to new folks.

 

Yes I sometimes get that too....I just explain that that funky smell they are catching is road kill curing just a little bit longer...it kinda saves the worry of dinner invitations.

 

Like the neighbor I have down the street who came by to offer me fresh veggies... so he could look around. Thought my nightly digging in the yard was suspicious and hadn't seen anybody else come or go from the house in weeks. (That woman was out of town for months that year.) Found out later that my horse bedding for fill dirt exchange had convinced him that I'd buried a body in pieces in the back yard. We got the whole story over beers and good cigars, but not til years later.

 

Had the same thoughts from one of the County Road Crew when I was checking mail one day, I explained all I had to do was step behind a tree, which is what I always did.

 

Hand pump for the well, garden seed, Tiller, plant fruit trees, and berry bushes, chickens