Hi Jim:
I have been reading SurvivalBlog.com for several months now and have found it very interesting. I purchased a 640 acre farm in 1970 in the Little Clay belt in Northern Ontario and started from scratch. I was 25, not married and knew no one in the area when moved from a large urban city, six hours drive away. It was daunting and I learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Since I used up all my cash I also had to work out to make ends meet. Here are some of my thoughts in no special order:
1. Treat your neighbours well. It will pay off big time. I had a field plowed when I could not. Hay cut etc, etc. Of course I helped out when I could.
2. I read entries by your readers about having livestock. Depending where you live–I had to feed six months of the year–you have to grow and make feed. This takes equipment, knowledge of hay varieties, proper storage and manure handling, et cetera. A good book in this regard is Feeds and Feeding by Morrison. In this regard selection of animal type can be very important esp. for a small scale farm. My choices would be:
Beef: Highland Cattle. This breed came from Scotland and is very tough and can stay out side year round as long as they have a good wind break. The cows are very good mothers, very protective and in case of an animal attack all the cows will gather the calves together and circle them. I worked with a chap in the mountains of British Columbia who had a small herd and he said they would eat almost any vegetation.
Dairy: My choice would be a Jersey cow. They are on the small side, gentle and give milk that has a high fat content. This is good of course for butter and cheese.
Sheep: I liked the breeds that did not have wool on their faces. Much easier when it came time to shear.
Chickens: My vote goes for Red Rocks. While they don’t produce as well as egg-only breeds they are tough and I can keep them producing for three years.
3. Since I lived in a cold climate it is critical that once the weather turns cold to use the correct grade of diesel fuel. In cold weather summer diesel will turn to jelly when it hit minus 30 C and colder. If you have to start you tractor every day as I did you will need a block heater, a battery heater, thin engine oil and hydraulic fluid. Also, make sure your injectors are in good condition and your glow plug works.
4. Have a good dog. I had wolves, bears, lynx and other critters around and the dog would let me know if something was poking around (people as well)
5. If you are going to purchase property make sure you ask if you own the mineral rights, any easements, water rights.
6. Have your water checked on a regular basis. Also, have a test done to check trace minerals (esp. before you buy property) . In the area where I lived there was a problem of natural occurring arsenic that caused the government to close many wells.
The good news was that my jump from the big city went so well. I learned many skills and made great friends and would not change the course of action I took. While I was there I got married and the two girls had an education that most do not now have. Also, I produced all my own meat, eggs, fruit and veggies. If you are interested the Little Clay Belt is located 150 kilometers north of North Bay. The main town (5,000 population) is New Liskeard also known as Temisking Shores and is located at the top end of Lake Temisking on the Quebec border.
I can get two cuttings of hay per season and close to 2,000 lbs of barley per acre. Other farms in the area grow canola, oats, peas, wheat and some have tried out short season fodder corn. – P.H.