# Starting my homestead



## Youvegotcorn (Jul 24, 2015)

Hey guys, my name's Shane. I'm 20 years old and am starting a homestead. I'm in the process of building a few outbuildings to keep my crops and farm supplies out of the weather. It's going to be slow going though. I'm an industrial electrician and work 60 hours a week. A little on my property: it was originally my great grandfather 50 acre farm. He left it to his daughter and half to my grandfather. He then left it to me. It's mainly terraced pastures but there is some old and new growth forest with mostly tall pine. I've been working on a corn crib for a few weeks. All the posts were hewn by me and the wood was free off craigslist. I'm going to post some other pictures of the property as well


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## Youvegotcorn (Jul 24, 2015)

Here's is my corn crib. Nothing special. But I'm proud of it.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Good age to start. Keep posting along when you have time.


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## TheTennesseeJew (Aug 17, 2015)

Hey man, 20 here also, grew up homesteading. Props on the corn crib btw.

I'm sorry you only have pine, It's not good to burn in a chimney, it will likely clog up your chimney and catch the house on fire. If you can find oak on your property cherish them. The are great for fire wood. Also, if you plan on raising animals, oaks or cedar make excellent posts for a fence or shelter. We have used them to even make the posts for a ground blind in our hunting locations! 

I've found that sawmill slabs (they usually burn them anyway) work great and the managers are usually willing to give them away instead of burning them. We use these to build the shelter walls with. 

Words of the wise my grandpa taught me are traps are a must. I usually live traps for multiple reasons, mainly because I have 5 dogs and pinning up there legs would kill me. 

If your interested making posts is very simple. HMU if you are.

Good luck!!


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

TheTennesseeJew said:


> I'm sorry you only have pine, It's not good to burn in a chimney, it will likely clog up your chimney and catch the house on fire. If you can find oak on your property cherish them. The are great for fire wood.


Actually pine won't create any more creosote than any other wood....that is a old tale that simply isn't true.

The University of Wisconsin did a study about 30 years ago. They set up a whole bunch of wood stoves (same brand/size), and burned softwoods and hardwoods. The results were ALL woods will produce similar amounts of creosote depending on the moisture content of the wood, and the amount of air that is burned with the wood.

The BEST thing to do with any wood is make sure it is well seasoned (low moisture), burn it in a newer wood stove (using either gassifier or catalytic technology....they really do work), and clean your chimney on a regular basis.

Oak is a better firewood than pine because it is denser and lasts longer based on the same volume. But all wood burns, and all wood contains the same BTU content per pound.


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## tarbe (Apr 7, 2007)

TnAndy said:


> But all wood burns, and all wood contains the same BTU content per pound.


Well, you learn something new every day.

My first thought was "no way". 

But I was thinking BTU per cord...which is a _*volumetric *_measure.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Yep. 

Which is one BIG reason if you buy your wood by the cord you want the densest hardwood you can get....you're getting more fuel value because you're getting more pounds of wood.

Also means less trips to fill the stove, since you're limited on most stoves by volume as well, so a good fill of hickory will far outlast a fill of white pine. But both burn, and people burn what they have.


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## TheTennesseeJew (Aug 17, 2015)

TnAndy said:


> Actually pine won't create any more creosote than any other wood....that is a old tale that simply isn't true.
> 
> The University of Wisconsin did a study about 30 years ago. They set up a whole bunch of wood stoves (same brand/size), and burned softwoods and hardwoods. The results were ALL woods will produce similar amounts of creosote depending on the moisture content of the wood, and the amount of air that is burned with the wood.
> 
> ...



Wow!! Did not know this. Thanks for the info!!


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## chuckhole (Mar 2, 2006)

Youvegotcorn said:


> Hey guys, my name's Shane. I'm 20 years old and am starting a homestead......


Congratulations. I envy your early start in life. Some of us don't learn until later. At 56, I still consider myself a "******* in training". I was all city boy until 11 years ago when we bought land. It is a learning process, and well worth the effort (and thank you HomesteadingToday.com).

Take it slow and easy, you have your whole life in front of you and what an AWESOME start.


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## SteveRobertson (Aug 27, 2015)

You've got a great track going there! It's great to see you younger guys pick up the baton and run. I look forward to lots of your posts.


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## JCinTX (Feb 19, 2013)

I wish I had your wisdom when I was your age. I hope you will post how things are going for you now. My hat is off to you.


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## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

It's so good to hear of young people doing this!


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Good for you kiddo. You have a huge opportunity that most can't realise until they are well into their 50's or 60's. :thumb:


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## Radams1265 (Mar 2, 2016)

Welcome I'm a homesteader at 18! I live on my parents land in a small cabin my grandfather built and I'm a industrial Sheet metal worker at trade. I raise rabbits and now grow oyster mushrooms. Soon I hope to buy a suitable plot of land.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Youvegotcorn said:


> Hey guys, my name's Shane. I'm 20 years old and am starting a homestead. I'm in the process of building a few outbuildings to keep my crops and farm supplies out of the weather. It's going to be slow going though. I'm an industrial electrician and work 60 hours a week. A little on my property: it was originally my great grandfather 50 acre farm. He left it to his daughter and half to my grandfather. He then left it to me. It's mainly terraced pastures but there is some old and new growth forest with mostly tall pine. I've been working on a corn crib for a few weeks. All the posts were hewn by me and the wood was free off craigslist. I'm going to post some other pictures of the property as well



Ok, what is a corn crib? Ignorant northerner asking. My first guess would be to put corn in it? lol
Assuming that is the case, what is the purpose? To dry it out? Then what? thx


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## quadrants2 (Apr 2, 2005)

Good job Shane..best of luck!


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