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I recently bought a home on 10 acres (3 of which are a shared pond with my neighbor). Its in North Carolina and the land use to be a bean farm (soil is semi depleted and has mainly sage grass). I am wanting to be as self sufficient as possible. I have a wife and two small kids with one in the way. Has anyone been able to grow enough food to provide a majority of thier foodstuff? I already planted a dozen fruit trees from the arbor day foundation. (Will take a few years to bear fruit) and am wanting to set up a sweet potato field and a large section of raised bed gardens. Thinking about getting a dozen chickens (barred Plymouth rocks) and some rabbits. Hoping to use them in a tractor setup to rotate them to help fertilize the land. I'm also thinking about stocking the pond with bass, perch, and catfish to catch but also to kill snakes that are around the pond. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated! I make pretty good money but the job takes a lot of time and only want to spend a few hours a week working this after the initial setup to keep it as less work as possible. Also, any rabbit or chicken tractor designs that work well would help me decide on one. I tend to get paralysis by analysis. Haha.
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>>1008133
Also, if anyone has tips on how to get rid of snakes (water moccasins and rattlesnakes) long term, please share. I don't want a snake biting my kids or dogs.
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>>1008142
no step on snek
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>>1008142
>how to get rid of snakes
Start breeding and releasing mongooses onto your land.
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>>1008142
you can make money from catching snakes and selling the venom
they could become a valuable resource and worth the risk
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>>1008142
Guinea fowl or pigs to get rid of snakes.
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>>1008133
I produce about 2/3 of the annual produce for my family without extensive effort. That's from half an acre in zone 4.
Get a composting area set up ASAP if the soil is shit. Start with raised beds for your vegetables. Berries yield quicker than fruit trees. Have you considered hazelnuts or other nut trees? Cloche your raised beds, I live in the mountains and can normally keep the garden going until mid-Nov.
Learn to can, at least water bath canning which means fruits and pickles. Cucumbers are not the only thing that can be pickled.
My favorite meat animal is the alpaca. Tender, delicious meat, cheap to buy (100-200 a head for non-show alpacas), very cheap to feed, low maintanence, produces exceptional fiber, quiet animals, gentle on the soil. Each yields about 60 pounds of meat. They only eat 2 pounds of hay a day in winter. And unlike goats they don't challenge fences.
If you do raise animals, learn to butcher. Also, try and grow at least some of their feed.
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>>1008199
What type of crops do you raise mainly?
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>only want to spend a few hours a week working this
With what you have planned you will be doing hours everyday working like the Amish
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>>1008133
Poison the pond, rape your neighbor's goat, burn the house, kill the wife and sacrifice the kids to Satan the Beloved!
Only then will you be free.
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>>1008191
Those bird brains do realize that is a diamond back?
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>>1008261
nah man, it is just a giant earth worm
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>>1008396
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>>1008142
>>>1008133 (OP)
>Also, if anyone has tips on how to get rid of snakes (water moccasins and rattlesnakes) long term, please share. I don't want a snake biting my kids or dogs.
For snakes what can help is keeping the brush and grass down with a bushhog. Burn the vegetation down along the edge of the lake and be diligent about keeping everything cut down near your home. As far as snake bites go, here is a great write up about what to do if one happens. TL;DR: relax and go to medical help.
https://pastebin.com/PtUhQWc4
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>>1008142
Leave them be
Teach your children not to be idiots and control your dogs
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>>1008261
Guinea fowl are from Africa. They circle venomous snakes and peck them to death like feathered wolves. They eat cobras for breakfast.
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>>1008699
Chickens do the same thing with smaller snakes. I've seen a flock of chickens kill a ~24" garter snake. I'm sure they would attack other snakes too, but we don't have many larger ones in my area.
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>>1008245
Vegetables: lettuce, spinach, carrots, mustard greens, radishes, beets, salad cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, pie pumpkins, corn, snow peas, fava beans, crooked neck squash, jerusalem artichokes, tomatoes, green onions, potatoes, garlic
Fruit: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, pears, italian prunes, apricots
Herbs: basil, oregano, thyme, lavender, german chamomile, peppermint, lamb's ears, borage, rose hips
Nuts: American hazelnuts, dwarf almonds
Forever Attempting: watermelons, cantaloupe, kiwis
I'm sure I am forgetting some, but that's the majority.
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