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Billy Roper

Billy Roper

Awesome Friend
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Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
359
Location
Arkansas
My goal for the next year, as I restart life after my ongoing divorce, is to buy a small house in the country. If I have limited land, perhaps as little as an acre, what are members' recommendations for the best use of such a small amount of land for survivalist/prepping purposes? I'm interested in advice for maximizing the efficiency of small land plots. As far as the climate, it would be in the Arkansas Ozarks region, if that helps.
 
i been through there i dunno how many times while growing up..you say little as 1 acre.im thinking maybe up to 5 acres.you might be able to find a peice of land with a little creek or stream flowing through it.which would be a added pluse if you did.look for land thats far as possible from the primary roads.fewer ppl you'll see in the area the better.especilly when it comes to wild game and privacy...the ground of the rpoperty you choose will most and likely be very very fertile already.so thats a added pluss right off,for garden(s).look into ponds lakes large creeks and lakes for fish.even if it's within a days hike to it.and if you can camp out there...chances are,you'll be able to have what ever kind of rain catchment system you want..even if it's a water tower..look into water and minrel rights.this way you can have a well,if you get that with the property.
 
Billy Roper said:
My goal for the next year, as I restart life after my ongoing divorce, is to buy a small house in the country. If I have limited land, perhaps as little as an acre, what are members' recommendations for the best use of such a small amount of land for survivalist/prepping purposes? I'm interested in advice for maximizing the efficiency of small land plots. As far as the climate, it would be in the Arkansas Ozarks region, if that helps.
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One thing I'm learning about gardening is smaller can produce more. When everything I have is planted, it's overwhelming and lots of it descent get weeded, fertilized or watered as well as it should. A small space is less work too. I agree with Jim, a stream or water source is a must for the property. If prepping is what you have in mind,that's a must. I don't care if the house is an old ratty trailer with a hole in the roof, if it has a good stream anything else can be fixed up. If we loose electricity on any sort of scale in this country, living without water close at hand will be a bitch.
 
chickens are easy to raise and provide two types of food. don't need much land either. get a coop and let them free range during the day. make sure you put them up at night. and pigs. pigs you can get quite a few in a small area. they will take the land to dirt but will eat anything. plus a good garden. you can get quite a bit on as little as an acre. an acre is 208 x 208 feet. so roughly 2/3 of a foot ball field. go find a high school field and stand at the 70 yard line (210 feet) and look at the furthest goal post. that will give you an idea of how much stuff you will probably be able to do. on an acre you might also be able to do a few goats or a cow. goats will eat EVERYTHING though.
 
thumpmaster2003 said:
chickens are easy to raise and provide two types of food. don't need much land either. get a coop and let them free range during the day. make sure you put them up at night. and pigs. pigs you can get quite a few in a small area. they will take the land to dirt but will eat anything. plus a good garden. you can get quite a bit on as little as an acre. an acre is 208 x 208 feet. so roughly 2/3 of a foot ball field. go find a high school field and stand at the 70 yard line (210 feet) and look at the furthest goal post. that will give you an idea of how much stuff you will probably be able to do. on an acre you might also be able to do a few goats or a cow. goats will eat EVERYTHING though.
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Don't forget rabbits. They take very little space, good to eat plus you get their fur, their droppings make the best fertilizer and they breed like...well, rabbits.
 
Arcticdude said:
Don't forget rabbits. They take very little space, good to eat plus you get their fur, their droppings make the best fertilizer and they breed like...well, rabbits.
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Have done a bit of reading about them and decided we are going to startup in Jan next year, doesn't look to complicated will try and keep you folks up to date on progress. We decided to start with what they call the New Zealand Reds over here.
uploadfromtaptalk1449332303494.jpg
Will be building my own cages as well.
 
Joe SA said:
Have done a bit of reading about them and decided we are going to startup in Jan next year, doesn't look to complicated will try and keep you folks up to date on progress. We decided to start with what they call the New Zealand Reds over here.
View attachment 4943Will be building my own cages as well.
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My wife bought two pet rabbits when I was working in the Middle East. She became so impressed with raising rabbits that she bought quite a few more when I returned home. I think she had some New Zealand's too. She now has plans for me to build a rabbit barn next spring.
 
as many above here have said,it might be wise to start with that acre,you can still grow a heck of a lot veggies there,easy to protect,you have your animals close to you,but get a place with water,bunnies are good,during ww2 my dad raised bunnies for food.
 
Joe SA said:
Have done a bit of reading about them and decided we are going to startup in Jan next year, doesn't look to complicated will try and keep you folks up to date on progress. We decided to start with what they call the New Zealand Reds over here.
View attachment 4943Will be building my own cages as well.
Click to expand...
I raised new zeland whites here. They are large, grow quickly, and we're hearty. The meat was very lean, and it is a snap to clean one. I gave my last two to a friend at work, but got the experience if I ever need to raise my own meat again. I still have one rooster now, and will get two or three hens again this spring for eggs again.
 
Brent S said:
I raised new zeland whites here. They are large, grow quickly, and we're hearty. The meat was very lean, and it is a snap to clean one. I gave my last two to a friend at work, but got the experience if I ever need to raise my own meat again. I still have one rooster now, and will get two or three hens again this spring for eggs again.
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Tried the chicken thing, not for me, not that i wouldn't keep them, but to me they are a shlep.
 
I think there are a lot of people who don't realise how big an acre is.
a lot of people on house buying shows here want "an acre or two so I can have a veg plot"!! that's a hell of a lot of veggie's!!!
 
The problem for a prepper with only an acre of land is that there is probably hundreds of others surrounding you with just an acre between. That's to crowded for me. If there ever is a SHTF situation all those people will want what you have. My closest neighbor is 5 miles away and I feel that's too close.
 
1. Make sure there's a well on the property.
2. Allow room for a septic tank and drain field.
3. For gardening, use square-foot gardening techniques to maximize yields in small spaces (all kinds of guides to this online). If climate has challenges, a small greenhouse is a good idea too.
4. Rabbits and Chickens are easy and don't take up a lot of room. I do both myself.
5. Use rain catchment to provide water for gardening
6. Propane tank and generator for backup power, solar for items that are affordable as solar (like a solar gate, etc.)
7. Have a standing backup tank with a dispenser for fuel. (though you'll have to consistently rotate through it, to keep it usable, but also have some Stabil onhand for it too.
 
Arcticdude said:
The problem for a prepper with only an acre of land is that there is probably hundreds of others surrounding you with just an acre between. That's to crowded for me. If there ever is a SHTF situation all those people will want what you have. My closest neighbor is 5 miles away and I feel that's too close.
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on a small island there is always someone nearby, I just keep a long way away from the cities, neighbours aren't the problem, unprepared city folk are the problem.
 
bigpaul said:
on a small island there is always someone nearby, I just keep a long way away from the cities, neighbours aren't the problem, unprepared city folk are the problem.
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I agree, people can, and should, be an asset. No one can work all day and stand guard all night by themselves. A group can accomplish so much more than an individual. I really wish I had some people close to me that I trusted and could work with. If shtf, I feel groups would come together pretty quickly. Survival would likely depend on it.
 
Gazrok said:
1. Make sure there's a well on the property.
2. Allow room for a septic tank and drain field.
3. For gardening, use square-foot gardening techniques to maximize yields in small spaces (all kinds of guides to this online). If climate has challenges, a small greenhouse is a good idea too.
4. Rabbits and Chickens are easy and don't take up a lot of room. I do both myself.
5. Use rain catchment to provide water for gardening
6. Propane tank and generator for backup power, solar for items that are affordable as solar (like a solar gate, etc.)
7. Have a standing backup tank with a dispenser for fuel. (though you'll have to consistently rotate through it, to keep it usable, but also have some Stabil onhand for it too.
Click to expand...
My garden is four times the size of the greenhouse, but produces about the same yield. I am on 2.5 acres, but realistically am only utilizing 1/2 of it. Most people aren't even going to have a vineyard and a large blueberry patch. I could probably do as well with a lot less. You can produce a lot on even 1/3 acre if you plan it well. To me it's just common sense to plant edibles vs having a manicured lawn to have to maintain. I really hate mowing anyways!
 
Brent S said:
I agree, people can, and should, be an asset. No one can work all day and stand guard all night by themselves. A group can accomplish so much more than an individual. I really wish I had some people close to me that I trusted and could work with. If shtf, I feel groups would come together pretty quickly. Survival would likely depend on it.
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I disagree, post SHTF will be the time to be wary of strangers, strangers= danger!. trust has to be earned not given away. trusting the wrong person could be fatal, SHTF will bring out the worst in people as well as ,hopefully, the best.
 
have you ever thought about aquaponics? you can produce a lot of food quickly. with the system i was running i ran 14 plants in a 26 x 60 in grow bed system. my lettuce was growing at 2 inches a day and it was running off a 29 gallon aquarium with 3 goldfish in it. it is some work to get everything up and running properly. alot of trial and error on the bell siphons to get them to drain correctly but it is fun to know you set up that system that produces extremely well. if you had a green house you could alot larger system and produce as much food as you could on a 1/4 acre. below are the specs for a store bought system. on food and fish production if you used a fish as tilapia. lettuce in a setup aquaponics system can completely grow in 30 days instead of the normal growing season outside.

The F-5 is a fantastic system for the beginner or anyone who wants to set up a small but highly productive aquaponic system. An F-5 can annually produce 110 lbs of fish and 900-1440 heads of lettuce, other leafy crops or a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and more. The F5 has a single 110-gallon fish tank to save on space and 2—3’ x 5’ plant grow beds. The F5 is a great system for a beginner and makes an ideal classroom aquaponic system.
 
With square-foot gardening techniques, and maybe some rabbits or a few chickens you could get by on less than 5 acres. Especially if it's not too many people, though without other people to help you security could become a concern, one person can't keep an area of land secure by themselves. You'll want at least three other people to keep up patrols in a shtf scenario. Also to share labor of gardening and livestock.

Gazrok said:
1. Make sure there's a well on the property.
2. Allow room for a septic tank and drain field.
3. For gardening, use square-foot gardening techniques to maximize yields in small spaces (all kinds of guides to this online). If climate has challenges, a small greenhouse is a good idea too.
4. Rabbits and Chickens are easy and don't take up a lot of room. I do both myself.
5. Use rain catchment to provide water for gardening
6. Propane tank and generator for backup power, solar for items that are affordable as solar (like a solar gate, etc.)
7. Have a standing backup tank with a dispenser for fuel. (though you'll have to consistently rotate through it, to keep it usable, but also have some Stabil onhand for it too.
Click to expand...

Basically this, you'll want either a source of running water or a well on your property, and the water rights. That's a must-have, along with a solar pump to bring it up to the house.
 
Gazrok said:
Yeah, a solar pump is high on my wishlist.

This technique is cool too...a garden that doesn't LOOK like a garden:
http://www.alloutdoor.com/2013/07/02/hide-garden-plain-sight/

My garden area is actually hidden from view by my garage though, so that works for me.
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Here is some ideas, the one we installed at the BOL provides about 5 000 liters per day, we installed a control box on it so that it only pumps when there is a constant 12 volt supply from the panel, no batteries needed then.

http://www.sustainable.co.za/solar-power/solar-pumps.html
 
I have read about that, and wouldn't at all mind having a fish and food production greenhouse.
 
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