When city people move to the country they are in for a few surprises. Not very much will be familiar, and there are a lot of unknowns. This is especially true if you are moving to an acreage. This is a very basic overview of some ideas you may not have thought of when considering making a change to a rural lifestyle.
Looking for a Home?
You can begin a search yourself on the Internet, but ultimately you may want to find a realator who is familiar with country living and property. Preferably one who also lives on an acreage.
How much land do you want or need? I am going to assume you are not moving out to the country to suddenly start up a full blown cow/calf operation, so lets suppose you want something under 80 acres. If you want to have animals, find out the local requirements and laws regarding keeping livestock. You will need to specify to the realator what kind of animals you want to have so they can find you an appropriate property, especially if you are not willing to spend extra money fencing or building barns and shelters. For somebody who wants animals, ten to thirty acres is a manageable size. Consideration of how much land you want and can handle is very important.
Inquire about water. What is the well like, is the water drinkable, is the pump fast? Are there extra wells for the animals? Are there automatic livestock watering systems? What about sewage, does it go into a tank or go into a septic field? Ask if Internet is available and what kind of Television service provider is in the area, as cable TV or Internet may not be an option. Inquire about schools, and the school bus system. Where to you get your mail? How close are the nearest shops, places of employment, and Hospital? Where do you take your garbage? Do you burn the paper? Is there a recycling depot near by? What kind of recreation or entertainment is in the area?
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Getting Settled
Once you have bought your home, moved in, and unpacked, the first thing you will notice is the quiet... or the coyotes. You will be approached by people introducing themselves as your neighbours, only to find out they actually live four or five miles away. The weather forecast will suddenly become ten times more important to you.
Take the time to walk or drive around the area. Become familiar with the neighbours dogs. There are usually one or two who will chase your vehicle as you drive by. It can be an alarming sight to have a big white dog run out of the bushes in the middle of the night if you go past, which is what happens to me several times a week on my way to work at night.
One of the biggest advantages of country living is that you can have cool animals, and grow some of your own food. If your pastures are overgrown you might consider having a few sheep to keep the grass down so it is not a fire hazard. I recommend hair sheep like Barbados. Hair sheep do not require sheering so are less maintenance. You will need a guard animal for the sheep, either a llama, alpaca, donkey or guard dog. You might want horses, either full sized or miniature horses. A few cows, goats or pigs may be an interesting addition. With any animal though, make sure you look into its' feeding, fencing, and shelter requirements.
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I suggest a few laying hens. A chicken coop can easily be built, or a shed or outbuilding may be converted to serve this purpose. To ensure the safety of your hens, either fence in an area for them or shut them in the coop at night. Four to six laying hens will provide you with enough eggs for a family of four, plus you can always find people looking for free range eggs. Some breeds are friendlier than others. You do not need a rooster to produce eggs. Chickens are great insect control, they love grasshoppers. But do not let them loose in your garden, they also love tomatoes and strawberries.
There is no point in moving to the country and having a front yard that looks like a golf course. Manicured lawns serve no purpose, sure you want to have some open places, but be careful not to over do it. Trees are so important to keeping our environment healthy, and having your own garden is wonderful. If you have children they will enjoy watching various vegetables and plants, like pumpkins, grow. Plan on having a few fruit trees and berry bushes too. By growing some of your own food you will save money. Remember deer will help themselves to some of your crop. You can plant potatoes around the edges of the garden to stop them somewhat.
Get a cat. Cats are great for controlling mice. All acreages have mice, you can control them with poison but what about the birds who eat the dead mice? Cats are the best, most environmental friendly way of controlling mice. Your cat should be spayed or neutered so it concentrates on the job of mousing rather than looking for a companion.
Emergency Planning
Now is the time to take advantage of buying in bulk. It makes better sense to buy a lot of things on one trip rather than making a lot of trips for one item. Because you may be a long way from the nearest town, you will want to be prepared for emergencies, such as bad weather conditions closing the roads. As such you should always have enough food for several days. Keep a well stocked pantry and invest in an energy efficient freezer. If your power goes out you wont have heat or water. Keep candles handy. In colder climates you may want a gasoline or rechargeable electric generator. Its a good idea to invest in a battery charger and keep batteries charged for flashlights and radios.
Keep your vehicle in good shape, mechanics are not around the corner. Keep at least half a tank of gas in your car, if you have an emergency at night and need to get to a hospital you need to be ready.
Country living can be very rewarding, and less stressful if you are prepared for it. Knowing what you are in for will certainly help.
