ASK OUR EXPERTS . . .
Homesteading empty nesters at mid life; installing a wind generator; health concerns about well water softeners.
As most folks are well aware, an attempt to achieve a
more self-reliant lifestyle often involves a good bit of
problem solving ... and much of the time, there just
doesn't seem to be a ready supply of answers to
the questions that come up. We're pleased to present, then,
the following column ... in which a number of well-known
individuals from various areas of expertise (such as
gardening, alternative building methods, hydroponics, water
toxicity, and wood heating, to name a few) have agreed to
act as "consultants" for you.
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If a question concerning some aspect of self-reliant
living has you stumped, send it to Ask Our Experts, THE
MOTHER EARTH NEWS ® 105 Stoney Mountain Road,
Hendersonville, North Carolina 28791. Please don't expect
personal replies, though. The most frequently asked
questions will be answered here—and here
only—so that we can all benefit from what these folks
have to say.
My wife and I have both just turned 40, and we're thinking
of starting a homestead in another part of the country
(we're living in California at the present time). We still
owe $3,000 on our house with ten acres, and we don't have
much spare cash ... but now that our children are grown, we
want to relocate to a more rural area and attempt to be as
self-reliant as possible.
We'd like to know if the Nearings think we're too old to
start homesteading. We have the desire to go back
to the land, but are hesitant to begin anew at our age.
You're far from old! In fact, you're just starting middle
life. Furthermore, we are at the tail end of this round of
our life on earth, and we're still at it! It isn't age that
makes the difference: It's application, stickto- it-
iveness, work, and pluck. (A little luck helps, too!)
We've moved twice since our first homesteading venture in
the 1930's, and each time we had to start from scratch on
poor, uncultivated clay. We built up the soil of both those
gardens, making the earth friable and productive for the
next person who might work with it, and then moved on to
new gardening and building endeavors.
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