I am 80 yrs old. My husband died 7 yrs ago. I cannot keep up with what we did before, but I keep plugging away. I built a small green house and a chicken house, with cattle panels. This year I had surgery and healed up quick. Now I have a knee that is acting up. My lawn mower is my golf cart, and has a large enough deck I carry things on it. There is always some way to keep active, but at the same time be aware when you need help or need to stop doing certain things. But keep loving your family and friends and keep chugging along. Love you guys.
You are doing Great!!!! My hubby passed 9 years ago now and I totally get it! What used to take both of us to do...now there is only me! You keep going, Girlfriend! We can do this!!!
Ohhh I love to hear from people like you!!!! I am almost 66 (female homesteader) and my 87 yr old mother keeps telling me...."Your not going to be able to do that much longer!" So when I hear from people like yourself it gives me hope.
I am a 63 year old woman, and I raise my own meat, vegetables. When I grow up, I want to be that 90 year old woman who feed her pigs and chickens while wearing a ball gown! My children are grown, my husband still works 60 plus hours at a job he loves, so the homesteading is left up to me, and I will never give it up, even though my chronic back pain wants me to. Without this life, I probably would be in much worse shape, because my animals and my garden force me to get up and keep moving. My tip for getting older is find ways to make the hard stuff easier. My hardest chore is weeding, but I've taken a lot of steps this summer to ease that chore.
I can so relate!!!! I have chickens, turkeys and raise meat birds and build my own stuff and put up my own fencing. I fenced two acres with T posts and horse fence myself. It was finished this year. I have a nice size garden that provides me with a years worth of food. I can and I freeze and I dehydrate and I bake all my own bread. My trick is to set small goals each day. Things that used to take me a couple of days are spread out into a week now. But that is ok. I don't kill myself, the work will always be there the next day. I look forward to rain because that is when I do my indoor stuff. I can when it gets colder out because it helps cut down on the wood that I have to put into my woodburner. Canning heats the house. I enjoy hearing about people that are older than me and still doing it. I am going to be 66 in Feb. I am a female. I just watched The Asher House and he rescued a bunch of horses from an 88 yr old horse ranch woman that admitted that it is getting too difficult for her! Imagine that!!! Lol, I am that woman that lives so rural I go out in my PJ's to tend to the chickens and sometimes even do my garden work in my PJ's. LOL
@@TerrieAllred2023 I agree. Hey I have a weeding tip for you. Maybe you have heard of it? I use woven cloth and burn holes in it for my plants. No weeds!!! Living Traditions homestead shows how they do it. My weed cloth lasted 3 years but that is because I didn't pull it up and I have harsh winters in WI. I have new stuff for next season. I wouldn't be without it. I use it for onions and garlic. For carrots I burn a lengthwise hole. The rest of my garden is potatoes and I don't bother with weed cloth. Keep up the good work sista!! Lol
Ben, we lived in a mobile home for twenty years. We raised four kids and waited until we could build a house with cash. It took six years to finish the house, but we have zero home debt and it's very freeing financially.
Dear friends husband is 80 and still running cattle. Other friend downsized a tiny bit in his late 80's and still took care of cows, cattle, and garden...died in a car accident. As I have begun to age I have taken as my mantra from a wise man.. "when you can't do what you've always done, you do what matters most." Love watching you all build your dreams.
Is your husband still doing it on horseback or doing a combination or quads and horse? I know a few doing it on horseback and it amazes me. Even 4 hours on horseback makes me hurt now. And damn now I have to use steps to get on that drives me nuts lol
@samstevens7888 I've come to the point where it makes sense to do some Risk Assessment. I accept that my balance and strength aren't what they used to be. The trick is to stay ACTIVE and also to choose one's challenges... because, truthfully, I don't bounce as well as I used to. Stay in the Game by modifying where needed. Jason's right.. build the barns and do the BIG Stuff early on. 😊
@@faithrada oh I agree I made my own comment saying similar. But also living on your own as I do with disabilities or as a couple in old age, the tougher jobs you do on your better days is how I do it. I know if I push to hard I'm going to be in extreme pain for a couple of days. So I put things in place to lighten the load on those days. Having meals ready to go is a big one for me.
Me too at 63 but now I am 65. I just watched an 88 year old woman that has a horse ranch!!!! The Asher House channel showed her because he took some of her horses off her hands (rescued them) She admits she struggles now.
Enjoyed your pod cast. Donna and I have been following all of you for several years now. We are both in our early 70’s and are raising meat and egg laying chickens. On a 1.05 acre homestead in Hillsborough NC. 800sf garden, new 10x32 greenhouse . Our place is called Pecan Hill Farm.
I just turned 69 years old and I'm still gardening. Also plan on getting chickens next spring. My hubby and I were married 48 years this June and we've been gardening 46 of those years. We also raised and sold pleasure bred quarter horses for many years and now just have our old, retired broodmares still here. We are both retired, me as a nurse, hubby an IT analyst with GM. We have lived on our 12 1/2 acre farm in Ohio for 33 years. We planted an orchard with berry bushes, grapes, blackberries , apples, peaches, pears, plums over the last 30 years. Now we are reaping the benefits. We are also planning on building a greenhouse next spring to extend the harvests. We can, freeze, dehydrate so much organic food that my shelves are overflowing. Plus two huge freezers and two refrigerators full. In 2021 my 2 sisters and I canned 191 quarts of cinnamon pears off of one Moonglow pear tree. All we produce are split between 3 families. My advice to all you youngsters is to plant your orchard NOW. Build raised bed gardens NOW, we also have in ground gardens using weed fabric. We raise cucumbers growing up an old dog kennel. I use all my old rubbermaid 100 gallon horse water tanks that have sprung leaks as raised beds , all 8 of them. Start NOW, and when you are my age, it's all in place, and you go at a much slower pace, but, we still are going. P.S. I watch all your channels and love this new podcast. You are helping teach others by the workshops that you all do. Keep doing this, we're changing the world a little at a time.
Old lady advice. What ever your old age plans, those without male offspring teach the wives how to run all equipment you use. At some point the tractor needs to work and your sick. Make everything you do easy for the mrs’. Think now prepare five years ahead. Great podcast.
Hi Guys, I am 68 and just processed our first broilers last week. I was 58 and running a manufacturing business when I first visited Polyface Farm in 2013. Time moves so quickly and yet it is wise to keep moving and do what you can. Our hope for our homestead is to inspire younger folks and encourage and support them. Community is probably the most important component one needs to invest in... that balances out the needs of the whole. I never planned to retire, but to redeploy as age has its effect. Thank you for all you do and pray God gives you the strength you need as well as wisdom in your decision making for the future. Just getting started and plan on running as hard as I can as long as I can! Mark S.
Your wife is a lucky person. I never found that soul mate that has the same interests. I envy these guys with the spouses that have a partner that has the same interests.
Great topic. I am 76 and live on a urban lot. Started gardening 13 years ago then added rabbits and chickens. As I aged I started changing my gardening to perennials. Still do tomatoes, potatoes, 2 zucchini and garlic. Stopped the rabbits. Now my chores are more maintaining and harvesting and preserving. Do a lot of pruning. Have discovered what I like to eat and what I do not eat that much of. I grow a lot of fruit and berries because I like fruit. My neighbor is diabetic so she had me teach her laying and meat chickens. I have alfalfa in the strip along the street to feed my chickens. Let lambs quarters grow for chickens and my spinach substitute. Find alot of food for my chickens from berry bushes, trees, sunflowers etc. Makes their feed go much farther. Thanks for the video.
I remember when I was 13, my dad and I were spreading manure on the fields with a team of horses. My dad had a family later in life, he had just celebrated his 60th birthday. We tied the team to the tree by the house and had a bit to eat, after my dad laid down on the couch to have a nap. I was kind of restless and wanted to get the load spread in the field. I got on my dad's nerves and as he was getting up of the couch he said, if you can still do this when you are 60 you'll be lucky. Well I am 71 and I think I could handle Jason's chores, maybe not Ben's and Al's . . . one has to just watch their health and exercise every day. This was a great podcast, you guys always make me smile, cheers.
I an a 76 year old single woman. And moved to a farm when I was 70. Love my new life! It keeps me young and love my animals! Not I don’t raise meat chickens. Guess I would if it was more than just me but I do have chickens and a pig. Dog cats etc. feed the deer and have a fairly large garden. Do a lot of canning more than I need so when the kids visit I give them all kinds to things. I just love this life and don’t even think of retiring from it. It is my retirement! You are all doing a fantastic job. God Bless you all!
As an older person facing full retirement soon, I would say that streamlining the property and chores as much as possible is my key focus. Downsizing and prioritizing needs is next.
Great conversation guy's! I'm 70 and a disabled veteran my wife is 66. I'm a lot slower than just a couple years ago but I still do as much as I can. My wife has pretty much assumed taking care of our chickens and ducks for now. Hopefully when I'm done with chemotherapy I can get back into the swing of things. We love all you guy's channels and we watch every video you upload. I'd say number one is take the best care of your health so you can stay as active as you get older. Please continue to share your combined knowledge of homesteading! You're a inspiration to lots of folks. Thanks guy's
Ben, I agree with your assessment. We need to wake up to the things that are going on and quit hiding our heads in the sand. And also, I really enjoy listening to ya'll discuss things. And, I am 82, (by the grace of God), and the work does get more difficult.
Guys be sure to put those wives first and special so one day you will not wonder who is that girl. Now Ben that little darlin will always be a daddy girl. Your friends love to watch Miss Muddy pants and the sweet kindness of her brothers as they interact with her. It is so sweet and Ben will probably become a Grandfather and the baby girl will still be following you around. Now Jason and Al are blessed with one and only. I suggest you both look into becoming foster parents to a couple of little brothers. You certainly have a lot to offer in mentoring young men. This old 8 decade lady knows what I am talking about. Sending love, prayers and fondest respect to you 3 men.
I'm 70 and keep a small garden going . So 4 cabbages and 2 cauliflower are enough to feed me . So m e carrots potatoes and dragon tounge beans on grow bags and you have a lovely winter garden. Small enough to handle but large enough to have food. I don't eat meat so that's all I really need. Yes you will find your needs grow less as you grow older. An even simpler simple life.
I’m age 61, wife 60. As a future plan of keeping the family close my wife and I have given both our daughters property to which in turn is my secret to future help. Grandchildren!!! Good podcast
I am not a homesteader, but a 77 year old retired Canadian civil servant living in Eastern Ontario. My ancestors were homesteaders and we still have a small portion of the farm in the family but now it’s where we have our family reunions and amaze at how nature has reclaimed the meadows and how much closer the woods are. I follow all of your channels and thoroughly enjoy watching the chores being done, the harvesting, the preserving and appreciate the hard work that is involved. I have a sticker in a window that says “If you ate real food today, thank a farmer”. Your discussion on the future was interesting. THE most important observation you all made was to stay healthy. Healthy also includes the ability to stay mentally agile, be a constant learner and avoid being an inflexible “this is how we always do it” old fogey. Thank you fellows for taking time to just talk about real every day stuff.
I am 85 years old. I use a walker to get from one chair to another. I remember the days I grew a garden. I raised beef calves when I was younger. I also worked for a manufacturer who built the largest off-road equipment in the world. I had many skills. I was an electrician, a welder, and a carpenter. I never thought I would be disabled when I got old. All this is to say that it is your life. Live it to the max. I did. But I stayed grounded with the gospel of our Lord and Master. BTW, I am sitting next to a CNC machine that I need to crank up and make something. I found a sit-down job. I am not done yet.
No Ben, the boys get married and then bring a wife and five kids home, you will still need to grow food to feed all of them. Your family will just grow and grow. It depends on where they end up living, but if they like the lifestyle you have shown them they may live down the road and be around all the time!
I enjoy your conversations 😊 I am 68 and female, I just dug by hand a 50ft long 2 ft deep trench for elctric and water. It took a shovel, pick, ax and saw. Boy it was a job and took me a week. Definitely wouldn't recommend it but when you live by yourself you find the strength. You will find ways to make it easier as you age. But you youngsters have a way to go. I agree with AL on visiting the city but sure do love coming home to the country.
Unfortunately, those politicians don't exist. Tough situation. Too much to say here and I don't want to hijack this topic. My best advice (for now) is to be the best that is possible and try to teach others about real living. I refuse to hate and will not be pulled to any extreme by any party. At the end of the day I am a homesteader, doing the best as I can with what I have. If the day comes where our governor goes rogue... well then you all will certainly get to know me. Until then, I will keep on living.
Im just going to point something out because i know a few. Some cowboys work on horseback till their 80s. I know 1 that is 82 and still rides 20 hours aday a few times a year. I also know a couple of retired bronk rider's that have had broken hips arms, shoulders. They still ride alday. I say it depends how much you love the life, and how much your willing to push through. Im nearly 48 and only in the UK now but ive broken most bones in my body, have fibromyalgia. 2 years ago this December i broke my ankle in 3 places its now held together with metal. You find ways to do the things you love. I put in a garden this year, i dont have any help had to lift and carry all the compost. You pick the days you feel better than "normal" to do any of the harder stuff. Organic has been pushed here since the early 80s thanks to prince charles...ok now he is king charles. He worked out that Organic was better for the body and the environment years ago. The USA is just catching up lol
Yes at 70 you'll still be homesteading. A little bit slower but wiser and more experienced. Therefore you know the work arounds. I'm 70 and started this life style 15 years ago. Never been more content in life.
Fact: A 75 year old body is VERY different from a 25 year old body. The good news is (if we're fortunate) our Wisdom often helps take up SOME of the slack. The worst thing imho one can do is to be in denial. Have a plan.. adapt as you age, maybe train an understudy.
I started driving at 10 in our 64 Ford farm pickup. At 15, I was driving our 2 ton 49 Ford for harvest (wheat). One year harvest was really late and I got out of the first week of school because I was driving wheat truck. 😂 I'm female, so don't leave Buggy out of all the homestead lessons!
As if Buggy misses a trick. 🤪 I can't decide if gardening and animal chores with Ben or canning and baking with Meg is cutter. Her cutest is of course petting the cat 😻. . . or maybe playing with her Brothers?🤔
Nice! I drove a jitterbug (recycled army jeep) to pull a hay wagon when I was 8. Scared the crap out of me! I built my first car at 17 out of a VW bug shell, a used transmission, and a blown engine I rebuilt. I barely had two pennies to rub together, but I was road bound! Got my tires at a dump. When you are born poor, you learn to be resourceful. I taught my daughter how to use the tractor this summer when she came to help me. A natural!
You know guys you need to make hay while you’re young. Take it from an 80 yr. Old it sneaks up quickly. So hey your deck built and everything while you’re younger. The older you get the harder it is to get stuff done. You guys are great. Keep up the good work!
Im 67 and wish I was a homesteader. I am not. I can tell you that you are all correct about staying healthy, make it a priority. I did not. But I will also say if you are building a permanent structure or land lay out, stop and think about how would an older person navigate this? How would someone in a wheel chair navigate this? Realistically you cannot do everything on a property that has animals handucap accessible unless there is a real need, but some things you can. I know Ben & Meg have a lot of structures they want to build, a deck, a root cellar, better access across their land. They are at the perfect time to sit down, do a master lay out plan and include those thoughts not only to their future but their older relatives that visit. I fell recently, couldn't walk for a week. You never see it coming, and you really dont want to think about it but it happens. This has been my favorite pod cast so far. It really shows how intelligent all three of you are in your daily lives but also looking to the future.
If you think you will down size on gardening as the kids are grown and gone you are thinking wrong. My grown kids with grandkids always come to get fresh foods or foods that I have canned. They still love it. My grandkids loving coming by here and getting fresh peppers or tomatoes sitting on the bar to eat as a snack.
I am in the city. Just cats here. They help with the vermin. I have put in 1 higher 3x5 pvc raised bed every year for 5 years now. They are across from my fenced in garden. Hardware clothe that’s 18 inches up is harder to get into now. Next year I am tarping my main garden and will just growing in the raised beds and using the surrounding beds for my compost. The year after I plan to rip out the fence and use my sunniest side for raised beds, and my shadier side for compost. I am 58 now, but want my own tomatoes, greens and squashes when I am old.
Grandchildren would spend the summers helping on the farm. Good food fresh air time with grandparents. Parents were working and knew their children were looked after.
Well done friends....you have hit the nail on the head with this one. Your next 35 to 40 years will go by so fast. I really can't imagine doing at 80 what you do now. So put on your thinking caps like you are doing, and come up with ways to make your property run as efficiently as possible with minimum help on your part.. Like Ben, your water barrel system you have just created, saves you so much time now, The next thing is, how to make it even more productive, maybe borrowing Jason's idea of rain water collection, so you don't have to fill it manually. I think for Al, Using some of that land that is farthest out on his property and building a home large enough for a family, with enough land to grow food and animals for that family. I'll bet you would be able to rent that for enough to pay the mortgage on the building. Isn't that what farmers did years ago? And perhaps they could be helpers on the farm. I know y'all will do well though, because you are taking time now to learn all you can about feeding yourselves healthy food, so you will have a healthier body ay 80. Have a Blessed weekend.
All right, kids! This is Karen; I'll be 68 in December, and my husband, Mike will be 67. We garden every year canning and freezing the produce we grow. We are brand new chicken "parents", and we're loving it. I would like to expand to meat birds, pigs, and cows, both dairy and meat. I warned my husband the other day to get ready, because I'm now praying for that dairy cow. We work hard here, and my husband still works part-time at his job, so we're busy. My 35 year old son told me the other week that he and his friend were talking; he told his friend that his mom and dad could work circles around him. He may have been exaggerating a bit, but what we lack in energy, we compensate for with stubbornness. We may not "spring back" quite as quickly, but we don't let it stop us from doing what is important. I'm sure the three of you will discover your love for homesteading will keep you going for many years to come even if it's just you and your spouses. I enjoy listening to your podcast; keep it coming!
Small scale farmers in UK often work full time as well as farming and when they retire from working outside the farm they just continue to farm well into their 80s - with a dog quad bike and tractor to assist.
Al is showing great change by using an efficient wood fired boiler to heat his harvest house and sells chipped logging slash to a local power plant so his neighbors can have cheap dependable power. A win win for sure.
Another good one. I am 75 years young, according to my birth certificate, but I feel 28 in my mind. Yeah, I've lost some physical agility that is natural to come upon us as we age. However, I still look forward to getting out in my workshop and making things primarily with wood that bring value to other people in this society. As a result, I have custom job orders that I cannot finish fulfilling until after Christmas. And, nearly each day, someone else or someone new contacts me to make something "very special" for them so they can use it for their own purpose or it's a gift for a loved one or friend. I think people see what I've made and realize that what I make is of much higher value than what they can buy in one of the chain stores. People are willing to pay a premium price for premium products that will last--and bring joy/satisfaction--for several generations. So, y'all just keep up your stellar work! Keep inspiring us. It's not easy, as you know quite well, but it is SO worth it!
Hey Gang 👋, Always good to see The Three Musketeers, Al, you are the ALPHA HOMESTEADER BUILER and you HAVE the most TOYS 🤣, BEN, your fabrication and welding SKILLS and projects are GREAT 👍, JASON, you are the BEST in carpentry, building portable COOLERS and whatever needs to be built to simplify life on the homestead 👍 God's Good Blessings to you and your beautiful family's keep up the great work love U guys XOXOXO stay safe and healthy .
Yes! Even if not live, a Q&A episode would be great! You have the best comment section, it's always just as interesting and educational as the podcast itself
At 76 we go to the gym at least three times a week. I’m physically in better shape than I was in my 60’s.. I had a sit down job so when I first retired I sat on the couch and watched tv. I still love tv but I also help my husband with some chores he needs help with. I cook not as good as Meg but we don’t eat out much. So far so good. I have hurt myself in the gym, trying to hard but I’ve learned to let those muscles heal and do other things there. Not bragging just encouraging others hopefully. Start slow and go from there.
I grow up on a cattle ranch and come from a century of homesteaders, the work is hard for older people. Now we have modern conveniences which are helpful, remember maintenance and replacement costs money. The Elderly's top expenses are health care, services (house cleaning, lawn care, maintenance repairs etc) so plan for those. Eat healthy, buy a Roomba, robotic grass cutter, solar power, water catchment, learn how to fix your own car, have carpentry skills - anything to save money for you still need power, water, shelter, gas, food, clothing and money. I am 70 living in suburbia, turned the back yard into a garden at the start of the Big C, should of started 10 years ago, it can be done though. We have raised beds on 3 foot legs, bending over is not your friend. What Ben said, put steps, ramps, stairs in all the places of incline for the fall is a broken hip every time. Take out the bathtub and make it a large shower with a 3-4 inch step, see where I am going, all of this cost money. You cannot foresee the changes the body goes through, speak to older people to get first hand knowledge. Great topic, love this channel.
I think we all that are self employed..about them older age I have 2 aunts at 86.,and both are still driving and they keep busy .but they have or live with a family member really for safety…bless there hearts
Your subject tickled me, watching Al installing his workshop loft that he plans on accessing with a ladder I spoke to the computer. Al, ladders just get harder as you get older. Put in stairs with a railing. Start at the side, up to a platform level with your workbench, 90 degrees and up (towards the center) to the loft. I'm 75 and I had no idea 30 years ago how some things would challenge me.
I m 82 and just have hens an a pair of Geese now, just to keep me farming LOL and a good size garden, . Ya the bones hurts so you will slow down and cut back later , enjoy what you have now.. I broke my ankle first time with a broken bone at 80 and in a wheel chair in a boot for 3 months , and snow on the ground Hope to have a good neighbors No fun for sure
It's good to be thinking about this now. You never know what might happen. My fit healthy husband worked his entire life to be able to retire early and have a little farm. He did retire early, and we bought two small farms. That same year, he was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor. He was going to die, without surgery. The surgery damaged his spinal cord, leaving him disabled. We know that if we can't get our properties and systems to a place where they are easier to manage, we are going to have to sell, because it's very hard for us now, and will only get harder as we age.
You guys act like 70 is an ancient achievement level. We are in our late 70’s and don’t have to do as much as we expected ourselves to do a few years ago, but we’re still planning and working. Life is still happening and we love it. Our grandchildren are delightful and we’re grateful to get to grow with them.
I am now that old. I did all you are doing back in the days before your births. I have offered to help younger farmers . They have not, for the most part, taken me up on my offer.
Even at 27, as we slowly renovate our house & set up our homestead we are thinking decades down the line about what would be the best flow and easiest when we’re older. It’s hard to comprehend the multitude of life phases that we’ll go through and plan for it, but I think just simplifying everything as much as we can is our goal. We’re trying to invest in high quality solutions to things so we don’t have to redo projects later on, which makes things move more slowly. It’s fine though because we have more time to observe our property that way!
And we’re very much considering steps for our property, too. I’ve had many chiropractor appts due to slipping down these darn berms and landing flat on my back🥴
I like ya weekly topics..they so real in life why that you’re a homesteader or not I mean I live in the city I guess I can still consider myself a homesteader, but I totally understand and for me I’m doing backyard gardening, but not at the rate y’all are, but we still enjoying tomatoes right now with our salads and I’ve already on my third batch of potatoes cucumbers squashes zucchini, melons I did great this year got two more melons hanging in there ,I did pumpkins earlier, white and orange orange…
I think its fantastic that you are visiting the growing older stages of life. Plan your future builds and purchases with growing older in mind. 😊 Thank each one of you for sharing your life and time with us.
I'm 75 years old,so I know how fast things happen , My only Son is dead, all of you brother are dead my only sister lives far away , and so I live in a senior building, I get around in a motorized wheelchair the years go so fast ,where did they go?
Currently reconfiguring my place. Diagnosed with MS ,degenerative spine sciatica, a recent stint in the heart. And bypass surgery coming in both legs. I'm 57 the number of things that im having to change that i didnt consider before is quite high. It is also expensive to make the changes on a slightly smaller income. Its not dissimilar to starting with limited income and experience.
I just turned 63 and my wife is 64 and we just bought a 32 acre mountain property in western North Carolina. We can and preserve our food. We hunt for deer, turkey and bear and we try to grow our own produce. We are not 100% in our health but we do what we can to survive and live a simple life. The peace and solitude of living here is outstanding. We lived on the NC coast for 40 years and had to get out of that rat race.
Just turned 51, and this episode is so timely! We live on almost half an acre. We have layers (16) and have done several rounds of meat birds. 4 of 5 kids are grown and Ben is so right, the time flys! But if you do it well you get to play with the grandkids! We keep kicking around the idea of selling up here and buying acreage somewhere, but in Southern California acreage that is affordable and not dessert is virtually nonexistent…
I got to a certain point, by turning 50 this year, that all of a sudden it struck me that there is no way I should be 50. My dad is only 50...but, his birthday is tomorrow and he will be 72!! What???!!!??? How did that happen? I'm thankful that I get to spend some time with him on his birthday tomorrow, we are travelling this weekend to see the family that we haven't seen in many years. It's been tough planning a weekend away, though, with all the production, canning, working on projects before winter. Even though we are urban farmers, it is still a lot of things that need to get done here too. But, it's family. I can survive away from the need for two days. Plus, my adult kids will be there, too, it's crazy to think they are 22, and almost 25. Good talk guys, I'm really enjoying listening to ya!
I have seen such a good growth in the three of you since the beginning. You are all so comfortable in talking and now the laughter is more and I LOVE IT. This was a great topic. I am older and disabled and doing things is so hard for me and in my past I was a go getter so having issues is something that is very hard to deal with and changes have to be made. Make sure you think of that as well so your life will still be manageable. Great video. God bless
You hang in there Deean - You are so right! They were a bit stiff in the beginning! ahahahaha and now! Wow! They are on it! Funny and quick-witted! And they so Encourage one another! I pray, Deean, that you will be able to find your place that you can do your part and feel good about it. And healing is always in the wings...In His Wings!
The only thing that has survived my first year garden is tomatoes. The first time I tasted one I understood what people were talking about. That taste was great. I’ll keep trying to grow more food. ❤️ I love this channel.
Hello guys...I watch all 3 of your videos. I'm 63 yrs old and trust me it is the knees that will hurt the most. We have chickens and ducks for the eggs but that is it. I buy frozen vegs not canned. Take vits...going strong. Hope all three keep making videos even in your 70's and 80's. Much love to you.
@@eastafrica1020how can you make such a rude comment about his children?!?! You are seeing a blink of their life through a bunch of videos! You have no clue how his children are! Please don’t bother replying because it will be ignored. You are beyond horrible making a comment about things you know nothing about! 🥰❤️🙏🏻🇨🇦
We've kept our family together by building a multi generational family compound of three separate living units on our 22 acre homestead. it keeps us close but gives us privacy. We all contribute to the operations and costs of the homestead. Amazing how much money you can save by living this way.
Hi guys, I'm 74, and have lived on the same property for most of my life, up in Vermont. I don't have any large animals, but chickens can be moved around my property in a small tractor, as I don't have too many. My gardens are my main focus, and I keep streamlining things down to work more efficiently every year. Up here, I'd say the things that are hardest on me as an older person is the cold winters, and the length of them, and the fact that I live near a river that floods regularly! I got flooded out 2x last year here, and my property needs serious hard labor that needs to happen to get gardens up and going, and it is happening. I move slower than I used to, but I love the process, so will keep going as long as possible. I also like to use my big walk-behind mower, a Toro, to mow the large lawn we have, and I believe that the walking really helps to keep me healthy, too. Just continuing to move as I age is so important to the running of my place, and not being afraid to reach out to my community of younger people for help. I live on very little, and did pay off my mortgage and most credit cards, and I put up a lot of food, and utilize my local growers when I can't grow a crop (like corn, which I buy from the organic farmer down the road from me). I live in a very sweet area for living as I do, I am lucky, I know. Just utilize what resources are available, and building a local farming community is super important, I believe. Thank you for addressing this topic, it's an important one! 💖
Al, check out Elliot Coleman. He has a number of books . One is called the Four Season Gardener. He & his wife Barbara Damrosch live in Harborside, Maine. I had to look up his exact location & I see that they have turned their farm over to their daughter, Clara Coleman. Elliot is 84 & Barbara is 81. They have a number of videos around. They had a tv show on PBS years ago that I used to watch. Read some more this morning. Barbara was on Victory Garden & their show was on The Learning Channel (TLC). Is that still around? 🤔 Even with YT, I still miss some of the great gardening shows that used to be on TV. I learned a lot from them.
Honestly I have had five back surgeries and ten years ago was in a wheelchair and of course the medical profession would have kept me in that wheelchair with all their prescriptions etc but I’m not the kind of person to sit around and I absolutely hated being in a chair and I did everything I could to get out of it and it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I truly believe our minds are even more powerful then our bodies and if we believe we can do something and truly believe it then we can achieve whatever we set our minds to but I don’t think everyone has that ability some people just don’t have that strength of mind or spirit or whatever it’s called, but when you can push beyond even what you’ve imagined and keep moving forward just one step at a time it’s incredible the things you can accomplish. I look at it like if I keep doing what I’ve always done and expect different results that’s the definition of insanity. So each day I try to do one thing different that pushes me a little closer to the change I want to see in myself. Anyway I think how we think has more to do with growing old then our body growing old. I’m currently 57 so I don’t know what my old age is going to look like but I can say without a doubt I can do more now then I could ten years ago! ❤
There are several tricks to growing old and we sure don't know them all. The number one thing is to have your infrastructure in place before you get too old. Next is do less. That was hard for us. We were used to grow, grow, grow. We've had to rediscover pint jars. Whatever you do, don't quit. All of our friends that stop doing grow ill and start to fade. Simplify, minimize, organize and you will be surprised how much you can keep doing.
I was 45 when I bought 5.6 acres. I negotiated the tractor and accessories in the purchase. In 11 years have not used most of the accessories. I barely used that tractor after the finish mower broke and I replaced it with a riding mower. Two years ago I bought a new tractor with a front loader. That was a game changer for me. Better tools make a HUGE difference - especially as you age. My neighbor is in his 80s and he still does all the work on his acres. No animals but he has a good sized garden each year. His daughter and grandsons live behind me, and I've seen the boys helping when he's cutting up fallen trees for firewood.
At 67 the real secret I’ve found is bigger and better tools. Though I suppose that would be covered by putting good systems in place and realistically planning the work. Wear down not out🙂
I am raising my beds, a few each year, to hip level to reduce bending, setting up automatic feeders, put in no slip and fall paths. My husband is only 69 and has already fallen 3 times in the garden and yard. One of the best things we did was put in PVC pipes and over 13 water spickets to reduce hauling water. Almost anywhere on the property I have easy access to water
I am 80 yrs old. My husband died 7 yrs ago. I cannot keep up with what we did before, but I keep plugging away. I built a small green house
and a chicken house, with cattle panels. This year I had surgery and healed up quick. Now I have a knee that is acting up. My lawn mower is my golf cart, and has a large enough deck I carry things on it. There is always some way to keep active, but at the same time be aware when you need help or need to stop doing certain things. But keep loving your family and friends and keep chugging along. Love you guys.
You are doing Great!!!! My hubby passed 9 years ago now and I totally get it! What used to take both of us to do...now there is only me! You keep going, Girlfriend! We can do this!!!
Ohhh I love to hear from people like you!!!! I am almost 66 (female homesteader) and my 87 yr old mother keeps telling me...."Your not going to be able to do that much longer!" So when I hear from people like yourself it gives me hope.
I am a 63 year old woman, and I raise my own meat, vegetables. When I grow up, I want to be that 90 year old woman who feed her pigs and chickens while wearing a ball gown! My children are grown, my husband still works 60 plus hours at a job he loves, so the homesteading is left up to me, and I will never give it up, even though my chronic back pain wants me to. Without this life, I probably would be in much worse shape, because my animals and my garden force me to get up and keep moving. My tip for getting older is find ways to make the hard stuff easier. My hardest chore is weeding, but I've taken a lot of steps this summer to ease that chore.
You go Sweetheart ❤
I can so relate!!!! I have chickens, turkeys and raise meat birds and build my own stuff and put up my own fencing. I fenced two acres with T posts and horse fence myself. It was finished this year. I have a nice size garden that provides me with a years worth of food. I can and I freeze and I dehydrate and I bake all my own bread. My trick is to set small goals each day. Things that used to take me a couple of days are spread out into a week now. But that is ok. I don't kill myself, the work will always be there the next day. I look forward to rain because that is when I do my indoor stuff. I can when it gets colder out because it helps cut down on the wood that I have to put into my woodburner. Canning heats the house. I enjoy hearing about people that are older than me and still doing it. I am going to be 66 in Feb. I am a female. I just watched The Asher House and he rescued a bunch of horses from an 88 yr old horse ranch woman that admitted that it is getting too difficult for her! Imagine that!!! Lol, I am that woman that lives so rural I go out in my PJ's to tend to the chickens and sometimes even do my garden work in my PJ's. LOL
@@5GreenAcres I think we are twins with different parents! lol!
@@TerrieAllred2023 I agree. Hey I have a weeding tip for you. Maybe you have heard of it? I use woven cloth and burn holes in it for my plants. No weeds!!! Living Traditions homestead shows how they do it. My weed cloth lasted 3 years but that is because I didn't pull it up and I have harsh winters in WI. I have new stuff for next season. I wouldn't be without it. I use it for onions and garlic. For carrots I burn a lengthwise hole. The rest of my garden is potatoes and I don't bother with weed cloth. Keep up the good work sista!! Lol
thank you! I will give that a try next season with my onions and garlic! They are always a weedy mess!
Ben, we lived in a mobile home for twenty years. We raised four kids and waited until we could build a house with cash. It took six years to finish the house, but we have zero home debt and it's very freeing financially.
Dear friends husband is 80 and still running cattle. Other friend downsized a tiny bit in his late 80's and still took care of cows, cattle, and garden...died in a car accident. As I have begun to age I have taken as my mantra from a wise man.. "when you can't do what you've always done, you do what matters most." Love watching you all build your dreams.
Is your husband still doing it on horseback or doing a combination or quads and horse? I know a few doing it on horseback and it amazes me. Even 4 hours on horseback makes me hurt now. And damn now I have to use steps to get on that drives me nuts lol
@samstevens7888 I've come to the point where it makes sense to do some Risk Assessment.
I accept that my balance and strength aren't what they used to be.
The trick is to stay ACTIVE and also to choose one's challenges... because, truthfully, I don't bounce as well as I used to.
Stay in the Game by modifying where needed.
Jason's right.. build the barns and do the BIG Stuff early on. 😊
@@faithrada oh I agree I made my own comment saying similar. But also living on your own as I do with disabilities or as a couple in old age, the tougher jobs you do on your better days is how I do it. I know if I push to hard I'm going to be in extreme pain for a couple of days. So I put things in place to lighten the load on those days. Having meals ready to go is a big one for me.
Faith, but I do Quigong and it is great for balance! As well as many other parts of the body. @@faithrada
So happy you shared this. Gives me hope. I am almost 66 and doing it myself. Female.
If it weren't for Meg & Ben, I wouldn't have adopted this lifestyle...at 67 years old.
Me too at 63 but now I am 65. I just watched an 88 year old woman that has a horse ranch!!!! The Asher House channel showed her because he took some of her horses off her hands (rescued them) She admits she struggles now.
Me too! I'll be 70 in November?
@@susanfullerton4763 It is so good to see more seniors doing what we are doing! Glad Al, Jason and Ben did this segment.
Enjoyed your pod cast. Donna and I have been following all of you for several years now. We are both in our early 70’s and are raising meat and egg laying chickens. On a 1.05 acre homestead in Hillsborough NC. 800sf garden, new 10x32 greenhouse . Our place is called Pecan Hill Farm.
I just turned 69 years old and I'm still gardening. Also plan on getting chickens next spring. My hubby and I were married 48 years this June and we've been gardening 46 of those years. We also raised and sold pleasure bred quarter horses for many years and now just have our old, retired broodmares still here. We are both retired, me as a nurse, hubby an IT analyst with GM. We have lived on our 12 1/2 acre farm in Ohio for 33 years. We planted an orchard with berry bushes, grapes, blackberries , apples, peaches, pears, plums over the last 30 years. Now we are reaping the benefits. We are also planning on building a greenhouse next spring to extend the harvests. We can, freeze, dehydrate so much organic food that my shelves are overflowing. Plus two huge freezers and two refrigerators full. In 2021 my 2 sisters and I canned 191 quarts of cinnamon pears off of one Moonglow pear tree. All we produce are split between 3 families. My advice to all you youngsters is to plant your orchard NOW. Build raised bed gardens NOW, we also have in ground gardens using weed fabric. We raise cucumbers growing up an old dog kennel. I use all my old rubbermaid 100 gallon horse water tanks that have sprung leaks as raised beds , all 8 of them. Start NOW, and when you are my age, it's all in place, and you go at a much slower pace, but, we still are going. P.S. I watch all your channels and love this new podcast. You are helping teach others by the workshops that you all do. Keep doing this, we're changing the world a little at a time.
I agree with you about doing the things NOW! I'm an Ohioan too, in between Cleveland and Columbus, are you nearby?
Between Zanesville and Columbus.
Old lady advice. What ever your old age plans, those without male offspring teach the wives how to run all equipment you use. At some point the tractor needs to work and your sick. Make everything you do easy for the mrs’. Think now prepare five years ahead.
Great podcast.
I was raised growing my own food. I still do at 63!
Hi Guys, I am 68 and just processed our first broilers last week. I was 58 and running a manufacturing business when I first visited Polyface Farm in 2013. Time moves so quickly and yet it is wise to keep moving and do what you can. Our hope for our homestead is to inspire younger folks and encourage and support them. Community is probably the most important component one needs to invest in... that balances out the needs of the whole. I never planned to retire, but to redeploy as age has its effect. Thank you for all you do and pray God gives you the strength you need as well as wisdom in your decision making for the future. Just getting started and plan on running as hard as I can as long as I can! Mark S.
Your wife is a lucky person. I never found that soul mate that has the same interests. I envy these guys with the spouses that have a partner that has the same interests.
Great topic. I am 76 and live on a urban lot. Started gardening 13 years ago then added rabbits and chickens. As I aged I started changing my gardening to perennials. Still do tomatoes, potatoes, 2 zucchini and garlic. Stopped the rabbits. Now my chores are more maintaining and harvesting and preserving. Do a lot of pruning. Have discovered what I like to eat and what I do not eat that much of. I grow a lot of fruit and berries because I like fruit. My neighbor is diabetic so she had me teach her laying and meat chickens. I have alfalfa in the strip along the street to feed my chickens. Let lambs quarters grow for chickens and my spinach substitute. Find alot of food for my chickens from berry bushes, trees, sunflowers etc. Makes their feed go much farther. Thanks for the video.
So much Wisdom in Finding Food for the Animals!!!! Thank you!
I remember when I was 13, my dad and I were spreading manure on the fields with a team of horses. My dad had a family later in life, he had just celebrated his 60th birthday. We tied the team to the tree by the house and had a bit to eat, after my dad laid down on the couch to have a nap. I was kind of restless and wanted to get the load spread in the field. I got on my dad's nerves and as he was getting up of the couch he said, if you can still do this when you are 60 you'll be lucky. Well I am 71 and I think I could handle Jason's chores, maybe not Ben's and Al's . . . one has to just watch their health and exercise every day. This was a great podcast, you guys always make me smile, cheers.
I an a 76 year old single woman. And moved to a farm when I was 70. Love my new life! It keeps me young and love my animals! Not I don’t raise meat chickens. Guess I would if it was more than just me but I do have chickens and a pig. Dog cats etc. feed the deer and have a fairly large garden. Do a lot of canning more than I need so when the kids visit I give them all kinds to things. I just love this life and don’t even think of retiring from it. It is my retirement! You are all doing a fantastic job. God Bless you all!
As an older person facing full retirement soon, I would say that streamlining the property and chores as much as possible is my key focus. Downsizing and prioritizing needs is next.
Great conversation guy's! I'm 70 and a disabled veteran my wife is 66. I'm a lot slower than just a couple years ago but I still do as much as I can. My wife has pretty much assumed taking care of our chickens and ducks for now. Hopefully when I'm done with chemotherapy I can get back into the swing of things. We love all you guy's channels and we watch every video you upload. I'd say number one is take the best care of your health so you can stay as active as you get older. Please continue to share your combined knowledge of homesteading! You're a inspiration to lots of folks. Thanks guy's
I hope your chemotherapy is over soon and it's successful! I'll say a prayer for you!
Ben, I agree with your assessment. We need to wake up to the things that are going on and quit hiding our heads in the sand. And also, I really enjoy listening to ya'll discuss things. And, I am 82, (by the grace of God), and the work does get more difficult.
Guys be sure to put those wives first and special so one day you will not wonder who is that girl. Now Ben that little darlin will always be a daddy girl. Your friends love to watch Miss Muddy pants and the sweet kindness of her brothers as they interact with her. It is so sweet and Ben will probably become a Grandfather and the baby girl will still be following you around. Now Jason and Al are blessed with one and only. I suggest you both look into becoming foster parents to a couple of little brothers. You certainly have a lot to offer in mentoring young men. This old 8 decade lady knows what I am talking about. Sending love, prayers and fondest respect to you 3 men.
I'm 70 and keep a small garden going . So 4 cabbages and 2 cauliflower are enough to feed me . So m e carrots potatoes and dragon tounge beans on grow bags and you have a lovely winter garden. Small enough to handle but large enough to have food. I don't eat meat so that's all I really need. Yes you will find your needs grow less as you grow older. An even simpler simple life.
I’m age 61, wife 60. As a future plan of keeping the family close my wife and I have given both our daughters property to which in turn is my secret to future help. Grandchildren!!! Good podcast
VERY smart!
I am not a homesteader, but a 77 year old retired Canadian civil servant living in Eastern Ontario. My ancestors were homesteaders and we still have a small portion of the farm in the family but now it’s where we have our family reunions and amaze at how nature has reclaimed the meadows and how much closer the woods are. I follow all of your channels and thoroughly enjoy watching the chores being done, the harvesting, the preserving and appreciate the hard work that is involved. I have a sticker in a window that says “If you ate real food today, thank a farmer”. Your discussion on the future was interesting. THE most important observation you all made was to stay healthy. Healthy also includes the ability to stay mentally agile, be a constant learner and avoid being an inflexible “this is how we always do it” old fogey. Thank you fellows for taking time to just talk about real every day stuff.
I'm 64, went from in ground garden to raise beds. game changer
I am 85 years old. I use a walker to get from one chair to another. I remember the days I grew a garden. I raised beef calves when I was younger. I also worked for a manufacturer who built the largest off-road equipment in the world. I had many skills. I was an electrician, a welder, and a carpenter. I never thought I would be disabled when I got old. All this is to say that it is your life. Live it to the max. I did. But I stayed grounded with the gospel of our Lord and Master. BTW, I am sitting next to a CNC machine that I need to crank up and make something. I found a sit-down job. I am not done yet.
Go, Go, Go!!!!!!
Get yourself a power wheelchair and keep on rolling! It’s mostly a mindset.
No Ben, the boys get married and then bring a wife and five kids home, you will still need to grow food to feed all of them. Your family will just grow and grow. It depends on where they end up living, but if they like the lifestyle you have shown them they may live down the road and be around all the time!
I enjoy your conversations 😊 I am 68 and female, I just dug by hand a 50ft long 2 ft deep trench for elctric and water. It took a shovel, pick, ax and saw. Boy it was a job and took me a week. Definitely wouldn't recommend it but when you live by yourself you find the strength. You will find ways to make it easier as you age. But you youngsters have a way to go. I agree with AL on visiting the city but sure do love coming home to the country.
This is awesome! Kudos to you 😯
The way to create change is to vote for persons that support the lifestyle you want.
Unfortunately, those politicians don't exist. Tough situation. Too much to say here and I don't want to hijack this topic. My best advice (for now) is to be the best that is possible and try to teach others about real living. I refuse to hate and will not be pulled to any extreme by any party. At the end of the day I am a homesteader, doing the best as I can with what I have. If the day comes where our governor goes rogue... well then you all will certainly get to know me. Until then, I will keep on living.
More perennials than annuals and more permanent than temporary. That’s how I’m doing the aging thing. Great subject!!
This statement is awesome....thank you
Im just going to point something out because i know a few. Some cowboys work on horseback till their 80s. I know 1 that is 82 and still rides 20 hours aday a few times a year. I also know a couple of retired bronk rider's that have had broken hips arms, shoulders. They still ride alday. I say it depends how much you love the life, and how much your willing to push through. Im nearly 48 and only in the UK now but ive broken most bones in my body, have fibromyalgia. 2 years ago this December i broke my ankle in 3 places its now held together with metal. You find ways to do the things you love. I put in a garden this year, i dont have any help had to lift and carry all the compost. You pick the days you feel better than "normal" to do any of the harder stuff. Organic has been pushed here since the early 80s thanks to prince charles...ok now he is king charles. He worked out that Organic was better for the body and the environment years ago. The USA is just catching up lol
Yes at 70 you'll still be homesteading. A little bit slower but wiser and more experienced. Therefore you know the work arounds. I'm 70 and started this life style 15 years ago. Never been more content in life.
Fact: A 75 year old body is VERY different from a 25 year old body.
The good news is (if we're fortunate) our Wisdom often helps take up SOME of the slack.
The worst thing imho one can do is to be in denial. Have a plan.. adapt as you age, maybe train an understudy.
Jason, your father in law is doing it why wouldn't you ❤
I started driving at 10 in our 64 Ford farm pickup. At 15, I was driving our 2 ton 49 Ford for harvest (wheat). One year harvest was really late and I got out of the first week of school because I was driving wheat truck. 😂 I'm female, so don't leave Buggy out of all the homestead lessons!
As if Buggy misses a trick. 🤪
I can't decide if gardening and animal chores with Ben or canning and baking with Meg is cutter.
Her cutest is of course petting the cat 😻. . . or maybe playing with her Brothers?🤔
Nice!
I drove a jitterbug (recycled army jeep) to pull a hay wagon when I was 8. Scared the crap out of me!
I built my first car at 17 out of a VW bug shell, a used transmission, and a blown engine I rebuilt. I barely had two pennies to rub together, but I was road bound! Got my tires at a dump. When you are born poor, you learn to be resourceful.
I taught my daughter how to use the tractor this summer when she came to help me. A natural!
You know guys you need to make hay while you’re young. Take it from an 80 yr. Old it sneaks up quickly. So hey your deck built and everything while you’re younger. The older you get the harder it is to get stuff done. You guys are great. Keep up the good work!
Never knows what are future Holds ✝️🙏🏽🌱
Im 67 and wish I was a homesteader. I am not. I can tell you that you are all correct about staying healthy, make it a priority. I did not. But I will also say if you are building a permanent structure or land lay out, stop and think about how would an older person navigate this? How would someone in a wheel chair navigate this? Realistically you cannot do everything on a property that has animals handucap accessible unless there is a real need, but some things you can. I know Ben & Meg have a lot of structures they want to build, a deck, a root cellar, better access across their land. They are at the perfect time to sit down, do a master lay out plan and include those thoughts not only to their future but their older relatives that visit. I fell recently, couldn't walk for a week. You never see it coming, and you really dont want to think about it but it happens. This has been my favorite pod cast so far. It really shows how intelligent all three of you are in your daily lives but also looking to the future.
Jason 70 has been harder then the other decades but steel going.
Sending your kids on a hunt for groceries and other errands really educates them and sets them up for living on their own.
But they come back with what they wanted, not what you wanted !!
Send them back til they get it right!!!@@davidgetchell3633
If you think you will down size on gardening as the kids are grown and gone you are thinking wrong. My grown kids with grandkids always come to get fresh foods or foods that I have canned. They still love it. My grandkids loving coming by here and getting fresh peppers or tomatoes sitting on the bar to eat as a snack.
I am in the city. Just cats here. They help with the vermin. I have put in 1 higher 3x5 pvc raised bed every year for 5 years now. They are across from my fenced in garden. Hardware clothe that’s 18 inches up is harder to get into now. Next year I am tarping my main garden and will just growing in the raised beds and using the surrounding beds for my compost. The year after I plan to rip out the fence and use my sunniest side for raised beds, and my shadier side for compost. I am 58 now, but want my own tomatoes, greens and squashes when I am old.
Stay Frugal guys ..and ya have begun because ya growing and harvesting 🐷🌱
Totally!!!!
Grandchildren would spend the summers helping on the farm. Good food fresh air time with grandparents. Parents were working and knew their children were looked after.
Well done friends....you have hit the nail on the head with this one. Your next 35 to 40 years will go by so fast. I really can't imagine doing at 80 what you do now. So put on your thinking caps like you are doing, and come up with ways to make your property run as efficiently as possible with minimum help on your part.. Like Ben, your water barrel system you have just created, saves you so much time now, The next thing is, how to make it even more productive, maybe borrowing Jason's idea of rain water collection, so you don't have to fill it manually. I think for Al, Using some of that land that is farthest out on his property and building a home large enough for a family, with enough land to grow food and animals for that family. I'll bet you would be able to rent that for enough to pay the mortgage on the building. Isn't that what farmers did years ago? And perhaps they could be helpers on the farm. I know y'all will do well though, because you are taking time now to learn all you can about feeding yourselves healthy food, so you will have a healthier body ay 80. Have a Blessed weekend.
All right, kids! This is Karen; I'll be 68 in December, and my husband, Mike will be 67. We garden every year canning and freezing the produce we grow. We are brand new chicken "parents", and we're loving it. I would like to expand to meat birds, pigs, and cows, both dairy and meat. I warned my husband the other day to get ready, because I'm now praying for that dairy cow. We work hard here, and my husband still works part-time at his job, so we're busy. My 35 year old son told me the other week that he and his friend were talking; he told his friend that his mom and dad could work circles around him. He may have been exaggerating a bit, but what we lack in energy, we compensate for with stubbornness. We may not "spring back" quite as quickly, but we don't let it stop us from doing what is important. I'm sure the three of you will discover your love for homesteading will keep you going for many years to come even if it's just you and your spouses. I enjoy listening to your podcast; keep it coming!
Small scale farmers in UK often work full time as well as farming and when they retire from working outside the farm they just continue to farm well into their 80s - with a dog quad bike and tractor to assist.
Al is showing great change by using an efficient wood fired boiler to heat his harvest house and sells chipped logging slash to a local power plant so his neighbors can have cheap dependable power. A win win for sure.
Because of getting old, you need to build to last not just get by.
Another good one. I am 75 years young, according to my birth certificate, but I feel 28 in my mind. Yeah, I've lost some physical agility that is natural to come upon us as we age. However, I still look forward to getting out in my workshop and making things primarily with wood that bring value to other people in this society. As a result, I have custom job orders that I cannot finish fulfilling until after Christmas. And, nearly each day, someone else or someone new contacts me to make something "very special" for them so they can use it for their own purpose or it's a gift for a loved one or friend.
I think people see what I've made and realize that what I make is of much higher value than what they can buy in one of the chain stores. People are willing to pay a premium price for premium products that will last--and bring joy/satisfaction--for several generations.
So, y'all just keep up your stellar work! Keep inspiring us. It's not easy, as you know quite well, but it is SO worth it!
I retire in 4 years. We grow many gardens as a hobby. I can't wait to try to raise and process meat birds. Greenfield NH
Hey Gang 👋, Always good to see The Three Musketeers, Al, you are the ALPHA HOMESTEADER BUILER and you HAVE the most TOYS 🤣,
BEN, your fabrication and welding SKILLS and projects are GREAT 👍,
JASON, you are the BEST in carpentry, building portable COOLERS and whatever needs to be built to simplify life on the homestead 👍
God's Good Blessings to you and your beautiful family's keep up the great work love U guys XOXOXO stay safe and healthy .
I'll be sixty seven in a couple of months and I'm still working pretty hard as a market farmer.
Have you guys ever thought about doing a live podcast where viewers can ask questions and have you three answer.
Or even choosing a few questions out of the comments to answer maybe once a month. Reading comment while making a podcast seems kinda hard.
Or surprising us with having your wives being there in your seats one day!!!!@@elaineekberg113
Yes! Even if not live, a Q&A episode would be great! You have the best comment section, it's always just as interesting and educational as the podcast itself
Aging in place is a huge part of our homestead design. It’s super important for
Later
Good day old guy! Having a lot of kids. FYI my mother is from 1 of 16. Out of a 2 bedroom house 🏡
Tiny houses is a great deal. But even now, for people to stay in and experience homestead living before jumping in
Ben, great answers and insight.
Consider building the infrastructure on your homestead to bring a younger family in that wants to homestead.
At 76 we go to the gym at least three times a week. I’m physically in better shape than I was in my 60’s.. I had a sit down job so when I first retired I sat on the couch and watched tv. I still love tv but I also help my husband with some chores he needs help with. I cook not as good as Meg but we don’t eat out much.
So far so good. I have hurt myself in the gym, trying to hard but I’ve learned to let those muscles heal and do other things there. Not bragging just encouraging others hopefully. Start slow and go from there.
Also networking, developing relationships with neighbors who can help in dire circumstances.
I grow up on a cattle ranch and come from a century of homesteaders, the work is hard for older people. Now we have modern conveniences which are helpful, remember maintenance and replacement costs money. The Elderly's top expenses are health care, services (house cleaning, lawn care, maintenance repairs etc) so plan for those. Eat healthy, buy a Roomba, robotic grass cutter, solar power, water catchment, learn how to fix your own car, have carpentry skills - anything to save money for you still need power, water, shelter, gas, food, clothing and money. I am 70 living in suburbia, turned the back yard into a garden at the start of the Big C, should of started 10 years ago, it can be done though. We have raised beds on 3 foot legs, bending over is not your friend. What Ben said, put steps, ramps, stairs in all the places of incline for the fall is a broken hip every time. Take out the bathtub and make it a large shower with a 3-4 inch step, see where I am going, all of this cost money. You cannot foresee the changes the body goes through, speak to older people to get first hand knowledge. Great topic, love this channel.
I think we all that are self employed..about them older age
I have 2 aunts at 86.,and both are still driving and they keep busy .but they have or live with a family member really for safety…bless there hearts
My youngest is expecting her 11th beautiful baby in February. Homeschools and dog grooms show dogs. She's 42 beautiful grace.
Your subject tickled me, watching Al installing his workshop loft that he plans on accessing with a ladder I spoke to the computer. Al, ladders just get harder as you get older. Put in stairs with a railing. Start at the side, up to a platform level with your workbench, 90 degrees and up (towards the center) to the loft. I'm 75 and I had no idea 30 years ago how some things would challenge me.
I m 82 and just have hens an a pair of Geese now, just to keep me farming LOL and a good size garden, . Ya the bones hurts so you will slow down and cut back later , enjoy what you have now.. I broke my ankle first time with a broken bone at 80 and in a wheel chair in a boot for 3 months , and snow on the ground Hope to have a good neighbors No fun for sure
It's good to be thinking about this now. You never know what might happen. My fit healthy husband worked his entire life to be able to retire early and have a little farm. He did retire early, and we bought two small farms. That same year, he was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor. He was going to die, without surgery. The surgery damaged his spinal cord, leaving him disabled. We know that if we can't get our properties and systems to a place where they are easier to manage, we are going to have to sell, because it's very hard for us now, and will only get harder as we age.
You guys act like 70 is an ancient achievement level. We are in our late 70’s and don’t have to do as much as we expected ourselves to do a few years ago, but we’re still planning and working. Life is still happening and we love it. Our grandchildren are delightful and we’re grateful to get to grow with them.
I am now that old.
I did all you are doing back in the days before your births.
I have offered to help younger farmers . They have not, for the most part, taken me up on my offer.
I know what you are saying....there is a "do not want to learn" attitude out there floating around like a virus.... don't catch it anyone!!!!
I e seen people role out a round bale and run them through a square baler when they cant find squares. Usually to better fit their storage situation.
Even at 27, as we slowly renovate our house & set up our homestead we are thinking decades down the line about what would be the best flow and easiest when we’re older. It’s hard to comprehend the multitude of life phases that we’ll go through and plan for it, but I think just simplifying everything as much as we can is our goal. We’re trying to invest in high quality solutions to things so we don’t have to redo projects later on, which makes things move more slowly. It’s fine though because we have more time to observe our property that way!
And we’re very much considering steps for our property, too. I’ve had many chiropractor appts due to slipping down these darn berms and landing flat on my back🥴
I like ya weekly topics..they so real in life why that you’re a homesteader or not I mean I live in the city I guess I can still consider myself a homesteader, but I totally understand and for me I’m doing backyard gardening, but not at the rate y’all are, but we still enjoying tomatoes right now with our salads and I’ve already on my third batch of potatoes cucumbers squashes zucchini, melons I did great this year got two more melons hanging in there ,I did pumpkins earlier, white and orange orange…
I think its fantastic that you are visiting the growing older stages of life.
Plan your future builds and purchases with growing older in mind. 😊
Thank each one of you for sharing your life and time with us.
I'm 75 years old,so I know how fast things happen , My only Son is dead, all of you brother are dead my only sister lives far away , and so I live in a senior building, I get around in a motorized wheelchair the years go so fast ,where did they go?
Al, I watch a lady that lives in Scotland, and she has to start her winter crops in June. Their winters are a lot like yours.
Currently reconfiguring my place. Diagnosed with MS ,degenerative spine sciatica, a recent stint in the heart. And bypass surgery coming in both legs. I'm 57 the number of things that im having to change that i didnt consider before is quite high. It is also expensive to make the changes on a slightly smaller income. Its not dissimilar to starting with limited income and experience.
I’m 68 and can still hang with the young ones so I think all 3 of y’all will do just fine and never doubt what you are capable of,GOD Bless y’all
I just turned 63 and my wife is 64 and we just bought a 32 acre mountain property in western North Carolina. We can and preserve our food. We hunt for deer, turkey and bear and we try to grow our own produce. We are not 100% in our health but we do what we can to survive and live a simple life. The peace and solitude of living here is outstanding. We lived on the NC coast for 40 years and had to get out of that rat race.
Just turned 51, and this episode is so timely! We live on almost half an acre. We have layers (16) and have done several rounds of meat birds. 4 of 5 kids are grown and Ben is so right, the time flys! But if you do it well you get to play with the grandkids! We keep kicking around the idea of selling up here and buying acreage somewhere, but in Southern California acreage that is affordable and not dessert is virtually nonexistent…
I got to a certain point, by turning 50 this year, that all of a sudden it struck me that there is no way I should be 50. My dad is only 50...but, his birthday is tomorrow and he will be 72!! What???!!!??? How did that happen? I'm thankful that I get to spend some time with him on his birthday tomorrow, we are travelling this weekend to see the family that we haven't seen in many years. It's been tough planning a weekend away, though, with all the production, canning, working on projects before winter. Even though we are urban farmers, it is still a lot of things that need to get done here too. But, it's family. I can survive away from the need for two days. Plus, my adult kids will be there, too, it's crazy to think they are 22, and almost 25.
Good talk guys, I'm really enjoying listening to ya!
I have seen such a good growth in the three of you since the beginning. You are all so comfortable in talking and now the laughter is more and I LOVE IT. This was a great topic. I am older and disabled and doing things is so hard for me and in my past I was a go getter so having issues is something that is very hard to deal with and changes have to be made. Make sure you think of that as well so your life will still be manageable. Great video. God bless
You hang in there Deean - You are so right! They were a bit stiff in the beginning! ahahahaha and now! Wow! They are on it! Funny and quick-witted! And they so Encourage one another! I pray, Deean, that you will be able to find your place that you can do your part and feel good about it. And healing is always in the wings...In His Wings!
@@bonniehatcher8198 thank You
You 3 fellas are an example for those of us out here. You started the talk.
The only thing that has survived my first year garden is tomatoes. The first time I tasted one I understood what people were talking about. That taste was great.
I’ll keep trying to grow more food. ❤️
I love this channel.
Ben, you should do a project with welding hand bars for outside. In your area you would have a ton of side business off one RUclips!!!
When you put steps in, put them in short. I have knee issues. Regular steps are okay, but slightly shorter are a blessing.
Hello guys...I watch all 3 of your videos. I'm 63 yrs old and trust me it is the knees that will hurt the most. We have chickens and ducks for the eggs but that is it. I buy frozen vegs not canned. Take vits...going strong. Hope all three keep making videos even in your 70's and 80's. Much love to you.
Hi Ben.. maybe you can build a small house for the twins on your new land you bought? then you will get help for the rest of your life.
His two oldest boys are lazy. Haven't you noticed. Buggy is their future.
@@eastafrica1020how can you make such a rude comment about his children?!?! You are seeing a blink of their life through a bunch of videos! You have no clue how his children are! Please don’t bother replying because it will be ignored. You are beyond horrible making a comment about things you know nothing about! 🥰❤️🙏🏻🇨🇦
You go Girlfriend! I got your back! @@leannekenyoung
I totally agree. How can you make such a comment from watching 4 videos per week averaging 20 minutes,? Physic? No irrational!!!
We've kept our family together by building a multi generational family compound of three separate living units on our 22 acre homestead. it keeps us close but gives us privacy. We all contribute to the operations and costs of the homestead. Amazing how much money you can save by living this way.
I worked in Washington DC for 25 years, commuting from Virginia. Al you are correct, I do not missed it.
Ben your barrel waterer on wheels could be used to irrigate troubeled beds in drout conditions. Hook up a manifold to hook and unhook from drip lines.
Hi guys, I'm 74, and have lived on the same property for most of my life, up in Vermont. I don't have any large animals, but chickens can be moved around my property in a small tractor, as I don't have too many. My gardens are my main focus, and I keep streamlining things down to work more efficiently every year. Up here, I'd say the things that are hardest on me as an older person is the cold winters, and the length of them, and the fact that I live near a river that floods regularly! I got flooded out 2x last year here, and my property needs serious hard labor that needs to happen to get gardens up and going, and it is happening. I move slower than I used to, but I love the process, so will keep going as long as possible.
I also like to use my big walk-behind mower, a Toro, to mow the large lawn we have, and I believe that the walking really helps to keep me healthy, too. Just continuing to move as I age is so important to the running of my place, and not being afraid to reach out to my community of younger people for help.
I live on very little, and did pay off my mortgage and most credit cards, and I put up a lot of food, and utilize my local growers when I can't grow a crop (like corn, which I buy from the organic farmer down the road from me). I live in a very sweet area for living as I do, I am lucky, I know. Just utilize what resources are available, and building a local farming community is super important, I believe. Thank you for addressing this topic, it's an important one!
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Excellent talk by you 3. We must prepare. Watch all three homesteads.😊
Al, check out Elliot Coleman. He has a number of books . One is called the Four Season Gardener. He & his wife Barbara Damrosch live in Harborside, Maine. I had to look up his exact location & I see that they have turned their farm over to their daughter, Clara Coleman. Elliot is 84 & Barbara is 81. They have a number of videos around. They had a tv show on PBS years ago that I used to watch. Read some more this morning. Barbara was on Victory Garden & their show was on The Learning Channel (TLC). Is that still around? 🤔 Even with YT, I still miss some of the great gardening shows that used to be on TV. I learned a lot from them.
This has been the BEST video, guys. Looking forward to the next one; they just keep getting better and better. Thank you so much for all that you do.
Honestly I have had five back surgeries and ten years ago was in a wheelchair and of course the medical profession would have kept me in that wheelchair with all their prescriptions etc but I’m not the kind of person to sit around and I absolutely hated being in a chair and I did everything I could to get out of it and it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I truly believe our minds are even more powerful then our bodies and if we believe we can do something and truly believe it then we can achieve whatever we set our minds to but I don’t think everyone has that ability some people just don’t have that strength of mind or spirit or whatever it’s called, but when you can push beyond even what you’ve imagined and keep moving forward just one step at a time it’s incredible the things you can accomplish. I look at it like if I keep doing what I’ve always done and expect different results that’s the definition of insanity. So each day I try to do one thing different that pushes me a little closer to the change I want to see in myself. Anyway I think how we think has more to do with growing old then our body growing old. I’m currently 57 so I don’t know what my old age is going to look like but I can say without a doubt I can do more now then I could ten years ago! ❤
Wonderful! Thoroughly enjoyed your comment. You have a great mindset. Hope many read and learn from you
GOD bless
There are several tricks to growing old and we sure don't know them all. The number one thing is to have your infrastructure in place before you get too old. Next is do less. That was hard for us. We were used to grow, grow, grow. We've had to rediscover pint jars. Whatever you do, don't quit. All of our friends that stop doing grow ill and start to fade. Simplify, minimize, organize and you will be surprised how much you can keep doing.
Hey guys time flies when your having fun... I'm 71 and couldn't do a the farmer life anymore. All those aches and pains and injuries will get worse😁
I was 45 when I bought 5.6 acres. I negotiated the tractor and accessories in the purchase. In 11 years have not used most of the accessories. I barely used that tractor after the finish mower broke and I replaced it with a riding mower. Two years ago I bought a new tractor with a front loader. That was a game changer for me. Better tools make a HUGE difference - especially as you age.
My neighbor is in his 80s and he still does all the work on his acres. No animals but he has a good sized garden each year. His daughter and grandsons live behind me, and I've seen the boys helping when he's cutting up fallen trees for firewood.
At 67 the real secret I’ve found is bigger and better tools. Though I suppose that would be covered by putting good systems in place and realistically planning the work. Wear down not out🙂
Love my boyz. The three I followed for years. Great guys.
I am raising my beds, a few each year, to hip level to reduce bending, setting up automatic feeders, put in no slip and fall paths. My husband is only 69 and has already fallen 3 times in the garden and yard. One of the best things we did was put in PVC pipes and over 13 water spickets to reduce hauling water. Almost anywhere on the property I have easy access to water
That sounds wonderful to have water everywhere! Great planning on your part! Have a great weekend!
I am adding hand rails next to down sloping paths...it is a good use of those fallen tree limbs!
Investing in your self it used to be 10% but now I’m thinking 25% from the time you start working.
Totally agree with you Ben. We are in trouble.
In MN & we use silage bales all winter (from our own field). VERY palatable for cows no matter what kind of hay season we had.
We used to do squares.
Ya'll are getting better and better, you rebels! 🥰🥰