Cont:
11. Housing for all your equiptment needs. This is a matter of how much room do you need. In a small homestead 5 acres or less a couple 10' x 20' storage sheds will do, maybe a carport like shed for tractors, mowers and other equiptment.
I have brought many different pieces of equiptment and have found that some where just too much for my land. So I will dedicate a section to equitment and tool needs.
12. You'll need cold storage room for veggys and can goods. It should be a least 3.5 feet by 7 feet. that size will allow you to enter and exit, believe it or not a cellar that size will hold 28 half bussels of produce.
If you choose to build it in a corner of your basement, then stud it in and vapor barrier it with6mil plastic cover outside with drywall, insulate it ( use the same styrofoam panels to insule the frame, just cut them to fit inside the studs.), then styrofoam the inside over the studs, make sure there is a basement window you can open during cool weather to keep the room at the best temp. but cut styrofoam panels to fit in the window opening if it is too cold. If your basement is parially above ground in a cold climate, then insulate the upper 12" odf existing walls Build this unit low enough to rafter the roof area and insulate it, styrofoam it too. more on this later,
13. Olan your homestead site carefully in other words the less you have to move to move and feed your stock the better. Fence your fields so that stock can be turned into wich ever field you want from the barn. The same reason your compost pile should be between your garden and the barn. Planning is everything in farming. luck helps but planning will save your ass and your back.
14. Please plan a spce near kitchen for a second freezer or if your plan is for a summer kitchen or canning kitchen then plan to have the freezers there. I say you need 2 freezer. Others might say that"s to much. I say you can't have to much food, unless you let it waste.
15. You should have an orchard and it should not shade your garden. Some afternoon shading does not hurt in the heat of the southwest. but don't over do it. I would tell you what to out in your garden, but that will be according to your growing zone.
