Questions about land usage
Posted by ScarredCock@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 47 comments
Recently purchased a few acres that's relatively remote, but only about 30 minutes from a grocery store/hospital. We're planning on developing it for a few years while I work and complete my degree, after which, the plan is to get a remote job so where we live is of less importance than it is currently.
My question is, what could we be doing with the property right now while we can't live on it? While it doesn't get too terribly hot in the summers, it does get into the 90s regularly, and so I'm not sure of a way to safely store food or other supplies out there. Winters are bit cold, snow and such, but not blizzard conditions every year. The land is less than a tank of gas from where we currently live, and in the immediate future, we want to put a tiny home or even climate control a shed or the like to have something to stay in when we go visit.
Something I've considered, and I'd like to know if this would be a good idea or a horrible idea, is to bury a septic tank and store food buckets, medical supplies, etc. inside of it until we are starting to build out the proper house and need it for its actual purpose. Would that be suitable in the summer/winter months, or are they not buried deep enough to keep things cool/warm enough throughout the year? I should mention that power and water are already present on the lot, and while spotty, we can pick-up consistent 4G signal.
Either way, we should be moving out there in the next 5 years, so what I'm asking about is what sort of preparation-oriented uses it has in the meantime. Thanks in advance!
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Your overthinking it on the worry about the heat and food storage. Have been storing food in Connex containers and garages in the Southeast for close to 40 years now. Your properly packed whole grains, legumes, even MREs which the analytical types like to think will "only last six months in heat" have done fine over the years in bad storage conditions. To give an example, yesterday was the first day under 100 degrees here in about a month.
A 20 or 40 foot sealand/connex container will store a lot of food and supplies for you and avoid "loading time" in a BO. Could be used for emergency housing if need be also.
Digging a pond and stocking it and planting fruit trees sourced from a knowledge local nursery (not lowes or home despot) who knows the area is going to be the first things to do. These take the longest amount of time to start producing, so you'll want to start them asap. In a few years when your ready to move, you'll have fish in the pond eating size and your first fruits on some of your trees.
SpecialistDisaster45@reddit
Electric, Septic, and a well. Get a shed or something on the property where you can keep things to work on the property and leave there.
incruente@reddit
Septic tanks are a waste of time and money. Look into "The Humanure Handbook".
Spend your time doing things that take time; establishing things like fruit trees, building soil fertility, etc.
HummousTahini@reddit
lol, while most people during the pandemic were making sourdough (not that there's anything wrong with that! : ) I was following Jenkins's Humanure Handbook.
Did it for nine months in the middle of a major city, built my own bucket toilet and everything (still have it in the garage). It's not as gross as you'd think - about as much as cleaning a toilet - but it is more work. Also, you get flies no matter what because, well...poop.
Anyway, now I know.
Steverino65@reddit
Study and implenent Permaculture
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
Fruit trees sound like a great idea. Thanks!
joshak3@reddit
Fruit trees are great, but in the first year they require deep watering at least once a week during the warm months, so you'll have to make plans to visit the land every week or pay someone else to water them.
incruente@reddit
There are much less expensive ways to deter a thief. And if you INSIST on burying things, there are far cheaper ways to do so than using a septic tank.
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
Doesn't necessarily need to be buried, but the lack of climate control is my concern with throwing some medical supplies/food out there on whatever small structure we build in the next year. Depending on power costs it might not be financially viable to run the climate control year round.
incruente@reddit
Personally, I wouldn't bother. Admittedly I do not know all the details of your circumstances, but if you can afford a septic tank installation, you can probably afford a climate-controlled storage unit for a lot less. Which, sure, you don't control 100%, but the risk there is minor. If the SHTF between now and when you can build something there that's climate-controlled, you're skunked anyway. No power for climate control on the property, none for the storage unit.
If you feel the need to store food there, store stuff that will mostly survive temperature swings. Rice, beans, salt, etc. Store med stuff there that will survive and keep what won't with you. If a few kw-hr of energy for climate control are making or breaking it for you, the cost of buying and burying a sepctic tank will make your eyes water.
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
Valid. Thanks for the advice!
ShareMission@reddit
And if you have the budget, there are pre-made root cellars you can bury. Insulated and breathable I think?
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
Did not know that. Thanks!
darthrawr3@reddit
Plant native fruit, nut, & medicinal trees & shrubs, plants like comfrey, yarrow, echinacea, calendula, etc. etc. These people have a wide selection:
https://strictlymedicinalseeds.com/
Dangerous-School2958@reddit
I think both are good ideas
Lopsided-Total-5560@reddit
đIf I could go back in time, the very first thing I would have done is plant our orchard and some of our native perennials. They will be some of your best producers for the lowest input but they take time. For some things it will be 10+ years. So in my opinion, before you build anything I would start planting.
Chickaduck@reddit
This is entirely dependent on the ecosystem, the plant life on the land, the kind of care itâs been given by the previous owners, and your own risk assessment, but if there are no improvements yet you might consider doing a controlled burn to eliminate extra fuel and improve soil quality.
HummousTahini@reddit
To add onto this idea, you could start sowing cover crops as a way to improve the soil if/when you plan to garden. Things like oats, beans, etc. Let them grow, sow more seed, then whack or mow down the old ones; rinse and repeat. Great way to build soil health.
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
It's mostly pine with a few cleared out areas. Looks like previous owner had a single-wide on the front-half of the plot, gravel driveway etc. Back-half is pretty untouched.
sassyalyce@reddit
If you got an area of pine.. look to see if it is going to be a source for mushrooms.. You can always encourage water runoff to a fungi zone to make harvesting easier.
MyNameIsSteal@reddit
Before burying anything, consider a well-insulated shed above ground. It's more accessible and easier to control for temperature and humidity year-round.
WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit
Did this in â96 in Michigan soâŚ.
Learn how to properly bring in, and costs of, a road, grid power, add sewer, add potable water, temporary vs permanent dwelling, and insurance as those change. Once you know, then you can plan.
Meet your neighbors
Explore your land and the wider area
Clearly mark your corners and boundary every other year
Easy_Olive1942@reddit
Go find out what the permitting requirements are, if any. Consider whether or not to sub-divide.
With that, do the engineering design for well and septic. Put in well and septic. Plan both to accommodate a primary residence plus ADU/RV.
Vivid_Engineering669@reddit
As a start, I would get an aerial view of the property. You can use âOnX Offroadâ for example, which shows property lines. Make a hard copy of that and start planning out the entry, positioning of a permanent âhouseâ. From there you can decide where you might want other this, some of which recommended by others. We found this helpful when we made our purchase.
paratethys@reddit
Check your county's land use regulations before committing to anything, and especially before assuming you can easily build a new home on a lot that didn't have a home on it before.
A shipping container under a roof or in a barn is eminently lockable (important to consider if you're not present on-site) and won't get too hot inside on 90 degree days if it's properly shaded.
But if you're planning to eventually install a septic system anyways, burying the tank a few years in advance exactly where it'd need to be to hold sewage could kill two birds with one stone. Rig up a pulley for lowering 5-gallon buckets into the tank while it's clean and new.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
You're planning on burying a septic tank to store things? That's a bit excessive, in all honesty. I'd rather have the septic tank there for.... Well, what it's normally used for. There are easier ways to store stuff that you might want to use later on.
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
It'd be used as storage for the period of time it isn't needed as an actual septic tank while we aren't living there full-time. Once we move there full-time, everything comes out and it gets used as a septic tank.
inknglitter@reddit
I don't know where your property is, but I put in a septic system last year (WA state), & there are a lot of steps in my county's permitting process.
Can you dig a big hole & bury a tank without being spanked? Sure. Can you skip over soil & perc tests and design submissions before you hook up your rando tank to a dwelling & skip the permit? Probably not.
Federal_Refrigerator@reddit
After youâre done living there does it go back to being storage?
Dangerous-School2958@reddit
It's a cache and i less likely to be messed with and could easily get converted to an actual septic later.
throwawayt44c@reddit
Pass the potatoes, wait no, unpass them...
More_Mind6869@reddit
Plant fruit and shade trees now !
In a few years you'll be eating apples and pears etc.
The best time to plant trees is 5 years ago. The next best time is today.
Thornless berries too
6059EX@reddit
Good idea, and further that, the fallen fruit will bring in deer... (assuming a non-vegan situation)
sassyalyce@reddit
Also thorny berries, I used my currants and gooseberries as a soft border around the garden, they get big enough that they create a decent barrier and the fruit is great to use as a natural pectin and acid supplement for canning.
Still-Persimmon-2652@reddit
Plant fruit trees that thrive in the local soil and climate now. By the time rolls around where you will live and move and build there they may be mature enough to start producing fruit. This is from expirence too. The sooner you get those tress planted then they have time to mature to the fruit production stage of their life. You can look up soil and care on the State you live in Agriculture pages of university or Ag-Extension. Or call and ask your local county Ag Agent?
IceDragonPlay@reddit
You build a garage with electric service and a small room or outbuilding for a composting toilet for interim use and storage. You put cameras inside and outside to watch your stuff/make sure you donât get squatters.
FarOpportunity-1776@reddit
Don't need to "build" shipping containers work great for shops and storage. And you can mount solar and cameras to the corner posts so it's all protected
Heavy-Attorney-9054@reddit
With a root cellar and a well.
IlliniWarrior1@reddit
build a garage type building that is flexible for conversion for multi-use in the future >>> if you want sub-surface storage - that's where you locate it - a secret access basement is what you need .....
as far as development - get the utilities - that'll take up plenty of $$$$ - best $$$ spent is general improvement .....
DeafHeretic@reddit
I would start with a pad; gravel if your budget is tight, gravel then concrete on top if you have the $. Start with rough #1 (NOT round - but crushed gravel 2-4" in size - the kind they use as a road bed), then smaller gravel on top of that. Make it about twice the size of what you think you would need to park a large pickup and trailer on. Put this on a well drained area (add drainage if you need it).
This would be where you could park a vehicle and a trailer or camper. It needs to be larger than what you think you will park there so that you have space for walking around the vehicle/etc., and for a table/etc
Then you can later add a structure with a roof - like a pole barn, only smaller. The roof will help protect what you park under it from the weather.
Location of the property would preferably be hidden from the road. If necessary, you can add foliage to hide it.
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Later, add a well and a septic system. Each will cost some $ - how much depends on the location.
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Before you do these things, think about where you want to put a residence and probably you should have a soil engineer come out and look at the locations for each of these things before you put any $ into it.
DisastrousHyena3534@reddit
Plant fruit trees
flaginorout@reddit
And blackberry bushes.Â
sassyalyce@reddit
Start growing fruit trees
sgtPresto@reddit
Go for longterm development like orchards (fruit and nuts) because it takes years to grow. Avoid storing anything sensitive to heat/cold and humidity.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
I should hope so. If it's a 30 minute drive, and considering it's at least partly rural so you average maybe 45 miles an hour, that's 45 * .5 hours = 22.5 miles.
Even if it was almost all highway and you could average 70 mph, that's still only 35 miles away.
ScarredCock@reddit (OP)
It's a 30 minute drive from the nearest grocery store, not from where we live. I mention the singular gas tank thing because it means it's potentially useful to store preparedness items on the plot.
CCWaterBug@reddit
I think given the timeline, just develop the land, maybe plant some long term stuff that will produce sown the line or level an area tonl prepare for eventual projects.