My dream too!
Wouldn't mind a goat or two for lawn mowing on the small cleared part I'd have.
Hobby Farm, Living our dream!! Sharing our journey........
- Thread starter Gordon Gekko
- Start date
My dream too!
Wouldn't mind a goat or two for lawn mowing on the small cleared part I'd have.
actually - we will find out this week whether we return to newcastle or stay put for another 6 months, and i've been looking at vacant acreages within 15mins drive of his work.
droooool.
i know - i should be looking at something with development potential ... but ... after 20 years of living in renovator's dreams or "not quite right" houses with exceptional capital growth potential, i want to build our next home to my own design, also energy efficent and self sustaining, and stay put.
there is one - 9 acres - 15mins from hubby's work - down a private road - very reasonably priced - might just have to pop in for a look next week when we fly up for christmas.
http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bi...t=&header=&cc=&c=62823857&s=nsw&tm=1229483545
droooool.
i know - i should be looking at something with development potential ... but ... after 20 years of living in renovator's dreams or "not quite right" houses with exceptional capital growth potential, i want to build our next home to my own design, also energy efficent and self sustaining, and stay put.
there is one - 9 acres - 15mins from hubby's work - down a private road - very reasonably priced - might just have to pop in for a look next week when we fly up for christmas.
http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bi...t=&header=&cc=&c=62823857&s=nsw&tm=1229483545
Here you go .... not quite tassie, and only 491 acres.....
http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bi...t=&header=&cc=&c=58110115&s=tas&tm=1229479566
Cheers,
The Y-man
Ooooh beautiful - I'd live there in a flash! I quite fancy myself as an eccentric, slightly crazy hermit.
Goats are pretty self sufficient I guess. If I had animals they would have to be self sufficient or die, hence why native animals suit me better.
re fox's
hey everyone, i am a bowhunter and was just wondering if anyone if anyone would let me hunt fox's and rabbits on their property in the melbourne area? i would only hunt in the area's you would let me and i would stay away from pets and livestock.
thanks
hey everyone, i am a bowhunter and was just wondering if anyone if anyone would let me hunt fox's and rabbits on their property in the melbourne area? i would only hunt in the area's you would let me and i would stay away from pets and livestock.
thanks
Hi Gordan,
I hope your dream is still a dream. We have 5 acres 20 mins to mine and hubby's work, I have to drive the kids to school, but we chose a school further away. I have many horses / ponies, hubby races pigeons, 2 doz chooks. Plus the dogs and cat.
I am always mowing & gardening love my roses - standard, climbing, weeping, gardenias, etc.
We are paying for our dream small acres close to the burbs, but wouldn't have any other way, 4 kids similar to your little one ages 4, 6, 8,11yrs.
Enjoy the new life and hope the goats do well, use to bred & show angora and borer goats when I lived with the olds, wait to kidding time!! A labouring goat is not quiet.
Lisa
visit the ponies...
www.wyattparkstud.homestead.com
I hope your dream is still a dream. We have 5 acres 20 mins to mine and hubby's work, I have to drive the kids to school, but we chose a school further away. I have many horses / ponies, hubby races pigeons, 2 doz chooks. Plus the dogs and cat.
I am always mowing & gardening love my roses - standard, climbing, weeping, gardenias, etc.
We are paying for our dream small acres close to the burbs, but wouldn't have any other way, 4 kids similar to your little one ages 4, 6, 8,11yrs.
Enjoy the new life and hope the goats do well, use to bred & show angora and borer goats when I lived with the olds, wait to kidding time!! A labouring goat is not quiet.
Lisa
visit the ponies...
www.wyattparkstud.homestead.com
Hi Lisa,
Yes, we are living our dream, loving ever minute.
Farm life has its moments, two days ago, the Jack Russell next door got into our paddocks and attacked one of my British Alpine Female goats, vet came in, had to put her down, she was beyond repair. Not happy, the owner will be paying for the vet bill and the replacement of the goat.
You might have seen another thread of mine, that i had left my job. I have plans of creating a kids animal farm / Mobile animal farm. And my wife is involved in music with kids, so we are going to mesh the two together.
more to come,
GG
Yes, we are living our dream, loving ever minute.
Farm life has its moments, two days ago, the Jack Russell next door got into our paddocks and attacked one of my British Alpine Female goats, vet came in, had to put her down, she was beyond repair. Not happy, the owner will be paying for the vet bill and the replacement of the goat.
You might have seen another thread of mine, that i had left my job. I have plans of creating a kids animal farm / Mobile animal farm. And my wife is involved in music with kids, so we are going to mesh the two together.
more to come,
GG
Ahh, the mobile animal farm dream....
I once had this dream as well, I did for a short time "pony parties" until the age of insurance was upon us. Insurance kids and ponies is not cheap.
Good luck with that, I say hire one your selves a kids mobile farm party as a tester to see how your competetion works.
Good luck
Lisa
I once had this dream as well, I did for a short time "pony parties" until the age of insurance was upon us. Insurance kids and ponies is not cheap.
Good luck with that, I say hire one your selves a kids mobile farm party as a tester to see how your competetion works.
Good luck
Lisa
I envy you!
My one thing in this lifetime, is to realise having a small, yet private hobby farm. My 9 yr old daughter would love to do it too, but my wife....
For a couple of years we once lived in a small town called Babinda, about an hour from Cairns. Beautiful little town and always green, due to it being the 2nd most rainfall area in Australia. Tully the first.
Whilst my wife did her work-thing there, I decided to buy this run-down workers cottage on 3/4 acre, and renovate it.
Now, this place my father-in-law said he would have bulldozed, yet I saw potential in this beautiful little cottage on a very private road, with our own stream at the back, and empty paddocks surrounding us.
We paid $75K for it, spent maybe $10, and sold it for more than double, within 6 months. We did this so we could move back to Melbourne.
The Pro's:
Beautiful green countryside.
Fresh Air
Those stars at night!!! (Wow!)
We owned the place.
The Cons:
Too far from a major city. (Cairns is not a major city in my book.)
Rained so much that -
Mozzy and bug heaven
Forever cutting the grass (Twice a week!)
You know. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, if the place was within an 1 1/2hrs of Melbourne. Like Emerald, Warburton etc...
Man, I envy you! (Have I already said that...)
Good on ya, GG!
Just found this thread.
I was the pro at the Emerald Country Club from '85-87 until the Club went broke - beautiful part of the world up there, but too cold in winter for me. The Club has really gone down hill now - was there in Jan. very sad. Used to be a doctor's weekend property.
As a matter of interest; you mentioned setting up a "kids farm". Did you get it going?
We are going to stay in a cottage at a kids farm type set up down near Portland in July - Macka's farm. Might be good for some ideas.
www.mackasfarm.com.au
Well here i am again, coming to you from cold and wet Emerald.
I'm in the planning stages of "Emerald Animal Farm" (if you can think of a better name, i would love to hear )
A big issue i have found with starting this business is the lack of contact with people in the planning stage. Its a lonely feeling So i need to start surrounding myself with like minded people. (as in business people / farm people)
At the moment, you (Somersoft) are the only people i have to bounce ideas off
This is where i am at.............
Emerald Animal Farm:
Stage one
Market research
I have employed a trusted professional i have been dealing with for the past 15 years. She will put together a marketing plan, looking into the industry for growth / decline, look into the viablity of the business. She will also do the website / leaflets / info flyers / and any promotional gear, like uniforms, hats, signs etc.............. so the whole business is branded.
- Develop a business plan
- Talk to the council about running this type of business from home
- Talk to my Accountant, re business structure, set up cost etc.....
- Develop / brush up on skills in animal handling, breeding etc........
- observe successful competitors, hire a similar business for a kids party, take photos, take notes, talk to them..........find out as much info as possible.
- layout a likely profit / loss for the business
- Insurance costs?
- have signed up to a group bussiness coaching sessions
Anymore thoughts on what should be in stage one.
I have already started on stage two
I have ordered all of my fencing needs, pick it up tomorrow, then the fun stuff, learn on the job on how to do rural fencing
more to come.............
GG
I'm in the planning stages of "Emerald Animal Farm" (if you can think of a better name, i would love to hear
)A big issue i have found with starting this business is the lack of contact with people in the planning stage. Its a lonely feeling
So i need to start surrounding myself with like minded people. (as in business people / farm people)At the moment, you (Somersoft) are the only people i have to bounce ideas off
This is where i am at.............
Emerald Animal Farm:
Stage one
Market research
I have employed a trusted professional i have been dealing with for the past 15 years. She will put together a marketing plan, looking into the industry for growth / decline, look into the viablity of the business. She will also do the website / leaflets / info flyers / and any promotional gear, like uniforms, hats, signs etc.............. so the whole business is branded.
- Develop a business plan
- Talk to the council about running this type of business from home
- Talk to my Accountant, re business structure, set up cost etc.....
- Develop / brush up on skills in animal handling, breeding etc........
- observe successful competitors, hire a similar business for a kids party, take photos, take notes, talk to them..........find out as much info as possible.
- layout a likely profit / loss for the business
- Insurance costs?
- have signed up to a group bussiness coaching sessions
Anymore thoughts on what should be in stage one.
I have already started on stage two
I have ordered all of my fencing needs, pick it up tomorrow, then the fun stuff, learn on the job on how to do rural fencing
more to come.............
GG
GG,
Who is the trusted professional? Is she being paid for services or is it a favor? How do you know to implement the advice she gives you will produce the results you want?
What qualifications does she have to produce effective advertising/marketing collateral? How do you know they will work? Is he going to use an image type advertising or direct response or a combination?
The most important aspect is to make sure there is a demand for your business (viability). It will make your life so much easier. Then marketing is so important.....its the bottom line that brings in money...everything else is relatively easy. Go talk to some schools, pre schools, mothers groups etc. Set up a half hour talk for them, send out some surveys....so many options here.
Everything looks ok but the question mark is are you are putting a lot of faith in one persons opinion/expertise.
Who is the trusted professional? Is she being paid for services or is it a favor? How do you know to implement the advice she gives you will produce the results you want?
What qualifications does she have to produce effective advertising/marketing collateral? How do you know they will work? Is he going to use an image type advertising or direct response or a combination?
The most important aspect is to make sure there is a demand for your business (viability). It will make your life so much easier. Then marketing is so important.....its the bottom line that brings in money...everything else is relatively easy. Go talk to some schools, pre schools, mothers groups etc. Set up a half hour talk for them, send out some surveys....so many options here.
Everything looks ok but the question mark is are you are putting a lot of faith in one persons opinion/expertise.
Hi Evand,
All very valid questions. She has a business degree, marketing agree and she is a graphic designer for web and publications. I have had business dealings with her for the past 15 years and she has always been on the mark with her market research.
GG
Good point Steve, i don't see having a animal farm business being a problem, its the old shack on the property i want to "convert" (pull down and rebuild) could be a sticking point. Have attached photo. We would like to convert it into a kids music studio / kids visit centre for the animal experience.
Congratulations to you GG. I am in absolute awe!
Thanks Xenia, long way to go
Hope all you guys can come along for the journey GG
Attachments
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Cool. Just wondered about council regulations ie. whether they will allow you to have xx amount of animals, or this species etc.
For instance I know a council up here have a regulation as to how many horses you are allowed on your land depending on size etc. I've even seen a dispute because a guy wanted to park his truck on his semi rural property and the council took him to court - not the same as your situation, but you get the gist that council's can be @r$e$ if they perceive you to be doing the 'wrong thing' in their eyes.
Sounds good. Does she have the runs (results) on the board or just 'degrees'?
Remember, marketing is about $ results only.
Remember, marketing is about $ results only.
Evand,
As I mentioned, I/we have been dealing with her for 15 years, if we didn't see results, she wouldn't have gotten past the first year
GG
