Latest news with #homesteading
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
These Yellowknife gardeners just ate their last carrots and potatoes — from last summer
With a cool space and peat moss, gardener Dwayne Wohlgemuth says anyone could do it Image | Dwayne Wohlgemuth Caption: Dwayne Wohlgemuth is able to make his produce last nearly the whole year by storing his bounty in a cold cellar and using peat moss to prevent mold and rot. (CBC) Open Image in New Tab While many gardeners in the North are busy planting for the coming summer, some Yellowknifers are still finishing their produce from last year. Dwayne Wohlgemuth just finished his last carrot a couple weeks ago after finding it in storage while he was looking for a beet, also from last summer's crop. "I was like woohoo, I've got another carrot," he said. He says it was the best carrot he's ever eaten. "It was still perfect. It wasn't even soft," he said. Wohlgemuth is a serious gardener. He estimates he had a crop of about 30 pounds of carrots from his garden last year, and even more beets, along with a wealth of various greens in his freezer. He also hunts, and cans bison meat, lard, and bone broth to eat throughout the winter. "I hardly buy any food. I don't buy any fruit, I don't buy any vegetables, I don't buy any meat. My food bill is so low," he said. Wohlgemuth is able to store this bounty of food throughout the year thanks to small cold cellar he dug below the entryway of his Yellowknife house. The insulated, underground space stays between about 9 to 5 C all year long, keeping vegetables and canned goods from freezing in the winter or spoiling in the summer. It's something he learned from his parents. "I grew up in a house in Alberta that my parents had built this massive cellar, and we had it so full all the time of root vegetables and canning," he said. "When I built this house I thought 'I've got to put a cellar in there.'" He uses peat moss to keep the vegetables dry to prevent mould and rot — separating the vegetables into layers to ensure that there are no spots where they touch. Kevin O'Reilly, another avid gardener in Yellowknife, has also managed to make his produce last until May, thanks to a crawlspace below his Yellowknife home which stays about 2 or 3 C all year long. Each year, he puts down a tarp on the sand in the crawlspace, and he and his wife load up plastic crates with vegetables separated by layers of wood shavings, similar to how Wohlgemuth uses peat moss. "I just took the last of the carrots out a couple days ago, and some of them were almost like you took them right out of the garden," he said. Overall, O'Reilly said about three quarters of his carrots were still good to eat in May — not bad, after months outside. He also still has some potatoes. Some will be used for seed potatoes in his garden this year, but O'Reilly said a lot of them are still good to eat. Wohlgemuth acknowledged that not everyone has a house where they can dig a cellar, or a convenient crawlspace, but he says a lot of the techniques he uses can be put in practice anywhere. Root vegetables like carrots and beets could be packed in peat moss in a cool basement or pantry, Wohlgemuth said, and canned goods can be kept anywhere where they are not exposed to direct light. Both O'Reilly and Wohlgemuth say they have already planted most of their crops for next year.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This couple found their forever home in abandoned 37.5-acre Kentucky farmstead — and it only cost them $390K
As home prices soar and dreams of ownership slip away for many Americans, one couple decided to stop chasing the market and a new life from the ground up. In spring 2024, Sophie Hilaire Goldie, 37, and her husband Rocky Goldie, 50, purchased a 37.5-acre fixer-upper homestead in rural Kentucky for $390,000 and began transforming it into their forever home. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) They are now dedicating their energy, time, and skills to remodeling the property into a self-sustaining lifestyle. Their plans include raising chickens, starting a dairy goat farm and launching a new skincare business. 'We are not moving,' Sophie said. 'It's weird even to think that's an option because it's not how we think. I have no interest in leaving — ever.' Sophie, an Army veteran, and Rocky, a former Marine, met on They quickly bonded over their shared love of the outdoors and their desire to embrace life. When they started dating, Sophie transformed a friend's Home Depot shed into a tiny home after spending two years living in a Sprinter van. Their second date was spent working together to build the shed. 'It was important for me while we were dating to see if we could work together on projects,' Sophie told CNBC. After she returned from a trip through Southeast Asia, Rocky suggested they find a place of their own. They turned to Zillow and searched for rural properties with at least 10 acres and a sense of history. A local photographer introduced them to a real estate agent, who showed them the abandoned property. It included two log cabins from the 1840s, a 2,200-square-foot home with four bedrooms and one bathroom, a 200-square-foot separate cabin and two barns — all on 37.5 acres. The couple secured a 30-year mortgage with minimum monthly payments of $1,790, but they plan to pay off their home within five years. Sophie recently launched her own skincare company, Seoul + Soil, inspired by their natural lifestyle on the homestead. The business is part of a larger goal to become 85% to 90% self-sufficient. 'I think it's the most excited I've ever been about anything,' Sophie said. 'There's nothing more entrepreneurial than just making up your life.' Read more: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here's how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis For the Goldies, homesteading is more than a lifestyle — it's a financial strategy grounded in long-term resilience and freedom. According to a 2022 survey by Homesteaders of America, nearly 40% of respondents said they had adopted homesteading within the past three years. Here's how the Goldies are making it work: Reduced Housing Costs: It's rare to find a 37.5-acre property with existing infrastructure for less than $400,000. By purchasing this land, the couple is eliminating decades of future housing expenses and aiming to be mortgage-free within five years. Income Diversification: Sophie's skincare company is one source of income. Additional revenue may come from selling farm produce, hosting workshops or providing agritourism experiences such as farm stays. Asset Appreciation: Historic properties on large rural land are increasingly seen as wise investments. Renovations and the addition of sustainable infrastructure can significantly increase long-term value. Financial Resilience: A self-sufficient lifestyle that includes livestock, gardens and renewable energy systems can provide protection against inflation, food shortages and job loss. For the Goldies, this bold experiment in modern homesteading is driven by passion and purpose. 'We only have a few more decades left, but we want to do 200 years' worth of stuff,' Sophie says. 'Everything we did brought us to where we are now, but it would be nice to be 20 and starting this.' Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
