See the forest through the trees

January 10, 2025

Building Our Dream Homestead in Palestine, Texas

After months of searching, my wife, Liz, and I finally closed on our 11-acre slice of paradise just outside Palestine, Texas. The land, a lush expanse of pines, oaks, and dogwoods, was everything we’d dreamed of—affordable at $94,000, unrestricted, and brimming with potential. With the deed in hand, it was time to roll up our sleeves and start planning our homestead. But as we sat down to map out our future, we quickly realized our visions weren’t quite aligned. I pictured a fortress, a self-sufficient stronghold ready for any apocalypse. Liz, on the other hand, dreamed of a peaceful retreat with playful goats and a garden where she could grow old without a care. Here’s how we bridged our dreams, broke ground, and took the first steps toward building our homestead.

Clash of Visions: Fortress vs. Farmstead

From the moment we started dreaming about our homestead, Liz and I knew we wanted a life rooted in the land. But our priorities painted two different pictures. I’m a bit of a prepper at heart, imagining a homestead fortress—think reinforced walls, solar panels, and a bunker vibe to weather any storm, literal or figurative. I wanted a setup that screamed self-reliance, with food gardens to sustain us and enough security to sleep soundly in any scenario.

Liz, however, had a softer vision. She wanted a place that felt like a warm hug from nature. Her eyes lit up talking about goats bounding across the property, their antics bringing daily joy. She pictured flower gardens bursting with color and a cozy home where we could grow old, sipping coffee on a porch as the sun set over our trees. Her dream was less about surviving the end of the world and more about thriving in a simple, joyful life.

Our planning sessions were a mix of laughter and compromise. I’d sketch out moats and turrets; she’d counter with goat pens and rose bushes. But we both agreed on one thing: this homestead had to be ours, a blend of security and serenity that reflected us both.

Finding Common Ground: Metal Buildings and Mixed Livestock

After many late-night talks, we found a middle path that honored both our dreams. We settled on constructing two metal buildings, a practical choice for durability and cost. The first will be our family home—a sturdy, energy-efficient space with a cozy interior for Liz’s vision of growing old together, but built tough enough to satisfy my fortress fantasies. The second will be my shop, a dedicated space for tools, projects, and maybe a few apocalypse-ready gadgets. Metal buildings are low-maintenance, weather-resistant, and versatile, making them the perfect canvas for our dual-purpose homestead.

For livestock, we compromised beautifully. Liz gets her goats, which she’s already naming (Bouncy and Buttercup are current frontrunners). I pushed for chickens, knowing their eggs and meat would boost our self-sufficiency. We envision a small herd of goats for milk and entertainment, and a flock of chickens for fresh eggs and the occasional roast. To round it out, we planned gardens—flower beds for Liz to nurture her soul with vibrant blooms, and vegetable patches for me to grow staples like tomatoes, potatoes, and greens. It’s a balance of beauty and bounty, her dreams interwoven with mine.

Clearing the Land: Unleashing the Barko 937B

With our plan sketched out, the next step was to transform our forested haven into a buildable site. The dense woods were gorgeous but impractical for construction, so we needed to clear space for the buildings, gardens, and animal pens. I hired a local company specializing in land clearing, and they brought in a beast of a machine: the Barko 937B tree mulcher. This thing was a marvel, chewing through trees and underbrush like a hot knife through butter. In just two days, they cleared roughly 2 acres, leaving a clean, open area perfect for our homestead’s foundation. The mulched debris will enrich the soil, and we preserved plenty of trees around the perimeter for privacy and that wooded charm we fell in love with.

Watching the Barko work was humbling—it’s one thing to dream about a homestead, another to see the land physically transform. Liz and I walked the cleared site afterward, imagining where the house would sit, where the goats would romp, and where our gardens would thrive. It felt real, like our vision was finally taking shape.

Next Steps: Builders, Budgets, and Big Dreams

With 2 acres cleared, we’re now at a pivotal moment. The next steps are finding the right builder to bring our metal buildings to life and securing the funds to make it happen. We’re researching local contractors with experience in metal construction, prioritizing those who understand our blend of practicality and personality. I’m leaning toward builders who can incorporate fortified elements—like insulated panels for energy efficiency—while Liz wants to ensure the home feels warm and inviting, not like a cold warehouse.

The budget is the bigger challenge. At $94,000, the land was a steal, but buildings, utilities, and infrastructure will push our costs higher. We’re exploring financing options, from construction loans to personal savings, and crunching numbers to keep things affordable. It’s daunting, but every step forward feels like an investment in our future.

A Homestead in Progress

Planning our homestead in Palestine has been a journey of compromise and creativity. Liz’s vision of goats and gardens softens my fortress fantasies, and my push for self-sufficiency grounds her dreams in practicality. Those two metal buildings, one for home and one for work, will be the heart of our homestead, surrounded by animals and crops that reflect us both. Clearing the land with the Barko 937B was a thrilling milestone, turning our wooded lot into a canvas for our future.

As we hunt for builders and balance our budget, I’m reminded why we started this: to build a life that’s ours, rooted in love and resilience. Liz is already planning her flower beds, and I’m sketching garden layouts. The goats and chickens are coming, and so is our forever home. Here’s to the next chapter in Palestine, where our homestead dreams are becoming reality.

What’s your homestead dream? Are you balancing different visions with a partner? Share your thoughts below!