Everything I Built on 7 Acres of Abandoned Land (YEAR ONE TO FOUR)

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Homestead tools and resources from our abandoned land build below: FREE DOWNLOADS: How Much Did Our Shed to House Cost? www.bettertogetherhomestead.com/report Build Your Own Shed Design for FREE: shedview.goupb.com/?dealer=1504 Vego Garden Bed: glnk.io/vzw5/bettertogetherlife TOOLS: Get the Chicklift: www.chicklifts.com/?ref=[e-mail] Yardbird Chicken Plucker: amzn.to/3BmSwih Chicken Shrink Bags: amzn.to/3qI8M8z

[@peggywood6215]

You are the salt of the earth 🌎 💚🌎

[@oldmansparadise4154]

Q

[@willengel2458]

is there such a thing as "Abandoned land" in the US?

[@devonscope6222]

Curious to know how you funded this?

[@pennypedersen6205]

All your Sites have Sign In, just would like to see 👀 Information. JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW YOU COULD AFFORD ITEMS. HOW 🤔 ❓MUCH THEY COST, QUESTIONS LIKE THAT !!

[@donnasmith5697]

As a senior citizen (who continues to garden and can), this video of what you’ve accomplished in just a few years is heart warming. Best wishes to y’all in the coming years!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh THANK YOU so much Donna. Thank you watching and thank you for your kind words!!

[@michellemcmillin2696]

Absolutely!! So AWSOME!

[@CaptainMattsWorms]

Yes wow, so much accomplished! Have you considered worm farming? I raise millions of worms for fertilizer for my garden & to teach others how to care for them :) Its all about being self sustaining! Thanks for the great video, I love seeing what others are doing :)

[@edmartin875]

@@CaptainMattsWorms Compost/organic material added to your garden soil plus plenty of mulch makes each garden bed a worm farm.

[@laurawilkins2963]

@@CaptainMattsWorms bv

[@sandrinehoareau330]

This is a good book. Does provide a step by step introduction to how to build things kzbin.infoUgkxhgbP-6hUnXu_QRaoHgLztgsI0YF3HqR0 , also does offer some steps. Includes pictures to give you ideas for layouts and such. If you are looking for a guide, this is not exactly what you want. But if you are trying to familiarize yourself with the way that pole barn building and other out buildings, are made, then this will work just as you need it to. A few things in this book are a barn (of course), detached garage, storage building, and coops.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

A roof. A good solid, metal roof that is designed well.

[@balthizarlucienclan]

This is the same journey I am about to start myself. I have bought 6.2 acres of high desert in Colorado and plan on turning it into a permaculture oasis. It will be difficult because I am unfortunately single and 41 but it's doable for me. I hope to be blessed with the same levels of success that you all have had❤

[@BetterTogetherLife]

You can do it!!!!!! Never give up!

[@jensholm5759]

Im sure many ae barking mad as You. Dont give up. Many women love to have a bathetub

[@itzDroov]

Where are yall buying land from or through?

[@balthizarlucienclan]

@@itzDroov I got super lucky but I found mine by searching “Land for Sale Colorado” and found several lots

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

What's the water situation where you're at?

[@CieraMatthewVlogs]

As someone who grew up on a Texas ranch, I can say the best way to protect chickens from predators is a small overnight barn. Every night we always gathered our chickens and took them into a small barn with nesting boxes and room to move around. Possums, coyotes and more are all around and will do whatever they can to get to your chickens! We'll be getting chickens soon, but we're definitely going to build a small barn before we get them.

[@jillclark1744]

I live in Georgia and I agree 💯 %. I lock my chickens up in their coop every nite.

[@carolyn9andthecats653]

Buried that fence at 3 feet underground! (Is all that we could come up w, anyhow) then an overhead fence, which was a big ass thing. ....crazy bs! Babygirl, please, do ya have any other way to do this?! Or ima sit outside w my guns!!!! Lol we lost 12 in 2 days over those damn hawks! How do I do this ????!!!! Plus , they're so fn stressed n aren't producing!!!!! I'm in Northern West Virginia, n these big birds are the worst enemies!!!!! G

[@carolyn9andthecats653]

All I can gather is I ding this dam dinner bell, they come n run n then feed......but I gotta keep up spotting n if I see danger, of course I shoot!!!!! Now, So wtf do I do so that I don't have to """"" SPOTIFY":"""" N babysit these guys?!?!.!!? Um a busy man.

[@Caligirl-1111]

Once they know their home they go to it at dusk. Although there’s always that one who takes their time. Hahahaha

[@palominogirl2732]

Mine finally have their own coop instead of being in my hay barn. And the coop, which is a small barn, if I wanted to one day, fits my truck, LOL. OK, back to chickens...my land has woven wire all around it (that took a while, and some $$), but coyotes, fox, etc., can't get in. My dogs and horses can't get out, not that they want to. (Cows are different!!) Plus, if the chickens aren't out free roaming, like now, because we'll have snow until April, they have their new small barn and a small pen to run around in nice days. But even if they are in all day, like yesterday with 50 mph winds and rain/snow, they have plenty of room to exercise. I've seen fox pacing my fence and looking in - but to no avail. That's a good feeling, because three times in 29 years, I've gone out to the hay barn and found them all dead - like 12-15 just lying there after a killing spree. That was before the fencing.

[@bonniewatson178]

And to think some folks say youngsters are soft, gives my heart joy and hope seeing young families living the life we were meant to ❤. Blessings to your family.

[@debbiemize2269]

I started watching y’all’s channel about the time y’all bought the 7 acres. Watching this I’m just amazed at all y’all have accomplished on this land!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you very much Debbie!!! You are too kind!

[@ivylamejor]

Why did I cry when I saw the birth of your new baby 🥲 happy tears !!! This is so beautiful! I’m happy I found your video!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh yay Ivy, THANK YOU!!!!!

[@palominogirl2732]

You did a super-duper job of explaining all that you did in 24 minutes. I've always been a farmer/homesteader or whatever name applies to people like us, and for people that moved from the city, you did very very well. :) I only have 7 acres, too, but I raised a couple 'Jersey Boys' for beef (they were free calves), meat birds, pigs, chickens, large garden, orchard, greenhouse. And I'm watching your video going, "Yes, they did that right," and nodding my head. I'm so glad that your kids are benefitting from working on a homestead. Good job!

[@StarrSky]

How do you start? I always lived in a city but I want to live like this.. But the thing is.. I have no idea where to start. I’m 21.

[@palominogirl2732]

@@StarrSky Gee, there are lots of videos on how people did it. Save money to move and for land, offer to work on a farm or for someone that grows vegetables for farmer's market to learn about gardening, have some job skills that don't require you to live in a specific place. Maybe find a farmer, 4-H group, etc. to learn about animals. There are people who built a small cabin, or live in a camper once they got a driveway and a well on their land. Or you could haul water in, but that's tough. I wish you luck. :) You can do anything that you put your mind to.

[@Farmermayne]

This is so inspiring fam, I’m from Houston myself it’s so cool to see a Houstonian making these moves it makes me believe that it’s extremely attainable. Much love much gratitude I’m happy for y’all entire family bless up🙏🏿☝🏿

[@Manbearpig4456]

I’m not surprised you find it inspiring your from Houston. Keeping the crayon between the lines is considered an achievement by you inbred lot

[@Manbearpig4456]

@@Farmermayne Cletus the slack jawed yokel

[@KtBudgets]

North of Humble in Far North East Houston here. Dreaming of doing the same.

[@Farmermayne]

@@KtBudgets best of luck I hope your manifestation becomes your reality, if you can please document the process would love to see lol also north Houston here as well raised in the Aldine district

[@yecto1332]

This should be everyone’s life goal after making money they should live like this it’s healthy and it gives u purpose

[@DavidJohnson-lm7nn]

that is a great point. But these guys didn't do that, they did that when their kids were super young and crammed them into 800 sq ft.

[@User122-qi6md]

​@DavidJohnson-lm7nn - kids can play outdoors, literally, a home is a place to cook your food in a kitchen and a place to sleep. You are the same as people that build Mcmansions and keep the kids indoors on social media and video games. Kids should learn responsibilities working on a homestead and spend time outdoors as much as possible. Their modified shed is fine for me, very cozy, with additional loft for sleeping area and open concept.

[@loisthomas8764]

These are the best most practical videos for the beginner going into the land world. Thank you for your efforts.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh wow Lois, THANK YOU sooooo much!!! You have no idea how motivating your kind words are for us. It helps us to keep going and keep sharing. It is our passion to help as many people as we can to leave the less stress and more freedom lifestyle on land. THANK YOU!!!! 😁😁

[@jamesjustice859]

Congratulations on the baby I've been following you guys for about 2 years your family is wonderful and what you guys have done is awesome. I'm disabled and I'm hoping that I can continue on heading in the same direction.

[@joyblack6500]

This is Soo very encouraging!! I am a 60 year old wife and mom of three grown sons and I dream of having a homestead!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@larry7397]

Your story beats the mainstream news by a country mile! Inspirational, hopeful, the inevitable disappointments, and then tears of joy! HOORAY!! 😀❤️🌞😂💥🌠🌙☄️🌿

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Wow, thank you!

[@dorotheaisserstedt9238]

Respekt, was Ihr mit Eurer Familie in so kurzer Zeit alles auf die Beine gestellt habt. Alles Gute, besonders fürs Baby.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you Dorothea!

[@pollynawanjaya8335]

@@BetterTogetherLife of moo

[@chrisreeves8037]

"Prepper" or Homesteader some critics would label you. My parents grew up like you in the Texas "Dustbowl" harvesting the vege garden, chickens, pigs, and milking the cow; not to forget, the rain water which supplied the house. It was a way of life. Good job, cr

[@BetterTogetherLife]

thank you Chris!!!

[@DaDa-kf4vp]

“It’s taken so much love to make this house a home” is the cutest euphemism I have ever heard 😂

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh wow, THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@gaylewatkins4685]

This is one of the best video I have ever seen about planning and growing a homestead. Thank you for sharing and take care.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Wow, THANK YOU Gayle!!!!!!! 😁😁

[@_dNKw_]

This is beautiful! The amount of work and dedication is just amazing! I wish I found your channel long time ago, now it's my turn to watch all of your journey from the beginning. **NEW FANS ALERT!**

[@thomasoyaro3354]

This is stuff of my purest of fantasies. The finesse with which you handled both what you knew and what you had to learn along the way is so admirable. And that you compressed Yr1 - Yr4 in just under 25 minutes, wow! Much love and LOVE from Kenya. Cheers.

[@ptolemaios220687]

This is what dreams and a lot of money can do... Make a hobby lifestyle and transform your everyday life to taste the best of a villagers lifestyle. Personaly we tried to do the same thing... 4 years later and struggled through financial crisis I can mostly say that there is a great deal of work and a lot of rewarding moment s in this homesteading lifestyle... There are a lot to learn and a lot of blood sweat and tears....

[@janetkoball44]

I just found your channel and I love it. Your 5 children will reap many rewards from this homestead of yours. I will be watching for your next visit with us. Thanks. I am from Central Oklahoma.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you SOOOO MUCH Janet!!!!! You are too kind! Yes, our children are loving this life for sure!

[@HeatherMFreitag]

The transformation of 7 acres of abandoned land into a thriving homestead over four years is a testament to the power of vision, hard work, and sustainable practices. Each year brought new challenges and achievements, from laying the groundwork and building essential structures to enhancing sustainability and engaging with the community.

[@TheSabine2005]

This book is a comprehensive guide for anyone who wants to build a second unit on their property. kzbin.infoUgkxzaRUJNcbypw-fRBDbqqz43ULIa-1EGP- It showcases various types of houses, such as garage apartments, with photos, videos, and floor plans. The book provides the square footage and the dimensions of each house, as well as the option to order the plans or customize them according to your preferences. You can choose from a range of styles, from ultra modern to cottages and A frame lake houses. The book also offers suggestions for sheds, pool houses, and office studio buildings. This book is an ideal resource for the aspiring home designer.

[@ladonnawoodley5279]

I sure did enjoy watching this video. You did a great job editing and voice overs. And the work you all have accomplished is amazing.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh LaDonna, thank you sooooo much!!!! 😁😁😁

[@samz3028]

Tip: plant no. of citronella plants nearby around the house, chicken coop. It keeps snakes away as well reduces mosquitoes.

[@RedPixel2023]

We got a 12 hectare land from grannies and gonna start a homesteading with farm for produce in a few months. This is gonna be fun. Your video is just great to watch..

[@darloussands2219]

I love what you have accomplished. That's living the dream right there... So happy for your family!

[@wsmh20]

We're just starting put on our virgin 5.56 acres at 60 yrs old. Your video inspired us. We have experience in all aspects individually but to pull it all together, you've been inspiring. We just wish we started this adventure much younger. But, it's never too late to start and make dreams happen🤗

[@catherinemelnyk]

As a Canadian senior who barely knows a rabbit from a chicken (just kidding) am so inspired by what you are doing. How I wish younger people could set up something so seniors could live a rural lifestyle instead of being forced inti city seniors buildings because "it's convenient".

[@none.892]

Maybe seniors should have built something for themselves when they were young! It sounds like piss-poor planning on your part. "I didn't care about my future, so younger people should waste their youth taking care of me!"

[@nasty_bxdies4552]

@@none.892 or hear me out we just have the common decency not to send the people who took care of you your whole life to a home just because they are older and don’t need around the clock care

[@Tyler-qx3ye]

They have some tiny home communities on some land by lakes etc you should look into

[@PS-ic4bp]

Great input. I am thinking of doing something for seniors which is into spiritual mental and psychological wellness. This sounds like a great idea but very often seniors want to be close to their families so living in such an environment far away from urban areas may be a challenge.

[@rochellemc2690]

​@@none.892ignorant

[@LaurenGreene-bt9xm]

My husband (29) and I (27) are debt-free and looking to buy raw land. We found your channel doing research on sheds to homes. All the work y'all have done and what y'all are accomplishing with homeschooling and homesteading is inspiring! I researched United Portable Buildings based on your recommendation, but it looks like they do not service Georgia. Do you have any other companies you recommend in Georgia? Or does Casey from UPB have any recommendations (Or plans to expand to the Peach State 🤣🤣)?

[@kameljoe21]

I would consider finding a local contractor to come in and build a slab home. These sheds can set you back 20k just for the shell. While a full build might cost a bit more for the concrete floor it will be overall cheaper in the long run. If you want insurance it might be harder to insure these shed homes. You can check with big box stores like Menards which sell garage kits that you have to build your self that are likely much bigger than these shed homes. You might even consider a pole barn as they can be built cheaper. Then you can insulate the ground and pour a floating slab. To finish the inside only requires very little work. You will end up with thicker walls than a standard home. EG4 also make a 2 ton mini split for 2k dollars which has the option to hook directly to about a 2kwh or less solar array to provide heat and cooling. They also make a 1 ton unit for 1300 dollars. This option is really nice because you can use the off grid only function to cool or heat only from the sun. With extra insulation in the home it will help slow the heat from getting in to your conditioned space. There are a number of reason why not to do shed homes or container homes. Many of these ideas cost more than people think. A pole barn is a viable and cheap option which can give you a fairly good size house. If you intend to have kids then building out with that in mind and keep in mind you will need a massive pantry if you plan on doing anything garden related. You are still young enough that you could sell off everything you have and move in to the cheapest place you can find and or find a relative to which you could pay a small rent to use a spare room or rent a room and work your asses off for the next couple of years to save and pinch every dollar you can. Getting weekend or night jobs as well. If you have medical use it as much as you can to get you and your husband checked out for every minor thing because not being healthy is not good. Exercise and gain some endurance as you will need a lot of it. You should also buy one of those book writing things and make a plans. Use every resource at your hand. If you plan on having services at your off grid place check with your gas and electric companies to find out how much it cost to install electric/gas. Is there any rebates/funding when building a new home. There are many options you must consider if you plan on building up brand new. Many of these cost are never told by these type of people. For example bringing in electric can cost a few hundred to 10s of thousands of dollars. Drilling a well can cost a couple thousands to 10s of thousands. Dry places in Texas like this would cost 10 to 50k to drill as there water table is several thousand feet down. Septic systems cost a few thousand to 10s of thousands. I paid 5k to put in a new tank and enough field to last me quite a while. Not trying to steer you away. Its a lot to consider and many people do not make it. Most of them end up going back to work in the city because they can not live with out the city. There are many people who stick it out because they have no other choice. fixed incomes, no jobs, down right poor. SInce you are debt free do you have quite a bit of savings now or in the thinking about phase? I am guessing you rent? Really should sit down and see how much money you can come up with in say the next 12 months and then work off of that. I will give you my best ball park cost to build a off grid home. 1800square foot pole barn 30x60. This should be enough for 5 bedrooms 10x12. Large bathroom/laundry room, large pantry/storage/tool room. Kitchen dining living area. Doing this as cheap as possible with limited and reduced everything. This mean one window per bedroom and a couple windows to brighten up the common areas. less windows means less cost and heating and cooling. 75k Well/septic. 20k Solar system/mini splits and panels. 50k, 1k to 2k per acre land ( more less depending on type ) Services 2k. Overall 150k cash and doing most of the work yourself will reduce the overall cost. Add in the cost of a truck and camper/tents for when plan to build. Ideal thing to do is to buy the land and keep working. Pay someone to come out and drill a well. Do some land clean up and prep the site for building a new building. Have the pole barn built and then have someone come in and dig septic and DWV lines. Water lines from well pit/filter room and install anything else you want. If you do this stuff your self make sure you do not skimp on building this because its a pain to do if you have to repair it. Test everything before you back fill. water test and or air test. Insulate and pour the slab and finish the slab. Then install your walls, electrical, communications cables with includes every room and possible security camera locations. then finish it out. Even if it takes you an extra year to get there you are still bring in a lot of money which can keep paying for these things. Think about long term goals for the place and once you think you are ready consider any other projects that you might want to get done. Remember at any time you can quit and move in. You do not need to rush. Its better to set your self up long term rather than short term being broke and having to move back to the city. You can live off grid and still live like you do today. There are viable solar options and solar is pretty cheap these days and can see a return in as little as 10 years. Plus once you have solar you may end up using more energy than you did before because you now have more solar than you need and can run an extra couple freezers/fridges. Installing electric water pre heaters directly connected to solar ( heat elements have built in thermostats) will reduce the load your solar system has to provide. You can set up a POS tankless water heater that you can add a 60 min timer to and use that at night if all of the pre heat tanks run cool. You could add several preheat tanks which can preheat or heat 40 to 120 gallons or more. EG4 mini split AC units have 3 settings, off grid, grid only and combo. These units alone would reduce your day time loads by large margins. Size the units right and install some type of fan circulation system in the attic much like a furnace would do to move air around and between all rooms will spread out the cool air better. Texas is kinda a bad place to live where you have do not have your own water. There are a number of places in mild weather areas where building codes and permits are relaxed. When I bought my home I had several goals in mind. 15 mins to food/gas 45 mins to hospital/sheriff 1.5 hours to Walmart Septic/well water/natural gas/ fiber optics internet Rural or city with no restrictions. I met all of these goals and own my house and land outright. I may not be off grid and I can do all of these things.

[@kingvamp.]

debt free... so proud of you guys :D hope it works out!

[@johnleca]

do it yourself. pouring a slab is like pouring water in a box. a shed is a box

[@Constitutionalapologist]

Is this the same guy I got my backyard rabbit hutch inspiration from? You guys were in like a subdivision. Wow, congratulations. You guys are living it! May the Lord continue to bless you and keep you. :)

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Haha, yup that is us! Thank you Joni!!

[@noahgossett6134]

Never forget how lucky you are as a woman to have such a hardworking man alot of other women would do anything to have. Treat him well. Much love and blessings ❤

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Wow, thank you

[@brandyc24_7]

Amen!!

[@LibertyOperation]

Loved this, ya’ll. I was missing your content on KZbin, but fortunately I had my course to work on. Keep up the great work, ya’ll.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh man THANK YOU soooo much!!

[@irenafields3324]

Brilliant and soooo much hard work. I was born and raised in a farm. I do understand your work. Your kids will be forever thankful for your choice. I miss everything from the farm. God bless you always!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you so much Irena!!

[@chickenandchips8802]

23:08 this is one of the most wholesome things ever 😍

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh thank you!

[@dogcatparty7371]

12/31/2023 It is very common for refrigerator ice makers to break and flood your floors. It is better to buy a separate ice maker that you can watch on your kitchen countertop. There should be one universal website so anyone, anywhere, can find this out before they buy a refrigerator! Happy 2024!

[@tomawboss7513]

Great video with outstanding production value. Wish other had this quality. Well narrated, providing clear insight. very useful and entertaining.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you soooo much Tom!! That means a lot. 😁😁

[@BurkeshireFarm]

Hi Better Together Homestead, I just stumbled on your KZbin channel. This video gave us encouragement to continue on our journey. We are in a mid to late 50's and left the big city of Tucson and moved to Texas to try and live a more sustainable and simpler life. Unfortunately we do still have to work but are very close to being completely out of debt. The challenges can sometime get us down but we encourage each other and with Gods blessing we keep on going. We look forward to watching more of your video. God Bless!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh thank you soooo much!!! Absolutely you can do this. Texas would be perfect for you! Also Tennessee is great too and might get some more rainfall. But let us know if you ever need anything!

[@Alexis-pl5cn]

I just started watching, but as a huge Southern reptile lover, I thought it was neat how you treated that snake! Part of my homestead dream is to have the space to let my reptiles outside during the day, too.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Hey Alexis, absolutely! As long as the snake is not venomous we let them be. Unfortunately we do have to dispatch the copperheads, with our 5 kiddos running around it has to happen. 😕

[@krispalermo8133]

@@BetterTogetherLife Wait till they are teenagers, they could very well collect every copperhead within a 1,000ft radius from the house. Properly cooked they are better than fried shrimp. As soon good nutrition kicks their teenage bodies into hype activity they well eat nearly anything that doesn't move fast enough from them. I grew up with around twenty extended cousins all within the same age group, us teenagers double then x5 the vegetable garden along with putting in multiple melons to feed off of. Bad news a small herd of white tail deer one night killed three of our dogs and another four needed vet treatment, our vegetable garden was so wreaked we barely had anything that year to can, along with the half acre of blue corn was gone. The deer were so large the electric fence set on high didn't even slow them down. Back in the 1990's we didn't know about all the different plants you can put around the house to warn of deer.

[@bearadams9797]

You guys are amazing! Perfect video, amazing narration, and just a wholesome experience. I bought 6 acres for my family in Northern Nevada. It's been a slow start with a big family. But it's slowly but surely all coming together. Definitely subscribed for life! I can't wait to see more!

[@sabrinawanderer7560]

It's good to have a big family. You can count on each one to finish a task faster. The more, the merrier! Sometimes, I get lazy and I don't want to feed the animals so my other sister or one of my brothers will Cook food for the dogs, the other feed the chickens, and I sleep and wake up and water the plants.

[@budgarner3522]

Good for you all! What family memories to pass down from generations. Keep moving forward and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

[@Natedoc808]

Re: life proof LVP flooring that went into your studio. We put it in throughout our house 1.5 years ago and it hasn’t held up well at all. Any area that sees regular traffic is scratched badly. All it takes is one little grain of sand or small stone, heck even the dogs nails and it’s gouged.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Sorry, but that wasn’t Life Proof from Home Depot that we installed.

[@lieuwina]

congratulations Brotherton family! You made it look so easy watching this video, but I know that it was a lot of hard work and what you have accomplished in four years is amazing. You must be so proud of what you have achieved, I know I envy you and often wish I could do this. I have lived in many countries and wish I could have done this. So guess what I get to watch you with your beautiful family, the Holler homestead, Sow the land and roots and refuge and some more. Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work. Greetings from the UK.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh THANK YOU soooo much!!! I love that you commented and that you are able to find your people here on KZbin. ALL THE LOVE from down here in Texas! haha!

[@MIANQAASIM]

I am impressed when you say this is our childrens childrens land❤❤❤❤ you both are very good and loving parents 😍😍😍

[@freeind33dministries32]

So proud of you guys!! It has been a journey for you and the kids. What an amazing life you guys have put together. Much inspiration and encouragement to get out there and live off the land. Thanks

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you soooo much! If you know of anyone who would enjoy this please share it on your social media! THANK YOU!!!!

[@LandElevated]

Nice property! We also sell untouched land around the US and your channel is perfect for our clients who recently bought land from us. We'll start sharing your channel with our clients who want to start living like yours. Thank you for creating your channel! 😊

[@SAZZADHOSSAIN-zv3ck]

Hello, i am a big producer of poultry meat,egg, beef & dairy milk from Bangladesh. I wish to buy/ rent an abandoned rural farm in USA at my own cost and want to set up an integrated farm house there. Can you help me in this regards. Thanks

[@nancyseery2213]

Life in fast forward sure looks easy, but you know it is good hard work! God bless y'll and keep growing.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Hahaha, Nancy….yup!!!! But it does always give us that video picture book for our family and yourself to go back and see the progress. And we always love the one liner, “we over estimate what we can accomplish in a day, but we under compensate what we can accomplish in a year!” Thank you as always!!!! 😁😁😁😁

[@barrybr1]

Well done. You're living the dream and you're refreshingly honest about the ups and downs. Best of luck with all you do. Greetings from Sydney, Australia

[@krth337]

They’re living the dream because they aren’t in Australia

[@Manbearpig4456]

@@krth337 no it’s worse there is America locked up as a family ready to rear the next lot of inbred racist cnuts

[@AjayAdigopalOntario]

Massive respect for everything you have done and i hope u and ur amazing family all the best. Being a city kid, i never even built a chair or a table or anything tbh lol. Ur video has inspired me a lot to be more sustainable with nature and conserve the planet.Ty.

[@willengel2458]

you are wasting your keystrokes because there is no such thing as "Abandoned land." undeveloped land either belonged to somebody, or the government. he is a squatter.

[@georgeburton7467]

This channel offers some of the most informative gardening tips I've ever come across!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

We try our best! I’m glad you’re enjoying them. 😁

[@MCGAletsgo]

If everyone concentrated on raising a loving family, the world would be a much better place, keep on doing a great job

[@SelfEmpoweredJD]

Absolutely appreciate your content. I was born and raised in Chicago and dream of a country life. The plan is to find land in the next year and start my new journey. Thank you for sharing your home and family.

[@nevinebinns5546]

I am so jealous of you guys. The team work the togetherness. I just love it Simone from jamaica

[@gailkruetzman1550]

We are retired farmers at ages 82 and 93. We love your videos as they remind us of our lives on the farm back in the 1960s. As we sit here in our recliners in a small retirement condo we have but ONE question! Where do you get the income to support your project and support 5 children? It’s a great program you provide and educational but how on earth do you fund it?

[@BetterTogetherLife]

🤣🤣🤣 Thank you so much Gail for your kind words!! Great question. Our quick answer is: KZbin, Sponsors, doTERRA, farm sales, and digital product sales. Plus we believe is being debt free as much as possible!!!

[@mirrorflame1988]

Wonderful! Hardwork pays! Beautiful place! You are teaching your kids to build and nurture!

[@Manbearpig4456]

Teaching their kids that inbreeding is your right as an American

[@tapovardhanraut9873]

Awesome, really one has to appreciate the efforts put into the process of the 7 acres development from scratch to a very healthy and beautiful farm stead . All the Best Wishes for Your next coming year's .👍

[@pizzapuffankles]

Awesome :) I bought a 5 acre farm as well and so far planted 1500 trees

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Holy guacamole!!!!!! Wowzers that is A LOT OF TREES!!!! Way to go!

[@josephheisenberg5177]

Get a kelty backpack. I have nine children. They will need hurt your back. Also a new native front carrier for babies is absolute best especially for nursing mom's. Get organic white off white. It is amazing. The denim is sturdier for when the babies are older. You can do anything with a new native carrier. The baby can sit in the fromt, side, and back. Believe me, this thing helped me get house work done and comfort the baby with ease. Also, try a bungee jumper bouncer. They are a serious lifesaver for a homeschooling mom!!!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Wow these are amazing recommendations, THANK YOU!!!!!!!! ~Kelly

[@lesliewatts2878]

Absolutely fantastic folks! We wish you every measure of success. May your family prosper and thrive. Keep well. Keep safe. Have a blessed joyous Christmas.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh THANK YOU so so much Leslie, your kind words mean sooooo much!

[@ladybug591]

It's great to see that you could do such a project. This must have cost many, many thousands of dollars to do so it's not for everyone and land is never cheap. So much land is locked away from the people now-a-days, we can look at scenery in designated spots, but not touch; we are controlled by strange regulations on just about everything. It's nice to see that some people can achieve such a goal - it's nice to be able to watch as you accomplish your farming lifestyle. Great for the kids if you can afford it. Good luck with it all and thanks for the video record. Regards to all.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

It certainly isn’t “cheap”, but it is VALUABLE!!! So we just traded our over spending conveniences for a valuable life! And yes, our kids LOVE IT HERE!!!!!! 😁

[@markwelch9250]

Hopefully, potentially, maybe looking at owning our own little piece of land here soon! Won’t be able to do as many animals but definitely gonna have a garden and fruit trees if it comes to be!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

That is fantastic Mark!! You will not regret it!

[@MoroMoro1]

This was a super nice, compact video full of amazing things that your family has done. Very inspiring. Nice work

[@bryonyhellis]

What a wonderful video documenting all of your hard work and joy, congratulations Brotherton family!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you so much Byron!! 😁😁

[@alexrosas-s8x]

A whole lot of awesomeness. Quite the crafty fella you got there. This was once a dream of mine. Best of luck to y’all!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh thank you so much! 😁😁

[@KStone9711]

As a fellow Texan, homeschooling, homebirthing, homesteading (novice ADMITTEDLY) mama I say WELL DONE!! I cried no less than twice watching this and want to thank you for reinforcing my “why”.

[@SandeepKumar-di9fo]

There is a saying in the Native Indian language - roti kapda aur makaan which literally translates to ( Food, Cloth, and Shelter) for any person to make a living. very impressed with all the work in bringing plane land into a sustainable living. The great family loves to watch your farm grow. Wish to have a similar life living close to nature.

[@LadysFarm]

So cool. Showing progress from the beginning is so cool to see how you have grown. I love it

[@theadeyemis]

You have a great channel too.

[@LadysFarm]

@@theadeyemis you are so sweet. Thank you 🥰🥰🥰

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you SOOOOOO MUCH!!! Also just went to your channel and subscribed. Excited to watch your farm journey! :)

[@LadysFarm]

@@BetterTogetherLife you are so sweet thank you 🥰 I love building community ❤️

[@theadeyemis]

@@BetterTogetherLife We have backyard farm right now, we just bought 10 plots of land where we can eventually move to, and start growing our own foods. One of the reasons why we do not want to move there is because of the insecurity in the country. do you homeschool your kids too?

[@jillianfox8758]

I love it!!!!! You guys are so amazing. If I lived closer I would have loved to see a tour of your guys property. My husband and I are hoping to start this journey soon too

[@alennnnn]

You were able to keep my attention for the whole video. Great editing and straight to the point. Inspiring. Good job. Wish you the best.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you so much Ali!!!!!

[@tzachif6473]

you are an inspiration, I love the progress you made despite all the hardships along the way. Keep it up :)

[@paulahudson4541]

We are happy to see you! Foxy your faith is always encouraging and your smile is sunshine 🌞 #fireyourfrown 😊

[@verbingnoun]

Thank you so much for sharing! If there is ever an update, I'll be here watching from Hawaii.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Hoping to get a 7 acre tour video out this SUNDAY!!!!!!!! Just gotta finish this waterline! haha

[@wendyshoowaiching4161]

Wow! All your kids are living in comfort. The free wood chips can built a mushrooms house. Button mushroom (spegethi sauce), oyster mushroom (stir fried with ginger slices & oyster sauce), enoki steamboat etc. I like the mega water tanks. So little pigs.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you Wendy!!! “All the mushrooms!!” 🤣🤣

[@pinecountryhomestead]

Thanks for sharing, some great ideas to think about for my 6 acre property. Gardening has been a struggle due to an overabundance of mice and pack rats. I think I finally have that beat after 2 years, unfortunately every garden area needs to be surrounded with 3 feet tall metal panels to keep them out, even hardware cloth couldn't keep them out. An orchard and meat rabbits were next on the to-do list but maybe some little piggies instead after watching this video.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Oh thank you!!! And huge congrats on your property! Yes, gardening is tough for sure.

[@teresaholland4790]

You are so sweet to share your story with us and I love your philosophy on living and kids

[@matteden3604]

Such an inspiring process from top to bottom, inside and out. Well done! Can’t believe some critters managed to get into the pen-it looked to have more than enough protection. I wonder if it might have been a family of raccoons but it is so strange that nothing was eaten!

[@cic-jakevanddalgeemyers.2739]

There's nothing a family united can't do ..... bravo to this beautiful family...

[@patricksmith3135]

Congratulations on your new lovely farm and your growing, beautiful family too.

[@FarmLifeStories-e5s]

4:43 The way you explain things is super easy to follow!

[@deltab115]

This was a great video to watch! My wife and I (along with our now-1-year-old son) bought a 5-acre property with a house a few months ago in Missouri. We have been overwhelmed with all the work needed on the house and land, especially with me working full-time to be able to pay the mortgage and bills and pay for everything that we need to buy. We do have plans for the property, like growing food and maybe raising animals. The land is about 3/4 wooded, so there is some significant management needed for the trees. I’m curious if you have any advice to get started. It sounds like you had to start from basically nothing, with a family of children in tow. I’m guessing some of them were old enough to help with things? What did you all do for money when you started, or did you have savings and buy everything outright? It all seems more overwhelming with a baby and having to work away from home through the week. My wife stays at home with our son but there is only so much time in the day, and he is getting very mobile! It seems like you all have so much energy and passion. It’s really inspiring. But any advice is welcome as to where we should think about focusing our energy! Thank you!

[@charlesrazawu2708]

I can help with some labor

[@Zack-lq9tb]

It's a lot of work.

[@rubiconbaron9662]

listening to the commentary as I watch you live like my great grandfather did gave me a vibe of narcissism mixed with piousness. I'm thankful that my ancestors didn't see this way of living as the pentacle for society, but worked hard for more. Enjoy your wealthy simplicity. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's given to you by those who wanted more.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Narcissism? Oh, ok then. Well I once did hear a proverb that said…. “The key to wisdom is knowing how much of an A-hole I really am!” 🤣 So we can try and take your note and hopefully we can do better the next time. Very sorry you felt that vibe from us. It certainly wasn’t our intention. All the best!

[@josephheisenberg5177]

You all did an absolutely amazing job!!!

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you so much Joseph!!!

[@lindsaydeguzman9856]

Watching this video made me think more that we need to start a homestead of our own! Thank you for sharing.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

That is so awesome!

[@theweatherisaokay4964]

What a long journey and glad you are sharing it with us. Always loved your adventures.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you!!!

[@jenniferm8704]

Absolutely one of the best videos. Very helpful and loaded with lots of information. Great job!Thank you so much for sharing.

[@franklinfrehleys]

I'm 48years old living in California, am hoping to retire at 50 if things keep going well for me. Bought my first house last month and I can't be more proud that am i now. Am glad i made great decision about my finances that change me forever

[@chadraney5759]

Crypto staking. Investment and Trading are three different things entirely. This is also one of the best time to be involved.... I learnt a lot with these platform, make sure to only deal with established firms for your safety.

[@janebrooksd]

@@chadraney5759 Look out things from the net and reach out to an expert.

[@davisrandy]

@@janebrooksd Great idea been put up to you but ignorance won't let you take the opportunity.

[@isabellamarcoswitt]

@@davisrandy Isn't ignorance but due to unprofessionalism in crypto/forex market

[@isabellamarcoswitt]

@@davisrandy No doubt but they're still lots of good portfolio and genuine analyst out there waiting for investors.

[@americanborn3151]

Now, this is the American Dream. This homestead is absolutely fantastic

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you man!!! That means a lot!

[@julesanderson552]

Your covered decks are fantastic. I'm in the process of collecting used French doors to build on my deck connecting my back door to my greenhouse/soaking tub room.

[@ericaziola7018]

I love everything except how small the chicken pen is that's about it. Great job

[@stevesaverin6866]

you guys are doing a great job i also live off gride and have not acomplished half of what you guys have done its nice to see a young couple get ahead and its alot ov work living off grid my hats off to you guys all the best to you and your family

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you Steve, but I am sorry to say, we are not "off grid". We do have rain catchment and storage, but we are also on a coop water and electric. Hopefully someday!!

[@131dyana]

So interesting how it all got started. Loved that video. God bless you all.

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you so much Dyana! Blessings to you as well! 😁😁

[@vivianschwartfeger]

Stumbled across this video and I'm so pleased I did!! God bless you all. Viewing from New Zealand

[@hblechwar]

Congrats on your new baby! You have done an amazing job. I am curious to know where you all take shelter if/when there is a tornado or bad storm? We are looking at land ourselves in MO and I am deathly afraid of tornados. I've lived through several hurricanes and would much rather have that than a tornado. Any advice on storm shelters would be awesome. TY!

[@sharonduvick1606]

Just found your channel through this video and subscribed. Wow, I admire your energy! I had that once!! Look forward to following. Im in Flower Mound, just south of Dallas, stay warm!

[@charlesbunyard5267]

My name is Charles my wife and I have rafter B&B we're also new to homesteading we are in the Bryan College Station area. I would like to get a group of us all together to have some kind of workshops self-help ideas. I see on KZbin how they get together on the East Coast to help each other to learn more to teach each other. I believe we need to do the same here. Next weekend I should be castrating piglets. I have done this plenty of times I grew up on a pig farm in East Texas but spent 25 years in the army and now homesteading

[@BetterTogetherLife]

That’s super awesome Charles. Not sure what “rafter B&B” means. But feel free to send us an email: [e-mail]

[@lulatula64]

Where on the east coast do people meet? I'm interested

[@madman432000]

I would think a couple of smaller sheds for the kids bedrooms, 10x12, and attached with a short hallway.

[@durain7256]

You don a amazing work sister . Keep it up… god bless your family 🙏🙏🙏🤝🤝🤝

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you so much!!!!!

[@LeeCraftyHomestead]

wow wow wow. you guys have come a long ways in 4 years. good job

[@BetterTogetherLife]

Thank you!!!!