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Escape the City: a How-To Homesteading Guide

Created by Travis J I Corcoran

Seven years ago I moved from the city to a farm where I taught myself to garden, raise animals & cook "farm to table". I show you how.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Just over 24 hours in
almost 4 years ago – Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 01:54:57 PM

We're just over 24 hours in, and about to break $35k.  Wow!

Three quick updates:

"Projects We Love"

Kickstarter has picked "Escape the City" as a "Project We Love".  Very cool!

New Reward Tier: Lothlórien Forest Edition

I've had several people tell me that they wanted to back the limited edition leather-bound tier, and were sad that all three copies sold out in the first few minutes of the kickstarter.  The same folks have told me that they'd like to have something a bit rare, tactile, and - ideally - hand made.

Against my better judgement, I listened.

A bit of backstory: every time I head out into our forest with a chainsaw, my wife is a bit conflicted.  On the one hand, she likes living in a warm house.  On the other, I think she may be partially descended from Tolkien's elves, because she's very defensive of "her" trees (even though I harvest firewood only at a sustainable rate, so that our forest is actually becoming denser over the years!).

With that backstory / joke in mind, I've added the Lothlórien Forest Edition

Here's the description:

At this tier you get a pair of signed hardcover books - only available during this kickstarter - and a wooden slipcase to hold them.

...but this isn't any regular slip case. I'll head out into my forest, pick an appropriate tree, fell it, mill it, dry it, and hand make wooden slipcases in my farm workshop.

Limited to an edition of 50, with the number carved into your slipcase. Own a small piece of Liberty Farm.

Available during this kickstarter, and never again.

If you're interested, but have already pledged, no problem - just head over to the kickstarter and click on a different reward.

Plans for simple Shaker-style bookshelves

The next stretchgoal is at $35k. If we hit it, I'll include plans for simple Shaker-style bookshelves that you can easily customize for any shelf-spacing, width, or height you want.  Here are some 4' tall ones I made for my office, to hold some STEM books, old manuals on programming 6502 assembly language, and related treasures 

see how many CS textbooks you can find by zooming in !

here's an 8' tall set I built to hold my woodworking, crafting, and farming books

Yes, that's a Moebius print on the right hand wall, and a lunar globe. Guilty (of geekery) as charged.

and here's a new set I'm building this week for a spare bedroom (five feet tall and with closer shelf spacing, to fit the most novels as possible under an eave wall).

The plans are actually sort of meta-plans - I'll explain how to adjust the height and shelf spacing for any size you want.

We just need a few more pledges to unlock the plans - forward this email to a friend or two and ask them back the project !

Thanks!

Wow! $30,000 in under 12 hours
almost 4 years ago – Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 11:09:08 AM

My first kickstarter, for my novels The Powers of the Earth and Causes of Separation, raised $18,000 in 30 days.

To say that I was amazed when this one broke that record in 2.5 hours - and has gone on to raise almost twice than in less than a day - is an understatement.

I'm blown away.  This isn't something I did - this is all because of your pledges.

Thank you!

We had several goals when the kickstarter launched a mere 21 hours ago:

  • $ 10k - plans for a general purpose 12' x 12' utility shed 
  • $ 15k - feast recipes #1: how to throw a pig roast for 50 friends
  • $ 20k - everything is negotiable: a primer on haggling
  • $ 25k - feast recipes #2: how to throw a viking farm party for 50 friends
  • $ 30k - decorating your country home by refinishing / rebuilding garage sale furniture

We've blown through all of those, unlocking them all.  That means more writing for me, but I'm not complaining!

I've created some new stretch goals:

  • $ 35k - LOCKED feast recipes #3: how to host an old-fashioned Thanksgiving
  • $ 40k - LOCKED plans for simple Shaker-style bookshelves
  • $ 45k - LOCKED feast recipes #4: how to throw a farm Christmas dinner

I expect that we'll unlock all of these - and perhaps more! I'm going to need your help coming up with new stretch goals.  What farm content would you like to see that's not already listed above, or in the table of contents?

Please leave a comment on the project  with the hashtag #GOALS.

Thanks for all of your support so far, and please tell your friends!  The link to share is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tjic/escape-the-city-a-how-to-homesteading-guide/

Thanks again,

TJIC