How I Started My Own Farm From Scratch: Clearing Land, Removing Trees, and Building a Homestead in 2025

By Theodore West Published on

Alright, let’s get to the main topic.

I’m currently in the middle of developing my own farm . Take a look at this photo. This was the candidate site that was going to become my field, taken on January 27, 2025. In winter, the fallen leaves made the area feel spacious. And you can see a few large trees, right? They’re wild walnut and mountain chestnut trees. Even back then, I was already thinking about this coming summer.

Pre-logging forest area covered with dense trees and fallen leaves
Pre-logging forest area covered with dense trees and a ground layered in fallen leaves.

The first thing I got started on was the felling work ! I carefully gathered even the small branches. It took quite a bit of time — about a month.

First walnut tree cut down, lying on the ground after felling
The first walnut tree cut down, lying on the ground after felling.

Then came the preparation for uprooting the big trees, as well as checking the property boundaries , since I don’t want trouble with the neighbors who own the adjacent land.

Property boundary fence with visible surveying markers and tools
Property boundary fence with visible land surveying markers and tools during a survey process.

There was no way I could handle the actual uprooting by myself, so I hired a contractor. I tried to do it alone at first, but that ended up being a big mistake. The roots went incredibly deep, and I even got back pain. It made me realize just how deep tree roots grow — spreading underground just as widely as their branches above ground. Their vitality is incredible.

A thigh-thick cut log lying on the ground after being trimmed
A thigh-thick cut log lying on the ground after being trimmed into a manageable size.
Author in front of a tree stump half-dug from a failed DIY root removal
Author in front of a tree stump half-dug from a failed DIY root removal effort on a homestead property.
Blog author standing in front of a felled tree
The blog author standing in front of a felled tree after land clearing.
Season:
Location: Fujimi, Suwa District, Nagano, Japan

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