Hello Michelle,
First of all, welcome to Permies! I wanted to share a few thoughts on your circumstances, even though I am not the partner you are seeking. I have, however, been developing my own suburban-scale homestead - not a for-profit farm - for years now, onto which I hope my own girlfriend will move with me one day and become a partner in my projects here, similar I think to what you are seeking. BTW, we are only a couple hours from you up I-85 - you
should stop by for a visit! : ) If you'd like to, send a PM.
My thoughts are these, based on my own experiences. Setting up a functioning homestead is a big deal. It takes a long time, a lot of work, and preferably a decent amount of money. You can do it on the cheap, too - people do all the time - but that only takes all the longer. It is a big financial investment that you will not be able to take with you or liquidate easily. For these reasons, you want to make sure you get it right, or as close to "right" as you can, the first time.
That doesn't mean that your first attempt at a homestead is the only one you will ever have. Homesteaders can and do start over in life, just like everyone else. That will depend partly on the particulars of your own financial situation. Just be aware that when building a homestead you are putting down
deep roots, and walking away from those, should you ever decide in the future that you need to, will not be as easy as just quitting a job and finding another. Regarding the financial side of things, I should point out that I am building my own place entirely for cash. That is one reason it is taking me so long! Being 100% debt free is essential to making my intended lifestyle here work, at least as I've envisioned it. I am not really expert on how trying to do this with a
mortgage would change things.
Having a good partner will be essential, and surely you've come to the right place to find one. I've been trying to do mine solo, and it has taken years and years and much stress and heartache, partly because of that. But finding that partner will not be an easy trick. You will have to be really sure that you are compatible, that you have the same dreams, the same vision for your property, agree on the same methods, that he is a reliable and competent business partner, etc. And that's not even getting into the complications of trying to find the right romantic partner in the same person.
Having a good plan will also really help. That takes time and experience, to create a good one. You can either develop a plan, and then find the land and the partner to fit it; or you can find the partner and the land and then adapt a plan to fit those. I sort of did the former. The latter is probably a better way, which you could be set up to do. And then I suppose there are those who let their plan "evolve as they live it." In my own case, I did not buy my current piece of land with the fully developed plan of building a
permaculture homestead here. At the time, I didn't even know the word "permaculture." I intended to build a passive-solar house on it, yes, and I had a design for that house and how it would fit with the landscape pretty well in mind. I also wanted to have plenty of space for a naturalized
yard in at least a semi-rural setting. And I planned on building for cash. I guess from these beginnings it wasn't too great of a leap to arrive at
permaculture homesteading. Still, there are a dozen major aspects of my property now that I WISH I could do differently, and would have, except that my current plan wasn't in place when I started.
It may sound like I am trying to discourage you. I am not! Obviously I believe in the lifestyle you want to choose, since I chose largely the same lifestyle for myself. And it sounds like you're already off to a great start. Can you make your dreams of owning/working/living your own farm into reality? Absolutely you can! And you should. Can you be ready to do so between now and November? Sounds pretty ambitious to me. I would advise not rushing things. Find a compatible partner first and make sure you know them well. Assess your mutual goals and your combined finances. Look for a piece of good land. Start to sketch out a plan for that land together. There are a lot of questions to be answered, choices to be made. Then quit your job. That would be my advice. In the meantime, as you said, your current job is a learning experience.
If you choose instead to strike out somewhere this year, I would advise caution about whom, if anyone, you partner up with. Whomever they are, you will not have the chance to know them very well by November. Just consider very carefully how much the two of you will be entangled (in terms of investment, ownership, work commitments) in this new venture, and what will be your options if you find yourself in need of disentangling yourself.