What do you think of when you hear the term “Homesteading”. Does it bring to mind pioneers racing across the plains to stake their claim? Do you visualize reclusive “preppers” tucked away in mountain hideaways? Modern Homesteading is quite different than you might imagine.
Everyone has something they need to be prepared for. Whether it’s the wildfires & earthquakes on the west, the hurricanes & tornados to the south, or the freezing ice storms to the north & east, we all have a need to make our homes prepared and keep it that way.
Our ancestors were far more prepared than we are. They had to be. Foreign wars strapped goods and services, crippling weather was a much greater burden on our unprotected food supplies, and dangerous illnesses ravished our communities.
Wait…..isn’t that what’s happening today? As I write this post, we are trudging through a global pandemic, freak hailstorms are battering across the country, our goods and services are strapped by wars within our own government, and there is a dangerous illness ravishing our unprepared immune systems.
So why are so many people so ill prepared in our current days? Have we not learned from the past?
Homesteading
The events of 2020 caught everyone off guard but there’s one community that was affected the least – the Homesteaders!
What is a Homesteader you may ask? Well, I am, and so are a growing number of people across the globe. Homesteading is living life in a self-sufficient manner; growing gardens, home canning food for storage, using solar for some or all of your energy needs, maybe even raising your own animals for meat. Often thought of as old fashioned or out of touch with the modern world, homesteading has seen a surge in recent years.
Homesteading is a term that’s meaning has evolved. Our ancestors knew homesteading as finding unclaimed land and staking it as their own. In some areas, there are now laws banning this form of homesteading.
It’s no secret that Urban areas are reporting a large exodus of people. With the interruption in our commercial supply chain, people are beginning to see how living in a more rural community is a benefit. Unemployment rates are at a new all-time high. Jobs that once kept families in the city for proximity are gone, but what if you can’t move because of finances or medical needs? Making your home prepared and learning to live as self-sufficient as possible is your best bet, no matter where you live.
Lessons from 2020
Last year I wrote a blog post titled Quarantine Food Storage. I focused on suggestions of foods you should look at adding to your emergency storage, ways to get protein when there are meat shortages, and long-term food storage options.
As we begin 2021, and quarantine restrictions begin to lift, its’ time to start looking forward. How can you get your home better prepared without consuming all of your time? Homesteading principles can help you with that even if you don’t live on a farm.
Homesteading Principle #1
Work Daily – I’m not talking about heading out back and chopping wood for 8 hours a day. Homesteading is about continually working to be prepared.
Pick a task each day. You can inventory your pantry, plant a couple seeds in a few pots, pick up 1 or 2 items to add to your first aid kit, or review your monthly budget to see where you can cut unnecessary spending. There are so many things you can do to make your home prepared without taking a large chunk of your time.
Homesteading Principle #2
Expand Your Skills – This can be as simple as trying a new recipe, watching a YouTube video on how to fold a fitted sheet, or reading a blog post like my 5 Best Gardening Tips for Beginners.
Learning something new is a great way to be prepared and become more self-sufficient. Losing a job, an unexpected move, freak storms, or a global pandemic are all survivable if you have a variety of skills.
Homesteading Principle #3
Be Adaptable – This is the hardest for most people. No one really likes change, but Homesteaders are masters of adaption.
Broken chicken coop door? Repurpose an old cabinet door.
Power outage? Pull out the generator and hook up necessities like the freezer.
Daily plans halted by a freak storm? Make indoor repairs that you’d been putting off.
The ability to adapt to the current circumstances is the reason we homestead. Being prepared with necessities & having expanded skills gives us the security & confidence we need to adapt easily. Adaptability is the golden rule for homesteading and life in general.
Homesteading Principle #4
Enjoy It – No one ever said work can’t be fun. Homesteaders wouldn’t do all the work we do if we didn’t have fun doing it. Pick and choose what works for you and your family.
For example, I can’t eat beef. I like beef but my body does not. Beef causes my Rheumatoid Arthritis to flare up. When I inventory our freezer, I make sure there’s some beef for my family but no more than about 15% of our meat storage. The rest is made up of fish, chicken, and pork.
Are you a vegetarian? You aren’t going to spend time and money into raising animals for meat just because it’s a farm thing to do. Instead, learn about long term food storage for alternate protein sources.
Tried canning and didn’t like it? Learn to vacuum seal and invest in a good freezer and freeze things like butter, vegetables, milk, and cheese for storage.
Lifestyle Choices
Practicing Homesteading is definitely a lifestyle choice. It’s not for everyone. You don’t have to live in the country to homestead. Urban Farming is on the rise. Rooftop gardens on high rise apartment buildings bring green space into concrete covered cities. Condos, and Suburban track developments are seeing an increase in “Green Walls” (fence mounted hydroponic gardening systems).
There are so many ways to adapt (principle #3) the Homesteading principles where you currently live. You can have fun (principle #4) while learning new skills (principle #2) and still get your home prepared. If you take tasks one day at a time, doing a little here and there (principle #1). See how easy that is?
Happy Homesteading!