Nobody can tell anybody else exactly how to start homesteading. Everyone’s situation is different; people live in different areas, have different climates, have a lot of money, are dead broke, hate pigs, you get the idea. So I’m not going to provide you with a list of animals to raise or plants to grow; instead let’s take a look at things to consider before you start homesteading.
In general people decide to start homesteading for a variety of reasons;
- They want a simpler life, meaning getting out of the 9-5 money making, materialistic, grind of society.
- They truly want to start a farming, homesteading, or cottage industry using the skills they’ve already learned or are interested in.
- They want to eat healthier food and feed their families healthier. Healthier meaning organic, or non-commercialized and ethically kept animals.
- They think that homesteading will be fun.
- They honestly need to supplement their diet with cheaper food than they can buy at the store.
- They’ve started with the garden or a couple chickens and they’ve decided they want to do more. They’ve got the homesteading bug!
- They think homesteading is a more fulfilling lifestyle than what they are currently experiencing.
- Or a combination of all of the above
So now that you decided why you want to homestead, the question is “Where do you start”. Do you buy land, get chickens, move to an off-the-grid cabin, plant a wheat field? Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer. Instead you should take into account the following;
Where do you currently live? Rural, urban, suburban? The south, the north country, a temperate area on the coast? Maybe you own a acre, you rent an apartment, you own 60 acres of forested land on a north slope. Where you live currently is going to have dramatic effects on what you can raise and what you can do immediately. Now anybody, I mean anybody, is able to can their own food, bake, cook, and raise a pot of window herbs. But, if you live on a lot in the city I don’t think a cow is in your near future. Although, maybe it will be in the distant future. Also if you live in the hot, humid, south, cold weather crops might not be as easy to grow as others.
What are you interested in? If you are scared of goats, why on earth would you think of raising one? Ditto for bees. If you don’t like animals at all, then focus on what you do like, because I’m telling you now, homesteading can be hard work so you might as well focus on what you like a lot, at least to start with.
Are you currently working another job or have major time commitments? Homesteading again is hard work. If you are working another job your leisure time is now going to be significantly taken up with homesteading. Instead of reading a book you might be mucking out a chicken house, chasing escaped pigs, or weeding a garden. And for every additional homesteading activity you do, the time keeps adding up. Now I’m not trying to scare you off homesteading because I truly think the lifestyle is very fulfilling and fun. But be realistic of the time you currently have and start slow so you are not overwhelmed and frustrated.
Where are you financially? If buying 100 acres of prime farm land is on your wish list, first take a hard look at your finances and see if you can afford it right away. And once you buy it can you afford to keep it? Or do you really need 100 acres to fulfill your homesteading dreams? Be realistic and think hard before making any purchases. Also consider retirement and insurance at this point because if you need these things, a homestead generally doesn’t provide them.
If you plan on making money off your homestead, how are you going to do that? Is making money the purpose or a bi-product of homesteading? Do you need the money to remain solvent or is it just for fun? Coming up with a business plan and a budget is a pretty good idea.
Is you family on board with you? Does your partner want to homestead? Do they have the same idea of homesteading as you? Have a good, long, long, conversation with your partner because when you say, “I want to homestead” they might be picturing a garden, and you are talking about living in a log cabin with no water and flock of sheep. Make sure you are on the same page before you start.
Answer the following question off the top of your head, “In an ideal world, where do you see yourself in 10 years?” Now if the answer is in a vacation house in Fiji, maybe buying a large piece of property or farm is not the best idea. But if the answer is “Owning an apple orchard with chickens running around”, then homesteading could be right for you.
