(For the beginner)
Selling and moving
I've been seeing lots of people selling and moving to the country to try and be more self sufficient.
I find that amazing!
Sure, it can be a bit annoying for those of us trying to find a plot of land and the prices keep getting jacked up but seeing people start their homesteading journey is a lovely thing.
Word of advice, to truly be self sufficient you need community.
I recently heard that advice and it was eye opening.
Lets explore.
Support
Homesteading is all about community AND self sufficiency.
We all rely on each other. The self sufficient is within the community.
Sure, having your own water source and heat is important and that's something I think every homesteader dreams about.
Ah, to live on 100 acres with woods and a stream.... but that's not all we need.
Buying from friends, local and made in the USA is so important.
From the seed starters to the meat we eat we're trying to either produce it ourselves or outsource from that list. It can be tough starting out but once you've made connections in the community of homesteaders/farmers be prepared for your list to grow. (we love to share!)
Buying my fruit local which led to buying meat from friends which led to led to led to led to.....
Some of us have orchards, some have animals, and some have wood.
I have yet to meet a homesteader unwilling to sell/share what they can when a need is seen.
Ask questions
Learning from each other is a must.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
My family lived a farming lifestyle for 6 years.
I was the primary homesteader and my husband was a farm hand.
We learned a lot from that time but farming and homesteading have their differences.
Our goal is family.
The two ways of life conflicted and we decided to homestead and leave the farm.
Even so, we will always have a place in our hearts for the farmer.
It's a tough job and so much needed but our personal desire is to provide for our families needs emotionally and physically.
We gleaned so much from that time but are now learning a whole new way of life and all the better for it.
In our new beginning we have noticed the amount of questions we ask have increased.
From barn repairs to pest control, things we never really thought about on our 1 acre homestead with no barns and only getting a mouse from time to time.
It's enjoyable to meet people out of a quest to learn and become friends because of it.
Reach out!
Starting Slow
Start slow. It's tempting to jump in full blown ready for it all.
I'd advise starting simple.
If you've never gardened or preserved before try a few easy plants.
It's better to have two tomato plants well maintained then ten you can not keep up with.
You'll glean just as much!
This also will then force you to learn the art of food preservation.
If you're looking to raise your own meat, chickens are an easy meat source that can be produced on a small amount of land with little knowledge for cheap!
Don't go into debt
It can also be tempting living in the age of technology to want all the pretty right now.
We see it everywhere, someones ten years of work can look awfully tempting.
Although I've been homesteading the past 3 years, now that our family is putting all our focus into it everything has shifted. The possibilities are really quite endless but giving myself my advice here...
Spend cash. Don't go into debt.
Stay within your means!
Pick up junk on the side of the road for a project.
There are so many things I've found second hand that have been later utilized for our needs.
Get those flower seeds and sprinkle them.
In my 6 years of pot gardening to town gardening to a big old homesteaders garden I've finally seen the importance of a well placed flower.
It brings joy and encouragement when the funds are gone and no more projects can be done for that season. (because unless you are just endlessly loaded... it's going to happen.)
Be a community
It is so important to support each other whether you shop strictly from the grocery store or are pursuing self sufficiency. It feels so good in those desperate moments to have community support but I find us as humans we can forget to be a community. We have to be there for each other.
We recently went through a tough season and people left because we could give no more.
The loss of our community was heartbreaking but people stepped into our lives and simply started giving blessings overflowing to our family in ways we never could have expected.
That's something we simply can not repay.
That's the power of community.
Remember to be kind and pray often.
None of us can do this alone but that's part of the joy.
As much as having a garden booming with growth is joy having people to share it with is just as so.
I hope this encourages you and you have a beautiful homesteading journey! :)
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17
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