If you’ve found your way onto this blog post that must mean you want to know how to start a homestead and that makes my heart SO HAPPY. Homesteading is a passion and vocation for me and while I wish everyone saw the value in making this lifestyle shift, I know this is not a lifestyle everyone wants and even if you do “want” it, homesteading demands more than what most are willing to give. I hope you leave this post having clarity not only for what the next steps are, but also whether this is the right path for you.
Why do you want to start a homestead?
So what brings you here? What is the calling on your heart to start a homestead? For me, it was having integrity with my value system. The pandemic made it a reality that supply chains can break and when it comes down to it, there are are some skills and abilities we should be learning, fostering, and sharing to make sure that they don’t get lost the further into the future we get. I don’t want to find myself dependent on corporations for my survival. I also believe there’s a spiritual component to understanding how nature works and depending on God to provide for our needs through his creation. That’s what spurs me along when the going gets rough. I know my family and I will be all the better for it emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually by pursuing this lifestyle. It will be hard, but we will grow. If you’re ready to join us with this undertaking and commitment then let’s dive in.
Step by Step: How to Start a Homestead
So we are diving into the knowledge, but the beauty of homesteading is that you don’t have to dive into the doing all at once. Homesteading doesn’t require you to sell your house, buy a hundred acres in the rural mountains of Montana (even if you are secretly hoping to become the next John Dutton), and start chopping down some trees to build a cabin. Homesteading starts with a mindset that is resourceful, tenacious, resilient, and courageous – all of which are qualities you can foster throughout every season of life.
1. Look at Your Resources
Resourcefulness is a huge homesteading quality. It’s looking at what you currently have and seeing how you can use it for what you need. Sometimes this is obvious. If you have two acres then you can utilize that land as pastures and gardens. But what if you live in an apartment? Do you have a balcony that gets some sun where you can grow some tomato plants? Sure, it might not be a lot, but it’s what you have and you can practice growing tomato plants until you’re an expert. You also have to be creative and inventive when it comes to resourcefulness. One might look at a forest and say there are trees for shade, but another might look at the forest and say there are trees for shade, shelter, and warmth. Others can go as far as turning a tree into paper. How far are you willing to go? How creative, inventive, and resourceful can you be using what you already have?
2. Save Money
In today’s economy and society, money is often our greatest resource. I set the stage with step one to prepare your hearts as we approach what can be an uncomfortable topic. How are your finances? Do you have debt? Are you saving? The ultimate goal is to cash flow everything because debt is the absence of resources. You can’t cash flow with debt. If you don’t have a budget, that’s a great place to start then save some money for a cushion and pay off your debt before starting to save and cash flow purchases. BUT that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can focus on that don’t cost money when it comes to starting your homestead – not to mention you can always use your homestead to make money.
3. Set Goals
Even though it hasn’t been an official step, I’m sure it’s gone without saying that you’ve been dreaming this entire time about what your homestead will be like – how many acres you want, if you want to move someplace, the types of plants you’ll grow, and animals you’ll have. Now that you have an idea of what resources you have to work with, start looking at what you can realistically accomplish within certain timeframes. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals and start slowly moving toward your vision.
4. Start Small
I know it can feel daunting to think about how long this dream might take to become a reality, but part of the whole homesteading process is recognizing that it’s exactly that – a process. As a society, we have become so dependent as consumers that it’s not just an easy switch “off”. We are retraining ourselves to learn old art forms of our humanity that have been lost and antiquated. I believe homesteading is always about growing and working toward the idea of being fully self-sufficient which means even if you aren’t there yet doesn’t mean you’re not homesteading.
5. Educate Yourself
As you’ve taken inventory of your resources, which includes your skills and talents, I’m sure there are some aspects about homesteading you don’t know anything about. As you’re working toward your tangible goals and building up your resources, be educating yourself on different aspects from making soap and wood working to growing vegetables or how to butcher a pig. There are so many resources from YouTube and blogs (hi there!) to podcasts, books, and shows. There is SO much to learn that you will constantly be learning different methods of doing things.
Here are some different homesteading topics you can explore:
Livestock
- Types of Animals
- Chickens
- Goats
- Sheep
- Pigs
- Cows
- Rabbits
- How to Raise
- How to Care For
- How to Slaughter
- How to Butcher
- How to Preserve
- Animal Husbandry
- Beekeeping
Gardening
- Soil Amendments
- Growing Zones
- Companion Planting
- Vertical Gardening
- Growing Vegetables
- Growing Fruit
- Organic Gardening
- Fertilizing
- Pest Control
- Seed Saving
- Growing from Seed
Off-Grid Living
- Buying Land
- Legalities
- Civil Law vs Common Law
- Solar Power
- Plumbing
- Water
- Wells
- Rain Water Collection
- Heat Sources
Self-Sufficiency Skills
- Foraging
- Botany
- Medicinal Herbs
- Collecting
- Uses
- Tree-Tapping
- Soap Making
- Knitting
- Crocheting
- Sewing
- Construction
- Woodworking
- Carpentry
- Milling Wood
Sustainability
- Permaculture
- Finance
- Debt
- Savings
- Cash Flows
- Budgeting
- Preserving Food
- Canning
- Dehydrating
- Freeze Drying
Homemaking
- Homeschooling
- Cooking
- Decorating
- Apothecary
6. Develop Skills
Pick something from the list above and once you’ve learned about it, the best way to get better at something is try it and do it … again … and again … until you’re a pro. The beauty of learning so many different homesteading skills is that a lot of these can be learned and practiced with limited resources and without a lot of investment. Surely, you can walk around the forest and identify some edible mushrooms, create a budget, or learn how to cook regardless of where you’re at in the journey. Not only does learning more skills make you more self-sufficient, but it can save you money because you don’t have to go out and buy something (or pay someone else) AND you can use those skills to earn money on the side while you’re homesteading.
7. Grow Your Community
While it’s arguable that a community is vital in any circumstance, it’s even more-so for homesteaders. Your neighbor could have a well she grants you access to while you’re still working on getting your well dug or maybe someone is willing to lend you their backhoe since you can’t cash flow one yet. Sometimes you need the additional physical labor to help you lift a tree post. Hopefully, friendship is exchanged and you can be a blessing to them in return. If you haven’t started networking yet and growing your homesteading community, make that a priority. Pray for the right people to come into your life, get to know your neighbors, join different online and local groups to learn and meet people.
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