WHAT IS HOMESTEADING?
A working definition
Homesteading means many different things to many people. Historically speak-
ing, the term came into use regarding the various Homestead Acts in 1862. Essen-
tially, the term, as used then, described small, self-sufficient farmers and commu-
nities. Before that, the terms “smallholder” and “yeoman farmers” described sim-
ilar concepts.
Now, depending on who you are and where you’re located, it seems “home-
steading” can mean anything a person wants it to.
There’s nothing wrong with that. However, for the sake of this book, we need a
definition—something to work with.
For us, homesteading will refer to the lifestyle devoted to self-sufficiency with an
emphasis on home production and responsible consumption. In plain English,
this means people who engage in homesteading are determined to make their own
way— to do whatever they can while depending as little as possible on mass-
produced items, be it food, clothes, or household goods.
These are people who raise chickens in their backyard, use a sewing machine,
bake their own bread, and plant a garden. Homesteaders are canners and DIYers,
fence-building, modern-day pioneers who have removed themselves from the rat
race. They wear boots and jeans and love beautiful, handmade things. They enjoy
good music, good food, and good books.
Why should you homestead?
If you like those things, you might want to consider homesteading. But be aware,
this lifestyle is difficult.
It’s a lifestyle devoted to doing things the hard way. In fact, it’s almost a badge of
honor among homesteaders to see who can find the hardest way to do something.
Instead of buying milk, a homesteader would rather milk a goat. But, since it’s
cruel to have less than two goats, you decide to get two goats. Those two goats
must be bred regularly, and you’ll work really hard to find a buck (a male goat).
Then you’ll decide to buy a buck. Then you’ll breed your two does (a doe is a fe-
male goat). Those does will produce two kids each and you’ll find yourself unable
to part with the babies, as baby goats are possibly the most adorable creatures in
the world. So, now you have a herd of goats (seven total), you spend hours a day
milking, feeding, providing medical care and more to your goats. It costs you about
$300 a month just to buy food for the animals. Not to mention a good milking goat
can run you about $300. But, now you don’t have to spend four dollars on a gallon
on milk, as you get about half a gallon of milk a day from the two mature milking
goats!
If you start out with two goats, you may end up with a herd, since baby goats are
possibly the most adorable creatures in the world.
Essentially, if you’re a person who is more interested in the journey than the
destination, then homesteading is probably for you.
What are you homesteading for: money, self-sufficiency, passion?
While all homesteaders aspire to have some degree of self-sufficiency, people
choose this lifestyle for different reasons. Some are preppers, determined to be
able to take care of themselves and their families. Others are just fed up with a cen-
tralized food system and want to do their part to make locally produced food and
all that represents more widely available. Still others surprisingly go into home-
steading as a small business (perhaps even more surprisingly, many of them are
successful at it). No matter what your reasons, take a moment to reflect on why
you’d like to start homesteading. Writer it down. Make a vision board, a brain map,
a to-do list, whatever it takes. This time of reflection will go a long way toward get-
ting you in the right mindset. Without at least some idea of why you’ve decided to
take on a life of self-imposed difficulty, then you might wind up in a situation that’s
too chaotic—and expensive—which will inevitably lead to quitting. And while
there’s nothing wrong with quitting something that doesn’t work, we need all the
homesteaders we can get.
Different ideas about homesteading
So, there’s different ways to deal with homesteading—different levels of commit-
ment, if you will. (Note: One level is no better or worse than the other. Our unof-
ficial motto at From Scratch is “We’re all at different places on our own paths.”
Some people involved in the homestead lifestyle believe in litmus tests. We don’t.)
You can start an urban homestead, where a home in a city provides you with all
the space you need to grow food and raise chickens, and puts you close to any
market you’d like to sell in.
Also, with newer farming models, like SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) Farming,
Farm-A-Yard, and biointensive farming methods, a lot of food can be grown in very
small spaces with very little equipment.
Urban homesteading has one big advantage, as it helps alleviate the social isola-
tion that many small farmers, to their detriment, suffer from. However, for many,
urban homesteading doesn’t allow for the space and self-sufficiency some require
for their personal homesteading journey.
Which brings us to the “traditional” homestead, or what people think of when
they hear the word “homestead”: the farmhouse out in the country.
Whether purchased or built, this model offers the Little House on the Prairie
dream many homesteaders have. It has a lot of advantages. Greater space means
more animals, plants, and projects, which can increase profits and self-sufficiency.
It’s great to raise children out in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of the
city. If you homeschool (more on that later), then there’s lots of learning opportu-
nities to be found when you live a bit closer to the wildness of nature.
But, it can be isolating, it’s often more difficult to get materials and resources to
and from markets, and you may find yourself competing with farmers and opera-
tions that view a thousand acres as a “small” farm. However, rural people can usu-
ally find people with certain skills that you might have difficulty finding in urban
areas. For example, if you’re into fiber arts, a senior center in a rural county will un-
doubtedly be overrun with seamstresses who can put you on the right track. Fifth-
generation farmers in the boonies can tell you all about which varieties of okra to
grow and the best place to find seed and feed.
My favorite version of homesteading, so far, however, is apartment home-
steading. A term I’ve only heard used by Samantha McClellan, of the Sweet Pota-
toes and Social Change blog, I’m hoping apartment homesteading catches on.
Samantha lives in a pretty small apartment but manages to live a homesteading
lifestyle despite her limitations. She composts, raises worms, gardens in con-
tainers, air dries her clothes, and so much more. It’s a great method to get started
in homesteading and it’s a great way to introduce yourself to homesteading con-
cepts and principles before you run off and grab a thirty-year mortgage.
Different homesteading goals
Now that you know some of the different ways to homestead, you should think
about your homesteading goals. Knowing what you want to achieve with home-
steading will make a difference in the type of homesteading you’d like to do. For
example, if you want to start a dairy, then having a cow in your apartment home-
stead probably isn’t the way to go.
As I mentioned before, every homesteader has different reasons, and as you
determine what your reasons are, you’ll need to set goals before you take the leap.
Some homesteaders earn thousands every year with their homesteading busi-
ness. Some homesteaders need to have a fully functioning farm to feel like they’ve
“made it.” Others get a coop and chickens in the backyard and they’re finished.
Again, all of these are valid goals, but you’ll need to figure out what your goals
are before making any determination on how and where you’ll be homesteading.
Determining your goals
The below steps will help you establish your reasons for homesteading, what
type of homestead you want, and what your homesteading goals are.