How To Begin Homesteading – Homesteading 101

How to Begin Homesteading – Homesteading For Beginners 

Are you wondering how to begin homesteading? Starting a homestead is a huge commitment of your time, money, and resources, so before you begin you will want to gather as much information as possible.

By doing your research before you begin your homestead, you may be able to avoid some of the pitfalls and mistakes that other homesteaders have made. Here are some tips to help you start the homestead that you have always dreamed of. 

Beginning a Homestead? Start Small!

Even if your goal is to have a huge off-grid, self-sufficient homestead one day that doesn’t mean that you have to start huge. You can start small and learn as you go. That way if you make mistakes, and you probably will, they won’t be as big or costly as if you had started on a larger scale. 

Set goals for yourself in six-month and one-year intervals and don’t worry too much about getting bigger until you have built the confidence in caring for what you have now.

Don’t think that you have to buy land to begin your homesteading journey. You can start no matter where you currently live, even if it’s in an apartment or a single-family home with a small yard, rather than acres and acres of land. 

Find Ways to Make Homesteading Profitable

Homesteading is not inexpensive, especially when you are in your first year or just getting started. There are tools, equipment, seeds, livestock, and feed that must be acquired for you to become self-sufficient. That doesn’t mean that you need to take on a load of debt to be successful. 

There are many ways that you can use your homestead to generate an income to cover some of these expenses. Sell eggs that you don’t need. Sell some of your backyard chickens if your flock is getting too large. Take produce from your garden or fruit trees to the local farmer’s market, or sell it to your neighbors. 

Do you make things on your homestead like honey, homemade soaps, or DIY candles? You could also sell these items at your local farmer’s markets. Are you good at building such things as planters for the garden or furniture? This could be yet another income stream for your homestead. 

Wondering How to Begin Homesteading? Ask for Help!

Homesteading is not what it was twenty or even ten years ago. There are now lots of people who want to live a more self-sufficient homesteading lifestyle and that means that there are more resources available to you than ever before.

While homesteading is still hard work (a lot of work!), there are now online and even local communities filled with fellow homesteaders, each with their own unique homesteading skills. Many of these are often happy to answer questions or offer advice regarding each of your homesteading projects.

Try to find at least a few local homesteaders in your community with whom you can ask questions, ask for help, and maybe even barter and trade services with. Having a more experienced local homesteader in your circle can come in handy when it comes to things like growing conditions, local laws, and which pest is eating your plants.

Having these kinds of experts close by can also save money, time, and headache. 

You may find that your county’s local extension office is another excellent resource that offers classes or seminars that can help you in your homesteading journey. These offices often offer soil and water testing, and some even offer classes on gardening or food preservation.

Learn to Grow What You Eat On Your Homestead

One of the first steps to self-sufficiency is being able to grow your own food. When you get ready to plant your garden, even if it’s just in small container garden beds on your porch, plant foods that you enjoy eating. When you pick out a fruit tree or two, make sure they are trees that produce fruit you and your family already love.

Knowing how to grow several vegetables that you enjoy eating will keep your grocery budget down, and boost your confidence in your gardening skills. 

Planting a large garden full of vegetables that you don’t know if your family will eat is taking a big risk. Maybe you will all love what you grow; but maybe you end up with an abundance of squash that no one in your family will touch. Start with a sure thing and learn how to grow what you already enjoy. 

Learn to Preserve What You Grow On Your Homestead

Knowing how to preserve food is one of the basic necessities of the homesteading life. Being able to preserve the food that you have grown means that all year long you can feed your family healthy, nutritious food that you have grown.

There are several different methods that can used to preserve what you have grown. Over time you should learn all of them. This will mean that you have a very diverse supply of food stored. 

You can freeze, dehydrate, freeze-dry, or pickle produce that you have grown that you won’t eat before it goes bad. Pressure canning and water bath canning are also methods of long-term storage that can be used to keep your family eating healthy out of your garden all year long.

Being able to successfully store food that you have grown yourself will help to keep the grocery budget on your modern homestead lower than it would be if you had to buy everything at the local grocery store or farmer’s market. 

If you aren’t in a position to grow a large garden yet, you can still preserve produce purchased in bulk from your local grocery store or farmer’s market. Purchasing the fresh produce when it is in season and on sale is still advantageous to your budget.

Function Over Beauty

Chances are that when you draw up plans of your homesteading dream property everything is beautiful, clean, and everything blends together perfectly. In reality, that is probably not going to happen on your new homestead, especially not at first.

Don’t be afraid to build your chicken coops or some raised beds for your garden using that old scrap wood behind the house or even an old pile of pallets. 

Is it going to look as gorgeous as if you purchased all new materials? Maybe not. Is it going to be functional and save you a lot of money? Absolutely!

Appearances can always be improved over time. As a beginning homesteader, the most important thing with your own land or space is the functionality of what you have. 

Homesteading Requires Patience!

When you first start your new homestead, and for years to come, it is important to practice patience. Getting impatient and being in a hurry will just lead to mistakes that may set you back in both time and money.

There are so many aspects of homesteading that can’t be rushed. Those fruit trees you planted in the yard will take years before they produce fruit. The seedlings in your garden will need months of attention before they wind up on your dinner table. The baby chicks you just got will need to grow before they begin laying eggs for you.

Homesteading will teach you patience whether you are naturally patient or not. 

Don’t Buy Things You Can’t Afford

Self-sufficiency is a huge part of being a homesteader and it is hard to be self-sufficient with a mountain of debt. This is one of the key points to keep in mind when researching how to begin homesteading.

Work to pay off any debt that you currently have and moving forward, save up to pay for the things that you need. If you can’t afford it yet, then look for areas in your budget where you might be able to make some cuts and save up for it. 

Starting a new homestead isn’t easy, but it is possible and worth it. Remember to start small, take the time to learn, and be patient. You will be up and running sooner than you think. 

Do you have any other tips to share for beginning homesteaders?