Homesteading has become a popular subject amongst the pandemic as we all have had a lot of time inside our homes. Homesteading is defined by creating a lifestyle of self-sufficiency by means of generating your own food supply and beyond.
A lifestyle built on self-sufficiency and tending to your own land. Characterized by agriculture and home preservation of food, reusing goods, and making your own home care products.
The idea of self-sufficiency to untangle the web of dependency on our larger systems is one that brings us closer to true freedom. Imagine a world where majority of the population no longer relies on the industrial food systems! While this way of life does take a little more effort and less reliant on conveniency, there's a deep sense of pride and connection to the Earth that one will gain when they begin to work in harmony with the land. Homesteading also doesn't have to look like owning acres of land in order to make this possible. The spark of a more modern approach these last few years has become more common than one might think.
Below are a few ideas to help get you started in transforming your home into a self-sufficient sanctuary!
How to start Homesteading:
- Grow your own veggie garden: Growing your own food can initially be a daunting task. Where do you start? How do you get the right soil? There are so many questions that can go into this process. The best way to get started is grow what you can. Start with simpler things like salad lettuce, radishes, or potatoes. Once you feel like you have a solid understanding of your crop and harvest, then move on to expand your garden!
- Grow an herb garden: Herb gardens are probably some of the easiest ways to begin your homesteading journey. You can purchase pre-grown herbs to plant anywhere in your home or yard. You can even get really creative here are grow and herb wall made out of plastic bottles! Another huge aspect of homesteading is reusing what you already have and getting crafty!
- Learn how to ferment, dehydrate, and pickle your food: There are not only major health benefits of fermented foods but it's also a pretty simple process to do with your veggies. You can stock up and store these goods for a very long time and it's a fun task to do with your kids!
- Buy dry goods in bulk: Not only is this a homesteading trick but it also saves you money and saves you from canned food that has plastic lining that could expose you and your family to harmful BPA's. Reuse or purchase mason jars for storing your dry goods and use as needed.
- Reuse and get creative: As we mentioned prior, reusing and getting crafty is a huge element to homesteading. There are endless ways you can transform something old and unused to a brand new work of art. This doesn't have to be entirely food related. Perhaps you need a new desk and there's some old wood hanging out in the yard. Repurpose it and make a statement piece you love and feel proud of.
- Create community: Community is often something we all need in life to get by. We truly can't do anything alone and with homesteading you can work with your local neighborhood to obtain your goals. Find people in your area that have skills such as baking, permaculture, herbalists, florists, and see if they might be interested in creating the things you can't. Building a homesteading community also helps you all feel like you're apart of something bigger and that you will always have everything you need.
- Learn about Homesteading Arts: The art of home was something our ancestors and generations before us practiced before the world of convenience was at their doorstep. Home arts can be anything from using natural foods to dye your clothing, expanding your cooking skills, making your own hummus, or making your own personal care products. We started CLARYTI with a sole purpose to make our own cleaning products and now sell them to other homesteaders around the world! This is an example of creating community!
There are so many more ways you can start homesteading, but hopefully now the task itself won't seem impossible. We all have the right to choose freedom and homesteading is one path to get you there.
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Let us know if you have tried any of these tips or what your favorite way to homestead is with your family!