A couple weeks ago I found myself talking to someone who didn’t have the faintest idea what homesteading was.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been around anyone completely unexposed to this lifestyle, which I think is fairly remarkable, considering homesteading was still a fringe concept ten years ago when the notion of chickens and goat milk first entered my consciousness.
It caught me off guard so much, I was only able to mumble out a semi-coherent explanation that went something like,“Uh, well it means we grow some food… and have chickens and a garden and stuff…”
Wow Jill, that was compelling. Way to go.
As I contemplated how I could have done a better job of communicating the magic of homesteading, it got me thinking about the bigger picture.
And sometimes I wonder…
Is this homesteading movement really that important?
I mean, what would happen if it just went away? Are the problems I think I’m “solving” by writing a homesteading blog and blasting my life all over the world wide web really that pivotal in the grand scheme of things? Because I’m pretty sure if my thoughts on steaming fresh eggs and determining how many vegetable seeds to plant suddenly vanished, the world would keep on turning.
Think about it for a minute.
No matter how cool you think it is to build a chicken coop or plant a fancy garden, we don’t have to be doing this stuff.
We don’t *have* to grow our own food (at least not at this point in history).
There are grocery stores everywhere. And farmer’s markets. And mail-order grocery services.
We don’t *have* to create, and grow, and craft, and build.
There are factories that produce. And people we can hire. And buttons we can push that do almost everything for us.
The fact is, homesteading is hard. And often expensive. It’s WAY easier to opt for living in an apartment with a goldfish for a pet, buying frozen meals at the grocery store, and watching TV at night instead of worrying about seeds sprouting or calves freezing or baby chicks surviving out in the brooder.
So, then WHY. Why, my friends? Why are are so many of us obsessed with chasing this homesteading life?
Is this all just a hobby? A pastime? (Heaven knows I don’t need another way to pass the time…)
After a good bit of pondering and even asking many of you the deeper reasons behind why you love this vintage lifestyle, I’ve come to the conclusion that homesteading is far more significant than I ever fathomed when I started my own journey.
Even though learning how to grow a carrot or knit a sock might be the initial reasons we’re drawn into this lifestyle, the inherent value of this homestead life is so much more than the sum of its parts.
You see, homesteading IS about laying hens and homegrown potatoes, but it’s also about living your life on purpose. It’s about pursuing a life rich with meaning, not just possessions. It’s about hands rough from manual labor in a society that lives and dies by computers and pushing buttons.
It’s more than just the recipes and skills associated with this old-fashioned lifestyle. It represents something deeper…. It’s an intentionality. An awakening.
In this modern-age of every convenience we could ever desire, homesteading is a way we can return to old-fashioned values and ethics. It’s a way to teach ourselves and our children the cycles of life. And death. And how satisfying it feels to do something hard.
And throughout the process, we find ourselves gaining a measure of reassurance and much-welcome slowness in an unstable world that feels like it’s rocketing towards complete chaos more and more each minute.
We NEED homesteading, ya’ll.
More than ever.
Homesteading is not my religion, nor is it my god. I don’t think it’ll solve the world’s problems or bring world peace. But I do believe it is one very valuable way we can choose an intentional lifestyle in a modern world with a smorgasbord of shallow options.
It can be a roadmap for helping us to slow down and embrace what really matters, a method for more deeply tasting and appreciating the good things in life, and a blueprint for creating a more meaningful existence.
It’s way to take back control, at least in a small area of our lives and say “Yes, I know what the Jones’ are doing, and I know what culture tells me to do. But I’m purposely choosing something else and I will live this life of mine on purpose.”
And after 10 years immersed in this old-fashioned way of living, I an attest these choices yield a deeply satisfying result.
What I’ll Always Come Back To
My life has taken some incredible turns over the past few pasts, and I’ve had the privilege of experiencing things I never previously thought possible. (Thank you doTERRA!) I’ve been able to travel the world, speak in front of thousands, and connect with some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.
But no matter where this life may take me or what exciting opportunities may arise, I can promise you I’ll always be coming back to this—>
This homestead life grounds me and centers me. It’s the one of most tangible things in my life. I stumbled into it by sheer accident, but it’s a part of my fiber– now and forever.
What started as a simple desire to eat better food has morphed into an insatiable craving for a life full of meaning, deliberate living, and rich memories. And I’ve found all of these things in between rows of beans in the garden, nestled in baskets of brown eggs, and floating through the air on quiet evenings spent standing in the barnyard listening to the crickets chirp.
While not without heartbreak and hard work, homesteading is still one of the most beautiful and meaningful lifestyles I can imagine living.
So yes, I’m wholeheartedly convinced that homesteading does matter. It’s worth the time it takes to learn it’s nuances, and it’s worth the effort it takes to master the skills. It’s counter-cultural, unorthodox, and intentional, and we need it now more than ever, my friends. <3
Listen to the Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast episode #30 on the topic Why Homesteading Matters (The Homestead Manifesto) HERE.
Want to keep listening? Listen to episode #59 about intentionally Choosing Hard But Good HERE.
I love this! it’s the way I feel about it too=) the driving force behind why I do what I do…even if I’m misunderstood.
<3 <3
It does indeed matter. It fulfills the very basic essence of some of us.It makes for a fulfilling, well rounded life. You go girl!!!
It absolutely matters Jill. You have become one of my favorite blogs I go to. I’ve come a long way since starting this venture of growing my own food (albeit in suburbia) and you’ve been my inspiration to keep going. You Rock Girl!
One thing I have thought about watching my Great Grandbabies is, right from the beginning, their desire and true joy of just being outside with Nature. They love to help out, and they feel an accomplishment when they do. There’s nothing better than growing something, caring for animals, and there’s nothing better than hard work and digging in the dirt to feel the peace and simple life most of us seek.
Jill… you are an amazing woman and you inspire me
I am 67, a retired RN and have done adult foster care in our home for 27 years and raised 3 children
Was so busy I never had time to garden. Now we have many raised beds in our big back yard in town and raise food for ourselves and grandkids. I want chickens but for now buy eggs and chicken from my farm friends
We buy pork and beef from other friends in the country… I love living in rural MN in a small town.
I have purchased kitchen tools I can use like my parents did. If the lights go out, we are prepared…. At my age, I have learned so much from you, girl. Thanks for all you do! I
A million times, Yes! This is exactly what homesteading is to me. I couldn’t imagine a life filled with more purpose than this.
I’m 59 yrs old and for my 60th birthday I want to start homesteading. I’m doing a lot of reading and researching before I get started. I’ve already written down some of your books to purchase and read. As I done my ancestry most of my ancesters farmed and a lot of my cousins still do. I feel it’s in my blood and I’m so excited to do this. When I first got married I wanted a two story farm house, 20 children and 20 acres of land…I married a preacher, lived in the city and ended up in retail. I hope even in this stage of my life to start a legacy that my children and grandchildren will keep going.
Wonderful! I’ve spent my life in mostly rural churches, and I’ve grown tomatoes every where, including on n my front porch! Tomatoes and growing veggies was and is my pastoral therapy! Will
Hey Vicki,
I just turned 58 and I started my homestead 3 years ago! It can be done! We were city dwellers and just couldn’t take it any longer. We bought a small farmhouse with a huge shop and 1.5 acres. Just enough for us. I now have 4 4×8 beds for gardens, we plan to build a chicken coop this year and we’re gutting and remodeling the kitchen! It’s wonderful!
I am 64 and we moved to a new Montana place from Washington in January. Lots to do and I am slower but you sure can do it!
Just wanted to add, for me this life style and adding the LORD to it makes it perfect!
Hi Jill,
I am 72 yrs. old and have been growing our vegetables most of our married life.(51yrs) Chickens and goats next year.
This year I want to convert our big garden into more manageable sized beds. Seeing your garden beds I need to know what the metal is and where did you get it?
I can’t find it at our farm store.
Thanks for all you write and the pictures.
Linda,
She has a place on her blog where she tells how they built their beds. https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2017/04/building-raised-beds.html
I couldn’t agree more. Your words are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.
Your thoughts and reasons completely echo mine. Once you start homesteading, it grows on you, becomes a passion, and you realize exactly how needed this lifestyle is in this crazy world. I hope more people begin their journey! Thank for sharing your thoughts so well.
Jill,
Thank you for your sharing your lifestyle. Heck, I live in a city, am almost 70 years of age, with health problems, widowed live with a dog “diva” and just started using E.O. I get excited about all the small changes I go through to make better choices.
Some of my friends and family think I’m a little cuckoo to want to do things the old-fashioned, hard way. I don’t do near as much as you do but, I am really happy to do what I can. Again, thank you for your blog.
I am only 50, but I started creating what I run out of for 20 years, which I believe is another word for homesteading. I also live in city limits, but when you discover you can stop getting ripped off at the store, both money and health wise, it is a new freedom. It seems thankless sometimes while I am a stay home Mom, but having no one to be able to guess my age tells me that what I have always done is right. My husband and children are healthier than most around us also. This is a great way to feel thanked in general. Love this encouraging article!
So well said. Thank you for articulating what I could not.
I have also been homesteading for about 10 years, passionately, purposefully, with all the hard, heartbreaking lessons of real life and death that serves to allow more fully the complete opposite feelings of happiness, joyfulness and all the rewards that come with this kind of life. Dairy cows, pigs, meat chickens, layers, gardening – all help to keep my little farm going around. I’m driven for some reason I don’t completely understand but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Yes! For all the reasons you mention 🙂
Me and my husband are fixing to buy 5 acres and start homesteading im so excited. Weve picked the property and have all our ideas ready to go. Ive always wanted this to be able to sit at my dining room table and eat food i grew and know exactly whats in it. We have a 15 yr old daughter and we feel that this will be good and healthy for. We are getting a lil negativity from some family memebers over it because we have to move 1.5 hours away to get what we want but we accept it and stick to our guns about it. Thank you so much for doing this article about it. Its made us relize we are doing the right thing.
Hey Vicki,
I just turned 58 and I started my homestead 3 years ago! It can be done! We were city dwellers and just couldn’t take it any longer. We bought a small farmhouse with a huge shop and 1.5 acres. Just enough for us. I now have 4 4×8 beds for gardens, we plan to build a chicken coop this year and we’re gutting and remodeling the kitchen! It’s wonderful!
Beautifully written, and I agree wholeheartedly!
Love this! So true. We need it. Our children need it.
I recently stumbled across your blog and I absolutely love this. My husband and I are in the process of creating our own little homestead on our family farm. Most people can’t fathom why we would want to start this journey, but it’s so wonderful to connect with others who view homesteading the same way. Thanks for sharing!
So gorgeously written! I couldn’t have said it better!
We homestead on 5 acres in the Pacific Northwest, where we raise goats, chickens for meat and eggs, pigs, ducks, lots of organic veggies, fruit and berries.
What I know for sure is that so many people are yearning for this lifestyle, and many kind of romanticize it. They see our beautiful blog pictures of baby goats on pasture, but what they don’t see is me with my arm stuck up the mama goat’s uterus to help birth the babies that got stuck in the birth canal. Plus all the blood and amniotic fluid! ?
I started out teaching cheese making classes at our homestead, and people kept begging for more, so we started doing retreats to teach folks a lot of homesteading skills.
It’s interesting to see their lightbulbs go on: when they spend a weekend with us, they realize how much work this really is!
I am so with you on this on all aspects. Just starting my homestead life in France and suddenly I feel very remote from my friends lives back in UK but I am very content with that decision. They don’t get the purpose of my life change and I won’t keep trying to explain either. It’s a complex decision and gravitated from micro to macro issues and back again. But to me homesteading matters hugely and almost to the point of saying that not living it has been detrimental to my wellbeing. Things had to change and it’s the life I now want to pursue.
Eloquently put! My husband and I came to homesteading in a round about way. We were in our late 50’s when we reached the “enough is enough” point. We were tired of being ripped off by the outrageous prices charged by everything from the utility companies to the price of eggs. We were fed up with the seemingly never ending food recalls for defective or infected foods. We felt pressured, hassled and bullied by the “keeping up with the Jones” mentality.
I had always had small gardens and done some minimal canning (thank you grandma for teaching me this invaluable skill) and when we decided to get horses for pleasure riding everything fell into place that we were on our way to 1) moving to the country because I refused to pay $450 per month per horse to board, 2) to grow even more of our own food and have control over no chemicals and 3) to generate our own power via solar and stopped being at the mercy of money greedy utility companies and 4) build and repair our own things (thank you grandpa for teaching me those skills)
Has it been easy? Heck NO! Have we made mistakes – more than I want to remember. Have I worked harder than I ever did as a teacher – absolutely! But it has been worth every minute. There is unbelievable satisfaction in doing it yourself and knowing you are in charge of your own life and destiny.
My ONLY regret is that it took us so long to get to this point as I wasted 40+ years stuck in the city lifestyle. You couldn’t pay me to go back that!
I loved this post; well said.
Well said Jill and everyone else too. Homesteading gives purpose to our lives and our souls. It wears our bodies out, but it strengthens our spirits. I didn’t start until my mid 40’s, but it was worth the wait because the time was right. I love the feeling of accomplishment in everything that I do, no matter how small the task. I love looking at goats with freshly trimmed hooves, at jars of finished jam on the counter, at a newly finished quilt on the chair with a cozy sleeping cat curled up on it.
It’s also important for us to know that we could make it if some day those grocery stores were closed. We wouldn’t be hungry or cold, etc…We’d be good and we would thrive.
I feel truly sorry for those who don’t understand. Some people never will and that’s tragic to me.
I am blessed to “get it” and even more blessed to be able to “do it”. For those of you that are dreaming of starting your homesteading journey, hold tight to those dreams and don’t give up!! It will happen for you because the desire is in your heart. Thinking about it is the first step to making it happen and it will happen, when the time is right. Believe it.
Thank you Jill….wonderful post. I’m looking forward to listening to our new roaster crow around the yard this summer. They’ve been “cooped” and are in their confinement area for a few days to learn to go into their little house. Yeah for warm weather!!!! We’ve had extreme lows this winter and the snow just melted this week. I encourage “citysteaders” to please try one thing that they can do in their home; from scratch or grow something to eat. You’ll be so happy if your successful. Then try one more thing. You’ll be surprised at where it will take you, 😎
I love all your posts, but this one is my favorite. Yes, homesteading DOES matter! Homesteading is REAL. I no longer push paper, deal with other people’s expectations….my life is between me, God, my family and the critters! At the end of the day, I may go to bed exhausted, but I know I have spent the day doing meaningful tasks that contribute to our survival. I love this life!
It matters Jill!
When I was young I thought a lot about doing the same thing but a job got in the way.
At 49 I had a stroke and that offered a few challenges.
Today I am an active master gardener and my wife and I live in the High Desert.My wife is a Master Food Preserver and we live in what many would call the boonies! And we heat with a wood stove! The more people that switch to your way of life after reading about your lifestyle, the better!
Wow, you really nailed it, Jill! I often wonder the same thing: Why do we purposefully put ourselves through all of this seemingly unnecessary hardship, expense and inconvenience? (I actually wrote about this last year when I was asking the same questions: http://projectzenstead.com/index.php/2016/11/16/why-i-kissed-the-convenient-life-goodbye/)
I always come back to the same answer: because it’s real. Because I get to actively engage in my life rather than spending it being a spectator. And because life should be an adventure! 🙂
Much love to you and your homestead!
Kaylee
In our 60s but heading that direction! Purchased 10 acres & starting gardens this Spring. Hope to sell our home in town & actually move to the property, but until that happens we can at least garden there! Most of our friends think we are a little-er, a LOT crazy, but reFiring sounds a lot more interesting than reTiring!
I agree with the commenter who said homesteading makes life more real. I feel more engaged with my life and my surroundings, as well as my children and family.
I couldn’t agree more with this statement “It’s counter-cultural, unorthodox, and intentional, and we need it now more than ever, my friends.”
Thank you so much for the inspiration!
I think that homesteading is not just about a way of life, but an entire way of thinking about life. Even though I don’t think of us as official homesteaders, we have embraced many aspects of that lifestyle over the years. It’s taught this city girl (and my kids) so many lessons I can’t even begin to list them all!
Homesteading is seriously overlooked. Sure!! Animals are fantastic. Having a garden is great. But those are very minor reasons, at least for me, to love homesteading. There is no other way that the lessons learned from homesteading can be taught, at least not as effectively. Gardening: Courage (those Japanese beetles can be daunting 😉 ), perseverance, patience, and the list goes on. As young as I am, I feel quite blessed to have taken an interest in gardening, chicken keeping, etc. The lessons I’m learning are going to benefit me countless times throughout my life. If only more people learned these lessons in such a hands-on way!!
I was just thinking about this today… my son and I were helping at a branding, and it was hard, tiring, filthy work. (with 4-wheelers and a calf-table instead of horses and ropes)
But as I stood there in the chute, one knee jammed up against a hefty calf – I gazed around the landscape and at my son working next to me, and thought: “yes, this is hard work that you will never get rich at – but it is WORK. Hard labor that is part of a life cycle. Hands-on activity that gets you right in there with the dirt and grime.
In a world of virtual games, virtual friends, virtual entertainment, and virtual work – THIS is real, tangible, and somehow, fulfilling.
I love that my kids can see where (some) of our food comes from, how hard someone has to work for them to eat. After some days like today, they will never take packaged, prepared food for granted. 🙂
So I was reading page 65 of a current farm-related magazine checking out the DR electric equipment when “out the corner of my eye I see a woman with long hair brushed down over her left shoulder.”
“I’ve seen her before!”
Nice article. It’s not Bag Balm, (a Vermont product) but I can just see Prairie Palm Balm in Wyoming farm stores a year from now.
(DR is about two hours up the road from me)
Daryle
Back in the 1800’s .. close to 90 percent of us were farmers. Now less than 2 percent raise the food for others. One farmer feeds 165 folks. But knowing what you eat, where it came from or what it was sprayed with, how it was handled before you put it on the family table. Grow your own, live off the land and teach your children strong survival skills and to feel an important part of the family farmstead.
It’s like what we discussed in church this morning, once you have lived a life of purpose, it would be very difficult to go back to one of existence. We love homesteading and can’t imagine life any other way. It is so full of so many adventures. http://www.powellacres.com
What? Am I the only guy who reads your blog? I’m a 72 year old homesteader. I retired several years ago and finally purchased my little slice of heaven 2 1/2 years ago. I grew up in the country and the love of playing in the dirt never left me. I’m in east Texas and (not so) patiently waiting for a dry spell so I can get the garden plowed and ready to plant. I appreciate your view from a woman’s perspective. Unfortunately, my wife doesn’t share my love for homesteading, but she has never discouraged me from living my dream. Best to you and keep on blogging.
Living a life with “intent and purpose.” To me that is exactly what homesteading is all about. Sadly many just don’t get it. I’d be lost without homesteading and my tiny farm. Great post!
I think for me it is about having some control over my own life. Without homesteading we are so dependent on someone else for the basics like food and heat and shelter. I like to know that if those people disappeared I would/could survive. I am 61 years old this year and just retiring. We have always had gardens, hunted and fished. I now raise 3-4 lambs each summer and butcher and process myself. I put in 125 taps and make my own maple syrup. We heat with wood cut from our land and our pantry is full of canned veggies and fruit, and freezers full of good organic meat. It is a lot of work and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Right on! I love it!
I was just checking a prepper list to see what items they thought we should consider stocking with the coronovirus probably becoming more widespread. They recommended not buying things like graham crackers due to their short shelf life..errh..I can’t imagine buying graham crackers at all since they are so easy to make from scratch…yup, totally in some other universe here. Thank you Jill and everyone who thinks it’s normal to create healthy food from thoughtfully grown or sourced ingredients. Ask not how to buy it but how to make it and show the kids how to make it.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I am only 30, i started down this path 5 years ago and my family outside of my household thinks ive lost my marbles LOL Really though this is choosing to libe a better life, more purpose, more meaningful learning experiences. This life is for me ?
You’re not alone in that feeling! So glad to have you here in this community with us! 🙂
When glassing eggs do they have to be fresh or can they be in the fridg for a few days?
Does homesteading matter? You betcha! When we started this I was looking forward to food that wasn’t made out of gmo corn or petroleum (which I am allergic to.) There is not a lot of truth in labeling unfortunately. Now I am reading articles about people searching for land and having trouble finding larger plots that do not have restrictions on animals you can grow for food, only allowing horses. This year has been shocking, and this year alone has provided enough reasons to homestead not only for yourself but for family and neighbors. Food shortages are becoming more prevalent. Having your own food source protects you from inflation if you do it in a self-sufficient way (we save our seeds and try to fertilize on farm with our animal manure). For anyone considering homesteading, run, don’t walk, but make sure the land doesn’t have restrictions.
Homesteading and building community feels right because it is right.
It teaches the preciousness of life.
Gratitude for seemingly simple things like a slice of bread and deep contentment of life arise as we grow in understanding of what it takes to nurture, create and build. Out of that naturally flows the value and respect of others.
It’s the way our Creator intended us to live.