I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a while…
At the risk of sounding like a crotchety old gatekeeper, I haven’t… However since I’m forty now and have seemingly lost my fear of saying things… I’m going to say it today.
I’ve hinted at this in a few recent posts and podcast episodes, but it feels like time to put it in one place: After fifteen years of promoting and advocating for the homesteading movement, never in a million years could I have imagined feeling this turned off by it.
Not because I don’t still love the essence of old-fashioned things. But because I’ve been sitting here asking: what the hell happened?
I’ve been trying to sort through how much of this is the movement changing, how much is me changing, and how much is just the natural lifecycle of anything that gets popular…
And while I don’t have all the answers, I do have fifteen years of watching this movement up close. So these are my humble observations. Take what’s useful. Leave the rest.
Want more of my thoughts on this topic? Listen to my podcast episode here where I add extra details and opinions.
The Happy Beginnings
We bought our 67-acre property in 2008—long before homesteading was cool… Before I was even using that terminology. Before mason jars were hawked on every corner and backyard chickens became a status symbol.
Back then, there was a humility to it that I loved. A rawness and truth you couldn’t manufacture.
Homesteading wasn’t a brand. It wasn’t a costume. It wasn’t a political dog whistle. It was simply people like me learning how to do stuff. People trying to feed their families in a more human way than stale, industrial life had ever offered. People resurrecting old skills and sharing what worked—not because it was trending, but because it woke something in them that had been sleeping for a long time.
It felt deliciously rebellious and forbidden and countercultural. And I fell head-over-heels in love with all of it, like I’d finally found the missing piece I’d been searching for my entire life.
And I very happily rode that wave for over a decade….
So What Happened?
There’s an arc to movements.
It starts with early adopters—the pioneers, if you will. They are the ones curious enough to question the status quo, to stick their necks out, and to get mocked while doing it.
They will forever be my people.
But then… the ideas catch on. The middle of the curve arrives. The thing gets popular. The thing gets normalized. And then… it goes mainstream.
And that’s the moment I lose interest every time.
Because when something crosses into mainstream, it grows, which is good (mostly). But it also gets commodified, simplified, and flattened. And suddenly the once revolutionary thing is reduced to a punchline and a template.
That’s where I see homesteading now: An idea that used to be alive and varied and place-based has been boiled down into a recognizable “look” you can buy, perform, and broadcast online.
Which brings me to my main culprit…
I Mostly Blame the Internet
I’m not dogging the power of the internet (that’d be wildly hypocritical, considering I ran one of the foremost homesteading blogs for years). Ironically, I don’t think these old-fashioned skills would have spread the way they did without laptops and Wi-Fi stitching us together. (I also acknowledge the irony that as a “homestead blogger” I was one of the people helping the movement gain traction….)
But the very tool that helped the movement grow also warped it.
Because the internet doesn’t reward what’s true. It rewards what’s digestible—and digestible means fast, simple, and easy to categorize.
Now, yes: vulnerability can do well online (especially now). Real stories can hit. People are hungry for honesty. But even honesty has to be packaged with a bow.
It has to fit inside a caption. A reel. A headline. A hook. A tidy beginning and ending.
And homesteading—real homesteading—resists that.
It’s seasonal. It’s complicated. It’s monotonous. It’s one step forward and three steps back. It’s failed loaves of bread and hail-torn vegetable plants and dead baby goats lying in the dirt. Every once in a while it’s stunningly aesthetic with all the warm-and-fuzzy-feels. But the rest of the time, it’s gritty and dull and raw.
But the algorithm marches on… And it prunes and picks, as it always does:
So the pretty parts float to the top. The tidy stories that fits in a caption. The polished 1-2-3s that can be packaged and sold. And most of all, if it can cause a brawl in the comment section, that’s internet GOLD.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t share things online, but it’s wise to be aware of the skewing that happens on social media.
Homesteading’s Rocket Launch
Before COVID, homesteading was growing slowly but steadily. During and after COVID? It got strapped to a rocket.
I remember telling my husband in early 2020 when the virus hysteria was still ramping up, that I wasn’t sure people would care about my quaint homesteading content anymore.
I guess prophecy isn’t my calling….
Because when the world wobbles, people look for something solid. They want a sense that if everything falls apart, they have a semblance of control. And homesteading was that control.
And they came to the movement in droves.
Some came in for legitimate, beautiful reasons. Some came in scared. Others came in bored. Some came in because the internet served them a fantasy: simple life, pretty kitchen, happy family, bread rising on cue.
And when a wave comes in like that, it changes the whole ecosystem.
Newcomers aren’t bad… after all, new people are how movements grow. But a big surge of attention does two things at once:
It creates an overwhelming hunger for answers… and it creates a huge opportunity to sell them.
Suddenly we didn’t just have people sharing skills. We have people optimizing for attention… Companies packaging and pandering to an identity… Creators feeling pressure to perform a version of the life that fits neatly on a screen.
Once a lifestyle becomes a template, it becomes a cash cow—for marketing, for status, for political tribalism, or for whatever message someone already wanted to sell.
When Skills Become Status
This is the shift that makes me want to throw the whole thing in the trash some days.
Homesteading used to be: “I’m doing these things because they work. Because they matter. Because I want to feed my people. Because I want to create a life that means something.”
But now, seemingly, much of the homesteading motivation is: “I’m doing these things so you know which club I belong to.”
Barf.
The innocent joy of old-fashioned skills got traded for a scorecard of political alliance, performance, and moral hierarchy—and I’m out.
If you were here for the real thing, watching it become internet dress-up is… disheartening.
But I’m Not Entirely Cynical….
If I could wave a magic wand, I wouldn’t erase homesteading.
After all, it’s not a monolith—online just makes it feel like one. There still are plenty of people simply doing the things… not performing, not posturing, not turning bread into a political billboard.
I wouldn’t even erase the aesthetic stuff. Beauty isn’t the enemy. (Although I just cannot with the prairie dresses in the mud, y’all. I cannot.)
But I’d bring us back to the center. Back to the point.
Homesteading isn’t a political party.
It isn’t cosplaying a subsistence lifestyle.
It isn’t a meme.
It’s a set of skills that make humans more resilient. It’s learning how to do things with your own two hands. It’s competence in a world that wants us to be dependent. It’s showing up for your life instead of going through the motions.
And it’s still one of the realest things we can chase in a world desperate to force us into sterilized, machine-driven, AI-generated lanes.
So for those of us who still feel the glimmer of excitement at the thought of hands in soil, face to the wind, no screens in sight… perhaps the best thing we can do is to simply drop the labels and keep doing the work that matters to US.
Growing food. Using our hands. Choosing analog when appropriate. Staying human. Building a life that’s less brittle—in our own way and on our own terms.
Even when the internet makes everything weird.
Perhaps, especially then.
More of My Deep Thought Posts & Podcast Episodes:
- What the Hell Happened to Homesteading? (podcast version of this post)
- The Gift of Not Belonging
- Unfiltered Confessions of a Small-Town Restaurant Owner
- I Don’t Know What’s Next
I find this to be interesting because I likely was part of what people would have called homesteading later, sort of, as a movement, while never being part of the movement. I regard myself as an agrarian.
I’m also two decades older than you are, so I my skepticism of many “homesteaders” was from day one.
I guess that’s grounded in the fact that I’ve always had more of a Wendell Berry/Fr. Vincent McNabb/Chesterton sort of view. Homesteading seemed to me to sort of look romantically back at the material culture and practices of an earlier agrarian time while not acknowledging the existential nature of it. That’s pretty difficult to explain, but it was unrealistic in that fashion whereas agrarians, whether they be part of the old Catholic Agrarian Movement or the Southern Agrarians (who I have problems with due to their Southern cultural view) acknowledged that they were part of a greater whole. So while they advocated for agrarianism, and there are those who still do (I do so very imperfectly) they were never “off the grid” if you will, but part of a larger grid that needed and still needs to be fixed.
Without knowing you at all, I think you found that yourself when you took over your business in Chugwater. That made you more of a Distributist Agrarian and ended your being a homesteader . . . for the better.
The other thing is that the popularity of the movement came to endow it with a whole bunch of unrealistic acolytes. Working the land is hard and it doesn’t really involve many moments of milking cows in prairie dresses so much as getting kicked in the guts by cows. Some who came in to the homesteading movement really resembled back to the lander of the 1960s, and it was really unrealistic and tainted the whole thing. A percentage of the back to the landers back then ended up in the “greed is good” culture of the 70s, so things just get tained over time.
Finally, when it became a movement it collected the usually collection of salesmen that all movements do, and some of them deserved suspicion. The thing about local agriculture is, at the end of the day, it’s always local. There’s one really famous person in this movement, I’ll abstain from mentioning his name, who really rubs me the wrong way this way, but then, as you can see, I’m a cynic by nature.
The good thing, I think, is that amongst younger people I see a return to what I’d call the “genuine”. It’s been going on for some time. It varies from hipsters I see in downtown Denver wearing Redwing Iron Rangers and flannel shirts to the mantilla wearing girls I see at Mass. And that’s probably my final point. What I think a lot of homesteaders were seeking was the genuine, and even if the movement was realistic, I still see a lot of people craving that.
Thanks for sharing all these deep thoughts with me. I appreciate it and I’ll have to mull over what you shared.
This resonates with me so much. While my blog was never as successful as yours, this whole homesteading movement has just been overdone. (And I’m so with you on the prairie dresses. They’ve obviously never been in a cow pasture in February.?) I’m in the process of trying to figure out what direction I need to go and trying to get back to my roots. Thanks for saying what I’m feeling better than I ever could. ??
Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m glad this resonated with you. (And I’m glad that I’m not the only one with those thoughts on the prairie dresses!) Please know that I’m rooting for you as you figure out your direction and roots.
The most frustrating thing I’ve seen is the fancy priced gouged $8 bars of goats milk soap… (They had to go purchase the goats milk from FB marketplace…?) It’s also why I make my own everything, because I can’t afford fancy, it’s not why I “homestead.” When I feel like I’m with “my people” the most is when I visit my Amish friends on Fridays… They shun vanity and fancy and provide me a place to buy my bulk dry goods and raw honey by the gallon so I don’t have to ever set foot in the wmarts. ? One of my joys is that my youngest man cub likes to split wood by hand and likes hauling water and maple sap in 5 gallon buckets cause it’s a good workout! ? But he’s already almost 16… When he leaves the nest, then I guess we’ll have to work even smarter! ? I remember finding The Prairie Homestead years ago, inspired my first dairy cow purchase! And we enjoy weekly your French bread recipe! I’ve been milking cows and goats ever since! And I’ll still be thriving on good hard work and milk mustaches while the world panics over raw milk germs… ?
I have pondered all the same things you are talking about. We would have earned the title ‘homesteaders’ when we were raising our family. We called it life. We called it doing chores. We called it teaching our children to work hard and to appreciate the fruits of their labors. We also had an enormous amount of fun in the process. Growing food and putting up more than we needed allowed us to practice generous hospitality in a simple uncomplicated way. We made many choices that were counter cultural, but we certainly didn’t care and we weren’t setting any trends. Many friends lived similar lifestyles. Today is a world of technology, AI, gaming, faking. It is also a world where I have been able to use technology to learn so many new things. I appreciate that. I control my use of technology, it does not control me. I have always been a woman who chose and walked her own path. Still am! Its just ramblings of an old gramma. ?
Hi Jill.
The fact is, most homesteading is done by folks who are in a state of constant failure. No cameras, no beautiful farm, no blogs or inside connections with the Who’s Who of a highly marketed movement. Just families trying to live a better life and feed their children better food. The reality for many is that it’s cheaper and less stressful NOT to homestead. Nevertheless we carry on, through the ups and downs, and don’t depend as much on the “movement” but more on what we’ve learned not to do through trial and error, not giving up, never quite satisfied yet always eager to see if each year can be a better version of the previous. Our family has appreciated your input, tenacity, and mostly your authenticity. There’s a great song out there by a group called Whosoever South called “Keep On Keepin’ On.” Good stuff. Best!
Thank you Jill!!! I have always said I was born as hundred years too late! And I’m sure some of the ones who have “caught the homestead train” will jump off for an easier way soon enough. When the glamour wears off and the realize homesteading is not for wimps! But when push comes to shove and things get hard, we know how to do things and still feed our family and keep their clothes mended and a roof over their heads.
Thank you again!
This is the true inspiration, isn’t it!!!! ??? It’s not a trend to ride while it’s fun and cute; it’s an abundant life to live, where daily hard work and creative innovation are treasured and valued! And we go to bed bone tired and deeply satisfied with smiles on our faces!!
While i see your dtsnce you see a fine example of cowgirl homesteader and soda fountain restaurant owner who maybe needs a break. A break from fast pace, burning the candle at both ends. ( i wss a caregiver for hubby eho judt wrnt to a facility Oct 2025. I’m healing yet that’s why I understand you.
I love your articles. Your Christian believe system , wife & mother . You can move the needle from fast to slower. Only you. We will be there.
Jill, I’ve followed you for over a decade, and what drew me in was how grounded and real your homesteading felt. I’m technically old enough to be your mother, and these are the skills I grew up with and still use every day, so I was genuinely encouraging to see someone from a younger generation embracing them instead of just being consumers.
While the homestead movement sometimes feels more commercial now (especially online), I really appreciate voices like yours that keep it rooted in substance and real life.
Fyi… I’ve never once worn a flouncy dress and bonnet out to my barn to collect eggs, tend to my animals, or mend fence lines, and I giggle, when I see homesteader influencers doing that. I’m usually in muck boots, a dirty old hat, and have jeans on that I’ve worn for 2 days in a row. But to each his own.
I’m 56 yrs and you’re my people! ????
You’re speaking my language Jill <3 keep rocking on. You keep me motivated
Thank you for thoughts. When I grew up, we gardened, we butchered, we baked bread. As an adult working out, I got away from some of it. You helped me get back. The internet provided more information.
I’m happy to still be able to do these things. Bread doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’. I’m happy I can help my daughter butchering a friend’s chickens. It keeps me grounded in the best possible way.
I’m right there with you!! I’ll continue to grow my food and raise my meat because I believe in what it does for my family. And I’ll teach so others may be able to do the same. But I, too, am a little discouraged with the turn it has taken. I think we all just have to stay true to ourselves and encourage others to do the same. Thank you for shedding light on a subject a lot of other hope we won’t see ??
I’ve followed you from beginning. I’ve bought books and planners and refer back to your clips. We live in TX PANHANDLE. It’s flat windy weather changes on a dime and hail storms that can wipe you out. We bought 50 acres and raise angus cattle for beef for our family and sell local. Have chicken and garden, can and dehydrate our veggies. We are not homesteaders we come from farm ranch back grounds. You were my inspiration. Everyone changes everything changes. You’re in a different place than you were when you stated. Change isn’t bad. This to shall pass. God bless
What a beautiful post; well articulated. We are pretty isolated out where we are, having moved out to our rec property full time in 2021 and started growing our own food as some Canadians with “papers” were being shut out of grocery stores in the Maritimes and we didn’t know when our province would follow suit. The vast info online has been helpful as I’ve craved mentorship, but I agree it has become commercialized. I find I’m turning back to my growing physical library for help and inspiration. Feels more… authentic.
Can you help me understand what you mean by “some Canadians with papers were being shut out of grocery stores” ?
Great article. I’ve noticed the same as I’ve been educating myself theses last few years to learn some old fashioned skills. Now, it’s like pop culture.
Thank you for being real and raw. Your writing comes through. Homesteading is just a label now, but really it’s just life. I guess I should say it’s a life STYLE, and one that pretty much either appeals or it doesn’t. I want to put a positive spin on what the internet has done: I am 71 and it’s always been difficult for me to locate my “village.” The internet has helped me to learn skills from all over the world that I have been able to incorporate into our lives and I am GRATEFUL! You are right – much of it is silly nonsense, and fortunately, with the good sense God gave us we can choose to brush that aside. You are a breath of fresh air. Thank you for sharing your life and life style.
Great comment Lisa! I’m close to you in age, have been “in the dirt” my whole life and am very grateful for the internet, finding Jill, and the good common sense to scroll on by the nonsense.
I was drawn to your blog and podcast because it was so real – it never felt like the “Pinterest” version or a social media stunt, it always felt like you are in it for the same reasons I am drawn to it – real food – real work – a real connection to the land and all that it provides both when it’s good and when it’s tough. Unfortunately I’m not in a season of my life where I can actually buy the land and do the homestead thing but it’s solidly on my list for the future – whether or not it’s still “trendy” by the time I get around to it?
Thank you for bringing this to people like me who are still interested in the stories and the lessons and the life, I appreciate all the work you put in!
Yes, yes and yes! I agree whole heartedly.
And I am always so confused by the women in long (clean?!) dresses.
If only I knew how to add hearts and the laughing emoji’s Jaime!!! Anything else I may write will feel like plagiarizing yours! I’m often not clean even *inside* in jeans and an apron. But a long dress????? It really confuses me too.
I can’t help but read this and have entirely new perspective on the Oregon Trail. I can see so many parallels between this homestead movement and the race for free land in the west. I love the Oregon Trail it’s one of the most fascinating times in history. But now I can’t help but see the fur trappers and pre-pioneers and the explorers who went west well ahead of everyone as the “homesteaders who homesteaded before it cool,” and the homestead movement now as the thousands upon thousands of people following the trend and uprooting their lives to start a new one. Some probably genuinely desired it, others just to follow the trend. I don’t judge you wherever you are in the homestead world, but I just thought this was a surprising and fascinating parallel of worlds . . .
wait til you hit 50! 😉
as i look 60 in the face, i am glad to have gotten off the hamster wheel and out of the habitrail when i did. nope, it wasnt cool back in 2013 when i finally did it, but finding you and others that were “my people” let me know i wasnt crazy – well, not for that reason anyway!
thank you for all of your wisdom and guidance and for being real.
dirt under my fingernails, mud on my face and im never going to have feet that look good in sandals – but my goal was never to impress anyone, it was just to be settled.
and i am.
keep being you.
Thank you for being my guru. I found you at a time when all my children were grown and starting their young adult lives. I looked at myself in the mirror and asked, “Now what?”
I followed you and started my big garden, it was my savior. I grow our food, share with neighbors, have even sold vegetables at the farmers market. This has made me happy because this is me. I have found my people.
I taught myself canning, watched your videos on bread making. Have made that bread and we have eaten well. So Jill, thank you for being there when I needed you. ?
Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it. 🙂 I hope you have a great garden season this year (and make some amazing bread).
I have followed you for years. Personally, since Covid, I have taken a step back and stopped posting on my page. So, many people have jumped on the homesteading bandwagon….which is wonderful, if done for the right reasons and with the right mind set. But there are so many that simply follow whatever the new fad is on fb. I am tired of the tallow crowd, new to the game, telling me what I should be doing. The same ones that have never seen a cow butchered and wouldn’t know tallow from lard, if presented with both.I will continue to do what I love and what gives my life meaning. On my terms.
Your thoughts are pretty similar to mine. While I was not a homesteader, I did love raising my chickens and ducks, making sourdough bread, and growing my own food among several other things. I’ve followed Jill for years and not only lived vicariously through her stories, experiences, heartaches but she made me want to do and be so much more. And in my search for more information and experiences (input, input!), I was finding that there were too many wannabes that were giving out incorrect info that either was not based on science or tried and true methods. Safety and project failures didn’t seem important to them. Being an “influencer” seemed to be the name of the tune. So much misinformation begot more misinformation to the the point that I was questioning everything and anything. I became disillusioned. Even though I always felt comfortable with Jill’s instructions and methods, I just stopped altogether. Cold Turkey. With everyone. It’s a shame, really. I miss the few sites I followed religiously for so many years.
The government started the Homesteading Act back in the 1800s; or, maybe the late 1700s. The plan was to give each individual 100 acres of raw land to build and farm. The goal was to help populate the West. Back then, anything west of the Mississippi River was open for homesteading. The program worked and was officially ended in the 1970s. If I had my current income back in the 1970s, I’m sure that I would have found decent land.
Even now, I could probably find good land; but, it is expensive. I was looking at Habitat for Humanity houses. The program that operates here wants a cash down payment of at least $1,000 and 60 hours of Sweat Equity. In some areas, there is no cash down payment and the Sweat Equity is closer to 500 or 600 hours. The homes are around 1150 or 1175 square feet and average about $250,000. If I look at homes that are not Habitat homes, the cost is at least double that amount for similar square footage.
I think, because of the current economy, people are choosing Insteading instead of Homesteading.
“It’s a set of skills that make humans more resilient.” Thank you Jill!
Homesteading is a personal conviction, it’s a desire to be self-sufficient and resourceful, using what we have, and gaining skills and community along the way. There’s an authenticity at its core- no amount of modern influence can change this conviction…well…for those who don’t subscribe to algorithmic/political clicks and “clubs”.
I don’t look at everyone else. I just do me and my family. And do what I can with what I have. It doesn’t matter what label is on it, it doesn’t change what I do. If we can raise our own beef, chickens, and eggs, grow our own big garden, bake our own staples, repair our own things, make do, or do more with less, enjoy a quieter lifestyle, then we do it.
If other people get into it for different reasons, but find joy and satisfaction in it, and it becomes something genuine, then people are all the better for it. If that aesthetic helps them become ”real”, then the hook was a positive thing. If doing these things was too much work for them and they stopped, then no harm no foul. It wasn’t for them. It takes all sorts of people to make the world go round.
I’ve been trying to find the right words for my thoughts and you nailed it for me. Thank you!
Jill –
I was raised as a homesteader. Not on a farm, but on half an acre where my parents built a two, then eventually four room home where they raised my four brothers and sisters, then finally, me. We didn’t have an indoor toilet until I was five, in 1961. Mom did ‘the wash’ in a wringer washer until two weeks before she passed in 1983. No dryer, just a line in the yard and one in the basement that was dug AFTER the house was built. We had a huge organic garden, lots of fruit trees, grapes, bees for honey and chickens and rabbits for meat. My mom sewed every stitch we wore, prepared every meal we ate, canned and froze garden vegetables, and had a $10/week grocery budget for things like flour, sugar, salt and coffee. My dad was a very early subscriber to Rodale’s Organic Gardening and was big into leaves as mulch on his picture perfect garden. We supplemented our diet with the occasional squirrel or deer, and I can’t ever remember feeling hungry. After leaving home, I went mainstream. It was the 70’s … Wonder Bread and Campbell’s soup beckoned. But I never forgot the skills I learned, nor stayed so far from them that my return to them was a difficult transition. As I turn 70 this year, I’ve spent the last six years watching this growing trend, sparked by the ‘pandemic’, with hope that it could become sustainable for the long haul. But, like you, I see the cracks … the performative nature of those who seek to make a living by displaying their interpretation of homesteading. Living in the plexiglass house that is YouTube and Instagram. While I believe there is typically value in most folks’ offerings, and there are many who sincerely believe in what they are doing, I’ve also witnessed those who literally bit off far more than they could chew, and are just … quitting. And those who believe it is their job to educate us politically and financially. But such is the way of the world. I’m a stay in your lane kind of gal, and find myself disengaging/unsubscribing from those who seek to be way more than what I originally signed up for, e.g., my nutritionist, my fitness trainer, my financial planner, my world news source. Even Rory Feek’s Homestead Festival went from being so educational and truly intimate the first year, to an overcrowded sweatfest of people standing in line to get autographs of their favorite homesteaders. So … here’s to staying in our lane … chewing the meat, and spitting out the bones!
Such a great post and several excellent comments. Keep that honesty coming! My two cents? Don’t worry, it’ll all swing back to the other side soon enough. It always does and when it does, those who are honestly committed will still be there. For me, I love how your blog brings back memories. My parents were back to the land, small homesteaders in the ’70s where my dad also stripped our 200-year old house down to its bones and rebuilt it while we were living in it. Hand crafted fireplaces and shutters. Different wood types used for paneling in various rooms (the girls room was in willow). My mom baked, cooked, canned, jellied and preserved up a storm. Yep. Good times, hard times and best of all, some amazing skills I can still call upon in current life, none of which included wearing frothy, frilly, floaty dresses – thank goodness.
Jill, I’ve followed you since at least 2017 (that’s how far back my emails from you go!). I tried to backyard garden in the city when we lived there in the early 2000’s and tried to learn to cook from scratch and utilize my awesome local farmer’s market. My mom was a farm girl who wanted to leave it all behind and couldn’t garden or cook! So I was trying to learn basically on my own from cookbooks I collected and trial and error. Your website helped me find a cohesive starting point (the kitchen) and spread out from there (focused gardening and preserving). I started older than I wanted to (those Laura Ingalls Wilder and Janette Oke books got me hooked as a kid) as my husband and I lived in base housing when we were first married and it never occurred to me to learn the skills before the homestead lol. I’m still not where I want to be competency -wise, but I don’t give up. I’m better at gardening, better at bread, better at cooking (according to my family), and we’ve lost fewer chickens than I thought we would. I’ve learned to butcher chickens and dipped my toe in canning (I’m still wanting to learn to can your beef stew!). Your cookbook is my go to for sourdough crackers, fudge, and your roast chicken recipe. However, I do a lot of chores in a skirt as I have no air conditioning in my house and skirts are just cooler than pants! And yes, they get muddy, but that’s the way it has to be and I’m great at laundry! I learned early on in navigating the blogging world, that not everyone knows what they are talking about. So I only follow a few and have found over and over that those few (including yourself) really know what they are talking about. So thank you for not giving up on those of us who are still trying to slowly learn the skills we weren’t taught while growing up.
With a fervent desire to become “homesteaders”, so many joined the movement. But along the way, it seems to me, we lost sight of the root word: home. Homesteading became things we do, not people we care about. Home. Belonging. Shared stories. That’s the beautifully quiet part that each of us longs for. Thanks for sharing your stories.
Hey Jill, I’m 30 yrs your senior and this “old fashion on purpose thing” was a part of my life growing up in the mountains of VT on a dairy farm. I’ve spend my entire life living on family land, now my husband’s family, I’ve raised my food and family as close to the earth as possible. What turned me off as the homesteading craze took off was the people who wanted the romance and what they thought was the aesthetics of homesteading but were clueless when it came right down to it. It’s not the pretty pink bee hives (yes a friend/wannabehomesteader actually built and painted her bee hive PINK – barf!) or pretty rows of inedible flowers in the garden. It’s as you said – it’s finding your favorite ewe dead in the pasture or the storm that toppled your ancient apple tree that had the best apples for pie making. It’s the disappointments along with getting your hands dirty growing your own food that you fed your family for dinner but wasn’t pretty enough for a photo op.
But here’s the thing, there’s enough of us out here who consider ourselves homesteaders (I actually call my self a farmsteader) and still love doing things the old fashion way because it satisfies our soul and we’re passing it on to our children and grandchildren. So although I totally agree with everything you said – I think there’s still a place for all of us, dirty jeans and hands and all!
I completely agree with you in 21 I was able to buy myself some chickens and have me a little chicken farm it started with eight now I have 40 and I love it I try to grow my own vegetables but living in the desert has proved extremely hard. I have your book and my kids and husband adore your pretzels so thank you. That’s about the extent of my homesteading but I have completely gotten off of any social media because I cannot stand the fact that everyone has tried to monetize or get views for doing normal things everyday things like putting your kids to bed, making them a sandwich or you know just being a parent?!?. That’s not exactly where you were going with this but that’s what I thought about when I read it it’s just become disgusting like can we just go back to living Our Lives and not trying to film every single thing we do
Hey, chin up Kiddo. I’m kind of old to be here, and I share your frustrations. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s I spent time with old Liberty Hyde Bailey and Ralph Borsodi books. They had been part of an ebb and flow. Then for me, came John Seymour and John Shuttleworth – the OLD Mother Earth news was, for a country kid a revelation, a justification that the ways I grew up with had worth. Then again the ebb. Then again the flow from the internet rediscovering what I had previously re- discovered and what had been for my grandparents just life. I have followed you off and on for a fair number of years. Just lurking. Though I had milked cows off and on since the 70’s, I really appreciated your points of view. I was milking goats, a lot of goats (the horror) when I discovered your blog. I learned, reviewed and just enjoyed through new eyes.
You are right, there is a lot of fluff out there. Hangers on and me too homesteading. This too will ebb. And flow. But life especially the simple life- old fashioned if you will 🙂 will go on and “old timers”, especially have purpose and worth.
I hope your new adventures go well.
Compliments to your honesty and appreciation for all the work you have done. I found you in about 2011 or so when I had dreams of children and growing gardens and fruit trees. I grew up with a mother that grew tons of tropical plants, none were edible, and a grandmother that made Spanish omelettes for us and had wasabi peas on standby instead of cookies. I had many food allergies which is why I wanted to start making my own food and at that time I wanted a freeze dryer so I could make my own meals for hiking/camping. We moved often so when we did buy houses I always improved the land and left lush gardens with low maintenance, and one we even left the chickens and rehomed the ducks. I had used my baby cradle as perches for the chickens. I would help friends when they went on a trip with their hogs, chickens, garden or turkeys. Now as a single mother I have revamped what is worth the cost for myself and my health from ‘doing it all, on my own for years’. In the move I had to sell all my canning equipment and have tried to decide what is simple for me and what was too much, especially with a special needs child.
Jill, I’ve been following you a long time and I appreciate you. I got into this way of life in 2002 because I wanted to be self sufficient. 9/11 was so scary and I didn’t know what would befall us in the near future. We bought 14 acres in rural north Georgia and set about to homestead before it became a thing. I fell in love with it and at 73 I’m still going strong. The life style is so healthy and I think it will keep my husband and me healthy. I could care less about the brand or the popularity. I’m doing it for me.
Thanks Jill…I have stopped following some folks I used to enjoy…pushing sales for this or that. I have missed your videos, you were my first obsession…I have my collection of books and the skills I have learned and been using. I kept what I liked, and moved on from what I didn’t. But it’s like bread making; it’s a live thing, never the same. Some good days, some bad loaves and loads of bread crumbs and croutons! There is no perfect loaf nor a perfect way to do this thing we love. We just do what works best. big love!
I never considered myself a “homesteader”, but I do try to do as much for myself as I can. I have a garden that is not “pretty” like the pictures online, but produces more than enough for me. I can because I love doing it, I got into freeze drying last year, I have a few chickens, finally started sourdough and maintain it in a way that works for me where I don’t feel like a slave to it. I recently started “thinking” like a homesteader. I don’t sit down and think, “now what do I want for dinner?” Then go to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients I need. Now, instead, I go to my freezer and pantry and “shop” there. I think the only thing I have purchased at the grocery in the last week is lettuce. And once I get it out in the garden and/or greenhouse, I won’t even have to buy that.
I feel the same way. It sickens me to see how “glamorized” people try to make it look. Ducks, love them, but, they are NASTY, stinky, flys, it’s a constant clean battle, not to mention, my drake hates me and it’s a daily battle. But, I’m committed. Sheep. This season has without a doubt been the saddest. We have lost 2 babies so far in this season. Its reality, last year, 1st time ever, had a momma who rejected her twins. We bottle fed, they survived, but we sacrificed alot to keep them alive. I don’t wear cute clothes and go barefoot, I now have 3 pair of mucks and winter, getting to all the animals to break ice and keep watered and praying your john Deere starts to get out hay. Gardening season is a huge mess in kitchen, but filled jars are your reward. Making bread, and such, whole other story. So, yes, I’d rather not see all these 20, 30 somethings all dolled up just to get montinized, that’s NOT real. I’ve deleted their pages from my feed. I want to see the real, tired, overwhelmed lady, truly doing it right.
Yes! THIS! I’m so glad that I’m not the only one who gets frustrated by the fake. REAL homesteading is, like you said, 3 pairs of mucks, mud, and mess. 🙂
Jill, I enjoy your blogs and the cook book you published. I think there was a bit of a bubble of homesteaders, many of whom simply bit off too much and reconsidered. Or their interest in raising their own food was fear driven and they have since found easier venues to calm down than raising cattle, maybe they got a freeze dryer instead.
But there are still plenty of people with the desire to be some form of homesteader, maybe an urban one, or one that is only specialized in making sauerkraut from scratch and growing a garden, and they may not care if anybody calls them homesteaders or not.
I find this highly relatable. There is a romanticism to more modern homesteading that is frustrating. It sets people up for unrealistic expectations and heartache. I am sick and tired of these romantic videos of idyllic pastures only to realize they are talking about ‘homesteading’ and trying to sell me something I do not need.
I am craving the real, raw, and genuine homesteading and farming life. Because my life isn’t prairie dresses and sunsets. It’s rough hands, long days, and my heart bleeding or bursting depending on the day.
I’ve been following you for a very long time, I think pretty close to when you first started (back when “following” someone was subscribing to their email list). Long before “Instagram ready” became a thing. The thing I’ve always liked about your message, and what I’ve told other people about you, is that you show the good, the bad, and the ugly. I always question sites that only show the “pretty”, where everything is perfect. Anyone who spends any time creating anything – meals, gardens, any type of project, sewing, etc – knows that mistakes happen and being outside is messy,
I love that you have stayed true to yourself and your interests as they change over time. I love that you are branching out and exploring other topics – all related in direct and indirect ways to homesteading. You are taking deeper dives into nutrition, health, the importance of community, branching out into other interests, etc. Keep doing what you do – that’s what made you so popular (in a good way) and keeps us coming back for more.
As far as the prairie dresses go, I’m with you – not my jam, have never liked them. If someone wants to wear them – have at it. But don’t expect me to believe that they don’t get dirty or get in the way. ?
Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it. 🙂 I’m glad that I’m not the only one with those thoughts on the prairie dresses! And I’m glad you are enjoying the topics that I bring up!
2008, great year. My wife and I also purchased land, ours was smaller as we were already well into our 50’s. We opened a therapeutic riding center. We were so excited. Three years in, I took the wrong king of dismount. I found gardening, preserving, and sheep. I found a few really good YouTube channels, of which yours was a definite favorite. You taught me gardening basics, herbs, canning, preserving, sourdough bread, meal craft, do it yourself projects, all about cows and what each cut of meat was for. We considered cows, but I was concerned my new mobility issues required something a bit smaller. (Ha, sheep were a lot of work}
In short, we called ourselves homesteaders, we were just learning a new way of life. It was fun! Now we’ve aged out. I still manage 200 sp ft of garden, preserving, and buying meat in bulk to can.
I believe the what happened, came about with the introduction of short cuts. Cans of freeze dried foods, and prepper kits. Yup, my basement has those too.
What all this is saying, you, and a handful of other original YouTube creators introduced us to a healthier, sustaining exciting adventure. I don’t sit in front of a tv all day like others my age. I’m still reasonably mobile and I get up each morning with a purpose.
Thank you for your contributions!
In our culture, people love to use labels. Or put others in little boxes. It makes life so simple, to define others. You’re a ______ (fill in the blank), and I know what to think/feel about you.
Being told you’re a homesteader might just be a shallow, over-used definition these days.
Your thoughts resonate with me. I studied permaculture, and felt that big word swallow me up in conversations, instead of sensing the strength that this particular knowledge of mine means to me.
I know how to save the world, but no-one has ever asked me what that feels like. I think that homesteaders, on social media or not, are saving the world as well. Saving the old knowledge, living close to the earth, and doing good every day, without it being easy or glamorous. You’re real, Jill, and I appreciate you.
I remember you saying a while ago that the online homesteading scene is very “loud”, and that comment has stuck with me for a long time. I see a lot of loudness: people clambering desperately to be seen, to sell stuff, trying to shout the loudest and please the algorithms the most.
I think it’s not just that there’s a flood of newcomers, it’s that the people who are getting their voices heard the most now are usually those who spend huge amounts of time online and know how to please the algorithms. People are writing stuff based on what bots promote, rather than what is in their heart. The internet is getting filled with low quality fluff, and not much substance.
I’ve even encountered fake AI “homesteader” accounts and it’s sickening.
There’s also the vicarious living aspect of online homesteading… masses of passive fans of homesteading “content” who are not there because they want to learn the skills and live the life, but as just another TV channel they can watch.
It can be hard to find honest, real stuff like what you post, because there are so many people who know how to game the algorithms and get their stuff seen, and a mass of vicarious-living people ready to lap up the glossy image of it all.
Thank you for being real.
Yes! The ai fake homesteader accounts are worrying. And I agree about the ‘glossy image of it all’. Those are great words to describe it.
I think for many it’s just a mindset. A mindset of continual learning and growth. I’ve never aspired to be a part of something, I have just always liked the freedom of doing things myself, building skills that translate across many tasks and generally not being scared to try.
I can only imagine how running a business revolving around homesteading could feel cumbersome as the tides shift…as the people change..as the early adopters find their footing…or shift strategies..or quit.
Social media is not a place I have ever chosen to invest much time…so I am really appreciating you coming back to the basics. The stories, the evolution and the human conditions that we all meander through are what has always drawn me to you.
I loved the article! So true people comment on how I’m living the dream and I tell them to not believe what you see on Pinterest! It’s hard, back breaking work and you have to love and believe it makes a difference for you and your family. You have to do it for you and no one else, otherwise you will fail and give up. I still fail in the garden sometimes but I do it because it matters to me.
Well, I have to say, that there are some wonderful attributes of this “movement”. First; I have always had chickens and or a garden if we lived in an area that allowed it. Retired military. Our final duty station was number nine in 21 years. With moving so much you quickly look for commonality amongst those around you.
Bread, fresh ground bread, has a way of brining people together and it opens doors, literally. I think we all want to be with people that are like minded, or at least appreciate your lifestyle. Having a special needs child is not necessarily a door opener. Unless, you can relate. Homeschooling-same. But we all need to eat, and if you have any wits about ya, you want to eat well.
We had a hog killing here at our place last month. We invited others to come. Out of the 13 who showed up, 6 were teenagers. The girls were way more interested in participating. No prairie dresses in sight though. Lol
This past weekend we traveled a few hours for a get together. There were nine families represented. My husband and I were by far the oldest, by a few decades. My husband was asked to demonstrate how to cut grape vines. I really think it was a ploy for all the men folk to stay outdoors. Lol One of the little girls did have a prairie dress on over her pants. She was adorable. These women homeschool, breastfeed, milk their cows, goats and sheep. They make their own cheese, cook as healthy as they can and have alternatives to modern day medicines. They are not just consumers, they are producers.
We circled up and prayed for one of the families that will be moving soon. As we left the hostess gave each of us ladies a small jar of whipped tallow with wonderful essential oils.
I would not change any of these encounters and experiences for any amount of money. I say all of this to say, You can’t get this from the internet, but at the same time the Internet has been a wonderful resource. So has the homesteading conferences, where I have met you,, Jill, and purchased items from you. You have too much information to help others to keep it to yourself, thanks for sharing. We have all gleaned from you and many others along the way.
But, I encourage everyone to find their tribe, their people. There is nothing better than hands-on living. We are here to give a hand up. Happy Homestead and y’all.
I understand so much what you’re sharing. I’ve been a follower of your page, blog, for a long while. I come from a different background (nutrition), the health/wellness space today is unrecognizable. What used to be creative, interesting, and fun has turned into clown world. Holistic health, functional health, sharing the same generalized message over and over. If we work with people one on one focused on individualized health, why does it sound like and feel like a performance? I’ve had to step away.
I think where I’ve finally landed is that I don’t have to do *all the things*. I went into this with excitement and quickly realized some things are not worth my time. I think “homesteading” involves finding your own rhythm. As for the dresses, I have actually wanted to be that person that wears the prairie dresses (because sometimes they are comfy!), but I either get too cold or too sweaty or I’m afraid a grasshopper is going to get stuck up my skirt when I’m in my (very weedy) garden LOL. I appreciate anyone who comes to “the movement” so long as they are genuine. There’s something special about eating a homegrown meal, and I want everyone to experience that at least once.
I have followed you from the beginning with your blog just because your writing was so interesting and I could nod my head to many of your topics. We have lived on a farm for the last 30 years and have always done what the “homesteaders” do. We personally thought it was just living on a farm! Around 2017-2019, the homesteading movement really picked up around where we lived and we would just look at each other and think this is just normal living for us. There were a few early on YouTube channels that we used to watch but they all became so commercialized and most of the videos seemed to be just so they could get views. Thank you for being one of the sane originals!
Back to the land and homesteading have changed, I’ve been through several cycles the last 50 years. You were among my 1st online sites when I had internet available. I stayed with you and life changes you shared because you were real, not theater. Be proud of what you have done, taught, discussed. The world will continue altering in ways we can not forsee or change. We need to do whatever we can, when we are able and teach those interested so usable knowledge isn’t lost.
Jill, between your blog and your podcasts I’m over here wondering how you tapped into my heart and mind!
I can relate 100% on how you are feeling the last couple of years . From homesteading to homeschooling and everything in between. Thank you for putting in to words what I cannot. Your podcasts have been just what I’ve needed! I feel understood and not alone. Thank you for being YOU! I hope some day I have the honor of shaking your hand and thanking you in person. You have a gift. Keep sharing!
Why do we homestead anyway? Those of us that do it when there are no cameras, no Instagram worthy shots or reels and haven’t figured out how to make a profit or just a little money to cover some of the costs. Why do we even do it? Especially when you see people profiting from “homesteading” that clearly just do it for show, for likes and comments, to be in the up and coming “trendy” group.
The answer that stands out to me is because it’s important. It’s important to do the skills, to learn new skills, and to pass those skills down so they’re not forgotten, the skills that not that many years ago people couldn’t survive without. It’s important for my physical and mental health, even though it stresses me at times beyond my boundaries.
The loneliness and isolation because you don’t fit in, not having anything in common with anybody else because you don’t care about shopping, getting your nails done or the latest fashion or tv show. Why put yourself through that? Because you can’t be somebody you’re not meant to be, I’ve tried. It is so hard to live the real homesteading lifestyle and that doesn’t sell.
But I will continue this path because it’s ingrained in me. I can’t be anybody else. I find such great joy in mastering a new skill, growing enough food to eat fresh and preserve, and spending time with my many animals. I’ve often joked that I’m so much better with animals than people but it’s really not a joke.
This week I saw our annual 2 spring geese that come to our tank and fields early spring for the last 5 years or so. The weather has that promise of spring with just a bite of the winter still hanging on. I have seeds beginning to come up that I’m nurturing in my slapped together seed starting rack in my small kitchen because that’s the only place I have for it. It is glorious and that’s enough, that’s true happiness that can’t be portrayed in a YouTube video.
So as encouragement, let’s keep doing what we love and block out the noise of the internet. Let’s keep this love alive for the old skills and keep trying to find our people. Let’s steward our land well, care for our people and animals well and keep moving forward.
I feel this, even though I am one of the 2020’ers that jumped in headfirst that you mention in your article.
There’s nothing like a global “pandemic” to shake up one’s priorities. My husband and I knew that our next move would be out of the city onto some property. It was more for peace, space and freedom than anything. We were in the city already with a small garden, canning every year from our garden and local farmers markets, stocking up on supplies, preparing anyway we could, and conscious of what was happening in the world. Then 2020 hit and the urgency to leave the city increased tenfold. It felt like a ‘do or die’ moment for us.
Suddenly many people realized our food supply chain was very fragile and in order to survive we needed to take our food into our own hands. For us that meant finding property and breaking ground on a garden immediately. In the 4 years we’ve lived on our homestead our focus and priorities have shifted as we have experimented, experienced, and learned, but we are in this for life. We talk regularly about this being our retirement plan and everything we do today is a step to set ourselves up the best we can for that time in our lives. We both still work full time jobs, as we are not able to fully support ourselves on the homestead yet. But that is the goal…
I understand the frustration of the “trend” for those of you who have been doing this for many years. I try to have grace because I know everyone has to start somewhere. But the glamourization of homesteading is very misleading to MANY people who think this lifestyle is easy, beautiful and fun. Most days it’s not any of those things haha. I try to be as honest and real on social media as possible. This winter was very rough in Michigan, and I talked a lot about how challenging this season was for us (farmers and animals combined). Always pushing people to support their local farmers, eat local, and always welcoming people who want and need to ask questions about topics we’ve become knowledgeable on.
I had to chuckle a little bit when I began reading your blog. Just yesterday, I disked up my garden plot (I’m in east Texas) getting things ready to plant my garden in another month or so.
To put things into perspective, I’ll turn eighty years old in a few months. But different folks have different ideas of what a homesteader is. Of course, my age has forced me to modify my definition of homesteading as I can no longer do what I used to do, at least as quickly and efficiently as I once did. That said, I shift into a lower gear and still do the important things.
Of course, I’ve downsized but I still have a few chickens; enough to keep me supplied with eggs. Every year for the past few years I’ve told myself I was going to downsize my garden but it always seems to take on a life of its own. This year I’m determined to limit it to some tomatoes ( of course), squash, okra and maybe cucumbers. Well, that’s not counting my perennials like asparagus and Jerusalem artichokes. Hmmm, I sure would like a few rows of sweet corn… See what I mean?
Don’t worry about the pseudo-homesteaders. They’ll fade away in time. Or, they will do what I’m doing by necessity and create their own definition just like religious groups do.
Ok, enough of my rambling. I always enjoy your musings, even if I don’t always agree. Keep on keeping on kiddo.
This was such a needed articulation. You named what many of us have been sensing: the difference between a life and a brand. I’m grateful for the honesty and the integrity of this reflection.
Yes! Great wording there: ‘difference between a life and a brand’. That’s it exactly. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Jill,
Thanks for your article, and pointing out these things – and I don’t wear dresses either. This winter we had a small chicken house fire, and I lost half my hens. Today, because of a freezer finally giving up (from 1974!), I am making jam with all my frozen berries from the summer that I didn’t use, because I was exhausted with everything in the summer. LOL I’m finding it almost more fun to make jam now, when I have a bit more time to be creative. I’m no spring chicken, 60, but I grew up on a farm and ached for it when I was doing the career thing. I still get excited when I see the little seed starts popping up, and hope I can keep them alive until its time to plant them in the spring. It’s a lifestyle and a passion, and a constant excerise in failure, and rolling up the sleeves to try again. Cheers to you and everyone who made comments. Happy spring (I hope. Soon. ) from Manitoba, Canada.
I’m sorry for your chicken house fire and failed freezer, but I LOVE your way of finding joy with canning jam! I’m the same way – I often freeze stuff to can during the slower winter months – because it’s much more enjoyable. Happy canning! Thanks for commenting. 🙂