10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (2024)

There are many things I wished I knew before we started homesteading. These things would have made it easier when times were difficult or I felt like giving up. Hopefully these tips will help you wherever you are in your homestead journey.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (1)

The Difference Between Simple & Easy

The first thing I wish I knew before homesteading was the difference between simple and easy.

The homesteading life is a very simple life in that it makes sense. You put your seeds in the ground, you harvest them and they go on your plate. In some ways, it’s extremely simple, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

It’s very easy to picture this homesteading life where you’re relaxing on the patio drinking coffee, listening to the rooster crow and watching your children playing out in the yard. But the reality is that homesteading takes a lot of work and a large commitment and, unless you’re intentional about it, there’s very little time for sitting and watching.

Homesteading is for people who really want to be involved in the here and now of their life to make things better for their families… even if it means a lot of work.

When I first started homesteading I had a bit of a misunderstanding between simple and easy. Yes, it’s a simple life, but it’s not always easy.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (2)

Don’t Take On Too Much at Once

Taking on too much at once will always come back to haunt you. Right now there are a lot of people feeling the urgency to do more.

The reality is there’s a large learning curve to everything we do and every new skill we want to learn on the homestead. It’s important that you’re prepared for that.

Things can be really easy to get started, such as the garden, but once it gets into full swing it takes a lot more work to do all the harvesting and preserving on the other side. Start slowly, start methodically, and add on new skills only once you’ve mastered the previous skill.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (3)

Bonding

When you work closely with friends or family on one specific task, then you get to celebrate the fruits of your labor together. That bonds people together in a way that’s rarely seen in today’s modern culture.

When you’ve struggled through bad weather, worked out in the hot sun, had to deal with problems or issues, and then you can sit down at the end of the day and enjoy the rewards of your work, that’s such an incredible feeling.

If I could have seen the relationships I would build with my children in the early days, when it was hard with small children and toddlers, it would have helped me get through those difficult seasons.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (4)

A Little Bit Everyday Goes a Long Way

It’s so much easier doing a little bit every day instead of doing a large task all at once. You’ll get so much more done if you just commit to consistently doing a little bit each and every day.

It’s also easier to fit smaller tasks into a busy schedule when it’s broken up into shorter portions of time.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (5)

The Importance of Managing the Home

One thing I wished I had realized earlier on is that if my household is not functioning on a basic level then it’s going to be very difficult to layer on animals, gardens, or other projects.

It wasn’t until our household was running smoothly (learn my tips for running a smooth household here) that adding more tasks to the homestead wasn’t overwhelming. Make sure your household is running smoothly before adding in other projects.

Learning to homestead while on a budget is another important aspect of homestead management.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (6)

The Flavor of Homegrown Food

I knew homesteading meant I would save money and get food that was healthier and more nutrient-dense than from the grocery store. But what I didn’t realize was how much better tasting the flavors of that food would be!

We can barely go to a restaurant now, even a high-end restaurant, knowing how much that dinner will cost us, and justify the expense of eating out when it just won’t taste as good as we can make it from home.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (7)

Learning New Skills Takes Time

If you’re learning something new and feel like it’s taking a long time, that’s because it is. Learning new skills takes a while and it can be challenging. But once you learn that skill and it becomes routine, you’ll find it takes much less time out of your day and you don’t even remember the struggle of learning it.

Just know that once you get through the learning phase, the practice and execution of it ongoing won’t take as long. This is why I go back to tip #2 of not taking on too much at a time.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (8)

The Importance of Good Infrastructure

Setting your homestead and household up the correct way using permaculture design principles does cost money and labor upfront, but in the long run, it will save you time, energy, and even money later on.

Things like hose bibs, fences, barns, outbuildings, the location of your garden, orchard, etc. These things all cost money to get set up the right way, but if you can do it right from the beginning, you’ll save yourself so much time and energy (and even money).

For example, if your animal’s feed isn’t convenient to where you feed the animals and it takes you a couple of extra minutes each day to feed them, then over the course of a year, you will have wasted hours of time!

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (9)

Character Building

As a kid, when you grow up on a homestead and you’re responsible for animals, gardens, and other chores, you learn a level of responsibility that’s rarely seen in today’s modern world.

My children are incredibly responsible people! They know how to cook, they know how to garden and to raise animals, and they also know how to problem solve.

Being on a homestead has created the opportunity for them to learn these skill sets and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. There are many reasons why you should start homesteading, and this is one of the biggest.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (10)

The Need for Community

Finally, the last thing I wish I knew before we started homesteading was the importance and the need for community. Sometimes homesteading can feel lonely. A lot of times we homesteaders are doing what we’re doing because we feel very passionate about being resilient, more self-sufficient, etc., but that doesn’t mean the people around us share that same enthusiasm.

If you start talking to your friend about the latest thing you made, or the amazing herbs you’re growing and their eyes kind of gloss over, don’t get discouraged!

But let it help you realize that’s why it’s important to get plugged into a homesteading community where you can feel connected and supported, and fellowship with like-minded people.

It’s something I underestimated in my earlier years. I had no idea of the importance of the community aspect.

For this reason, we’ve put together a homesteading community that’s filled with satisfaction, great food, and even tutorials for you to grow and deepen your homesteading skills. You’ll get support from a like-minded homesteading community.

You’ll also get access to:

  • All of our classes like the Art of Homemade Bread, the Abundant Pantry Canning, the , and the Practical Homemade Dairy class, along with about 12 other classes.
  • You’ll have access to our homestead video vault.
  • You can join our live weekly video chats with me where we discuss various questions!
  • Join in on our quarterly skills challenge where I help you learn and level up your homesteading skills as we tackle one new skill at a time, all together as a group.

Our Homestead Kitchen Membership is open for 4 days only (July 8th-July 12th at 9 PM Pacific time)! Get access to ALL of our classes and a supportive community of like-minded people. For more details CLICK HERE… but hurry, the doors close on Tuesday!

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (11)

More Posts You May Enjoy

  • What is Homesteading?
  • First Time Homesteader with Jessica Sowards
  • How to Finance Your Homestead
  • How to Get Started Homesteading
  • When Homesteading Feels Urgent
  • Direct Primary Care – Going “Off-Grid” With Your Health
  • Health Benefits of Going Off-Grid
  • How to Prepare for a Power-Outage
  • 9 Emergency Preparedness Tips
  • 3 Things You Must Do To Increase Self-Sufficiency
  • Does Homesteading Save Money on Food
  • Yearly Planning on the Homestead
  • How to Buy a Homestead – What To Know Before You Buy
  • Organizing Your Property’s Permaculture Zones
  • Building Resilience with Justin Rhodes
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Homesteading (2024)

FAQs

What do I need to know before starting a homestead? ›

On to the list!
  • Create Your Vision. ...
  • Pay Off Your Debt And Create (and use) A Budget. ...
  • Assess Your Property. ...
  • Start NOW. ...
  • Learn To Preserve Food. ...
  • Prepare For Animals Before Bringing Them On The Homestead. ...
  • Be Prepared To Learn. ...
  • Make The Most Of Free Resources.

What are the downsides of homesteading? ›

Reduced Mobility: Homestead property typically requires a certain level of commitment, as it may limit your ability to relocate or sell the property easily. This can be a disadvantage if you have a job requiring frequent moves or you anticipate needing to relocate in the future.

What is the first thing to do on a homestead? ›

How To Start A Homestead – Step By Step
  • Step 1: Consider What Homesteading Involves. ...
  • Step 2: Set Goals For Yourself. ...
  • Step 3: Decide Where You Want To Live. ...
  • Step 4: Make A Budget. ...
  • Step 5: Start Small. ...
  • Step 5: Continually Simplify Your Life. ...
  • Step 6: Learn To Preserve Food. ...
  • Step 7: Make Friends With Other Homesteaders.

Where is the best place to start a homestead? ›

10 Best States For Homesteading 2023
  1. Tennessee. Rural Tennessee is already a popular location for sustainable living enthusiasts, with a fantastic harvesting season of around 9 months of the year, there are low property taxes and costs.
  2. Idaho. ...
  3. Oregon. ...
  4. Maine. ...
  5. Michigan. ...
  6. Connecticut. ...
  7. Montana. ...
  8. Alaska. ...
Feb 9, 2024

Is 1 acre enough for a homestead? ›

One acre isn't likely large enough to accomplish all of those things and be completely self-sustaining, but it is certainly large enough to be sustainable and practical. And anyone can feel good about that.

How much land do you need to run a self sufficient homestead? ›

For the average family of four, you can expect to grow a year's worth of food on three to five acres. We really do think that five acres is the sweet spot because it allows you to stack your animals and really utilize permaculture practices. One acre for gardens, perennials and fruit trees.

Why did most homesteaders fail? ›

As settlers and homesteaders moved westward to improve the land given to them through the Homestead Act, they faced a difficult and often insurmountable challenge. The land was difficult to farm, there were few building materials, and harsh weather, insects, and inexperience led to frequent setbacks.

Why did so many homesteaders fail? ›

Newcomers' failures at homesteading were common due to the harsh climate, their lack of experience, or the inability to obtain prime farming lands. In some areas “taking the cure” – declaring bankruptcy or simply abandoning the land claim – became common.

Is homesteading a healthy lifestyle? ›

Physical Health Benefits

The physical activity involved in homesteading is obvious. Tending to a garden, caring for animals and general property maintenance require a significant amount of physical labor. This kind of natural, functional fitness keeps the body active and healthy.

How do I start a homestead with no money? ›

10 steps to start homesteading, on the cheap
  1. Simplify your life. This would be the first thing to do when you want to start homesteading. ...
  2. Make homesteading friends. ...
  3. Start gardening. ...
  4. Preserve what you grow and what you gather. ...
  5. Learn to sew. ...
  6. Get starts from other people. ...
  7. Plan ahead. ...
  8. Cheap chickens.

How do homesteaders make money? ›

Below are some of our favorite ways that you can make money homesteading.
  1. Grow Mushrooms. Growing mushrooms is obviously one of our favorite choices here at GroCycle. ...
  2. Sell Fresh Fish. ...
  3. Start a Christmas Tree Farm. ...
  4. Grow Microgreens. ...
  5. Sell Baked Goods. ...
  6. Raise Bees for Honey. ...
  7. Rent Bees Out for Pollination. ...
  8. Sell Extra Bees.

What does homesteading involve? ›

Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and may also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craft work for household use or sale.

What state is easiest for off grid living? ›

The best state for off-grid living ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences, but will ideally be areas with lenient building and rainwater harvesting laws, moderate weather, and plenty of open land. Examples of good states for off-grid living include Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Oregon.

What state has the cheapest land for homesteading? ›

InMyArea.com performed a study that took a look at the median prices per acre in 2021 and found that Arizona had the cheapest median cost per acre, at $4,164. The data includes the price of land with existing homes and the cost of land designated as a homesite was also included so that you can have some comparison.

Can you live off grid for free? ›

Can you live off the grid for free? Living off the grid for free is possible by participating in work exchange programs. However, if you choose to live in an off-grid community or on your own, there will still be some expenses, albeit significantly lower than traditional living costs.

What were three requirements of the Homestead Act? ›

The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: file an application, improve the land, and file for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land.

How do I make full time income from homestead? ›

Below are some of our favorite ways that you can make money homesteading.
  1. Grow Mushrooms. Growing mushrooms is obviously one of our favorite choices here at GroCycle. ...
  2. Sell Fresh Fish. ...
  3. Start a Christmas Tree Farm. ...
  4. Grow Microgreens. ...
  5. Sell Baked Goods. ...
  6. Raise Bees for Honey. ...
  7. Rent Bees Out for Pollination. ...
  8. Sell Extra Bees.

Can a homestead make money? ›

You can always have a homestead for self-sustainable living, but if you want to generate income, there are virtually limitless possibilities. Get creative with what you want to produce and sell, focus on your interests, and start building your income streams to design the life you want.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 6176

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.