How to Start A Homestead No Matter Where You Live

I get a lot of questions about homesteading from how to do it to how much land is needed. Today we are going to explore how to start a homestead no matter where you live.

My husband and I started our homestead/farm almost two years ago and while we have learned a lot through trial and error, there are still so many things to learn.

Early on into our adventure I researched everything I could. I wanted to know the ins and outs of homesteading, and while I found some useful information, I have found the best information has come from doing and failing.

As you consider starting your homesteading journey, please bare in mind that there will be times you fail. Failing is the best way to learn. The absence of failing is the absence of trying and learning.

So the very first step in homesteading if you haven’t taken it yet, is starting.

I want you to start wherever you are. Every small step you can take towards sustainability and self sufficiency is a step in the right direction.

Why We Started our Homestead

As I have gotten older, I have had this unexplainable pull towards simplicity. Not the simplicity of doing nothing, but the simplicity of self reliance.

I crave the dirt in my hands and the sunshine on my back as I spend hours in the garden aiding the growth of food that I know will carry my family through the winter months.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against the grocery store, and for now still go there once a week for things that we don’t make at home (which is still a lot). But when it comes to the things that I can do for my family, I want to invest my time there instead of in other ways.

I want to leave the planet better than I found it, and I want to teach my kids the basics of self reliance. I want my kids (boys and girls) to know how to cook, clean, sew, grow, forage, hunt, and care for and process animals. I want them to be able to find or grow food if the time ever comes where they may find themselves in a situation that they have no other choice. Or if they find themselves in a situation where they just desire to be disconnected from everything.

There is no magic guidebook that will tell you everything you need to know about homesteading, because it does not look the same for everyone. We are all in different stages of our journey towards self sufficiency and sustainability. The important part is that we start and we lean on one another for learning and support.

So let’s get started with an explanation of what homesteading is so you know what I am rambling about!

What is a Homestead

A homestead, in its simplest form, is the home and land surrounding it where the land is used in such a way to support the family living there directly. Homesteads typically consist of crops and animals that are used in large part for the sustainability of the family.

Homesteading has recently gained in popularity over the past few years with supply chain shortages causing stores to have bare shelves. In an answer to the public crisis, many landowners started growing small crops and raising small animals for consumption.

While this recent uptick in homesteading seemed to come out of nowhere, the biggest movement in homesteading was the Homestead Act of 1862.

The Homestead Act was signed in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. This act gave up to 160 acres of land to those participating with the expectation that those families would live on the land, improve it, and pay a small registration fee.

That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!

The problem was that many homesteaders didn’t make it to keep the land indefinitely due to the harsh environments that they faced on the frontier.

“to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial burdens from all shoulders and to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life”

President Abraham Lincoln speech on the Homestead Act

By the end of the act only 10 percent of the 270 million acres of land awarded was settled and claimed.

Today conditions are a little more favorable in the United States for those looking to start a homestead of their own. Which is good news for you!

What do I need to start a homestead?

Simple. All you need to start your homestead is a little bit of dirt (hey it can even be in containers) and a want to learn and be self sufficient.

A lot of times we get caught up in the “I don’t have enough land” or even worse “I have the wrong kind of land”. That my friends is ridiculous. I know, because I have said both of those things.

I put off homesteading for so long because I wasn’t in the best location. I hated how our home sat on the side of a hill and made every excuse to not start.

Now I wish I would have started years ago.

I look back and think about all the time I wasted, all of the opportunities to learn that I let slip by just because the land I had wasn’t what I thought a homestead should look like.

It. Doesn’t. Matter.

You can live in an apartment and still work towards self sustainability by growing what you can grow, leasing land if you want to raise animals, or joining a community gardening group.

Or for the love of all things, just buy local!

Sometimes our self sustainability is met through the sustainability of our local community of farmers, gardeners, and homesteaders.

If you wait for the conditions to be right, it is likely you will waste years waiting, or worst of all never start.

So step number one again on how to start a homestead is START!

How is a Homestead Different From a Farm?

Now I call my homestead a farm in the name, but we are really more of a homestead/farmstead.

A farm is land that is used for growing crops or raising animals for profit. It is typically a larger scale production than a homestead would be.

While we do sell our cattle and will eventually sell the byproducts of our animals like eggs and honey, we are so small scale that we would likely not be classified as a full fledge farm in modern terms.

Homesteads are usually smaller scale with a focus on producing for the family that lives there. Homesteads typically have a garden and some animals, but again the journey looks different for everyone.

Reasons to Start Homesteading

Man oh man, I could go on forever here explaining all the reasons I think homesteading is about the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I feel like that may be another post all together so I will just hit on the big ones.

Self Reliance

Class who remembers the great toilet paper crisis of 2020?

We struggled with more than finding toilet paper in 2020, we struggled with bare shelves across the United States, in every market.

You know who didn’t struggle putting good wholesome food on the table. The people that were prepared for this type of crisis by canning and preserving food. Or the people that could hunt and forage. I want to be those people!

At the beginning of 2020 I was not to the place where I am right now with a pantry full of canned foods that I grew and it quickly dawned on me that I needed to do better for my kids.

There have been a few defining moments in my life that have shaped who I am and what I do, and realizing that I need to do better for my kids and their future as it relates to our ability to rely on ourselves and not global supply chain was one of them.

Health and Wellness

You may be thinking “what in the world is this child talking about, health and wellness?”. I am telling you to get up from in front of the television (grab your kids hand too) and head outside. I promise you , it is the best thing for your health and wellness.

Working in a garden is great low impact exercise. The sun (wear sunscreen) is a great way to boost your energy and make you feel happy!

Studies have shown that going outside can lessen anxiety by lowering cortisol levels and give you a much needed boost of vitamin D which helps support overall health. No-one is saying run a marathon, I am just saying grow some plants!

There are really a ton of reasons to start a homestead. Like I said before I could go on for days, but these are my top two.

How do Homesteaders Make Money

While homesteads are not larger scale producers, there are still plenty of ways homesteaders can make money off of their homestead. Here are some of the most common ways homesteaders can make money.

• Sell produce or livestock at local markets
• Use byproducts like goats milk to make soaps, candles, or other home goods and sell them at local markets or Etsy!
• Sell milk, honey, eggs, or other byproducts of your critters on the farm
• Sell your knowledge of homesteading and self sustainability. You can do this through a book, blog, or workshops

There are so many ways you can take monetary advantage of the land you are homesteading, sometimes you just have to get creative! So find what you love and what you are good at and find a way to sell it!

How to Become a Homesteader

I have said it before, (at least 20 times so far) the best way and first step to becoming a homesteader is to start. Wherever you are, just start.

I recommend if this is not the lifestyle you are used to then start small.

I am the kind of person that once I set my mind to something I am all in 110%. There is no other way. I got that from my daddy.

When we purchased this land, I was ready to go full on farmer. I finally had the land that I thought we needed to get started and I didn’t want to wait any more. There was a fire in me and I didn’t want to waste another second. I was all in.

This means that I sometimes made decisions that were not right for us at that time. I created more work for us than we were ready for, and I frustrated my husband. Ya’ll I do that a lot.

It means that we weren’t always ready for the things that I threw our way.

There were times in the past year that I have said, I am over it.

So while starting is key, start at the pace that is best not just for you, but for your family, and ultimately the animals you will have to take care of.

Make a plan

Before jumping in with both feet first, take some time to slow down and talk to your family about what your ultimate goals are.

Do you want to have animals and if so what kind?

Do you want to garden and if so how big of a garden should you plant? Do you want to preserve your crops? If so, how will you do it? Will you pressure can, freeze, dehydrate? Do you need tools to do this? If so do you have the money to buy them or is there someone you can borrow them from?

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, but don’t let that discourage you. There are tons of places to get help and aid (see the resources section below!)

Build a community

One of the things that I think is absolutely critical to starting a homestead is building your community of support. There are going to be things you don’t know, but lucky for you someone does. Find those people and share your knowledge with them and allow them to share your knowledge with you.

You can do this in person (my preferred method), Facebook groups, Instagram, and homesteader conferences just to name a few.

Surround yourself with the people you want to be like and learn from them.

Starting with animals

If you are getting into cattle, I recommend doing what we did at first. We got a couple of dairy steers from a local dairy farm and bottle fed them through the winter. It was a great way for us to get started with animals.

My mistake was thinking that we could get seven more heifers before we fully ensured they had enough space to graze that was safely fenced in. This led to them busting through fencing and a lot of frustration (video below).

I thought we would get to fencing before they needed the space and guess what… life got in the way and we didn’t.

So to avoid frustration, ensure fencing and housing is up for your animals BEFORE you get them.

Starting your garden

If I am being honest, the garden is my favorite part of our homestead. Yeah the animals are cute and all, but there is nothing more soul soothing than working in a garden early in the morning as the mist of night is lifting and the sound of birds fill the air.

There is also nothing more rewarding than knowing that my hands and God’s worked together to put food on my family’s table.

When starting your garden, you need to first understand your level of commitment and the style of garden you plan to have. Click to read more about planning your garden

My number one tip is don’t plant anything you don’t want to eat unless you have a plan to give it away. Also start smaller and grow overtime. There is nothing more frustrating than feeling overwhelmed with something that is supposed to bring peace and happiness.

Remember to plant a little for you, a little for the bugs, and a little for the wildlife.

What Skills Should a Homesteader Have

Overall if you are looking to gain the skills of a fully sustainable homesteader you should focus your learning in a few key skills. You don’t have to have all of these skills to be a homesteader, heck you don’t have to have any of these skills, but if you are looking to be self reliant these are the best skills to have.

• Ability to care for animals (or a means to)
• Hunting and Foraging
• Gardening and Food Preservation
• Basic Field Dressing and Butchery Skills
• Sewing
• Herbal and Natural Remedies

These are just a few suggestions on becoming more self sufficient and sustainable. But any skill you have that keeps you from having to spend you money at a big box store is a skill you want to have.

Resources for Homesteaders

We talked about it before, but your community is your best resource. They will be there to support and guide you when the going gets tough. I am blessed enough to have a great community that consists of my family, local farmers, and strong connections on Facebook and Instagram.

There are also so many local groups to join. I am a member of Virginia Forage and Grassland Council that teaches new farmers in Virginia how to support the environment and cattle through rotational grazing and foraging best practices. If you are not a resident of Virginia, no worries! Join the American Forage and Grassland Council!

Homesteaders of America also put on what I hear is a great event. It is on my bucket list to attend!

There are also a ton of opportunities for grants and loans for rural development and beginner farmers and homesteaders out there through the USDA.

How to Start a Homestead No Matter Where You Live

Like I said before, it doesn’t matter where you live or how you were raised, what matters is that you have a passion to learn something new and that you just start somewhere.

Starting is always the hardest part, but once you do, you will be so thankful you did.

Start building your community with us! You can reach out with your homesteading questions to us in the comments below or through Facebook or Instagram. We may not always have the answer, but we will be there to help guide and support you the best that we can.

Happy homesteading!

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