You may have heard the word ‘homesteading’ and pictured a quaint farmhouse nestled in acres of farmland. But it’s much more than that. Homesteading is a pathway to self-sufficiency, and I’m here to guide you through what it really means to start this fulfilling lifestyle.
At its core, homesteading is about creating a life that is less dependent on traditional economic systems and more rooted in doing things for yourself. This could mean growing your own food, producing your own energy, or even building your own home. It’s about harnessing the skills to care for your needs and the needs of your family.
This lifestyle comes with a plethora of benefits. Not only does it encourage a healthier living environment by fostering sustainable practices, but it also instills a sense of accomplishment and connection to the natural world. However, let’s clear up one thing: starting a homestead does not require you to have a vast expanse of land or a hefty bank account. What you do need is determination, flexibility, and a willingness to learn.
Some think of homesteading as a throwback to an earlier time, but in reality, it’s a forward-thinking choice. In a world where the hustle and bustle of urban living can be overwhelming, homesteading provides an opportunity to pause and focus on what’s truly important. It’s a deliberate step toward a balanced lifestyle, where each day brings tangible results from your efforts.
As we move forward, keep in mind that a successful home-steading journey begins with a clear understanding of your own goals and a solid plan to achieve them. It’s important you take a moment to reflect on why this lifestyle appeals to you and what you aim to get out of it.
What Is A Homestead? Assessing Your Readiness
First of all, a homestead is not a farm. Although many people do farm the land on homesteads, the term historically refers to land claimed by a settler or squatter under the Homestead Act of the Dominion Lands Act. Self-sufficiency and reliance on oneself have been the default position ever since humans have been around. Before all of the modern grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and GrubHub, having a piece of land to take care of as your own that provides what you need was the default.
It was the standard for human sustainability then and it holds true today. You’re intrigued by the prospect of homesteading. Before you commit, a clear-eyed assessment of your readiness is CRUCIAL. Think of it not as talking yourself out of it but ensuring you’re setting off on the right foot. Start by evaluating your motivations. Is it the independence, the desire to connect with nature, or the drive to live sustainably that draws you? Your commitment will be tested, so deep motivation is essential to push through challenges.
Take stock of your current skills. Can you grow a tomato plant, fix a leaky faucet, or manage a budget? You won’t need to be a jack-of-all-trades from the get-go, but a baseline skill set will serve you well. Identify where your knowledge gaps lie. Maybe you’re a wizard in the garden but not so handy with a hammer. That’s fine – everyone starts somewhere. The crucial part is being honest about what you need to learn.
Lastly, be realistic about the lifestyle shift. Homesteading is hugely rewarding, but it’s also hard work. Family support and willingness to embrace a different tempo of life will ease the transition.
What Activities Are Common On Homesteads?
- Growing vegetables and crops such as fruit trees and herbs
- Raising livestock like chickens, cows, pigs, goats, and bison
- Making soaps, butter, buttermilk, ice cream, hand lotion, and candles
- Keeping bees and harvesting honey
- Land tilling and land maintenance
- Sustainable energy generation
- Hunting and fishing
- Making firewood
- Catching rainwater
- Using machinery like lawnmowers and wood chippers
How To Start A Homestead In 10 Easy Steps
1. Fundamentals of Land Selection and Acquisition
When I made the leap into homesteading, I quickly learned that choosing the right piece of land is not just about falling in love with a picturesque scene. The land is your foundation, both literally and metaphorically, so it requires a practical approach.
First, let’s talk size and type. You don’t need a vast estate to start homesteading; even a small plot can yield an impressive level of self-sufficiency. It’s about HOW you use the space. Take stock of your homesteading goals. Are animals in your plan? How much of your own food do you want to grow?
Now, imagine digging your hands into the soil. Your land’s soil health and type can mean the difference between a bountiful harvest and a disheartening season. Water access is another make-or-break resource — you’ll need a reliable source for drinking, irrigation, and possibly for livestock as well.
Then there’s the climate. Consider the year-round weather conditions and how they’ll impact your homesteading activities. Can you grow the crops you’re dreaming of in that area? Lastly, before you sign on the dotted line, acquaint yourself with local zoning laws, building codes, and necessary permits. Understanding these regulations beforehand can save you from future headaches or heartbreaks.
With your land secured and a plan starting to take shape, the next phase is crucial: designing your homestead for efficiency and growth. And that’s exactly what we’ll dive into next. Where you want to live is important. Things like weather, laws, and access to essentials all play a crucial role in what location you decide to go to. You will need to first decide on a state.
Places like Oregon, Idaho, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, and Alabama are all great places to live and homestead. The main thing to remember is that all of them have their pros and cons. Places like Ohio have snow whereas southern states like Alabama do not.
The methodology you should use depends on what you want to accomplish. First, decide what weather you would like to see. After that, decide on other things like politics, laws, and available resources you have access to. These are sometimes just as important.
2. Planning, Researching, and Preparation
Like anything, moving or undertaking a new task is often a large endeavor, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. A lot of planning goes into anything drastic you do in life and deciding on what you want to accomplish for your lifestyle is no different.
If you want to raise animals and livestock for the sake of food, it takes work to keep up with them. You will have to provide food and water. Make sure to have discussions about exactly what you want for your homestead and what you are willing to do daily.
If you’ve ever entertained the idea of homesteading, it’s crucial to move from dreaming to planning. The difference between a successful homestead and a fleeting attempt often lies in the quality of the initial plan. A well-thought-out plan sets a strong foundation, providing clear guidance through inevitable challenges and helping to allocate resources wisely.
Start by defining what success looks like for you. Is it complete self-reliance, a partial supplement to your food source, or a step towards living more sustainably? Your milestones should reflect these aims. Give yourself targets that are challenging yet achievable; remember, homesteading is a marathon, not a sprint.
Financial planning cannot be overstated. Consider the costs of land, construction, animals, equipment, and ongoing expenses. Establish a budget that’s as detailed as possible. Don’t forget to account for a buffer to manage unexpected costs, which are commonplace when cultivating a new lifestyle.
Finally, ensure your plan is flexible. As you learn and grow into your homestead, your original plan will need adjustments. Part of sustainable living is adapting to the changing environment and your evolving needs.
3. Having A Smart Financial Strategy And Designing It
Finances are important when considering everything. Having a smart financial strategy before you dive in will help you accomplish more in less time. Depending on what you do for a living, it’s important that you know exactly where you can put your resources without going bankrupt.
The act of homesteading is not expensive but taking on your own land or farm certainly will be. Make sure that you identify how much you make, how much you are willing to spend, and how much work you are willing to invest.
Creating a highly efficient homestead design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about function and ease of daily operations. When I consider the layout of a homestead, my goal is to establish a seamless flow of activities, minimize waste, and ensure that the space evolves with the homesteading needs. I think in terms of zones, with each zone designed for a specific purpose, and all components working together harmoniously.
Applying permaculture principles can make a significant difference in the sustainability of your homestead. These principles revolve around working with nature, rather than against it, to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. For example, placing your chicken coop near your garden might provide natural pest control and easy composting of chicken manure. It’s a strategic choice that connects different aspects of the homestead for mutual benefit.
Incorporating energy efficiency from the start pays dividends in the long run. I focus on passive solar designs for buildings that maximize natural heating and cooling, reducing the need for additional energy inputs. Water conservation strategies, like rainwater collection systems and drip irrigation, are vital in my designs to ensure every drop is used wisely.
Space must be planned with foresight. Multi-functional structures that serve more than one purpose can save both space and resources. I often advise building a barn that can also serve as a workshop or storing tools in a way that they’re accessible for garden work yet secure and protected from the elements. Thinking ahead, what works for a homestead today should also be adaptable for the future as your operations expand or change.
One of the final pieces of advice I share often is: always leave room for growth. The beauty of homesteading is that it is an evolving lifestyle. As you learn and develop new interests, your homestead will need to evolve too. Make sure your plan accommodates future projects such as beekeeping, aquaponics, or adding a greenhouse.
4. Growing Your Own Food: The Heart of Homesteading
The start of your homestead should also be the simplest. You should begin by growing beginner and easy-to-grow plants like basil. Start off small by purchasing inexpensive basil plants that are already in a pot and replanting them. Basil is a very easy-to-grow herb that has a complementary flavor in most Italian recipes. It goes well in sauces and stews but it is one of the easiest plants that anybody can grow.
You can also clone basil plants by propagating cuttings into water. If that is not an option, you can get seeds from your local library for free and plant them. The point of starting to grow simple crops is to find out how they grow early on and start learning the ropes.
The ability to grow your own food is central to the homesteading ethos. It’s a tangible expression of self-sufficiency and connects you directly to the land. If you’re new to gardening and raising livestock, here’s what you should consider.
START SMALL. Focus on easy-to-grow vegetables and herbs that can thrive in your climate. This early success can boost your confidence and provide useful learning experiences. Read up on companion planting to make the most of your garden space and improve yield.
RAISING LIVESTOCK requires more commitment than a vegetable garden. If you have the space and resources, start with chickens or rabbits. They are low-maintenance and provide food in the form of eggs, meat, or both. Before you begin, understand the care requirements and legal restrictions in your area.
PRESERVATION is key to ensuring food security. Learning to can, freeze, or dehydrate your produce allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor all year. Start with simple techniques and equipment, expanding your skills as your yield grows.
As you refine your food growing and preserving skills, consider how you’ll manage your homestead’s infrastructure. In the next section, we’ll look at setting up sustainable systems for water, waste management, and building essential structures.
5. Start Primary Operations On A Small Scale
This is where the rubber meets the road. This is the time when you need to hustle to get a bank loan, get things set up, and get them producing. Please don’t forget that you don’t have to move at this stage. You just need to work for resources to have it all set up by the time you do.
As soon as you get your loan, you can use the land without owning it. You should already be armed with the knowledge of the local laws, regulations, permits, and the like. Now that you have access to farmable and workable land, this is where you need to get the basics started first.
You already have plants ready to go so it’s just a matter of transport.
Drive and bring it on over. You can add small animals like chickens or goats at this stage.
Just make sure that you can keep them effectively. Get your water systems set up, get a reading on the soil, and check the local weather.
If the home is to be built, ensure that the animals live far enough away from the construction site. Goats will usually be fine on grass and water.
Make sure they can eat the grass on the property. Make sure the chickens can forage.
As you start harvesting eggs, milk, or honey, always reinvest some to increase your yield. Use some egg shells for composting or seed starting, use some goat milk for putting weight on chickens, and use honey to add its antibacterial properties to your animal’s gut microbiome.
6. Apply Some Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness is the key to starting a homestead without a whole lot of upfront costs in addition to land. If you want to start planting seeds, you can always check your local library for gardening seeds of various herbs, veggies, and flowers to get seeds for free.
In addition, gardening soil can also be created for free by using soil from your backyard or compost harvested from a composter.
Resourcefulness is based on how farming was done before modern-day technology.
In other words, you can consolidate a lot with what you already have and likely still be successful. Repurpose coffee cans as flower pots or turn a trash can into a composter.
Also, you can pick up meat rabbits, and chicks at local farm supply shops for cheap prices.
7. Keep It Simple
Look, I know it’s hard to want to resist the urge to just dive all in and want the best gear and equipment to start. The truth is that you likely don’t need it to do what you want to do.
The simpler and more basic your approach is, the easier it is to maintain long-term without losing track of what’s going on.
Keeping things simple is not the same as being resourceful. Resourcefulness describes how you can use the resources already available to you.
Keeping it simple is a different concept that can be used with or without plans. Keeping it simple means setting things up in a way that takes the smallest amount of work. An example would be using hens to hatch eggs instead of an incubator.
8. Look To Expand Your Homestead
Even if you keep things simple, you may want to eventually set a goal of expanding outwards. The main reason for expanding is to produce more resources.
For instance, you may decide to increase the number of crops you work with at a time to drive demand on other parts of your farm or homestead.
Excess numbers of basil leaves from cloned plants for instance will provide much-needed food like pesto for almost no more work. Aside from that, you can plant grass on plots to feed your animals.
9. Reuse, Repurpose, And Recycle
If the goal is sustainability, you can learn to consolidate a lot to make ends meet. There are many things that can be reused, repurposed, and recycled for later use. Excess food scraps that you do not use can be composted to provide compost for your plants or fed to worms to provide incredible fertilizers. How to make your own plant fertilizer is absolutely crucial.
Many paper products can be repurposed for seed starting. Products made of paper will decompose naturally if buried in the soil.
You may choose to use old fencing as chicken wire. You could opt to repurpose an old shed for a barn or pig pen. In other words, make the best use of what you already have and try not to create more work for yourself.
10. Decide Whether You Want To Keep It
The final step in your homesteading or farming journey is the end. In reality, the end is just the beginning of your adventure.
Now that you have personally had a taste of the sweet life outdoors, you need to decide if this is the life for you.
Will you be able to manage everything? Will you be happy? Would you consider it a waste of time or more work than it’s worth?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to hugely consider that this lifestyle change might not be for you. If you answered no to all of them, you are well on your way to having the farm of your dreams. Just make sure that you put in hard work and keep watering the seed you planted.
Building Essential Homestead Infrastructure
A functional homestead rests on its infrastructure. When I say infrastructure, I am referring to the basic systems and structures that support your daily life. This encompasses your water sources, waste management, and the buildings you depend on. If these foundations are sturdy, your homestead will run more smoothly.
Water is life, especially in homesteading. You need a reliable water source for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and irrigation. Some homesteaders rely on wells; others collect rainwater. Evaluate your options and set up systems such as catchment tanks or a well-pump system that suit your location and needs.
Waste management is a topic that doesn’t get enough attention, but it’s crucial for maintaining a healthy environment. Composting is a straightforward way to deal with organic waste. It turns kitchen scraps and yard waste into rich soil for your garden. Recycling and safe disposal of other types of waste should also be a priority to minimize your homestead’s impact on the environment.
Let’s talk about your living quarters and outbuildings. Whether it’s a home that you build or one you’re adapting, efficiency is key. Think insulation, natural lighting, and renewable energy sources. Outbuildings like barns, coops, or greenhouses need to be well-planned too. These structures should serve their purpose effectively while being cost-efficient.
Homesteading Skills: DIY and Self-reliance
The journey towards homesteading is not just about where you live; it’s about the skills you nurture. These intangible assets enable you to adapt, overcome challenges, and truly thrive as a homesteader. I’ve found that being proficient in a few key areas can make all the difference.
First, focus on the essentials: learn how to grow your vegetables, manage your livestock, and maintain your equipment. A vegetable patch, for example, requires understanding soil pH, planting seasons, and pest control. Livestock also demands knowledge of animal care, feeding routines, and health management.
Carpentry, plumbing, and electrical skills will empower you to build and repair structures as needed. Many community colleges offer introductory courses, but don’t forget the wealth of knowledge available through books and online tutorials.
Don’t be afraid to start small and gradually increase the complexity of your projects. Remember, every seasoned homesteader began as a novice. What’s crucial is your mindset: view setbacks as learning opportunities.
Resourcefulness is your most valuable tool. It’s about making the best of what you have. Before rushing to the store or calling a professional, evaluate if you have the means to solve the problem on your own. This approach not only saves money but also instills a sense of accomplishment.
Lastly, self-reliance isn’t about isolation—it’s about community. Even as you grow in your skills, remember to reach out, share, and exchange knowledge with others.
Why Should You Start Homesteading?
1. Saving Money Organically
What got me into homesteading was the appeal of not having to buy groceries. When done right, you can harvest everything you ever eat on your own property. You have to make very few trips to the store if you can achieve it.
As I look back, the initial investment is not saving you anything on a $200 grocery bill if you spent $2000 on anything else. The main thing to remember is not just the money you can save on food but rather, the ability to sustain food for long periods of time.
Most people that live on one have lower income but they also have lower bills as well. You may very well save on electricity, water, property taxes, and other bills.
2. Not Relying On Others
The ability to become reliant on yourself gives a piece of mind unlike anything else that exists.
Just knowing that whatever happens in society, you can stay home and avoid people. If there ever comes a point in time where food shortages happen, you have food and ways of making more.
If crime starts plaguing cities, you don’t have to travel to them until they clear up. Aside from medical reasons and law enforcement, there isn’t anything you would ever really need that you couldn’t get yourself.
3. Safety And Security
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of living a more self-reliant lifestyle is the heightened sense of safety and security that it provides.
For one, living in certain areas will separate you from crime and prevent you from living next to people.
For anybody who believes that separating themselves from neighbors at home is a good thing, they have a lot to look forward to.
Aside from that, you get unmatched privacy. Living away like this will usually reduce the chances of violence and sickness as a result. You very rarely will have to travel to the city to pick up food and if you do, it won’t be as often.
4. Better Physical Health
If you are really looking to get in better physical shape, homesteading might be for you.
Because there is so much physical activity in its daily upkeep, taking care of the daily chores over time can help you slim down your waistline and become a healthier weight.
Because all of the food you eat and water you drink is provided by yourself, you also eat healthier and cleaner than what’s offered at the store most of the time.
For example, you know if your veggies were grown with pesticides or not and how clean your water is. it’s just overall better for your health.
5. Better Mental Health
They say you are only as good as what your mind allows. Many who contemplate the idea of a farm or their own private land seek to disrupt the traditional 9 to 5 rat race that so many people have been accustomed to living with. Overall, this might be the perfect option for you if your goal is happiness.
For many, having their own little piece of paradise in the woods is the dream that justifies the high startup cost and overall maintenance fees.
You cannot put a price on your happiness and its been proven that people who farm are happier than those who don’t. In addition, constant interaction with animals does, even more, to create happiness in people.
6. Sustainability
Sustainability is not just about what your land can do for you. A great one will also provide you with a piece of paradise that you can hand down to your children and grandchildren.
There are farms that are many generations of years old solely because the practices on them are sustainable long-term.
Also, you can use it for resources to improve the lives of others. You can offer a lot of joy to people who need certain products that you own but cannot obtain them for whatever reason.
By sustaining your place, you can help others start a farm, provide food for a disabled family member, or even give back to your local community in the form of charitable donations.
7. Profit Margins
We have spoken about saving money. Now is the time to talk about making money. You can use your homestead to actually increase your income and make more money.
There are a near-infinite amount of things that you can do on one that others would pay you handsomely for.
You can sell cloned plants for full market price, you can sell the honey from a beehive, you can make goat milk soap and sell it online, you can breed your animals and sell them, you can sell eggs from chickens, or even raw meat and milk.
You can learn more about activities like these by visiting a related post:
- guide to beekeeping
- raising meat rabbits
- raising meat pigs
- raising meat goats
- raising milk goats
- best milk cows
This doesn’t even scratch the surface but I wanted to show you how having a self-sufficient farm or similar can actually make you money and eventually, even pay for itself.
8. Easier To Raise A Family
Plenty of families thrive on the joy of raising animals and living off the land.
Farms and a little isolation bring families closer together and can teach kids the principles of discipline, hard work, and respect. Mankind was originally always made to work the soil and consume its crops together.
Kids usually enjoy animals and small activities that many adults may find unamusing.
The correct amount of sunlight exposure and vitamin D for children when they are young also enhances their cognitive functioning as well which can ease mental problems, improve grades, and prevent bad habits.
9. Homeowner’s Exemptions
One amazing thing about owning a homestead specifically is the Homestead Exemption.
Yes, an average couple of acres of land with a family house on it is not cheap but at the same time, it’s very likely that you would pay a similar amount for a place with just a house and no land or property rights.
Right now, it may cost you $230,000 dollars to buy land and get a house put on it. Many people already have a loan from a bank for that same amount and the property value of land keeps going up.
The Homestead Exemption is a way to minimize homeowner’s property taxes. It provides a shield that protects you from creditors if you or your spouse dies or if you go bankrupt. This exemption means you will be provided with financial protection and physical shelter which stops a forced sale of the property.
10. You Can Recieve Tax Breaks
The Homestead Exemptions are tax breaks from the IRS that allow seniors with a low income to be shielded from some of the property tax value caused by inflation.
It’s great and all if you are retired or disabled but it’s not the only break you can get.
Many of these properties are actually turned into farms by the people that own them. That means a huge percentage of residents that own one can receive the Farmer’s Tax as well.
The specifics of qualifications vary from state to state but in short, those who qualify and make most of their income from the farm are eligible to receive a tax break from the IRS in the form of a 3% sale certificate.
Finding Good Land For Homesteading
There are many places that are great for establishing a self-sufficient presence and residence. Every place has its pros and cons.
The main thing to look for when wanting to find a place is the soil available. Since the entire operation is built upon plants, having land with good soil is absolutely essential.
Rocky terrain will make planting crops difficult and it’s almost impossible to feed animals and do things yourself without planting.
Every fruit tree, veggie, and animal food you give will be administered because it was grown in soil.
Oregon is typically regarded as the best state in the country to accomplish this. Look for land on real estate websites and make sure it’s where you want it to be.
When Was Homesteading Invented?
Although farming has been around forever, homesteading wasn’t a thing until 1862 when then-president Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Acts.
The law allowed families to take possession of a certain amount of land as long as they paid a small registration fee, worked the land, and lived there.
Today, similar rules still apply but finding land goes up via supply and demand for the real estate market.
Does The Goverment Offer Free Land?
You would be surprised to learn that you can get free land in certain places in America. For starters, there is the Homestead Act which allows certain people to apply for free land if it is to be worked and tilled.
Free land is getting harder and harder to come by but living in remote areas of Alaska or Montana will be appealing to many.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does it cost to start homesteading?
A. Most homesteads factor in the cost of the land, the house, property taxes, utilities, and all the equipment if you want to move.
Expect to pay anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 for the land and home as well as anything else. You can homestead where you already are. Just become more self-sufficient.
You can also augment the price of a property by cutting down trees to sell as lumber.
Q: Can you live off the grid on land without a house?
A. Technically you can but it depends. Many places will make it exponentially hard to live on purchased land with no house.
The government has gotten very choosy when it comes to issues like pollution, homelessness, and property rights.
While it’s not illegal by itself, you may not be complying with the law if it mandates that you connect to a sewer system for instance. The price associated with installing sewage or making a property compliant is cost prohibitive without a house.
Q: How much land does a homestead take?
A. Generally speaking, a single-acre homestead will work for a small family but it also limits your resources.
That is not to say that you should avoid going down that route. Cost may be a prohibiting factor.
Even so, adding a few more acres will give you more options for monetization and customization. 5-10 acres is generally the size that you will want if you want the full experience of living the country life.
Conclusion
As the demand for food and water increases, so does the value of owning a homestead. At the end of the day, this is a lifestyle that is a lot of work but you may enjoy the work more than your day job. For many, myself included, I think this way of life is perfect. This is certainly not a move to take lightly and it’s important to do your research to see what’s out there. Like anything else in life, you can harvest the fruits of your labor as long as you put in hard work and consistency.
It’s less of a material location or item and much more of a lifestyle change centered around being closer to nature. All in all, it’s certainly a way to reduce your living expenses and if you get efficient enough at it, it can increase your income. All you have to do is put forth the effort to make a start and build from there. Remember, a great fruit-producing tree doesn’t produce fruit overnight. It must be pruned and you must be patient. Once it produces fruit though, rest assured it will be worth it.
You’ve explored the rich tapestry that is homesteading, from laying down roots to nurturing your self-sufficient lifestyle. Now comes the moment of truth: starting your own journey. It’s normal to feel a mix of excitement and hesitation, but remember that every seasoned homesteader once stood precisely where you are now.
Together, we’ve covered the critical steps to launch your homesteading dream. Planning, preparing, and mastering the requisite skills sets the foundation for a lifestyle that is not only sustainable but deeply rewarding. If there’s one piece of advice to hold onto, it’s to take things STEP BY STEP. Homesteading isn’t a race; it’s a natural progression towards living in harmony with the land.
While doubts may arise, trust in the knowledge that you are part of a broader community. Reach out, ask questions, and share your journey. The support and wisdom of fellow homesteaders, both near and far, can prove invaluable as you cultivate your new way of life.
So, take that first step with confidence, whether it’s planting a small herb garden, attending a local workshop, or drafting the blueprint for your homestead. Each action brings you closer to the fulfilling life you envision. Homesteading is about growth—of your plants, your animals, and most importantly, yourself. It’s about becoming more resilient and resourceful with each passing season.
I encourage you to keep this guide handy as you move forward. Refer to it when you need a reminder of your goals or when you’re searching for the next step. Your homestead is a canvas for your creativity and hard work, and I can’t wait to see the masterpiece you’ll create.
