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Benefits of Homesteading

If you are looking for ways to be self-sufficient and fight the rat race, then homesteading is for you. Not only will it help you be more healthy and independent, but it can also make your family more connected to each other.

Source: psu.edu

Benefits of Homesteading

Living on a homestead is a great way to be self-sufficient. Not only does it make you healthier, but it also reduces your dependence on fossil fuels and helps the planet.

Getting started is easier than ever before. Just start small, and you’ll be on your way to a more sustainable lifestyle in no time!

Growing up, I spent almost every summer working with my grandparents on their farm. Most of this was fun to me as a child. We were either planting or harvesting. Even shelling the peas — which took hours to do — was fun, simply because it provided time to sit on the front porch and talk with my grandparents.

As I got older, my grandmother passed away and the farm was no more. I honestly never thought farming would be something that I would get to do anymore.

But that changed in the last two years. My husband and I became empty nesters. I had big dreams of traveling, but with the rising cost of living and gas prices, my dreams dwindled fast. Instead, we decided to sell our house and almost everything we owned and move out to the family property.

Suddenly, the things I learned growing up on the farm began benefiting our family. My husband learned the same skills from his parents and grandparents and we began to put them to use. My wonderful husband, the dedicated planner, worked with me—the dreamer—to plant our first crop, and we soon discovered that everything you plant doesn’t grow just the way you would like. Though disappointed at first, I began to realize that homesteading is a learning experience that teaches new lessons every day.

But planting and harvesting a crop wasn’t the only thing I wanted to learn. I wanted chickens! My husband slowly came around to the idea, and before you knew it, we had 15.

With a lot of blood, sweat, and tears my husband built a chicken coop, and we began patiently waiting for the first egg to be laid. After what seemed like forever, one came, and when it did, you would have thought we won the lottery!

Today, I think we did. The cost of food is constantly rising and the price of eggs seems to be completely out of control. In the beginning, homesteading seemed like such a crazy leap of faith, but now it’s turning into the greatest blessing.

For starters, the joy of being outside has allowed for a more simple, slow-paced life. From the first rooster crow and beautiful sunrise to the sky filled with colors unimaginable at sunset, I have more time to relax and enjoy all the many blessings of God’s beautiful handiwork. 

My homesteading adventure has also provided time to learn how important it is to be more self-sufficient. I now have peace of mind knowing that I am able to do just that. 

We have eleven little ladies who are graciously producing four to six eggs per day, so collecting those and sharing them is another great joy. It has also been a great way of saving money. Those little nuggets of gold provide a great source of nutrition for us, my children, and my grandchild. 

I honestly don’t see things changing much as far as the cost of food. Like the farmer from Foley, AL recently interviewed by 1819 News, I tend to agree that the constant increase in egg prices is unwarranted and that some are piggybacking on the increase in our local grocery stores. For that reason, I recommend beginning your own little farm. We started homesteading to better our family, and the ever-rising costs are making that decision pay off.  It’s one small way we can stop being so dependent on the government.

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email ashley.carter@1819news.com.

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Source: 1819news.com

Homesteading is a movement that aims to return people back to the land and simplify their lives. It involves a reevaluation of what is important in life and the elimination of social responsibilities.

There are many benefits to homesteading and it is a great way to live more simply and be more self-sufficient. But it is not without its challenges.

BOUNDARY COUNTY — The trend of returning to the homestead and a simpler time is now romanticized, but what steps need to be taken to live this natural lifestyle? Local homesteader Kody Hanner might have some answers.

Hanner is a homesteader and educator in Boundary County. She started a blog, Homemade Revelation, originally to vent and process her husband’s health and from there she has become a resource for moving back to the homestead.

“The Homestead Education is here to help you and your kids grow your own food with homestead education,” Hanner said on her website.

Hanner grew up on a cattle ranch and has gone from homeschool mom, to homesteader, now homestead educator. She has experience in 4-H and education in agriculture, but it wasn’t until she moved with her family to Boundary County four years ago that she dove into the world of homesteading.

When the Hanners first moved to the farm, they filled the stalls with animals and wanted to do everything, produce livestock, grow produce, the works, she said.

One of the earliest challenges the Hanners faced was maintaining infrastructure, which constantly needed to be repaired, since the property hadn’t been farmed in five years.

When transferring to living on a homestead, she said there can be pressure to get everything done at once or to gain all these skills at once. In her blog, Hanner said a big lesson to learn that the best way is to add — and master — one thing at a time.

“Everyone thinks they are gonna be a cattle rancher, but it is OK to start small,” she said.

For some that could mean starting with raising only one type of animal and developing the skills and habits necessary to care for other livestock, she said.

For the Hanners, a daily habit they have formed is morning chores. The boys wake up and do animal chores, the girls get the babies up and Kody starts making bread for sandwiches at lunchtime.

“If you don’t like the animal, or maybe you’re not a chicken person, you don’t have to stick with it,” she said.

“The big thing is to learn what you’re good at, adapt and find ways to make profit off your skills,” she said.

For many people, the homestead doesn’t bring in added revenue, rather it covers other costs. Hanner said that their hogs pay for much of the other homesteading costs and the food that they grow, keeps them out of the grocery store.

She said some homesteaders have made money through YouTube and other videos, but that’s not what she’s skilled in, rather her skill is educating.

One way she has turned her homestead and skills to profit is by writing homeschool education that teaches the ins and out of homesteading, covering the science to the economics behind running your own homestead.

“Another key is monetizing trade wherever you can. For some that may be taking eggs off the monthly grocery list by keeping your own chickens,” Hanner said.

What first started out as a blog to release stress has turned into a blooming business, The Homestead Education. In addition to her homesteading curriculum, Hanner manages a blog and podcast focused on helping new homesteaders set goals and interviews experts in the agriculture field.

As Hanner says, in homesteading and life, the main thing is to “keep growing.”

Information: HomesteadEducation.com

Source: bonnersferryherald.com