How to Prepare for Homesteading
You are ready to be more self-sufficient, but you are not sure where to start; this article on How to Prepare for Homesteading will get you moving and planning quickly. Preparation for self-sufficient living is an important part of this lifestyle change, and we are here to help.
Whenever you find homesteading tips, make a note because they can be gems that you can use to grow your skills.
There was a time when homesteading meant owning a patch of land in the middle of nowhere with dirt roads as your only path in and out. It often meant having a full-functioning farm with tractors, large pastures of corn, herds of cows, pigs, and even goats.
Before, just the word homestead brought to mind outhouses and wood floors.
I am happy to say that this is no longer true because, today, homesteading covers all levels of self-sufficiency in all areas of the world.
It can mean something as simple as growing a few vegetables in your backyard, canning food purchased at a farmers market, or having a small chicken coop with enough hens to enjoy fresh eggs daily.
What does homesteading mean today?
Today, the word has a new meaning. Essentially, homesteading is a self-sufficient lifestyle that can include growing vegetables, preserving food, raising livestock, and everything in between.
Instead of homesteading defining where you live, it defines how you live, and that makes it a lifestyle available to anyone.
Simply put, it comes down to this. Make it, grow it, or raise it so you don’t have to buy it.
Homesteading can be a way of living or just a weekend hobby, depending on how much time you want to devote and how much space you have available.
READ: How to Start a Homestead
Benefits of homesteading
Living a homestead lifestyle has many benefits, even if you don’t actually have a homestead setup.
· Saves Money – You can cut your grocery costs significantly by growing your own food.
· Purpose – There is nothing so satisfying than providing for your family in a traditional way.
· Exercise – Raising and growing food is a great way to get outside in the fresh air and move your body.
· Self-Reliant – Being more in control of your food is a great way to live independently without having to rely on the stores for everything you eat.
· Healthier – Growing and raising food allows you to be more in control of any outside influences, allowing you to be as organic as you want.
· Income Opportunities – There are so many ways you can make money on your homestead, allowing you to offset feed costs or even make a profit.
READ: Ways to Make Money on Your Homestead
SLCG Pro Tip: Did you know that there may be a homesteading exemption where you live? This can reduce the taxable value of your primary residence, lowering your property tax rate. Contact the local government office to find out more.
Homesteading Books we Love:
The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner: What to Do & When to Do It in the Garden, Orchard, Barn, Pasture & Equipment Shed
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving40 Projects for Building Your Backyard Homestead: A Hands-on, Step-by-Step Sustainable-Living Guide (Creative Homeowner) Fences, Chicken Coops, Sheds, Gardening, and More for Becoming Self-SufficientThe Encyclopedia of Country Living, 50th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual for Living off the Land & Doing It YourselfThe Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals: Choose the Best Breeds for Small-Space Farming, Produce Your Own Grass-Fed Meat, Gather Fresh … Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Cattle, & BeesThe Family Garden Plan: Grow a Year’s Worth of Sustainable and Healthy Food
Adopt a Homesteading mindset
While homesteading can require daily work, the work is satisfying when you remember your goal: to create more simplicity in your home and life.
The mindset you have when approaching it is an important part of being successful without getting burnt out.
A few things to keep in mind.
#1. You will be dealing with a variety of problems, and remembering that each struggle and setback is an opportunity to learn will keep you in the right headspace. Rather than getting angry, look for the lesson so the issue doesn’t happen again.
Always make notes in your Homesteading binder so you can create workarounds for any mess-ups.
DIY Cleaners Recipe Book.
Homestead Project Planner Bundle.Simple Living Calendar
#2. Animals can be stubborn, so you will need lots of patience when dealing with them. When you find yourself getting frustrated, stop and take a breath. Remind yourself they are only animals, and focus on leading rather than forcing them.
This was a lesson I learned early one. When you are patient with your livestock, you can better understand how they behave, allowing you to foresee issues more easily.
#3. Not all vegetables flourish in a garden and this is one of those lessons that you may deal with each year. Again, look for the struggle, research the remedy, and keep detailed notes as you work to solve issues.
#4. Be open to new ideas and approaches. Many times you will learn lessons from others that can be game changers. Talk to local farmers in your areas or even visit their setup. I have learned so many things just from visiting and seeing how they do things.
#5. Include your family with patience. I love having my grandkids help out on our small homestead. Not only do they love to work in the soil, but they also enjoy being with our animals. The lessons they learn far outweigh the “help” they give me.
How Much Time Is Needed to Have a Homestead
The answer to this question all depends on the size you plan to have. Another factor will be the time of year. So, for example, a vegetable garden will require several hours of work during planting season, but the time needed is reduced to just a few hours a week for routine maintenance. At the end of the growing season, things ramp up again as you harvest and preserve the food you grew.
If you’re considering a full farm with livestock and vegetables, you can count on it being a part-time to even a full-time job. The animals will need daily care and feeding, sometimes more than once a day. A larger garden will require more time to plant, water, fertilize, prune, get rid of insects, protect against pests, and harvest.
If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, your best option is to start small and slow, growing in size from there.
Begin with a few vegetables and herbs to see how much time it takes, then decide if you want to add more the following season. The nice thing about homesteading is that you can start small and grow as much or as little as you like from there.
What Results Can You Expect When You Start Homesteading
I know we talked quite a bit about the work involved, let’s talk now about what results you can expect.
Gardening will help you to fill your freezer and pantry with amazing food you can enjoy throughout the year and even longer depending on how much you plant.
Raising chickens will give you a daily supply of fresh eggs and meat that you can freeze or can.
Raising bees will give you pollinators for your garden as well as fresh honey to use or sell.
Raising livestock will give you milk for drinking or making dairy products such as cheese and butter. Livestock will also give you meat that you can fill your freezer with and offspring that you can sell to earn a significant income.
Homesteading will help you learn new skills in each area, such as resourcefulness and planning. As you go along, your self-confidence will grow, as well, giving you the motivation to try new things.
What You Need to Get Started
There are several things you will need to have before you begin homesteading.
#1. Space
It’s true you don’t need a large rolling farm to start a homestead, but you will need space depending on what you plan to do. Let’s look at each one quickly.
- Garden – Room on a patio for containers or space in your yard that is enough for 1-3 8×10 foot plots.
- Chickens or Ducks – Room for a coop that will hold the number of chickens you plan to raise as well as space outside for them to get out in the grass and scratch. If you raise ducks you will want room for a water source like a small kiddie pool.
- Pigs – Room for a shelter and space for them to root outside in the sun.
- Cows – Room for a barn or large shed and a large area for them to graze throughout the day.
- Bees – A small area for a hive that is away from your home.
- Goats or Sheep – Room for a shed or barn and enough space for them to graze or get outside in the fresh air.
More Container Gardening Resources:
#2. Chicken Prep
If you want to raise chickens, you will want to ensure you have room to raise them healthily. Chickens need about 10 square feet each to ensure they have enough room to flourish.
You will also need to have a coop for protection at night. You can purchase a coop or buy inexpensive chicken coop plans and build one yourself.
More Chicken Coop Resources:
#3. Garden prep
Knowing your plans for growth will help you to decide on a good location starting out.
- Do you want to grow a few vegetables in containers to feed your family for the summer?
- Do you want a big plot of land giving you enough product to sell for a profit?
If you want more, before you break ground for a backyard garden, take time for additional planning, this time thinking about how you will grow your plants.
Grow things that do well together
Some vegetables and herbs don’t grow well next to others, while some support each other and even thrive together.
Some vegetables take a lot of space, and others take very little. Knowing this when planning will help you to choose the best locations.
More Companion Planting resources:
Compost
Amending soil annually is an important part of gardening. Having your own compost is a great way to keep your soil in the best condition for growing.
If you want to have your own compost, be sure to leave room for an area near to your garden.
Sunlight
Do a little research to see if your initial garden area gets the sun needed to grow throughout the day. Set a reminder on your phone to check the sun in the morning, mid-afternoon, and finally, again in the early evening. Most plants need 8 hours of sunlight each day to grow.
Water
Gardens need to be watered every day sometimes more than once a day. Keep this in mind when choosing the location.
- Is the location you are considering near a water source?
- Can you stretch a hose to reach the garden for watering?
- If not, can you set up a rain barrel to help catch water and make this chore easier? You can purchase one or DIY a rain barrel yourself.
Soil
The quality of your soil will also determine the quality of your garden.
Is the soil constantly wet and flooded? If so, and no other locations are available, you can plant things in raised beds or in mounded rows to help keep the soil more evenly moist.
Next, do check the pH level of your soil. Make a note of what that number is in your gardening planner. This is important so you can better determine what plants will flourish where. Some plants need acidic soil, while others don’t.
Test the soil early so you have enough time to amend it before planting.
Preparing for Livestock
Goats, sheep, rabbits, or pigs are all great animals to raise on a homestead. Each one, however, each has its own requirements for housing and outdoor spaces. A good place to start deciding is to ask yourself what your end goal will be.
What Do Livestock contribute to a homestead:
- Pigs give meat or can be sold as babies.
- Goats give meat and milk or can be sold as babies.
- Sheep give meat, milk, and fleece or can be sold as babies.
- Rabbits give meat or can be sold as babies.
Do some research to see what contribution will benefit your family most. Once you decide, you can look to see what shelter you will need, along with grazing areas, food needs, and basic supportive care.
Remember, before you begin, you will need to see if there are any county or neighborhood regulations about what you can and can’t have on your property. Some areas don’t allow livestock, which may include chicken coops. However, many will allow bee hives, which may be a good alternative.
Prepare Your Homesteading Budget
Starting a homestead can be expensive if you do not have a plan going in. Before you start, talk to your spouse and family and determine your budget so you know how much you can spend.
Each part of homesteading has a startup cost ranging from small to large. Set a budget for each area and work to find the most frugal way to get started.
Ways to Save Money on Starting a Homestead
Luckily, there are things you can do to help keep costs low; here are a few of our favorites on how to make a homestead budget.
- Visit yard or garage sales for garden tools. Be sure to have a list with you so you do not double buy.
- Read Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for animal shelters, fencing, and other livestock supplies. One year, we found a 100 feet of chainlink fence for free! It was a great find. 🙂
- Ask neighbors or friends if they have any items they wish to get rid of. You might be surprised at what you can gather for little to no money.
- Look to rent large equipment rather than purchase. We did this for many years to save money. We rented a large tiller for our garden for $25, which allowed us to get all our work done in one day.
- Ask at your county extension office or local feed mill if anyone is selling the livestock you want. When you purchase from a trusted farmer, you will also have access to their knowledge. I learned more about goats from the gal I purchased my first two from than any other resource.
- Take advantage of sales. Many times you can stock up on homesteading supplies online when discounts or sales are happening. We have a dedicated page just for this that you can check out: Homesteading and Gardening Deals!
Lastly, start small and slow. Keep an easy pace until you feel comfortable with how much time and effort it takes. Remember, you can always grow, but don’t want to overwhelm yourself from the beginning.
Homesteading is a great way to become self-sufficient and be more in control of your food. Keep this guide handy so you can refer to it as you prepare for homesteading where you live. Get the whole family involved and start growing today.
