How to Start a Homestead
If you have been longing to be more self-sufficient at home, then this article on how to start a homestead is perfect for you right now. Get an overview of what you need to know, what to expect, and what to have so you are ready to make this next stage of your life a successful one.
Not only can you live a healthier life when you are self-sufficient, but you can have a more realistic budget. Use any of these homesteading tips to get started and live life on your own terms, no matter what age you are.
The older I get, the more I love having a homestead. Not only has it allowed us to save money, but it has also given us a way to improve our health and lifestyle by filling our home and pantry with fresh organic food and supplies.
The best part is that you can start a homestead no matter your age, where you live, or even how much time you have.
All you need is a plan, a goal, and an action list to help keep you on track.
Starting anything new can be overwhelming, but it can also be exciting, especially when you know the changes you are going to make will affect you and your family in the most positive way.
What is a homestead?
Homesteading is about creating a self-sufficient lifestyle, either in small areas or with your home and life as a whole. It can be as simple as setting up a homestead kitchen and pantry or as complicated as starting a small farming operation on an off-grid setup.
You can start with a small vegetable garden on your back patio and slowly make your way forward from there.
The main purpose is to grow and raise more of what your family needs, allowing you to be self-sufficient. It really centers around relying on your own resources rather than on the stores and their ever-rising prices.
Homesteading in midlife
Homesteading will be different depending on where you are at now and what goals you have in mind.
You can keep it small by focusing on the inside of your home. You can start by setting up a minimalist kitchen and making your own DIY cleaning supplies.
You can take it up a step and add on growing your own organic food. This can be as simple as an indoor herb garden, a few containers on your back patio, to a full garden plot with the space needed to grow a year’s worth of produce.
Finally, you may want to go all in by adding livestock to your plan. You can start out small with a few chickens with the goal of adding large animals such as a meat pig, milk cow, or dairy goats.
Homestead Guides:
- Converting an Old Shed into a New Chicken Coop
- How to Start Raising Dairy Goats
- Beginner Guide to Raising Rabbits
You will need to decide what it means to you based on how much land you have to work and the time you have available to give.
Still not sure? Start by reading a few homesteading books and see how others are doing things where they live. You may be surprised at how much you can grow and raise on a small parcel of land.
How to Start a Homestead
If you’re considering starting a homestead, here are a few things to consider.
1. What will it mean to you
• How much time will you have to work? The amount of time you have available to spend on your homestead will help you determine what parts you want to start out with. For example, gardening on the weekends will look different than working the land for a few hours each day.
• Will you use a portion of your yard or as much land as you can? The space you dedicate to your homestead’s different parts will help you to set things up more efficiently.
• Do you want to enjoy a few fruits and vegetables or grow a full crop to see you through the winter? Knowing your end goal will help you plan out your different sections.
Try this tip:
- Make a list of the foods you would like to grow.
- Decide how much of each you will need for a full year. You can get an idea of how much food to grow here.
- Start a smaller crop of your top five pics and test drive what it takes to grow for a season.
- This will help you from going too big too quickly and getting in over your head.
• Will your homesteading plans include chickens or other livestock? When considering adding livestock to your homestead, you will want to take into account housing along with grazing space.
Try this tip:
- Make a list of food you want to raise on your homestead.
- Do some research on the care involved for each on your list. This will help you determine if you have the time to tend to everyone daily.
- Look to see what housing is needed. This will help you determine if you have the room needed for each animal to thrive.
- Look to see what costs there are for food and care. This will help you determine if your budget can handle each area.
Before you can create your plan, you’ll need to figure out what it is you want to do.
Make a list, research the space, review your budget, and consider the time needed in each area. From there, you can more successfully create a homestead that you can keep up with.
2. What will you need
For starters, you’re going to need some land. How much land you have to use will be a big deciding factor in how big your homestead efforts can be.
• Do you have enough space for just a garden? A garden and some chickens? Maybe a few goats? Remember, you can always start out small and add more animals later.
• Check your accessible water source. If you have a well you rely on for your family’s water, be sure to check that there is enough to handle the load of a garden and/or livestock.
• Make sure you have plenty of sunlight for anything you plant to grow. There aren’t many crops that grow in the shade. Check your area a few times daily to know how much AM and PM sunlight you will have available.
If you have too many trees, you may need to take a few down, which can be a big deciding factor on location.
• Check the laws where you live. If you’re planning on any livestock, you’ll need to check your county ordinances to see what you’re allowed and if you need permits. If you live in a neighborhood, you may also have homeowner’s association rules to follow.
3. How much will it cost
Homesteading will save you money in the long run, but it can be an expensive startup. Knowing this going in will greatly help you plan before you start.
Decide what you want to do, then start researching how much it will cost to start it all up. Next, create a budget for yourself in each area.
You don’t want to be halfway done and realize you need more supplies only to find you’ve over budget. Plan what you will spend upfront so there are no surprises later on.
4. How involved do you want to be
Time, budget, and amount of land can all be factors in deciding how big or how small you want to start.
You can either go all-in all at once or start small and decide if it’s a good fit for you before you invest more money and time.
Think things through. Do your research and create a plan that fits your home and budget. Once you are done with these basic steps, you’ll have a clearer idea of what homesteading means to you, and you’ll know where you want to start.
Different Areas to Have on a Homestead
Once you do your planning and research, you can start to decide what areas you want to have on your homestead. Here are three great options for starting small allowing you to test things out and giving you a foundation to build on.
Herb garden
An herb garden is a great area to start with for a new homestad. Herbs are easy to grow, preserve, and sell giving you a small taste of everything that goes into self-sufficiency.
If you decide you enjoy growing herbs, you can easily create a bigger setup that you can expand into a year round project that fills your food storage area while giving you a great side business that can supplement your family income.
Growing Options:
- In the ground with a traditional bed.
- In raised beds.
- In containers or table gardens.
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Herbs grow quickly and provide you with plenty to use in your kitchen fresh or dry them out to preserve them for later use.
For the most part, herbs are foolproof. They don’t require a lot of special skills, they grow well in potting soil with some water and sunlight, and many of them put off scents that detract pests and insects, which can be a benefit when you add them to a vegetable garden.
Herbs will need to be watered daily and inspected for any issues so you can stop them before they get out of hand. Harvest is done as you need them and you can freeze or dry your herbs when you see you have excess growing.
More Herb Growing Resources:
Vegetable Garden
One of the best ways to be self-sufficient is to grow a vegetable garden.
Like herbs, many vegetables can be grown using various options allowing you to grow food in just about any setup.
Growing Options:
- Traditional backyard garden
- Gardening containers
- Raised beds
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Think about the vegetables your family eats most and research the best ways to grow them. While most grow well in the spring, summer, and fall months, some will do fine in winter, so you can continue gardening all year.
See what vegetables you can grow in the winter.
Many vegetables will grow even more after harvesting some, providing you with an ongoing bounty to enjoy.
Gardens will need to be watered daily and weeded weekly or more often. You will also need to inspect your plants routinely to watch for pests or diseases. At harvest time, a large investment will be needed to pick, dry, freeze, and can the food you grew.
Finally, in the fall, you will need to close up your garden and plant any garlic for the next year.
READ: How to Use Wood Ash on the Homestead
Raising Chickens
Chickens can be a great addition to any homestead, especially if you want to enjoy fresh eggs daily.
All you need is a small flock of 3-7 hens, and you will find they lay enough eggs for your family to enjoy. If you want to generate some income with your homestead, you can increase the number of chickens you raise and sell the excess eggs to neighbors or even local businesses.
Chickens require a section of land in order to hold a coop, an outdoor run, or even provide space for free ranging. Chickens like to wander, so you’ll need plenty of space for them to do so. Another thought is to ensure your neighbors are friendly and wouldn’t mind a hen or two wandering over to their property.
Like a garden, chickens need daily tending to ensure they are healthy and fit throughout the year. Coops will need to be cleaned; you’ll need to make fresh dust baths occasionally and daily feeding along with fresh water. You will also need to collect eggs 1-2 times a day, depending on the size of your flock.
If you don’t think you can commit to daily tending, chickens might not be right for you.
Raising Goats
Another area many folks consider adding to their homestead is goats or sheep. Goats are a great source of milk, and sheep are good for supplying wool. Both can be used in your home or sold to generate income.
Goats will require a shelter that is appropriate for the weather where you live, along with a pasture to graze in. The acreage you have for them to graze will depend on the number of goats in your herd and the breed you raise.
Goat Breed Resources:
Other Livestock to Consider
There are still other animals you may want to add to your homestead. Here is a list of the most common, be sure to do your research before adding anything new to your setup.
If you’ve been thinking of starting a homestead, I find it best to always start by researching. Consider the space you have available, the areas that interest you the most, the amount of time you will have, and your family’s needs before you begin.
Homesteading Tools
Finally, be sure to have the right tools on hand before you begin. You do not need to invest in all of these; create a tool shed of the basics to start. You can always add on more equipment as you delve deeper into your homesteading journey.
A few ideas to have are:
- Rake, hoe, shovel
- Wheelbarrow
- Wagon or utility sled
- Electric fencing
- Chicken coop
- Raised beds
- Herb planters
- Watering hose and nozzle
- Tomato cages and trellises
- Compost bin
By preparing before you begin, you will take the best approach for how to start a homestead that fits your entire family. Get back in control of your health, home, food, and more by being self-sufficient.
Not only will homesteading transform your health and home it can be a great way to supplement your income.
