So you want to homestead? Where do you start? Well that answer can be different based on your circumstances, however, I like to say homesteading begins in the kitchen. In modern times homesteading means something different than it did 100 years ago. Really, it means something a little different than it did even 50 years ago. Today most people think of homesteading as supplying your own foods, and this is why I say homesteading begins in the kitchen.
Before you go out and set your eyes on a property you just have to buy for all the goals you have in mind, think about all the things you can make for yourself right where you are. Try this exercise. It is something I did with my kids when teaching them what it means to homestead.
Walk into your kitchen, look through your cupboards, and make a list of all the things you can, in the next 10 minutes, that you can make yourself. When you’re ready to take this a step further go ahead and pick 4 things you will stop buying this month. Now, go find out what it takes to make those 4 things and start with one item each week for the next 28 days.
Here are just four of the items I no longer buy from the grocery store.
- Bagels
- Chocolate syrup
- Granola bars
- Fruit snacks
As you begin your journey from your kitchen, start your research on what you are and are not allowed to do in the spot you currently live in.
Homesteading looks different for most modern homesteaders. Try not to compare your journey to someone else’s journey. Their goals, their family, and their lifestyle may differ from yours. What works for one is not always going to work for another. One very large factor that we need to consider these days in our journeys is zoning laws. Someone with 3 acres may live in an area with more zoning laws and regulations than someone who lives on barely an acre in another town in the same state.