Cris
How to Start Homesteading Right Now
Are you passionate about knowing where your food comes from? Do you dream of going to the countryside and living off the land? Are you unsure of where to start? Well, this post is designed to help you out by guiding you on how to start your homestead right now.
I first started simply by planting a garden in a tiny little yard. This is not the dream of full homesteading, but I got some really fresh veggies. Unfortunately, the weather turned, and the tomatoes didn’t all get ripe. That’s when the dream of an awesome greenhouse came from.
The next practice was in a larger yard, with easy raised beds made from pallets. Here there was space for chickens and ducks too. Fresh eggs are so great and healthier than store bought.
No matter how much space you have, or where you live, there are definitely things you can do starting now to get those homesteading skills honed down. You can grow tons of vegetables easily in containers in your own kitchen even.
Where to Begin to Start your Homestead
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Take a look at your typical groceries that you buy each week. Can you cut that bill by producing your own home-grown organic vegetables? I bet you can. It’s really easy and can be cheap to start up too. As an added plus, you get to control what you grow and what goes onto them to make them fully organic if you want to.
Next, look at the space you have available. Do you have a patio, a yard, ten acres or just a kitchen or bathroom window? Even in small spaces you can grow enough to offset your grocery budget with a nice little table top garden.
For apartment patios or rental homes where, traditional gardens are not permitted, there are always container gardens. Great vegetables such as any squash or cucumber, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans, and leafy greens all do well in containers.
Be Patient, These Things Take Time
Plants need time to grow, you have to take care of them and nurture them. Soon you will be reaping the rewards of your effort. While you wait, you can work on some instant gratification by trying out micro-greens. I love micro-greens, especially radish as they add just the right amount of extra flavor to sandwiches and salads.
Perhaps you are in an area where you can have a backyard flock. The big question here is chickens or ducks. I adore my Khaki Campbell ducks. They are one of the best egg laying ducks out there, and they are friendlier than other breeds. I also prefer the duck eggs over chicken eggs, and the ducks don’t make as much noise as chickens do. Again, patience is required here too, they won’t give you eggs until about 7 months old.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained is what I say. You never know how well it will turn out until you try. There will be some trial and error with container gardens and with chickens and ducks (that darned raccoon!). As long as you gave it a shot and got at least one tomato or zucchini then it wasn’t a failure. You learned what to do better next time.
Even if you are starting with a large piece of land with a huge garden ready to plant, you will still be waiting for your harvest. Then with a bigger harvest, you have to think about food preservation. This means usually canning, so to get started homesteading you should begin to think about that too.
Beyond Food, The Rest of the Homestead
Planning how to start your homestead right now is more than just growing and planning dinners. If your plan is to eventually move to the country, there are a ton of skills you will need beyond growing and preserving food. Can you fix that leaky toilet? What if your roof needs repair? Can you build a chicken coop?
The best place to start is with the dream. Then comes the research, which is why you are here. I know because I’ve been there too. Changing your way of life is not going to happen overnight. It takes time and planning.
Have you thought about how much land you will need and where it should be? I know where I think is the best, see this list here. Take a deep breath, if your just at the research stage, get a nice cold drink and relax. It’s going be a while with a lot of reading and thinking to get you on your way. We are here to help with tips and tricks to show you how to start your homestead right now, and keep it going in the future.