So You Want To Start Homesteading 

If you have experienced the shortages that we as a nation have faced in the last three years, then you may have also put some thought into different ways you and your family could be a little more self-sufficient. I know that when 2020 rolled around and things got more difficult to find in stores it really made me stop and think about how reliant we were on others for our basic needs like food (and toilet paper hah). 

I started talking with my husband about growing a garden. That seems to be everyone’s first goal when it comes to homesteading because gardening can be achieved even in the smallest of yards. Growing a garden is by far one of the most sustainable practices you can do! There are tons of things you can grow that will have a harvest on your table in no time at all with just a little dedication on your end. Get your kids involved! You’ll be amazed at how excited they become to watch something they’ve planted grow into something they can harvest and eat (this is great for picky eaters too?)

But what if you have bigger goals? Maybe you love the thought of having a few chickens in your backyard to have fresh eggs in the morning?

Don’t get me wrong, chickens are a great addition to anyone’s homestead but they should come with some warning labels like:

will make noise (hens can be just as boisterous as roosters y’all), will poop on everything, and need constant protection from predators.

While chickens are a great option for beginner homesteaders, they will require a very safe enclosure because all predators love chicken and will find a way into a weak infrastructure every time. Even among the cons of owning chickens, they are still a popular choice for many people because they’re dual purpose and, let’s face it, chickens are pretty cool. So if you don’t mind a little mess and need a good garbage disposal, chickens will be a top contender for your homestead!

When my family and I first started our homesteading journey in late 2019, we were living in town with no land but I had the homesteading itch, so when I saw a local friend raising rabbits I became intrigued. When I reached out to her about her operation it only took us a few weeks before we bought our first rabbit from her! 

You may be thinking to yourself right about now “How on Earth are rabbits good homestead animals?”, so let me share just a few examples that helped us decide..

•Domesticated rabbit meat has fewer calories than chicken and has less cholesterol than any other commonly consumed meats, like beef, pork, and chicken. For those looking for high vitamin content, rabbit is an excellent choice.

•They’re easy to care for, have few needs beyond food, water, clean cages, and a little companionship. Rabbits are easy to breed and make hardly any noise, so they’re perfect for an urban homesteader.

•Rabbits also have a short gestation period, between 25 and 28 days, which means they can have several litters of babies each year.

•Rabbit manure is organic matter and improves poor soil structure, drainage and moisture retention. It improves the life cycle of microorganisms in the soil. Worms love rabbit manure. It is not as smelly as other manures and is easy to handle. (GROW THAT GARDEN!)

With all that said, rabbits will always be my first suggestion to anyone just starting out when they’re looking to add an animal to their homestead and that’s because they are simply so enjoyable to raise. Of course, like with any animal, rabbits take dedication and research, but if homesteading is something you are really considering then I encourage you to sit down and think about what your family’s long term goal is and go from there.

Get Connected 

For anyone who is brand new to the idea of homesteading, I encourage you to start a small garden this spring. There are some great local opportunities to get outside and get your hands dirty while learning to grow your own food. If you haven’t already, head over to check out The Giving Field in Beaumont or Mid County Victory Garden. Both are nonprofits, who are run by some incredible people, and they both offer volunteer opportunities for the community!

If you’re a city dweller like us, get to know your local farmers! If there’s something you can’t grow or raise on your own, then get out and support the farmers at your local market. We have several markets each month in the 409!

Start Small

Learn to cook from scratch. Cooking may seem like such a small task to some but to others cooking doesn’t come easy, and cooking meals from scratch has become foreign to most people with the convenience of boxed meals. Learning to cook from scratch is one of the best things you can do for your family. By knowing exactly what is going into your meals you can ensure you are only eating the best ingredients.

Books will be your best friend when it comes to starting your homestead as well. Some of my personal favorites are:

– The Backyard Homestead: Produce All the Food You Need on Just a Quarter Acre! by Carleen Madigan

– The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables by Jessica Sowards

– Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

– Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail R. Gehring

– Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry & Lauren Devine

YouTube has also been super helpful in our journey! One of the authors I listed above is actually one of the first homesteaders I discovered when we started our homestead. She had yet to release her first book and her family was still living on their small farm in Arkansas but I found her so inspiring & knowledgeable. One of the first videos I watched she quoted something that I have carried with me for over two years now: “turn your waiting room into your classroom”. I have to remind myself of this anytime I get discouraged or start to doubt myself, so I hope this simple quote can inspire you a little today. If you aren’t in the position to up and leave the city to start your farming dreams, or if you don’t have the space to take on a milk cow just yet, remember that homesteading starts at home & home is where you make it.

Read the books, start that garden, learn to preserve your own food & grow as you go!