Homesteading is a way of life unlike any other.
Its about waking up everyday knowing that you will be able to provide the things your family needs regardless of the circumstances.
Homesteading has never been as important as it is right now!
If you are interested in the many reasons why we homestead click here
Let’s dive right in so you can create the ultimate homestead as a beginner!
Homesteading is a lot of hard work especially when you are just starting out .
The beautiful homesteads you see on pinterest did not get that way overnight.
All of those things took time, experience and a lot of missteps.
Everything you need to create the ultimate homestead as a beginner starts with YOU
SO, the first thing you are going to need is a dream!
Create a list of the animals and features you would like on your homestead.
Once you have a goal in mind you can start to work your way towards it.
If you have property already, start researching and mapping out what will go where.
For those looking for land, this will give you a good idea of what size, amount of sunlight, climate, state etc. would be ideal.
For those in apartments and homes with small backyards.
I promise all is not lost.
Right now, I have chickens, ducks,dogs, cats, rabbits and a large garden on about 2 acres of land with a ton of room to spare.
I am confident that I could fit all of those animals in an acre or less.
You would be amazed with how much you can accomplish in a small area.
Did you know you can homestead without having any land?
What do you mean we can create the ultimate homestead as a beginner with no land?
Are you crazy?
Think about it like this
Most of us are going to have to make compromises. That is just an unfortunate fact.
The trick is to focus on what you can do instead of all of the things that you can’t.
The most important thing you can do as a beginner is learn. No one is an expert overnight.
- Cook from scratch
- Can/preserve your own foods
- Sew
- Learn home improvement skills (plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, fencing etc.)
- Find a homesteading community
- Grow herbs on your window seal
- Hunt
- Fish
- Learn to drive a tractor
- Research
Another great option is
Gardening
The best advice I can give you when it comes to gardening is JUST START!
Yes, I am talking to you, yes you, the one with the black thumb.
YOU CAN DO IT!
Start small and make it semi permanent.
You may discover there is a better location or method later on anyway.
I personally use disposable plastic cups to start my seeds.
If you are not able to keep plants inside your home or yard, reach out to local gardeners. Community gardens are a great place to learn.
If space outside is a concern consider an indoor
Orchard
A lot of people keep plants and fake trees in their homes already.
Something as simple as switching them out will make a big difference.
Unfortunately, the best time to plant a fruit tree was 10 years ago.
Since most of us do not have the ability to travel through time, I recommend getting started as soon as possible.
You can keep young fruit trees in your house or apartment for a couple of years before they need to be moved outdoors.
You can also research smaller varieties that you can keep indoors year round.
This does not have to be expensive.
Start from seeds!
I have grown an avocado tree from seed on my window seal using an avocado I purchased from a chain grocery store.
Anything is possible when you put your mind to it.
Now, for one my favorite reasons to homestead
Animals
Start small with one or two new types of animals at a time
Be mindful
Really take the time to analyze whether the animals you are considering line up with your homestead plan.
I know that once you are face to face with a new animal it is going to be almost impossible to say no.
Especially if you have the room.
If you are not careful you will have a hodgepodge of different animals with no real plan struggling to make room and time for all the things you wanted to do originally.
While having a petting zoo is tons of fun, the goal here is sustainability.
With that in mind just know that most people, including myself, end up with a surprise group of animals or two
For me this animal was rabbits.
They are a wonderful addition to many homesteads, however, at this point in time they are not on our menu.
I do not have the time to breed/sell them to others at the moment and I also have other means of fertilizer for my garden.
Yet two very sweet rabbits have been added
When you are first getting started a solid infrastructure is going to be a big concern.
Remember, we are trying to create the ultimate homestead
Which means we need to start out on the right foot
More often than not, items purchased at big box stores for a particular animal (rabbit hutches, chicken coops, etc) are not going to be large enough.
You may be better off building something from scratch or modifying a chain link dog kennel or old shed.
Purchasing from a private party is also a great option.
If you are going to build or modify something
Gather the materials you need (quality fencing is a must) and get started as soon as you can.
The animals wont care if it is pretty or perfect it just has to keep them safe from predators and out of the weather
Fun fact! Chickens will jump/fly if their wings are not clipped, ducks are messy and rabbits dig.
Make sure to consider any future plans and the animals natural behaviors when you are designing its new home.
For beginners, I recommend starting with smaller animals. They are easier to contain and cost less to feed.
Such as
Chickens
- Eggs
- Compost
- Bug control
Ducks
- Eggs
- Fertilizer can be placed directly on plants
- Bug control
Rabbits
- Grow Fast
- Quiet
- Not many cities prohibit them
- Fertilizer can be placed directly on plants
When in doubt create a larger area for them than you think you need.
Not only will this give you room to expand but they will love the extra space.
I know it is not always possible
But for or me personally, I want all of my animals to have enough room to run.
Yes even the ones used for meat!
Now, before you start breeding make sure you have a plan in place and do your research.
All of the cute little baby animals you have are eventually going to grow up and they will need to go somewhere.
If not properly managed animals such as rabbits will become out of control rather quickly.
Meat animals
Producing your own meat isn’t for everyone and that is okay
For your first time or two I recommend that you purchase animals for meat rather than breeding them yourself.
Make sure this is going to be something you want to do long term before investing in a high quality breeding pair.
Creating a long lasting breeding system that produces high quality animals that you will be able to eat/sell takes some time and experience.
Don’t rush it, you will get there.
Learn how to care for the animals and design an escape proof area before having to worry about a breeding program.
Unfortunately, one of the costs of keeping animals is
Loss
One of the things I was not prepared for is the amount of loss that occurs on a homestead.
As a homesteader you prepare yourself for processing meat animals but losing a pet or baby animal unexpectedly is tough.
It happens more often than many people realize.
In just over a year we lost 6 animals, yet somehow we were one of the lucky ones.
We lost couple from natural causes, a couple from predators and a couple from freak accidents.
When bad things happen just remember, you are not alone.
When it comes to homesteading, it is normal to struggle and feel like you will never get it right.
It will get easier, I promise!
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