Is It Possible?
Spoiler alert – yes! This blog post idea came about due to my last blog post when I announced that we are moving. Several years ago, we moved out to some acreage with the plan of creating a moderate homestead. A portion of my blog was always planned to be geared towards homesteading. Now that we are moving is homesteading still on the table? And to that I say, yes – homesteading from anywhere is possible!
What Is Homesteading?
Homesteading by definition is essentially living self-sufficiently. At its core it’s learning and performing basic skills that can serve you and your family in all sorts of fantastic ways. The good news is that homesteading can be done anywhere. While it may be nice to have acres of land for a sprawling garden or for livestock it isn’t necessary depending on the type of homesteading you aim to do.
The Homesteading Categories
Rural: Having land for gardening and livestock. Usually homesteading is done on a larger scale – most self-sufficient and self-reliant.
Suburban: Moderate gardening such as raised or table garden beds and potted plants are common. You often can still have some livestock like chickens.
Urban: Think New York apartment living. Potted plants and small gardens can be a great way to still have some self-sufficiency.
Under all the categories listed above you can still utilize homesteading skills such as preserving and canning foods, sewing, crafting, baking, cooking, etc. At the end of the day a lot of homesteading comes down to being resourceful and doing more in-home than paying others for goods and services. Homesteading is all about education and learning various life skills and the options are endless!
So Do You Have To Have Acreage For “Real” Homesteading?
As you can see above, absolutely not! Of course, if you want to be 100% self-sufficient and off the grid where you rely on no one but yourself(selves) then yes you’ll need land. If you are wanting to simply implement basic homesteading tools that save on money and create more self sufficiency then you can do that from anywhere.
“Real” homesteading is all about your definition of homesteading. There is not any real or fake homesteading, but instead just core talents and skills honed to live more self-sufficiently. Realistically, homesteading may not always look like what we often think of and see on social media – instead it can be implemented into the average every day lifestyle.
That’s what we are now looking to do. We haven’t given up on homesteading but we no longer plan to have livestock or chickens instead we will focus on areas like tabletop gardening versus acres of garden. Of course, as a homemaker, I have already begun implementing other homesteading basics into our day to day.
I do a lot of cooking and baking. We try not to buy much store bought pre-made foods like breads, muffins, or any ready made meals. I bake all of that at home and usually make ahead and freeze for future use. With gardening I do plan to learn food preserving like canning. I also do a lot of at home DIY projects. Quick and easy sewing, little home projects, and the like.
The Reality of Modern Day Homesteading
Ultimately, these days, homesteading skills aren’t normally a requirement, BUT they can be incredibly useful. From saving money to learning and passing down skills that many have lost it can be a truly beneficial way to carry and support your family.
Homesteading creates a fundamental knowledge base that can be passed down for generations to come. You don’t have to love every aspect or do it all either. That’s what’s so great about doing it in the modern era. If sewing isn’t your thing then don’t learn sewing other than perhaps the basics. For instance, knowing how to fix a simple seam or putting back on a button are great skills. If you prefer baking then spend more of your time honing those skills. It’s truly up to you and what your family’s needs are where you focus your time in the art of homesteading.
Our Future in Homesteading
While I’m a little disappointed that we are moving away from acreage and the dream of a sprawling garden and owning livestock I’m finding more and more that I’m excited for our new adventures that await. We found that we missed having neighbors, the convenience of a grocery store down the road, and just the overall connection of community that you can’t get on isolated acreage.
My husband and I found we surprised ourselves. As homebodies and relatively introverted people we were shocked to find that we missed people being around, the sound of traffic, and the busyness of the everyday world. While we haven’t missed the traffic and chaos of the more populated areas the pros of moving back to the city primarily for our kids and to be closer to family definitely outweigh the cons.
I’m excited to take on tabletop gardening and maintaining the landscape of our new home in the family friendly suburban town we’ve chosen. It combines the slower paced family focused way of life with conveniences and community. Maybe I won’t have a dairy cow, but I can still make fresh baked bread, learn the art of gardening and preserving foods, and do all the homesteading activities in between. It’s the perfect marriage of it all and I am very content and feel very blessed in that!
Looking For More Inspiration?
If you missed my last blog post, I discuss the fact that we are moving and go into more detail the how’s and why’s. If you want to catch up you can read about it here!
Speaking of homesteading, keeping a clean home is a great homestead task and comes with its own set of skills. Make it easy and download my free year long cleaning checklist which you can find on my Homepage. Simply click the button that says “Download Your Checklist” and it will be sent directly to your email.
