I Love Homesteading
Homesteading: It’s Not Just A Trend
I think that most modern homesteaders will agree that this is not just something we do, it’s what we are. This is a way of life that speaks to us and shapes who we are. Some people go to work and do their job, but it doesn’t define who they are. Other people own that job and turn it into their life’s work. They love what they do. That, my friends, is how I feel about homesteading.
This Is Who I Am
I’ve never been into fashion, cars, movie stars, or cutting edge technology. I don’t have a smart phone. I learned how to use a computer because it’s much easier than using a typewriter, then I discovered email, and the internet. It’s kind of amazing to me that I’m as tech savy as I am, because I often think I would have been better suited for the pioneer life than I am for this crazy modern life that society thinks is normal. If technological advances were up to me, we’d still be living in the non-industrial world of hand crafted goods. So it makes sense that homesteading is my calling in life.
Growing up on a small farm definitely shaped who I am and what is important to me. I much prefer watching the sun rise over the hill tops with cows lowing in the field to the concrete, steel, and noise of a city. I appreciate the work that goes into raising grains, fruits, and vegetables for the table. Cultivating healthy soil for a lifetime of harvests makes much more sense to me than spreading artificial fertilizers that encourage quick growth, then leave the soil barren of life.
Where I Want to Die
Maybe this all sounds morbid. As one who raises my own animals, then takes their lives to feed my family, I feel like I have a connection to death. It comforts me in a strange way to be this familiar with the circle of life on my homestead. It reminds me that I would rather die on the homestead than have my son cart me off to a nice home someday.
Maybe because our society is so detached from the death that must occur each time we eat meat, we’ve learned to fear death. If you don’t see it, you don’t know it. And we fear the unknown. I often hear from friends, family, and readers alike, that they could never kill an animal to eat it. In reality, I think every one of us could kill an animal if we needed to. But it’s so much easier and more comfortable not to have to think about it. I don’t blame anyone for choosing that road. It’s the road I traveled for most of my life and, yes, it was a comfy ride.
Learning to Live a New Way
But there’s one thing I can tell you folks: if this stubborn old woman can learn new tricks, then so can you! What it really takes is making up your mind that this is what you are going to do and then going out and doing it. Of course there will be many obstacles. You might have a job that requires staying in your urban or suburban home. Perhaps chickens are not allowed in your town. Maybe you don’t have any space for a garden. But there are ways of living more simply, saving your extra cash, and working toward a more self sufficient lifestyle. If we can do it, then there is hope for most anyone.
“But How?” You May Ask
This will be different for every person who reads this. You might start by ditching the toxic cleaners in your cupboard and switching to homemade, all natural cleaners that are better for your family’s health. You could grow herbs in a sunny window sill or go foraging for wild foods. Someone with the know how could even go hunting for wild game in season on public land (make sure you have the proper license and are in the right place!). Cutting back on meat and buying locally sourced, humanely raised products could be the right thing for you. Look for farmers markets or community gardens in your area. Start a canning circle with like minded friends where you get together and can fresh produce in season. Find out what makes sense for you.
Follow Your Heart
Throughout the years that my husband and I lived in the suburbs, I continued to keep a garden, plant fruit trees and bushes, and canned or froze the extras. It just felt right to me. There were a couple of years when I was working so much that the garden turned into a tangle of weeds. Those years I felt like such a failure because my heart was divided between earning extra cash and living closer to the land. Of course, you can’t live without cash in this world, but you might be able to live on a lot less cash than you realize. Only you and your family can determine what’s right for you. But if your heart tells you to plant tomatoes in pots on your patio…I’d say you should follow your heart. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Dead tomato plants? Sounds like a risk worth taking.
