Starting your homesteading journey may feel a little overwhelming with all the hard work and new skills to learn. A great first step is to just get started. Homesteading for beginners can often mean starting where you are with what you already have.
Homesteading for Beginners: Start Your Homestead Now
What is exactly is homesteading anyways? Homesteading is a lifestyle change and can encompass many different things. Homesteading is basically a commitment made to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
Consider What Choosing to Homestead Means
Without sugar coating the subject of homesteading for beginners, I’ll get right to it. Choosing this homestead lifestyle, of being committed to self-sufficient living, means a lot of time and hard work. Especially in the beginning, as there are so many new skills to learn. Learning new skills takes time.
This homesteading lifestyle also takes work. A lot of hard work will go into building infrastructure the first year like fencing, garden beds, or maybe a chicken coop. Homesteading for beginners also means making a commitment to the daily chores that come along with this homesteading lifestyle.
Urban Homesteading for Beginners Means Starting Where You Are
Start homesteading now. Like right where you are. Don’t let the lack of acreage keep you from this homesteading lifestyle. Urban homesteading can be done wherever you are.
Ways to Start Homesteading for Beginners With No Land
Please don’t let your lack land land hold you back. There are plenty of homesteading skills you can learn now to start growing. You can start researching what homesteading skills to learn by reading homestead books. My favorite book, full of practical advice, is The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery.
Homesteading for Beginners in the Kitchen
Lots of homesteading starts in the kitchen and luckily, just about everyone has a kitchen. Homesteading means becoming more hands-on with your food. Lets head into the kitchen, shall we?
Learn to Cook From Scratch
Plan your meals ahead of time and cook from scratch using fresh, whole ingredients. Cooking from scratch is an important part of self-sufficiency. It also allows you to have control over what is going into your food, giving you healthier, more nutritious meals.
Learn Food Preservation by Dehydrating and Canning
Food preservation is an important skill for the beginner homesteader. You can learn water bath canning to make jams and pickles. Or learn to pressure can something as simple as green beans. This allows you to enjoy the flavors of summer all year round.
Dehydrating foods is also a simple, easy way to preserve foods. Dehydrators are pretty inexpensive and easy to find. You can get started preserving food now, even if it means you have to buy it from the grocery store, the farmers markets, or a local csa.
Learn the Art of Fermentation
Fermentation is a food preservation technique that is a fun new skill to learn. You can make your own sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles. Fermented foods are not only tasty but are so good for you since they are packed with probiotics. My favorite fermentation is my Fermented Apple Hot Sauce
Find and Master a Great Bread Recipe
Nothing says simple life and homesteader like freshly baked bread. Don’t be intimated by baking bread. It really is easy and inexpensive. My favorite recipe for beginners is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Brew Your Own Drinks
Put your kitchen to work and start learning about home brewing. You can try making your own beer, kombucha, mead, or water kefir right in your kitchen. Kombucha has to be my favorite. Its a flavorful, fizzy drink, made with a scoby, that is full of probiotics. Come brew Kombucha with me.
Learn New Skills Like Cheese and Yogurt Making
The cool thing is, you don’t have to own your own dairy animal to do it. You can make yogurt and cheese from regular store bought milk, organic milk, raw milk, or even goats milk.
Learn to Make Homemade Soap
Making personal care products is a fun skill for beginner homesteaders to learn. You can really get creative with the scents and colors of homemade soaps. There are different methods of soap making to learn so be sure to check out this article to learn the basics of each method.
Learn to make DIY Cleaners
Have a healthier home by making your own cleaning products using simple ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils. My favorite homemade house hold cleaner is made by fermenting orange peels for 2-3 weeks in vinegar. After you let the ferment sit, strain the solids, dilute it with water, and put it into a spray bottle.
Make Compost for a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle
Start composting kitchen scraps to create nutrient rich compost for your garden. This reduces waste and provides a sustainable way to dispose of organic matter, while creating awesome compost for that small vegetable garden that you’ll be starting.
Homesteading for Beginners Means Growing Your Own Food
Growing your own food will give you peace of mind. It is possible for anyone, even in an urban setting. Gardening can happen even in the smallest places, like a sunny balcony, in containers. Vertical grow towers are a great option as well. You could even grow microgreens indoors on a small shelf with a good grow light.
If you don’t want to grow indoors, on a balcony, and don’t have space outside for a small vegetable garden perhaps you can find a community garden to participate in.
Get to Know Your Growing Season
Knowing your growing season is vital in knowing what to plant when in your area. It will tell you your average first and last frost dates so you can plan your seasonal garden. Talk to other gardeners in your area to see what they are growing and when.
How Will You Grow Your Own Food?
When it comes to growing your own food there are so many different things to consider. Don’t get too hung up. Growing your own food is as simple as creating a couple of inground rows with your existing soil for a small vegetable garden.
Now don’t get me wrong, you can absolutely go all out and create a perennial food forest or large garden to grow your own food. It really all depends on your budget, space, and time. When it comes to homesteading for beginners, I say to just keep it simple and find what works best for you and your situation.
Decide What You Will Grow in Your Garden Beds
A great way to start growing your own food is to take note of what your family will actually eat. Find an easy crop, like green beans, to get started with. I always recommend green beans because they are relatively disease and pest free.
They are also easy to grow and produce an abundant crop quickly, which will keep you encouraged in your homesteading journey. You may even consider adding fruit trees, which are pretty low maintenance once established and are great for food production.
Plant Flowers in Your Garden Beds
Not only are flowers beautiful, they are beneficial as well. Depending on what you grow, flowers can be used to make your own salves or tinctures. They are also beneficial in bringing in pollinators. Grow things like calendula, clary sage, echinacea, valerian, yarrow, and chamomile.
Save Seeds For A More Sustainable Garden
Learning to save seeds is a great way to have the ability to grow lots of food. Be sure to save seeds from open pollinated or heirloom seeds, as opposed to hybrid varieties.
Learn to Make Tinctures
Don’t be afraid to make your own tinctures. You can start building your own home apothecary now. A tincture, simply put is infusing alcohol with medicinal plants to make herbal remedies or extracts. Tinctures are simple to make. You can learn more here.
Learn to Sew and Mend Clothes
The old saying that came out of the Great Depression, “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without” is the perfect description of how homesteaders make do. Learning how to sew and mend your own clothes is a great example of using it up and wearing it out. Find a local sewing class for beginners and learn your way around a sewing machine.
Learn to Basic Construction Skills and Learn to Use Tools
A life of self-sufficiency means learning how to do it yourself as much as possible. Learning basic construction skills and how to use tools will take your self sufficiency to a new level. You can often find classes at your local Home Depot for various do it yourself projects.
Shop at the Farmer’s Markets
While your new homestead may be small and not producing a ton of food yet, you can support local small farms by shopping at the local farmers markets. This is also a great place to meet fellow homesteaders and farmers in your community.
DIY As Much As Possible
While you may not know how to do it now, with a little bit of research and planning you can learn. Homesteading for beginners often means trying new projects and learning as you go. Doing things yourself as much as possible is a great teacher.
Go Solar on Your Homestead
These days there are so many options for going solar. From solar dehydrators, solar powered radios to full on off grid homesteads with large solar panels. There are tons of weekend solar projects that any homesteader, new or seasoned can tackle.
Collect Rainwater on the Homestead
Collecting rainwater is a great way to use natural resources. Rainwater collection can be done on any scale, large or small.
Beekeeping for the New Homesteader
Beekeeping is one of the homesteading skills that really requires a mentor. Start by searching for local bee keeping associations in your area. These folks love to talk bees and are often willing to take you under their wing teaching all the basics of bee keeping.
There are also a ton of beekeeping books and websites so you can do your bee keeping homework before making the commitment. Check out this bee keeping website, https://beebuilt.com/pages/beekeeping-for-beginners
Homesteading for Beginners Means Learning Animal Husbandry
Raising farm animals is at the heart of homesteading. Having all your infrastructure, like fencing and chicken coops in place and ready to go before you get any animals is important. The stress of improperly kept animals is unnecessary. Start with one new animal at a time.
Once you have gotten into routine with that animal, then you can think of moving on to another. There are several animals that are good for the beginner homesteader or small farm.
- Chickens- The gateway farm animal. Easy keepers, either in a coop or free range. Raise backyard chickens for meat and fresh eggs.
- Rabbits- Can be kept in a small amount of space, inside or outside, in a cage or mobile rabbit tractor. Raise them for meat and manure for the garden.
- Sheep- Hair sheep, like Katahdins, are extremely easy to keep (easier than goats). Sheep do require good fencing. You can raise them for meat and milk.
- Quail- Excellent choice if you only have a small space. Can be raised for meat and eggs.
Animals That Require More Space or Experience
- Pigs- Great addition to the homestead but harder to keep. You must have a secure pig pen. Raise them for meat and lard.
- Goats- A little harder to keep than sheep with all their antics but useful on the homestead. Raise them for meat and milk.
- Ducks- A great addition for more eggs and meat but require more space than chickens. They also require a pond or kiddie pool and are messy.
- Turkeys- Another wonderful source of poultry and eggs but require more space than chickens. Toms can be big and bossy.
- Bees- There’s a lot to learn when it comes to bee keeping but a fantastic addition to the homestead when you are ready.
- Cows- Relatively easy keepers but require a large space and large animal handling skills. Raise them for beef or a family cow milk.
Homesteading for Beginners: Nuts and Bolts
Not only are there new skills to learn as a beginner homesteader but also several concepts or mindsets that are worth a mention. Successful homesteaders save, reuse, plan ahead, and are always learning. You can do the same on your own homestead.
Decide Where You Want to Live
If you are in search of a new homestead, deciding where to live is important. You’ll want to carefully look at zoning laws in the area you are looking into to be sure there aren’t restrictions on what type of farm animals you can keep. Some areas even have restrictions on rainwater collection, which is a bit ridiculous.
For a deeper look into what to consider when choosing your new property you can check out my free, comprehensive guide on starting a homestead.
Homesteading for Beginners Means Avoiding Debt & Saving
Homesteading can be expensive if you aren’t careful. Avoiding debt will help keep the expenses low and give you more freedom to homestead, instead of just working your life away to pay the bills. Save money for larger projects and pay cash for them.
Make a Budget & Stick to It
Making a budget is always a good idea. Don’t just live within your means, live below your means. Making a budget will help you by making a plan for your money that comes in. If you don’t tell your money what to do it will do all kinds of things that weren’t planned on.
Homesteading for Beginners & Setting Goals
Setting goals within your homestead can help keep you on track and motivated. Our goal on our homestead in the beginning was to learn one new major skill and add a new farm animal every year. While this may seem slow to some, it gave us time to really learn and make adjustments where needed. Eight years later, we have a thriving homestead.
Every Beginner Homesteader Needs A Mentor
I can’t stress this one enough. Community is so important. A mentor can be there to encourage, field questions, help you make plans, and teach you along the way. Not only is a good mentor a great resource to have but they can also be a good friend.
Start Small but Think Big
There’s nothing wrong with starting small on a project to get your feet wet. Always be thinking ahead of the game on how you could expand that project or idea to make it bigger once you’ve gained confidence in that skill.
For example, maybe you are thinking of raising your own meat chickens and want to raise enough meat for the year. Start small with maybe 20 meat chickens and learn how to raise them from Hatchery to Butcher Day. Gain your confidence in butchering those 20 chickens then the next go round think of raising a larger batch. Start small, think big.
Learning as You Go is Valuable for the Beginner Homesteader
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin
Homesteading for Beginners Means Always Learning
To build a successful, thriving homestead, you’ll always be learning. Do all the research then just dive in. The best way to learn is just by doing it.
Take Classes and Tours at Small Farms
Touring small farms can give you a glimpse on how small farms are set up and operate, which may give you some good ideas on how to set up your homestead. You may even find small farms in your area that offer classes, teaching valuable skills.
Always Make the Most of Free Resources
As a homesteader, always be thinking about what you can source for free to keep your costs down, as they can add up. Networking with like minded people may help you tap into some of these free resources.
Think of growing plants from cuttings instead of buying an expensive plant from the store. Collect rainwater, learn to compost manure for free fertilizer, or foraging for edible plants with medicinal uses. Learn to save seed. Tapping into free resources will save a ton of money.
FAQs
Why Should You Start a Homestead?
Starting a homestead means embracing a lifestyle of self sufficiency. If the desire is in your heart to provide for yourself and your family and not rely so much on outside resources then homesteading might be for you.
How to Find Land for a Homestead
Finding land for a homestead can be tricky. You’ll want to pay special attention to zoning and local laws to be sure the land will be fit for a homestead.
How Do I Start Homesteading With No Money?
Homesteading doesn’t have to be expensive. You can start homesteading with not much money by starting with low cost things, such as baking bread, planting seeds, saving seeds, composting, or foraging. Budget and save money for start-up costs on larger projects.
How Do You Homestead Basics?
The basics of homesteading include cooking from scratch, growing a garden, preserving your harvest, living in a self sufficient way, and raising animals for eggs, meat, and dairy.
Is 1 Acre Enough for a Homestead?
Homesteading can happen on any size property, large or small. With a little forethought and planning, you can have an abundant homestead on one acre.
Homesteading For Beginners
Homesteading is about embracing a more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle. Start with one or two activities that interest you and build from there. Before you know it, you may find that you aren’t such a beginner anymore and will be well on your way in your homestead journey.
Happy Homesteading,
Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm
Jenny and her family have been homesteading for over 20 years. They are currently farming on their 10 acre Florida farm, that they built from the ground up, 8 years ago, growing 100% of their meat and a lot of their vegetables. From their small herd of Aberdeen Angus Cattle, Pastured Poultry, Sheep, and seasonal pigs, they are able to raise enough meat for the family while selling extra to the community. All the while, striving to butcher at home, as much as possible, and use the bits and pieces of their harvest by preserving food, making bone broth, and (Jenny’s favorite) tanning all kinds of hides!
Homesteading
