Being a homesteader is one of the most rewarding lifestyles anyone can choose. Homesteading is not just for farmers, but it is open to everyone. If you decide to embark on your homestead journey, there are several things you need to do in order to get started.
To make this easier for you, here are all the steps you need to take for your introduction into the simple ‘homestead for beginners’ guides. Some general tips before we get started:
Tip 1: Make sure homesteading is legal where you live (in certain countries such as Canada and USA)
Tip 2: Research local laws and regulations regarding keeping chickens and bees
Tip 3: Build up an emergency fund of money ($500 – $1000) This way you have a backup in case anything goes wrong
Tip 4: Research local food growing seasons
Now, let’s get started. This is your guide to becoming a homesteader!
Step 1: Find a homestead
There are several steps you can take to ensure your journey will be successful from the beginning. The first step is finding a place to live that has the right conditions for homesteading. Some of the conditions you want to look out for when choosing where to live include a clean water supply, nearby neighbours, and an area with daylight almost every day of the year (for solar power). It also helps if there is green land available nearby so you can grow crops. It’s best not to choose an apartment or a house in the city because it may be hard to find a homestead there.
Make sure to look for land that is affordable and safe to live on. While many homesteaders choose areas that are remote or far from cities, you can start a backyard homestead if that’s all you have available.
Step 2: Build up your capital
While building up an emergency fund of money ($500 – $1000) should be done before starting a homestead, I would also recommend trying to save as much money as possible while doing part-time work or having a 9-5 job. This could add up to 1 year’s worth of income which will give you quite some nest egg once finished! After this, make sure to ask for a pay raise so you can save even more money.
When you start homesteading, it’s best to live on a budget and be careful with how your money is spent and where it comes from. While having enough financial stability will help ensure that homesteading becomes sustainable in the long term, don’t let this stop you from taking risks and pursuing your dreams!
Step 3: Learn about the basics of homesteading
Now that you have found a good homestead and saved up some money – it’s time to learn how to become a homesteader! There are many different aspects involved in practising homesteading such as growing food (crops, fruit trees, vegetables), raising livestock (chickens, pigs, cows), and beekeeping. Also consider aquaponics, permaculture and other types of homesteading to become more well rounded.
There are several online courses that teach the basics about homesteading which you could take for free or at a very low cost. While reading books is also helpful for learning homesteading skills it might take you months or even years to learn everything there is to know so it may be best not to rely on this method only. The internet has great insight into how to be a homesteader without spending too much money so I would recommend using this as your ‘go-to’ source if possible!
When you’re just starting out with homesteading, it’s best to start with a few animals and plants that you can handle. It is also recommended not to jump into beekeeping right away because the equipment needed is expensive if you want quality results.
Step 4: Build your homestead
Once you’ve learned enough about homesteading you will be able to plan to build your backyard homestead in detail. Start by taking measurements of your current backyard and decide how much space you want to dedicate for each activity.
If you’re still in the planning phases, it’s best to get your hands on used materials (for example used pallets or old wood) so you can make sure everything fits perfectly before making big purchases.
Step 5: Develop an action plan
Now that all the necessary steps for starting a homestead are covered, it’s time to put everything into practice! Remember that homesteading takes time and while some activities may come fast others might take months or even years to see results. It’s important to stay committed and never stop learning about homesteading.
When you start homesteading, it’s best to set realistic goals so you can develop a long term plan that will bring results over time. What this means is that if you’re starting out with just $50 in your pocket for example, don’t expect everything to happen at once because this isn’t sustainable. Instead, think of how much money you want to save each month and then use that amount to buy equipment, grow plants or whatever else!
Step 6: Start blogging
Now that homesteading is becoming more mainstream there are many people who are interested in knowing how to become a homesteader and how to start a homestead. Because of this, it’s beneficial to share your story online so others can see what you’re doing and how successful it is!
When blogging about homesteading, always keep in mind that people want tips on how to become a homesteader (for example: How much does it cost to start a homestead?) as well as detailed tutorials on how things work (for example Homemade garden fences). This way you will cover many different angles and readers will be interested in checking out everything you wrote about!
some popular blog posts may include:
– 10 essential things needed for every homesteader
– The beginner’s guide to beekeeping
– Shopping lists for beginners starting their homestead
Keep in mind that the more professional your blog looks, the more likely it is for people to trust you and take your advice. This means using a good blogging platform (Blogger, WordPress etc.) as well as designing a sleek logo and background for your website.
Step 7: Use social media to your advantage
Social media is a great way to get advice from other homesteaders, share your experience or ask for advice. I’ve found it’s best to use Facebook groups because the users are all interested in homesteading and this leads to less spammy comments which can make you lose interest fast!
Homesteading already has an established community on Facebook so be sure to check it out if you haven’t already – Homesteading Group. If that’s not enough there are many other sites like Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest that also cover homesteading topics so it’s worth checking them out too!
Pinterest is a great place for finding useful homesteading tips. If you are interested in beekeeping it’s really easy to find blogs that post about this topic because there are so many pictures! If you want to spice up your Pinterest account, try adding a board dedicated to homesteading or beekeeping and start pinning things related to it – other users will be interested in seeing what you posted!
A few popular pins:
– 10 steps for starting a chicken coop
– How to harvest honey from the hive
– Homesteading tips
Step 8: Start selling products
Once you’ve mastered homesteading and have gained enough expertise it may be beneficial to start making money from all the knowledge you acquired! There are many ways through which this can be done such as writing ebooks or creating digital courses you could post on platforms such as Udemy. Another option would be starting an Etsy store where people can buy homemade products such as soaps, creams and other things made specifically for homesteaders.
Remember that the more you sell, the higher your profit will be! Keep this in mind and don’t hesitate to ask for help (for example through Reddit) in case you need a little extra boost.
FAQ
Can you run a homestead by yourself?
The short answer is yes, you can run a successful homestead by yourself. However, it is recommended not to do it alone, as having another person (or even better – several people!) share your passion for homesteading will make your life easier and more enjoyable.
How do I learn to Homestead?
The best way to learn how to homestead is by checking out tutorials and videos on the internet which explain how things work in more detail. Sometimes it can be hard to understand something if you don’t have direct experience with it, so I would recommend watching videos made by people who already mastered their craft and then trying it for yourself! This way you will learn faster and more efficiently.
How much land is needed to Homestead?
The amount of land needed depends on what you plan to do – if you want to keep animals such as chickens and goats then half an acre should be enough. If you’re planning on growing crops and fruits, at least 5 acres would be required. Keep in mind that this number includes the land used for other purposes than just farming (i.e. for the house, roads, etc.)