Modern Homesteaders

Life as a Modern Homesteader

I think that there is a notion that modern homesteading is an old fashioned or pioneer type of life. Or often is confused with the homestead act. So what exactly is a modern homesteader anyway?

Although, my family is attempting to return to our roots by living a self-sufficient lifestyle, we can’t imagine living without many of the modern conveniences which make our life so much more manageable.

I love to cook from scratch, but I also appreciate my electric stove and stand mixer. And…I don’t know what I would do without my blender to whip up my bulletproof coffee each day!

So… you see, pioneer living just isn’t for me. But at the same time, if a disaster were to happen, I have learned many skills which will help me survive.

I hope.

So, technically we are modern homesteaders.

So, what exactly is a modern homesteader?

For us personally, we are the type of people who enjoy cooking from scratch. We eat real, organic food and avoid GMO or chemical filled foods, we try to live as naturally and healthy as possible.

We’re working towards becoming as self-sufficient as we possibly can and avoid debt by living frugally. We raise chickens and goats. We grow a garden and preserve our food.

But we don’t live off the grid – while that is a great choice for many people, it doesn’t work for us. But, we are just striving for a life where we can live off of the land as much as possible, just as God intended it.

My personal belief is that a modern homesteader is someone who can find a happy balance between living simply and frugally while utilizing modern technology. I also believe that homesteading can be accomplished no matter where you live.

I believe that homesteading is an ever evolving process.

We set goals each year, but to say that we accomplish all of them is a falsehood. Life happens and our plans change. This year, my husband had plans to purchase 100 goats and use for clearing brush and trees.

That was a huge undertaking and several things changed that led us to scratch that idea and set new goals. The goats that we do have will be going to pasture soon because goats love brush and trees and it’ll save my husband the time of clearing the brush himself.

That’s one of the many fun things about homesteading, things can easily be altered and changed to suit what will work for your family.

That is all part of the amazing journey.

Homesteading was not my life plan or career goal. My adult life was spent working in Human Resource management. I’m a city girl, I never anticipated living the rural life and so far from civilization, too.

While I do miss the conveniences of city living, I wouldn’t trade my current life for it. So, how did I get here? It all started when I met a boy. Ha, but really…if I didn’t meet my husband, I wouldn’t have moved to the country.

I wouldn’t have started a garden or purchased our first set of baby chicks. Which then led me to want to buy goats, donkeys, ducks, basically – save all of the animals! I wouldn’t be typing this post right now. God sure works in mysterious ways!

But, I digress…

Getting Started

As I’ve mentioned above, I truly believe anyone can become a homesteader if that is their desire. So where do you start? Here’s a few ideas on how to homestead, no matter where you live.

#1 First and for most, get out of debt. This isn’t something easy to attain, but if you can create an action plan and work towards that goal, I believe you’re on your way!

#2 Start a garden. You can create a small patch in your backyard, a windowsill in your apartment, or grow a huge garden on your small acreage. (Next year’s goal, build a greenhouse!)

#3 Cook from scratch! It’s so simple of an idea and it is so healthy for all of us.

#4 Become a DIY’r. Even if you aren’t crafty, like me.

#5 Bake your own bread.

#6 Compost, another simple process. And you can use that mulch in your garden!

#7 Make your own cleaning supplies; hang your laundry to dry.

#8 Shop locally; support your local organic farmers.

#9 Eat real food. Avoid chemical filled and processed foods.

#10 Preserve your food. Can, dehydrate, ferment, freeze, etc.

#11 Live frugally. Pare down on what you own, declutter and live simply.

#12 Use leftover bones and make bone broth.

#13 Network with other homesteaders! This is something that I absolutely love. We aren’t perfect homesteaders.

We are learning and will continue to learn and evolve as time goes on. It is so nice to reach out to other homesteaders and brainstorm ideas and solutions on common processes or problems that arise.

The possibilities are endless. These are just a few of my suggestions. What do you think? I would love to hear from you.