How to Start a Homestead Part One

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 95

How to Start a Homestead

I find it interesting that humanity has grown into a global community that is so interdependent that if one country suffers an environmental disaster, a financial collapse, massive crop failure, a water crises, or even a foreign invasion that it has a dramatic affect on the global economy. Does no one but me see this as a bad thing? 

While this globalization provides many obvious benefits, it actually creates a lot of insecurity. My answer to all of this is that it is time to commit yourself to a lifestyle of your own making. And one of the best ways to do this is to start a homestead. 

The focus of the next few episodes is to give you practical tips on how to become even more independent from this massive infrastructure that we call a global economy. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E95 which is called How to Start a Homestead.

Once again, before we get stated I want to remind everyone that is you want to contact me with questions, comments, or even suggestions on specific topics of interest, please feel free to send me an email at [email protected]. 

But before we get started, I just want to say that there is a tremendous amount of material to cover. That is why I decided to produce a series of episodes on this topic instead of trying to cram it all into one episode. What I truly want to do is to give you some actionable tips on how you can take control of many of your own resources and produce a definable amount of personal security. 

In this first episode, I would to cover some basic things to more or less lay the foundation of what you need to do if you are interested in this type of lifestyle. Topics that I want to cover in this episode are as follows. 

A Lifestyle Choice

We Are Headed in the Wrong Direction

Global versus Local: Why You Should Consider Homesteading

What is a modern homestead?

Practical tips to get you started. 

A Lifestyle Choice

What I have found is that when it come to living off the grid as I do, having a sustainable lifestyle, or in this case starting a homestead, most people do not know where to begin. It can be overwhelming. I totally get that and I completely understand. I know this from personal experience because I have been living off the grid for 26 years and I am still making improvements. I am still learning new things. My lifestyle is not perfect. 

But the one key thing to remember is this is a lifestyle choice. Just like anything else, it has advantages and disadvantages. If you have listened to some of my other podcast episodes, then you have no doubt heard me talk about the value of simplicity and how a sustainable lifestyle provides more security.  Our little homestead is a big part of that. 

Presently at the cabin, we are 100% independent for electricity, water and sewer and about 50% independent for our food supply.

But, that did not happen over night. It took time, commitment, and a lot of hard work. But in the end, if I really had the need to do so, I could go home to the cabin and not leave for at least a year. And that is what I call personal security.

We Are Headed in the Wrong Direction

When I was growing up in Tennessee and northern Georgia, there were two working farms in the family. We had cattle, pigs, chickens, rabbits, fruit trees, a large garden, went fishing regularly, foraged for wild berries and nuts. We rarely ate restaurant food because meals were made fresh at home. We canned the excess produce from the garden, filled the freezer with fresh meat, and there was a large walk in closet full of a wide variety of home canned foods. We never really talked about being self sufficient. It was just the way we lived. 

Presently, I keenly observe various trends in our modern society and question if no one but me realizes that we are headed in the wrong direction. It is estimated that 83% of people in the United States live in urban areas while on a global basis it is about 56%. By 2050 those numbers are expected to be 90% and 68% respectively. 

What this means is that in the unlikely event that something really goes wrong, there would be total chaos. With the largest percentage of the population crowded into a smaller area there would be fierce competition for essential supplies and it wouldn’t be pretty.  A perfect, low key example of this was during the onset of the pandemic when people were ordered to stay at home. People started panic buying food and other essential supplies.  There were several times I walked in to the supermarket just to buy something simple and ended up walking out. I did not want to deal with the chaos and what I had wanted was just not that important. 

As I stated above, we now live in a global economy which of course has many advantages. But it also comes at a cost. Our countries are now so interdependent that if one country suffers an environmental disaster, a financial collapse, massive crop failure, a water crises, or even a foreign invasion that it has a dramatic affect on the entire global economy. What goes on in one small country on the other side of the world has a direct impact on everyone of us. This makes me want to stand up and shout where is the security in that? Literally something happens in another country has such far reaching effects that it has a direct impact on my daily life. That being the case, how can any of us ever have any sort of personal security? 

Is there anyone other than me that sees that as a problem? Because it shouldn’t be. Yet most people sit back and allow someone else to be in control of their essential resources. We sacrifice a great deal of our personal security simply because we are addicted to convenience. 

Global versus Local: Why You Should Consider Homesteading

Yet this global economy has been creeping up on us for hundreds of years. Most people think that it started when Columbus made it to the New World. But in reality globalization started with the Silk Road way before the days of Columbus.

In our modern society it is nearly impossible to completely avoid any sort of impact that the global economy has on our personal lives. A perfect example is the price of gasoline. But it is possible to limit that impact. And the best way to do that is step up and take more responsibility in managing your own resources. For example there is nothing more local than your own backyard. It is quite possible to take control of and successfully manage a great deal of your personal resources. Instead of being completely dependent on someone else to provide you with all of your needs, do it yourself. 

Obviously I am not a big fan of globalization because I think it robs of us our personal security. That said, let’s take a look at things on a national level as a good example. 

If you are at least in your 30s or 40s at this point in your life you will have an appreciation for what I am about to say. In the United States, during the late 1900s and early 2000s there was a period of rapid economic growth as well as continued growth of consumerism. 

In the early 2000s there were a lot of fears around food safety and increasing concern about climate change. Around 2007 the bottom fell out of the housing market, there was an economic recession and millions of people lost investments, life savings, retirement funds, etc. This was certainly a strong case for a complete reevaluation of the American Dream. The back to the land movement of the 60s and 70s seemed like a laughable relic from an era of foolish, naive, mostly white middle class, well educated young people. Now here we are circling the airport again and we are back to an increased interest in sustainability, renewable energy, buying local, etc.

I point this out only as an example of how the pendulum of popular culture swings back and forth. This is why I place so little value on public opinion. But I hope by now you are starting to realize that there are both national and international influences on what happens in your daily life. Consequently, in my opinion the only way you will end up with a tremendous amount of control over your life and produce a considerable amount of personal security is to create your own economy of sorts and take control of many of your own resources.  In my opinion, the best way to do that is to slowly build and manage a small homestead. 

What is a Homestead? 

Right about now you are thinking that is completely ridiculous. But just consider this for a moment. I am not talking about emulating the pioneers. I am not talking about living a subsistence lifestyle. Yes, having a working homestead can be a lot of work at times. It truly gets you face to face with the fact that we are all responsible for everything we choose to do and everything we choose not to do. But, modern homesteading is truly a marriage of old country skills and modern technology. 

For example, thanks to modern technology it is possible for me to live in the middle of the forest, have full electricity and modern conveniences, be completely off grid and successfully run a blog and podcast. Thanks to modern technology it is possible to earn an income from anywhere in the world.  

All that being said, what exactly is a homestead? 

From a historical perspective, at least in the United States, a homestead was defined as a parcel of land, typically 160 acres, that was granted to any US citizen that was willing to settle out West, live on the land and farm it for at least 5 years. 

However, homesteading in the United States came to an end in 1976 with the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. But, there are still ways to actually get free land if that is something you are interested in doing. But I will cover that in the next episode.

In modern terms, homesteading is really just a reference to leading a self sufficient lifestyle. You don’t have to actually move to a farm to do that. Anything you can do to develop a more self sufficient lifestyle, reduce your cost of living, increase your personal freedom, produce more financial independence, and live closer to nature is a move in the right direction. 

In our modern culture, you can have a functional homestead and live right in the middle of an urban area. Or like us, you can live in the middle of the forest where you see a lot more wildlife than people. It is truly a matter of personal choice. 

Practical Tips to Make It As a Homesteader

People often ask me about my lifestyle. When I try to explain, I often get some confused looks. I think this is because most people think I live on the fringe of society and don’t even have modern conveniences. What most people do not realize is that modern homesteading is in fact very possible. As with most things, it is a matter of perspective.  So, if this is something you may be interested in, I want to give you some practical steps to help you succeed. 

Debt Management

By far the biggest thing that can crush your dreams of being more independent and having more personal freedom is carrying a crushing load of debt. At the time of this writing, the average American debt load is about $90K. Approximately 77% of households in the US are carrying some type of debt load. And the average amount of money that Americans have in savings is $4,500. 

One of the best things you can do is stopping accruing more debt. Stop living off of credit cards, stop purchasing things you don’t need, stop spending money you don’t have. This is a cycle that is strongly prevalent in our consumer culture and nothing will crush your dreams more than having to constantly live pay check to paycheck. 

Learn to live within your means. Be creative. Cut back on the extras. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your peace of mind. 

Pay Off Your Debt

If you presently have a lot of debt, develop a plan to pay it off. If this means getting some debt counseling then do it. There was a time in my life where I had two mortgages, student loans, auto loans, and credit cards debit. I was living only to work. All the while thinking this was the best way for me to get ahead. I woke up one day and realized I completely needed to change my focus. I had far too much debt and zero personal freedom.

It took me about 5 years of careful planning and having to make some hard choices. I worked some long hours so I could pay off my debt at an accelerated rate. I sold my second home and moved back to the homestead full time. I immediately started on some much needed improvements to make it easier to live there. I now pay cash for everything. If I need to borrow money for something, it gets paid off at an accelerated pace because I have no other debt.  

I now have more personal freedom than I’ve ever had. I joke with people now and say that I no longer take 2 week vacations, I take two months. And that is not too far from the truth. Get out of debt and stay out of debt. You will be glad you did. 

A Dose of Reality

Now this may seem like a strange thing to say, but before you consider being a homesteader, the first thing you actually need is a healthy dose of reality. One of the best qualities found in modern homesteaders is that they are simply realistic, practical, hard working, very creative and ingenious. In fact, when maintaining a homestead, creativity and ingenuity are your best friends. 

What many of you may not realize is that back in the 1960s and 70s, there was an enormous back to the land movement. Admittedly I was way to young at the time to realize such a huge cultural movement was going on much less what it meant.  Most of what I know about it I have learned from first hand accounts or from reading. If you are interested in a little further reading about this, I would recommend a book called Back From the Land by Eleanor Agnew. She gives a great first hand account of this enormous cultural movement. 

Many of the folks at that time had this idea that they wanted to move back to the land and exist solely off of what they could produce. But for many of them the realities of homesteading eventually crumbled their idealism. Many began to realize that not everything could be created on the homestead and at least to some degree they had to rely on the outside world. And those that were great at creating things on the homestead, they could not create enough products and services to make themselves financially sustainable. 

People also realized that in a rural environment, in order to make things financially affordable they had to take low paying jobs that were perhaps physically demanding. But by working outside the homestead, they lost the time that was needed to make improvements, plant a garden, and engage in other activities that were required to be self sufficient. It became a struggle between time and money. 

Consequently, many of the back-to-the-landers returned to their former jobs and careers after realizing the consequences of making such a move with little or no planning and even fewer skills. 

So, reality check first. The pioneer days are over. We need cold hard cash to pay health insurance, purchase supplies, pay for automobile repairs, property taxes, travel expenses, purchase or build a house, and the list goes on. We can no longer live out in the wilderness, make every single thing from scratch, and exist in a bubble. As long as you realize that and are willing to be flexible and creative then you are one step closer to having a homestead. Besides a marriage between old country skills and modern technology will in fact make your life easier. 

Keep a Day Job

One of the best things you can do as a homesteader is to keep a day job. It will keep you with a positive cash flow and help you with unexpected expenses. 

Despite the fact that my grandparents lived on an original homestead property, for many years my grandfather worked for a steel manufacturing company and worked the farm. My grandmother was at home full time and took care of the day-to-day chores.  

Likewise, when I  purchased my property in Colorado and was building the homestead, I continued to work full time. This is what enabled me to eventually pay off all my debt and pay cash for any improvements. 

Now over time as I got more creative, I have been able to spend a lot more time at home and a lot less time commuting. Even though I am still working as a veterinarian, I am down to doing that part time. But if some unexpected expense comes up it is relatively easy for me to raise the money to pay for it.  

Work From Home

And this brings me to my next suggestion. If there is any one positive thing that the pandemic did for all of us is that there is now an enormous market for work at home jobs. Modern technology makes internet connectivity available even if you live in the middle of no where. 

The thing about working a job is that you are away from home a lot. Not only that, by having to drive to another location to work, you have commuting expenses, additional food expenses, wear and tear on your vehicle, work clothes to purchase. These expense can add up. Working from home eliminates all of that. 

And this is slowly what I am transitioning into, working more from home. You have far more flexibility, you can take breaks when you want, do homestead chores when you choose, and you don’t have to deal with work place politics. Not to mention that you can take time off when you want. 

Develop Multiple Income Streams  

Another very smart thing you can do it to develop multiple income streams. In fact, most people that I’ve met that live in small communities and are financially successful, has several different things they do to make money. This is an approach that I’ve successfully used for over 20 years. I literally have not had a full time job in 22 years and I do very well financially. 

That said, if you are spending a lot of time on the homestead, there are multiple things you can do to make money. In fact, I have a very nice blog post that I will link to that list multiple ways to make money on the homestead. 

Summary

In the end here, I am trying to set the stage for you to develop an appropriate mindset for having a homestead. But what I want you to do first is just take a few minutes, stand back and think about all of this very carefully. This is not magic. This is not brain surgery. This is not rocket science. By doing a few very simple things you could be financially independent, manage a good deal of your own resources, produce a tremendous amount of personal security, and have far more free time than you ever imagined. 

First of all you have to realize that a modern homestead is just a marriage between old country skills and modern technology. You don’t have to move to a farm to be a successful homesteader. Then you have to accept the fact that society and our culture in general is headed in the wrong direction. There is no better time than now to learn the skills needed to take care of yourself. By having a homestead, things don’t get more local than your own backyard. This enables you to avoid a great deal of the negative impact that globalization has on our daily lives. 

Once you have the proper mindset, you first need to stop acquiring new debt. Once you manage that, pay off everything and get yourself completely out of debt. This will make your homestead life tremendously easier to manage. Most homesteaders are not really pioneers. Most people continue to work a day job of some sort in order to manage the expenses of everyday life. That said, figure out ways to work at home and work online. Get creative and have multiple income streams. 

Now I realize that in this first episode, I did not really cover the basics of actually working a homestead. That is because you must do your homework first. You must lay a proper foundation in order to be successful. For example, if you are already drowning in debt, now you are going to have to manage all the responsibilities of a working homestead while still drowning in debt. It is far better to properly manage your debt first and make you life a whole lot easier. 

As you have likely heard me say before, as long as someone else is in control of your resources, someone else is in control of your life. Having a homestead and managing many of your own resources helps you to avoid a lot of that. All it takes is a little forethought and planning and you will be on your way.  

Now that I have sort of set the stage and primed your thinking, in the next episode I am going to give you some very specific steps you need to take to start your homestead and start down the road of sustainability.  

I hope you will join me again next week for another exciting episode of the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. Until then, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.  

Patrick

Patrick