When most people think about homesteading, the image that comes to mind is probably an old-fashioned farm. The kind with a million cows and a fireplace with a handful of people who get up before the sun and work all day in mud and manure before eating a huge meal and going to bed at night. And there’s nothing at all wrong with that.
But is that really the only definition of a homestead?
I found a list on Pioneer Settler that has a whopping 121 Skills for the Modern Homesteader, and when I saw the list I was absolutely flabbergasted. Some of those skills, like gardening and animal husbandry, seem pretty standard and basic for a full-fledged homesteader, while others like herbal medicine and making homemade Playdough seemed like an odd addition.
So it got me to thinking. How do you define a homestead? Can you have a homestead with no farm animals and high speed internet? How about a homestead in the city? Can you homestead and absolutely hate cooking?
I’ll happily admit that I don’t know everything about homesteading–there are several items on this list that I still haven’t mastered, like beekeeping, and some that I probably never will, like changing my own oil. But here are some of my thoughts:
- Homesteading is personal and different for everyone–and that’s okay!
- Homesteading, no matter what level, is hard work
- To be a homesteader, you have to love what you do
- Not everything needs to be done the hard way–modern conveniences are nice too!
- Most importantly, if it works for you, then that’s what matters–don’t let all laundry lists of thousands of things that homesteaders must do frighten you. Your homestead is YOURS, and that’s how it should be!
What do you think? How would you define a homestead? Share your thoughts and homestead stories with me in the comments!
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