How to Start Homesteading
The #1 question we have received over the years is, “How do I start homesteading?”
In order to answer this question of how to start homesteading, let’s first define what it is: Homesteading is a wholesome lifestyle that prioritizes the family and the home in a way that is connected to the earth.
So homesteading is not a place, but a lifestyle, which means that you can start homesteading where ever you live. Now certainly, it is easier and more efficient to stay connected to the earth when living in the country, but that doesn’t mean that living in the city excludes one from starting to homestead. We just have to do the best we can with what we’ve got and where we happen to be at the time. There might be one family that is living in the country but is not really connecting to the earth yet because they are still learning how to do that. Whereas another family could be living in the city, but visiting farms and going on nature walks several times a week. And what about prioritizing the family and the home? Just because someone lives in the country doesn’t mean the whole household is homesteading. The key to start homesteading is simply to begin ordering your life towards family, home, and nature in a way that is sustainable and healthy, while coinciding with your particular living situation in the current season of your life.
So……. What activities can you start doing that align with the above definition of Homesteading?
Activities with the Family
Eat Meals Together
This may seem like such a simple concept, but in our busy world it is astounding how little time families actually spend together. Eating meals together was once a bonding experience that is now considered an inconvenience, replaced by takeout and “eating-on-the-go.” A recent magazine article entitled, “How to stay together as a family,” listed ten ideas. The first one stated, “Eat dinner together at least once a week.” What about eating together every day or every meal? Think about what is attainable for your family at this time. Maybe enjoying at least one meal together every day is a goal you can work towards. Or, if you already do this, how can you make these encounters more intentional?
Homeschool Your Children
Homeschooling was still a fringe idea when our kids were still in school. Nowadays, it has become a normal option and we are so thankful for it! Not only are there dozens of curriculums and resources now available at the click of a button, but entire groups and communities now exist to support each other in this endeavor. By homeschooling your children you are able to pass on your morals and principles without worrying what else is influencing them in the public sphere. They are allowed to be innocent children as long as possible and you will be blessed with the intimacy of this fleeting age. While it can be intimidating, co-ops and charters are also great ways to find support or to ease into this new lifestyle.
Pray Together
“The family that prays together, stays together.” Fitting prayer into your life is incredibly difficult — we get it. But it doesn’t have to be. While the goal may be to have morning prayer, meet for the Angelus at lunch, say the Chaplet at 3pm and then the Rosary in the evening… This isn’t realistic if daily prayer is new to your family. The goal is to center our life in Jesus and the easiest way to do that is to remember that he is our friend. He just wants to be included :) When a hummingbird looks in through the window while you do the dishes, thank Him for that moment! When your children don’t want to share, teach them St. Therese of the Child Jesus’ “little sacrifices” practice. Just like homesteading, prayer can start in a small and sustainable way, growing into a beautiful daily habit as you consistently practice it.
Attend Church Together
“Keep holy the Sabbath.” God has designed us to long for Him: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, oh God” (St. Augustine). And there is no other place where he is more present than in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Attending church together is also a unifying weekend activity for the family where they can find fellowship and belonging in an increasingly lonely world. In addition, social sciences have studied the positive psychological effects of the parents from attending Mass. Parents who attend Mass regularly enjoy easier conflict resolution, higher affection towards their children, and a stronger bond between themselves. Above all, Mass is a beautiful experience that brings us closer to God and each other.
Play a Sport
Play a sport with your family and friends! While team sports have many positive effects, we believe that the influence of locker rooms, the highly competitive games, and the busyness that a sport season inflicts on a family is contrary to the homesteading lifestyle. However, putting together an ultimate frisbee event at the park with family/friends or your homeschool co-op is a great way to burn energy and foster relationships. Another idea is the simple basketball hoop in front of the house as featured in the photo above. Some of our favorite memories involve blasting classic rock while we played baseball together as a family in one of the fields.
Visit a Farmer’s Market
Farmer’s Markets are an amazing way to connect with and support your local community. They are also such a fun family activity! Not only is each stall packed with home-grown and/or home-made products, but there is usually live music, food, and drinks available as well. We encourage you to talk with the vendors and let your kids ask questions too. The farmers are always happy to converse and they love sharing stories and appreciate the interest in their way of life. Sometimes the food prices can scare a person off, so we suggest a simple start with just a dozen free-range eggs… the difference is incredible.
Activities in the Home
Cook/Bake Together
How can I make this process easier, simpler, faster, more convenient? Maybe I’ll just get takeout food and eat it while I drive to save time… This mindset has completely eroded what was once a bonding experience that was meant to take time. Food was meant to be cooked slowly, fermented, or take time to assemble. It’s only in modern times that this practice has become inconvenient — no wonder so many of us struggle with digestive and health issues. One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is how to slow down when we prepare our food and when we eat our food. So we encourage you to enjoy the process and the result to build intimate bonds and fond memories amongst family members.
Maintain a Garden
Whether it’s a large garden in raised beds or a few potted herb plants on your back porch, growing food with your family connects you to each other and to the earth. Read, learn, plant, grow and make mistakes together when it comes to your garden. The longer you do it the more proficient you will become and the more satisfaction you will derive in feeding your family from the fruits of your labor (whether it’s the whole meal or the pesto dressing your pasta). It’s also a great activity to get you outside in the sunshine and fresh air. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).
Keep a few Chickens
If you are able, having a few laying hens is very fun for everyone involved. Not only is it a positive responsibility for the kids but you will have fresh, delicious eggs to enjoy every morning with your coffee. There is something special about eating food that comes from the fruits of your own labor, and chasing the chickens around in the back yard is a great activity to wear your kids out before bed time. Have you ever tried to catch a chicken? It’s not easy!
Read Aloud
One of our favorite memories is reading aloud to each other — everything from the Bible at night to Little House on the Prairie while we cleaned the kitchen. Reading aloud creates strong parent-child bonds and promotes healthy brain development. And children that are read to develop improved language and listening skills, experience stronger emotional connections to their loved ones, and gain a lifelong love of reading.
Arts and Crafts
From drawing, cutting, and gluing to making your own bookshelf, arts/crafts and DIYs are fun activities for both parents and kids. Or maybe you just need a second to breathe, so giving your kids something creative to do with their hands can free you up to finish your breakfast in peace, or even have a few quiet moments of prayer. Working with our hands in a creative way is also incredibly satisfying no matter how old we are. And there is nothing better than seeing our children excitedly run and smile to show us their finished projects.
Game Nights
Just like playing sports together, game nights are a great way for some friendly competition while fostering relationships. Board games, cards, darts, pool, dancing, and karaoke are all great ways to enjoy game nights. Even the occasional family movie is a nice break in routine. Fun snacks, desserts, and music can help to make these nights feel even more special. While Winter is a great time for these events as we cozy up in our homes during the cold, summertime may provide an opportunity to have these nights outside on the porch!
Activities in Nature
Visit a Local Farm
Visiting a local farm can show your entire family where your food is coming from! Help with a few chores, ask questions, buy produce or meat for your kitchen… This is also a great time to start taking notes about your end goal for homesteading. Do you want to start farming as a living? Or just keep a few chickens and maybe a dairy cow for your own family’s benefit? Not one farm is the same as another, so visiting multiple farms will help to broaden your perspective and really open your eyes to what’s possible. And your kids will have a blast!
Pick Fruits and Veggies
If growing your own produce isn’t possible, a great way to get fresh fruits and veggies while also being part of the process is by visiting “pick it yourself” farms. We love blueberries but could never figure out how to grow them ourselves, so we always visited these types of farms. We would literally pick several gallons together and then enjoy them for the entire year afterwards by freezing them for smoothies. You can also can your own jams, pickles, and red sauce back at home once you’ve gathered the produce together!
Family Camping
Don’t underestimate this family activity, for some of our favorite memories involve the few times we got to go camping together. Even living on a farm, there is something different about “living outdoors” for a while where all you need to focus on is the next hike, the next barbecue, or campfire s’mores. Get dirty, get tired, and enjoy every second of it together! (And bringing a few games from home to enjoy on a picnic table counts).
Visit a Lake or River
Take any opportunity you can to get yourself and your kids out into nature. It’s a medical fact that the sun on your skin and fresh air in your lungs lowers stress and regulates your nervous system. Our world is so concerned with productivity and entertainment that we dismiss simple activities like simply walking along the river. Don’t feel pressured to rent a boat or come up with some event… just let yourself be.
Go Fishing or Horseback Riding
Fishing may be a little easier to manage than horseback riding but both are amazing! While my brothers definitely enjoyed fishing with dad, I (Ty) relished the opportunities I got to ride when I was young because it made me feel so free. Fishing for dinner or connecting with animals are down-to-earth activities that always brought us peace and satisfaction while growing up. Even if it’s just the local pond where you have to throw your catch back, get out there and enjoy your time together!
Go on A Prayer Walk
Our property has a path that is two miles long and has become our favorite way to pray the Rosary. Sometimes we would have friends over to walk with us, and sometime we would just go by ourselves for a little quiet time. Prayer is already powerful, but when we add nature into the mix… It’s like we can hear God in the little whispers of the wind. We don’t need to live in the country to make this happen, we just need to invite God along — he loves spending time with us.
Some of these activities may seem obvious — Game Nights? Cooking dinner? “We already do these things!” If that’s true then praise God, that is amazing! You are already on track for living a homesteading lifestyle. However, we can always build on these simple activities to make them more intentional and/or more Christ-centered. And sometimes we just need a little reminder that we’re on the right track.
For some readers, these activities may seem difficult for the current family situation. Whereas these ideas are all simple, they are not necessarily easy, especially when we live in a culture that is constantly trying to get us to move faster and spend more money. However, the reality is that true happiness is found in the slow and simple — in perfect little moments.
Remember, homesteading is meant to be simple because it isn’t about making a living at farming. It is about returning to a way of life where God, family, and nature are in the center. It means limiting the screen time that consumes us, and minimizing time away from the home and each other, so that the family can build relationships on solid ground, rooted in the home with God and nature.
If the final goal of homesteading is to live and work on your own farm, then implementing the above activities can help you prepare for that in a sustainable way. By limiting the amount of time away from the home or adjusting activities to rely on nature, you can save money, thus saving you from having to work more. Then you will have more time to spend with your family, while saving the money needed to invest in that farmland dream. Little steps can build upon each other to accomplish big goals in the long term.
For those of you who are further along in your homesteading journey and are ready to take that leap of faith into the farming lifestyle, our next post will address the question, “How to Start Farming?”
In the meantime, feel free to email us if you have any questions or comments. You can also join our Chat Room to talk with other homesteaders about their experiences to maybe get some more ideas or share a little wisdom yourself!
Until next time, God Bless.
Tyler Straight
Our Lady’s Ranch
