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Homesteads have long been a symbol of independence and self-sufficiency. They require dedication and willingness to learn new skills. Still, homesteads can reward you with plentiful food, a sense of safety and security, a lower cost of living, and a peaceful way of life surrounded by nature.
If you want to join the homesteading way of life, here’s what to know.
What Is a Homesteader?
A homesteader lives a self-sufficient lifestyle, producing their own food, relying on their own energy sources, and limiting reliance on outside sources. Most homesteaders own large plots of land, manage their gardens, practice sustainable living techniques, and keep as much of their life contained to their own property as possible.
Many homesteaders also have farms, including farm animals like chickens, cows, sheep, or pigs, to take advantage of their food and other resources like dairy, eggs, or wool.
Homesteading can look different for everyone. A full homestead may be completely independent and self-sufficient. In contrast, others may prefer to manage certain lifestyle aspects independently, relying on utilities or other resources to supplement their needs.
Homesteading requires a significant commitment of time and energy, but the lifestyle can pay off by saving money on most typical bills, such as energy and food.
Homesteaders will likely rely on alternative utility systems, such as renewable energy solutions, rather than depend on a centralized electricity grid. They may rely on EcoFlow Power Kits for homesteading RVs or tiny homes or pair EcoFlow Solar Panels with battery storage systems to create their own solar generators. Others may prefer wind or hydropower systems. The rural setting of many homesteads makes all of these options easily accessible.
Why Choose the Homestead Lifestyle?
Homesteading requires significant time and work, and purchasing land for a rural homestead can be expensive. Beyond this initial cost and personal engagement, however, they can provide benefits far beyond what they require to run. From leveraging tax exemptions to creating a sense of security despite unstable global conditions and creating an environmentally conscious and strongly bonded family, here’s why you may enjoy a homestead lifestyle.
Homestead Exemptions
Homestead exemptions can reduce the property tax owed on a home and protect the home from bankruptcy or forced sale. It prevents creditors from forcing you to sell the house to repay debts and protects the spouse by transferring these benefits if the homeowner dies.
The availability of these exemptions and the amount lowered varies by jurisdiction, so research the specific regulations in your area. For example, British Columbia’s Homestead Act does not exempt property from sale for taxes but does protect it from seizure or sale.
Security
A homestead also provides an incredible sense of security, from food to energy to safety. You don’t need to go to the grocery store each week; you have vegetables and fruits growing in your garden and may have your own animal food sources in your backyard.
You don’t have to worry about power outages because you generate your own energy using independent systems that run entirely off-grid. You’re not concerned about safety in the neighbourhood because your distance from others is an additional safety measure.
Pride
Homesteaders enjoy a unique sense of pride in doing everything on their own and requiring very few outside resources. This is especially true for homesteaders who have children because they’re able to provide a good life for their kids through their own hard work.
Less Stress, More Nature
Living on the land brings you close to nature, and 98% of studies show improved mental health outcomes for those who frequently interact with outdoor environments. This leads to lower stress levels than people who live in loud or busy urban or suburban areas. It’s good for the soul when you wake up to the birds chirping, livestock tasks, and a flourishing garden.
Environmentally Conscious
Homesteading can be an incredibly environmentally conscious way to live. From renewable energy systems to reduced waste and agricultural practices, it’s not just the land that supports the people; it’s also a system where the people support the land.
Family Bonding
Homesteading brings families together in a unique way. Instead of going to work and leaving the kids at traditional schooling systems, many homesteaders work from their land and engage in homeschooling.
Part of the children’s education becomes doing chores and caring for the homestead, which teaches essential life skills and allows for profound family connection.
How to Start a Self-Sufficient Homestead
Want to create a homestead yourself? Get ready for a lot of work but an even greater payoff. Here’s your get-started guide:
1. Set Yourself Goals
First, set goals for yourself and your homestead. Do you simply want to live a sustainable lifestyle? Do you hope to run a profitable farm, or are you happy with a basic vegetable garden? How intensely do you want your life to revolve around the homestead? Are you ready for a 180º change, or are you only trying to find small ways to integrate more self-sufficiency?
Only you can determine the unique goals for you and your family.
2. Decide Where to Live
Rural land is the most popular place to create a homestead, but it’s possible in suburban and urban settings. If you don’t want to move, you don’t have to. There are ways to incorporate a homesteading approach no matter where you are. However, if you’re aiming for lots of land, you’ll need to decide where to set up shop before you can do anything else.
3. Make a Budget
The initial costs of creating a homestead can be significant, so create a budget for upfront purchases like land, a home or new construction, plus things like livestock, farm equipment, gardening materials, off-grid utilities, and unforeseen costs.
4. Start Small
You don’t have to dive head-first into the deep end of homesteading. It makes sense to start small. This could mean building a greenhouse, growing a few crops, or even growing herbs indoors. It could also mean using an EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W) or your fireplace to heat your home in the winter instead of using a furnace connected to grid electricity.
Small steps in the right direction can make the transition more manageable if you cannot simultaneously change everything about your lifestyle.
5. Time Management
Time management is crucial. Homesteading often means early mornings and late nights, requiring consistent work. Taking long breaks or days off can create issues within your homesteading ecosystem, so ensure you have the time and resources necessary to maintain this lifestyle.
A family can more efficiently manage the demands of a homestead than just one individual, so consider what help is available to you.
6. Set Up An Energy Source
Unless you intend to live without electricity, you’ll need to decide on an alternative energy system for your homestead. Solar energy is the most popular choice, as modern technological advancements have made solar more affordable and accessible than ever.
The DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station has an impressive expandable capacity of 4-48kWh that you can adjust to meet your personal energy needs. It can’t generate electricity on its own, however. You must pair it with compatible solar panels to turn it into the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W). The DELTA 3 Series Solar Generator (PV160W) is another option for those with smaller homesteads.
7. Start a Garden
A garden will become the base of your food supply, so consider what you can grow in your area that you love to eat. To bring your crops to fruition, you’ll need good soil, seeds, a watering system, and basic gardening knowledge. The homesteading focus on gardening is why many homesteaders enjoy garden and farming gifts.
8. Create a Compost System
A vital part of the self-sufficiency of homesteads is waste disposal since you won’t be able to rely on sewer systems commonly found in cities. A compost system minimizes waste while nourishing your land – a win-win for you and your garden and farm.
9. Learn Homesteading Skills
Homestead also requires self-reliance in other areas, such as building and repairing equipment or certain building aspects, sewing and mending clothes, preserving food, and more. There are countless books on the topic available that can teach you valuable skills you can put to use to run your homestead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homesteading can be both. It depends on what it means to you. For some, it’s an all-encompassing lifestyle of living off the land and self-reliance apart from the systems and resources most people rely on in the modern world. For others, it’s an integration of self-sufficiency into their lives in smaller, more manageable ways.
Final Thoughts
Homesteading is a way of life that attracts people who are interested in independence, self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and a closeness to nature. It can involve living in rural areas on a large plot of land with livestock, a garden, and off-grid power systems or small but significant lifestyle choices from wherever you already live.
Anyone can inch toward a more sustainable, homestead lifestyle by investing in things like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W), a personal garden, and compost systems.