Transcripts
The Backyard Homestead Guide for Self-Sufficiency. Learn how to have a
Speaker:self-sufficient backyard, grow your own food organically, raise farm animals for
Speaker:sustainable living, and make money. Written by Irwin Cordero, narrated by
Speaker:Russell Newton for Hot-Ghost Productions.
Speaker:In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which gave the
Speaker:average American the opportunity to claim up to 160 acres of land, as long as
Speaker:they agreed to live on it, improve it, and pay a small registration fee. The act
Speaker:gave over 270 million acres to everyday citizens with the promise of living and
Speaker:improving the land.
Speaker:What is homesteading? Homesteading is a lifestyle characterized by the devotion
Speaker:to self-sufficiency, growing and preserving food and generating electricity
Speaker:using solar, wind, or water. Some homesteaders taken a step further and vowed to
Speaker:never use money, preferring to make or barter for all of their needs. Others may
Speaker:take a more cautious approach, and while they want to produce as many resources
Speaker:as possible for themselves and their families, they may be okay with using
Speaker:some money or working a job with the goal of one day becoming fully self-sufficient.
Speaker:As you learn more about this practice, you'll realize that not all homesteaders
Speaker:share the same set of values. There is a diverse group of people who say yes to
Speaker:this way of life. You'll find that there are people who do this because they're
Speaker:just tired of the daily grind of urban living, while some want to prepare for
Speaker:economic hardships. Others enjoy living off the land and watching things grow as
Speaker:they plant, harvest, and then preserve their foods. Whatever your reasons for
Speaker:considering it or learning more about it, one thing's for sure, you've just made a
Speaker:great decision. Homesteading is a humbling experience, an eye-opener to how
Speaker:simple life can be and how small you are within the rest of the world.
Speaker:Off the Grid
Speaker:To quickly explain an off-the-grid lifestyle, it's essential to define a couple of terms.
Speaker:The grid is a term used to refer to the network of utilities and amenities provided
Speaker:to people by municipalities, including electricity, water, and sewage. The term is
Speaker:sometimes expanded to include other services, such as garbage pickup and groceries,
Speaker:though these are not strictly included. Going off the grid refers to a lifestyle choice,
Speaker:where a person sets up their property to take care of their needs, usually,
Speaker:but not always, in a remote or rural area. People who choose an off-grid lifestyle
Speaker:find ways to produce their amenities for themselves, such as using wells, solar power,
Speaker:or propane heaters. Many people who live off the grid also produce some or all of their food
Speaker:onsite by gardening, raising livestock, hunting, trapping, fishing, or foraging.
Speaker:People who live off the grid may also choose to homeschool their children,
Speaker:take household repairs into their own hands, and generally live off the land in a self-sufficient
Speaker:manner. Zero-Waste Sustainability
Speaker:Zero waste is a philosophy of resource management that strives to close the loop
Speaker:by preventing waste from ever occurring or recapturing and using any waste that does occur.
Speaker:Zero waste is one approach to sustainable living. Zero wasters generally extend their
Speaker:philosophy beyond trash disposal and take steps to reduce consumption and reuse, i.e.,
Speaker:upcycling and recycle. Zero waste living is all about being resourceful and reducing waste,
Speaker:while also feeling good about what you have. You don't need to give up nearly as much stuff
Speaker:to live better and reduce your footprint on the earth. By learning how to live a zero-waste
Speaker:lifestyle, you can create less trash and help keep landfill sites from filling up with your garbage.
Speaker:Composting is a natural way to recycle organic matter. Kitchen scraps, leaves, and grass clippings
Speaker:are compostable material that you can turn into extremely valuable organic fertilizers.
Speaker:Anything that grows in the natural world ends up decomposing. Composting your kitchen scraps
Speaker:speeds up the process by creating the ideal conditions and environment for beneficial bacteria,
Speaker:fungi, and insects to do their essential work. What starts as a pile of funky old food can be
Speaker:blended with other organic matter to eventually produce rich and fertile garden soil.
Speaker:Self-sufficiency Self-sufficiency is defined as the capability
Speaker:to provide for oneself without any additional help from others. Self-sufficiency requires a
Speaker:combination of knowledge, skill, and experience. It incorporates growing one's food and meeting
Speaker:other needs such as clothing and shelter. Self-sufficiency is not only the ability to feed
Speaker:oneself by hunting or gathering wild foods, self-sufficiency is not necessarily the ability to
Speaker:live without a doctor or dentist. It's simply being able to provide for oneself with what one has,
Speaker:and it means that people can live a good life doing what our ancestors used to do with little
Speaker:modern-day resources. History of Homesteading The Homestead Act enabled anyone who had never
Speaker:used arms against the U.S. government to apply for 160 acres of land outside the original 13 states.
Speaker:There were a few requirements, including the requirement that the candidate improved the
Speaker:land and worked it for a minimum of five years. If a candidate met all the requirements,
Speaker:they got the land for free. The term homestead refers to an indefinite stretch of land or
Speaker:attract somebody took ownership of through the Homestead Act. The Federal Land Policy and Management
Speaker:Act eliminated Homestead Rights in 1976 for most of the United States with the exemption of Alaska.
Speaker:This still made it possible for people to look for and acquire as much as 80 acres of land
Speaker:for lease or purchase. Alaska eventually stopped offering land also in addition to the fact that
Speaker:no individual actually could secure free land because of the passing of the Federal Land Policy
Speaker:and Management Act of 1976. This act stated that federal land should remain under national ownership,
Speaker:although people were still allowed to Homestead until the late 80s as the government gave a
Speaker:10-year extension to Homesteaders. Today, Homesteading indicates any residence
Speaker:that practices the same precise capabilities situated on those very early Homesteads.
Speaker:These include, but are not limited to, increasing food, maintaining animals, canning, processing,
Speaker:or drying out animal hide which helps create leather or preserves meat, keeping food,
Speaker:developing fundamental furnishings as similar clothing in your home,
Speaker:benefits to the earth. The natural living lifestyle is a very earth-friendly way of life.
Speaker:The Homesteading activities that are part of the lifestyle help promote recycling
Speaker:and living green. One way to reduce your carbon footprint in the world is to reduce your carbon
Speaker:dioxide emissions. The natural living lifestyle can help you do this by reducing your use of
Speaker:gasoline-powered vehicles, improving energy efficiency, and using energy-saving devices
Speaker:such as solar panels and wind turbines. Homesteading is beneficial to the environment
Speaker:because it has low impact. This lifestyle preserves the environment while requiring
Speaker:only a tiny amount of resources in space. The general goal of Homesteading is to live as close
Speaker:to nature as possible. Since Homesteaders work together and often grow their food supplies,
Speaker:they reduce their need for the resources needed for production. For example, you can reduce meat
Speaker:consumption since it is unnecessary to purchase meat from mass-processed industrial farms
Speaker:to obtain the necessary protein for survival. Farm waste can also be composted and returned to
Speaker:the soil as fertilizer. Additionally, pesticides and chemical fertilizers can be removed as they're
Speaker:usually not used to grow and raise food crops. There's an emphasis on conserving resources
Speaker:and energy throughout this lifestyle. These resources conserve materials while preserving energy.
Speaker:Learn how to save money and energy in your household by making small changes in your daily life.
Speaker:Homesteading also promotes a lifestyle where people respect the world around them. They usually
Speaker:work with their surrounding farmland, sheltering their homes from urban influences such as noise and
Speaker:air pollution. Homesteaders tend to live more sustainably by purchasing items such as solar
Speaker:panels, geothermal systems, and biomass or bio-fuel converters that do not require fossil fuels.
Speaker:Homesteaders can gain knowledge and experience while living efficiently and effectively with
Speaker:minimal impact on the environment, which is important for maintaining the world's ecology.
Speaker:This way of life consolidates resources into one place rather than distributing them between
Speaker:many resources. In this way, homesteaders can reduce their energy expenditures as well as lower
Speaker:reliance on traditional utility systems such as electricity and water.
Speaker:These steps could help to slow down global warming and save our planet. Homesteaders can enjoy life
Speaker:more in the countryside since they're not confined to the city. They can live far away from civilization
Speaker:which allows for their independence. This will help them promote a lifestyle where people respect
Speaker:the world around them. Homesteaders primarily work with their surrounding farmland,
Speaker:sheltering their homesteads from urban influences such as noise or air pollution.
Speaker:There are many benefits to homesteading and as we discussed, one such benefit is a reduction
Speaker:in global warming. If we want to live sustainably and we aim to do so, living in a way that limits
Speaker:our needs allows nature to thrive. We can live better and more sustainable lives by choosing
Speaker:this lifestyle. Not only will you have the peace of mind knowing your family has everything they need,
Speaker:but you'll be able to live independently which will also help reduce the harm you do on the earth.
Speaker:How it works? This is just a quick summary of how homesteading works. You'll get a more in-depth
Speaker:discussion as we go further. 1. Know what you need. Before making any commitment,
Speaker:you should spend time understanding homesteading. Consider what your daily activities and
Speaker:responsibilities will be like if you opt to homestead. Taking care of crops and livestock
Speaker:takes time and effort and not everyone is made out for it. If you have a spouse or partner,
Speaker:be sure they're 100% on board and that homesteading is the life you both want. You'll need to sit down
Speaker:and talk about what you want. For example, if your companion despises getting dirty,
Speaker:then homesteading will be difficult for you. Don't make huge homesteading decisions without
Speaker:all the information necessary. 2. Your budget. A well-planned budget is essential for homesteading,
Speaker:especially if you plan to quit working to become self-sufficient. It's crucial not to spend all
Speaker:your savings on land and property because you won't have enough money for renovations, upgrades,
Speaker:equipment or other necessities. You'll also need reserves in case of an emergency such as a furnace
Speaker:breakdown or a family member's illness. It's smart to have different homestead revenue streams.
Speaker:You can sell wool, milk, surplus produce, soap and other crafts.
Speaker:3. What do you want to gain? Sustainable living is still possible
Speaker:without selling everything and moving to the country. You can grow your food, raise hands,
Speaker:and learn to can even in the city. All you need to do is sit down and set goals. Ask yourself,
Speaker:do you want to cut your carbon impact by a specific percentage? Do you want to live
Speaker:off-grid, somewhat off-grid, or entirely off-grid? Do you want to raise livestock, plant trees,
Speaker:or do other things that take up more space? Know what you want to gain from homesteading
Speaker:and keep it in mind. Evaluate your property. If you want to make homesteading your full-time
Speaker:job and way of life, you'll need a lot of area for a huge garden, as well as room for
Speaker:livestock like cows, lambs, or whatever you like. You'll also need to choose parameters for the
Speaker:approximate area you want to live in. Do you want to live in a distant area or near a town?
Speaker:Look for land that is ideal for your homesteading lifestyle. Crops will not grow well in sandy
Speaker:or rocky ground. In the event of an emergency, are you happy with it taking an hour for an
Speaker:ambulance or police to arrive? You may find yourself driving to the post office once a week
Speaker:or walking to your mailbox daily. Avoid taking on too much. You don't need 100 acres or even 10
Speaker:to build your dream homestead. Five acres or even two acres is generally plenty for a single family.
Speaker:Anything greater would be challenging to maintain.
Speaker:Five, test the waters. It's never too early to start planning your dream home,
Speaker:but you can also begin homesteading right now. Homesteading is a way of life, not just a place
Speaker:to live. Homesteading is about doing what feels good. You can set priorities and do things in
Speaker:whatever order that makes sense to you. For those who seek self-sufficiency and electricity,
Speaker:having solar panels installed as soon as possible may be a top priority.
Speaker:Others may not mind paying for gas and electricity, but ethical grounds may drive some people
Speaker:never to raise livestock for egg or meat production.
Speaker:Six, branch out. Homesteading is typically linked with introverts. In reality, many homesteaders
Speaker:are friendly and ready to share their knowledge with others. It can be beneficial to have a
Speaker:homesteading friend who's more knowledgeable than you are at any point in the process because
Speaker:they've likely gone through it all themselves. They'll be able to provide you with more important
Speaker:knowledge about the weather, growth conditions, rules, and more. When everyone tells you that
Speaker:you're impractical, having a friend who shares your values is invaluable. Getting to know other
Speaker:homesteaders is a good idea, from a material point of view too. Suppose you've grown too many
Speaker:peppers and your friend has too many eggs. It's easy to trade for what you want. You may even
Speaker:make long-term trades with other homesteaders for food and commodities you don't wish to produce
Speaker:yourself. Pros and cons. Homesteading may be the best thing you ever do, but there are some advantages
Speaker:and disadvantages to be aware of. However, it'd be a stretch to say that everyone is suited to
Speaker:this lifestyle. The truth is that it might not be the best choice for you. High expectations,
Speaker:a lack of resources, and a general sense of being overwhelmed are all reasons why many
Speaker:individuals fail at homesteading. On the other hand, many people do well because of good planning,
Speaker:taking things one day at a time, and resourcefulness. So, before you commit to it, have a look at this
Speaker:list of benefits and drawbacks. It should assist you in determining whether or not this is for you.
Speaker:Benefits. Flexible starting point. Getting started on homesteading doesn't require acres of land.
Speaker:If you have limited room, start with herbs on a sunny windowsill or a food garden in the backyard.
Speaker:Compost your food leftovers to generate soil for your garden. Start small and work with what you have.
Speaker:You may learn more methods over time, or you may fall in love with the idea of self-sufficiency
Speaker:and decide to move to a farmhouse and property. Maintenance-free lifestyle.
Speaker:Many homesteaders can enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle without the use of gas, electricity,
Speaker:or other resources. There's no end to how self-sufficient you can become through homesteading.
Speaker:It's possible to grow your food, make your own clothing,
Speaker:and even generate your own power using sun, wind, or water.
Speaker:Other homesteaders have chosen to live in urban areas such as a town or city because of the
Speaker:convenience of living in a home with minimal upkeep. Sustainable living.
Speaker:Homesteading offers an environmentally friendly way of living. The majority of homesteaders
Speaker:purchase recycled products made without using toxic chemicals. Those who want to reduce their
Speaker:carbon footprint may choose to plant their own crops and buy only organic or recycled products.
Speaker:Sustainable living does not mean that you can never find yourself using gasoline or other
Speaker:fossil fuels. Many homesteaders still use natural gas, propane, and electricity for their lifestyle.
Speaker:Health Benefits
Speaker:Homesteading can allow you a breath of fresh air literally. Fresh air purifies not only the lungs
Speaker:but also the psyche. Taking a walk will enable you to experience the natural world in a way
Speaker:that you can't in a busy urban environment. Reduced levels of toxic waste in the air will
Speaker:enable it to better absorb the nutrients in the environment around you. One of the most
Speaker:important benefits of living on a homestead is that homesteaders enjoy a healthier lifestyle
Speaker:because they can live off the land and make their own food rather than rely on fast food restaurants
Speaker:or other sources of processed foods. It's also important because it gives them control over their
Speaker:food. Although it may not be as convenient or fast as using your microwave or stove,
Speaker:it is healthier and more beneficial for you in the long run.
Speaker:A lot more people are using wood fires as an alternative way to heat their homes and cook
Speaker:their food. And not only is it cheaper, but it's also better for the environment.
Speaker:Other benefits include homesteading is beneficial to the environment because it promotes a
Speaker:lifestyle where people respect the world around them. Homesteaders work with their surrounding
Speaker:farmland, sheltering their homestead from urban influences such as noise or air pollution.
Speaker:Homesteaders can also live more sustainably by purchasing items such as solar panels and renewable
Speaker:energy systems that do not require the use of fossil fuels. They can also gain knowledge and
Speaker:experience in how to live efficiently and effectively with minimal impact on the environment,
Speaker:which is important for maintaining the world's ecology. This practice is beneficial to the
Speaker:environment because it consolidates resources into one place rather than distributing them
Speaker:throughout many sources. In this way, homesteaders sometimes reduce their energy expenditures.
Speaker:By lowering their reliance on traditional utility systems such as electricity and natural gas
Speaker:pipelines, homesteaders could help to slow down global warming. Disadvantages? Homesteading can
Speaker:be difficult if your dream is to live in a house that runs solely off renewable energy. It can put
Speaker:a financial strain on people who have chosen not to have any employment or income source.
Speaker:In addition, homesteaders are also impacted by the weather. If there's a harsh storm, power
Speaker:losses common during a storm. Living off-grid can help you minimize such problems. However,
Speaker:problems can still occur if transportation or communications systems fail during a storm.
Speaker:Homesteaders also have less access to large stores or malls than their non-homesteading
Speaker:neighbors. They may purchase foods from local farmers, reducing transportation costs.
Speaker:Since homesteaders don't have heat or air conditioning, they have other ways they stay
Speaker:cool or warm in more non-traditional ways. Forced air cooling is sometimes used to prevent mold
Speaker:growth on grain or feed. Passive airflow can reduce temperatures inside buildings
Speaker:without using electricity or fossil fuels. Solar heat collection systems store the sun's
Speaker:energy for later use. Is homesteading for me to answer whether homesteading is right for you?
Speaker:You first need to decide what it is that you want out of life. Do you want to become a
Speaker:self-sufficient farmer and grow all your own food? Or do you want to live a simpler life without having
Speaker:any ties to the modern technology that we're used to today? Do you want to live in the city or the
Speaker:country? Do you want to own land and build your own house or rent an apartment? If you're thinking
Speaker:about moving off-grid as a family, then there are some things that you should take into consideration
Speaker:before making any decisions. One of the biggest issues with families moving off-grid
Speaker:is that it's difficult to find a good job in most areas. Of course, your children will be able to
Speaker:receive good education at home, and you could homeschool them, but what about the rest of their
Speaker:lives? If you move off-grid and then decide that it wasn't for you after all, how will your children
Speaker:continue with their education? Another problem that some families have found when living off-grid
Speaker:is space. If you live in an area where you're unable to grow most of your food, then this means
Speaker:that you'll need to go into town and buy more food every year. In addition, you may need to go into
Speaker:town every month or so to get some of the items you need. This can be time-consuming and costly
Speaker:as you pay several dollars a day for items you need. Depending on your current situation,
Speaker:it may be difficult to move off-grid. If you live in an apartment or do not own land,
Speaker:it would be very hard to move into a homestead. Some people have also found that they need
Speaker:help when they first move into their homes. This can result in loneliness and depression for some
Speaker:if they cannot locate neighbors who are willing to help them out when needed. Additionally,
Speaker:the cost of moving off-grid can be pretty high if you have kids, as was mentioned above.
Speaker:Some families have found that they can move off-grid with a couple of kids. However, as the
Speaker:family size increases, it will become more and more difficult to do so because of the cost
Speaker:and increased need for food and resources, especially when their families are young.
Speaker:What if you could move off-grid with a large family? Would you do it then? If you plan to move
Speaker:yourself and your family off-grid, you must be committed. If you don't have a plan for what
Speaker:will happen when you get there and decide to stop living there, it will be difficult for all of you,
Speaker:whether the children are young or not. Here are a few great places you might want to move to in
Speaker:case you find yourself determined to commit to the lifestyle. One, Iowa. For a self-sufficient
Speaker:homestead, Iowa's agricultural land is ideal. Many of your neighbors will be raising their own food,
Speaker:meaning you'll have a lot of company. Iowa has a low cost of living, but for those who want a
Speaker:more cultural experience, the state is largely flat and dull. The winters are the harshest in
Speaker:the USA, and the state taxes might be fairly costly, depending on your income.
Speaker:Two, Arkansas. Arkansas has a low cost of living and still has affordable land,
Speaker:however the land is scarce due to massive agricultural operations occupying most of
Speaker:it already. The state is ideal for those who love isolation. To get active in local communities,
Speaker:you may be angered by issues like violence, poverty, and bad schools.
Speaker:Three, Oregon. Oregon has one of the highest costs of living and average property values in the country,
Speaker:despite this, Oregon farmland is still quite affordable. Oregon has a significant homesteading
Speaker:culture and over 30,000 small farms. There are several options to help with your homestead,
Speaker:such as farmers markets, free farmer education, and grant programs. In the end,
Speaker:you need to decide what you want from the lifestyle you'll have, otherwise you won't be able to move
Speaker:to and stay in an area where you'll be happy. You should also consider what I mentioned above
Speaker:when making your decision. If homesteading is right for you, I would highly recommend that
Speaker:your family move off-grid as soon as possible and carefully plan how things will work out when they
Speaker:get there. No one said that homesteading was going to be easy, it's not something that everyone can
Speaker:do, but it is possible for those willing to work. It's a way of life, and it doesn't come without
Speaker:its difficulties and challenges. However, with the right amount of preparation and education,
Speaker:homesteading will be beneficial and fun.
Speaker:Homesteading takes planning and careful budgeting to succeed, and you can even make some income
Speaker:while living the kind of life you want. This chapter oversees the principles of planning and
Speaker:budgeting because some tasks take seconds to accomplish while others might take hours of your
Speaker:time. As for skill levels, you'll need to plan for the different skills required for your homesteading
Speaker:activities. You can learn many of these skills from books, but others require more hands-on
Speaker:instruction from an experienced individual. How to budget your time
Speaker:Start by listing what you need to do. Bracket the more time-consuming tasks.
Speaker:Factor in how long these tasks will take versus how much work they'll get you.
Speaker:Consider which task is best suited for which skill set,
Speaker:carpentry, gathering scraps, animal handling, etc.
Speaker:Do whatever task you believe is easiest based on your skill set.
Speaker:This will not only make any skills you had before homesteading much more self-sufficient,
Speaker:but it helps you spot which skill sets need attention and which skill sets need to be honed.
Speaker:An example of this would be starting your garden from scratch. If you have the skills necessary
Speaker:to start a successful garden, you can fully understand how much time you'll need to invest
Speaker:and how much food you'll be able to produce versus how much it costs. In addition to skill
Speaker:development, budgeting is a crucial practice for homesteading.
Speaker:Money management is probably one of the most important things in homesteading that no one
Speaker:ever talks about. It all boils down to one simple thing, how much money you'll need to spend on
Speaker:groceries each month, and where the money will come from each month. The importance of budgeting
Speaker:cannot be stressed enough. If you don't plan out how much money you'll spend each month on
Speaker:groceries, you're going to end up going over budget with no way to compensate for your purchases.
Speaker:Planning for homesteading 1. Using what you have your backyard
Speaker:Often people get caught up in the idea that they need every little tool or gadget for every single
Speaker:thing they plan on doing. This isn't true at all, and is especially untrue for homesteading.
Speaker:Using what you already have is a great way to save money, and a great way to make something out of
Speaker:nothing. However, this will only work if you plan your entire homestead around this concept.
Speaker:Rather than buying every new gadget or tool that comes out on the market,
Speaker:here are a few ideas to think about. 2. Use what you already have and what's just lying around
Speaker:outside. Gather up anything you could use in some form or fashion like wood pallets or milk crates.
Speaker:If you need a wheelbarrow, try making one with an old tire and some scrap wood.
Speaker:If your garden needs some support, use your experience to guide you in making homemade
Speaker:steaks or trellises. Upcycling or reusing materials such as old clothes or broken toys,
Speaker:and turning them into useful household items. If you need a six-inch gap between two signs on your
Speaker:fence, try cutting the top and bottom off an old plastic flower pot. Using garden boxes is one
Speaker:effective way to get more food out of the ground. If you have everything you need right outside your
Speaker:door, then why spend money on something you can make yourself? Not only do you not have to spend
Speaker:your money, it can be fun to put together weird gadgets like this. I'll give you a few examples
Speaker:of things that you can make very inexpensively out of just about anything lying around in your yard.
Speaker:You're using things you have in creating your backyard homestead. Pretty cool, huh?
Speaker:I emphasize using what you have because certain items aren't really homestead related in the same
Speaker:way that things like a garden or soil are. The rule we try to adhere to is this.
Speaker:If it's not food, then it's junk. You can save time and money if you look around your house,
Speaker:backyard, or even in the garbage. We got about half the things we have on this homestead for free
Speaker:by simply asking around and looking in people's trash cans. Many people would be thrilled with
Speaker:someone coming to their house and taking some of their junk away rather than having to load it up
Speaker:at the dump themselves. Don't throw anything away ever. Even if you do plan to buy something new that
Speaker:is exactly like what you want, don't get rid of the old one until you've tried using it for something
Speaker:else first. You may find that a nail gun or even duct tape is all you need to repair your broken
Speaker:objects rather than going out and buying something new. Using what you already have to save money
Speaker:while homesteading doesn't stop at just junk either. It can also include extra rooms in your house,
Speaker:and for all, it's just making do with what you have and making things out of nothing.
Speaker:Using what you have, not buying new things, is an idea that is rich with potential and creativity.
Speaker:It's also very fun to see things that usually go to waste being put to use for your benefit in a
Speaker:creative way. This is a way of thinking that can save you a lot of money and potentially teach you
Speaker:some DIY skills along the way. Try it out and see how many things around your home, yard, or outside
Speaker:you can find it useful instead of tossing them in the trash. Whenever you buy a house and the
Speaker:previous owners have left a little bit of overgrown yard, you should always ask the previous owners
Speaker:what kind of plants were in their garden boxes. If they tell you all you need to do is walk into a
Speaker:store and buy enough lumber to build the garden boxes. If for some reason they don't know what was
Speaker:in their garden boxes, then walk over to your yard or your neighbor's yard and start looking around.
Speaker:There's no way that big box of dirt didn't come from somewhere.
Speaker:Dig up one of these large pots and take it inside so you can analyze it for clues about how it was
Speaker:constructed. Once you find all the clues and have figured out how to make your own, go and build as
Speaker:many of these garden boxes as you can. How to build a garden box in three steps. Choose how big you
Speaker:want it to be. You can have a 16 by 16 by 8 or a full-sized 8 by 8 by 4. Set the corner posts on
Speaker:top of the wallboards. Drill pilot holes and connect all the sides with screws to form a box.
Speaker:If you need to put a bottom to it, drill holes underneath so the excess water drips out when
Speaker:you water your plants. Some people even make multiple levels with their boxes for a larger
Speaker:harvest and you can too, as long as you add a bottom to it that is, it's all up to you and how many
Speaker:boxes you want to build. These garden boxes will cost you almost nothing. Once you have the materials,
Speaker:all you need to pay for is the lumber and it won't be time to build them. This is an amazing
Speaker:way to grow more food at a much lower cost than buying retail produce. You can also store your
Speaker:excess harvest in these garden boxes when you aren't actively growing your plants,
Speaker:which will come in handy during certain times of the year.
Speaker:2. Homesteading from a rental property.
Speaker:Renters have significant obstacles that property owners do not. Despite these obstacles,
Speaker:they still have the potential to redefine what it means to make the best of your position
Speaker:and learn a lot along the way. 2. Core tenants of self-sufficiency.
Speaker:Working with what you have is practical and interpersonal sensitivity and doing root level
Speaker:tasks like vegetable gardening or home improvement work in impermanent surroundings are the key to
Speaker:homesteading for renters. If you don't own your home, your homesteading ability will be mainly
Speaker:determined by the type of lease you have with your landlord. They may be happy to let you
Speaker:build a greenhouse and even plant fruit trees on the property. On the other hand,
Speaker:they may have no desire to have a homesteader in their midst and forbid such activities.
Speaker:If you are allowed to garden and have some growing space, then that can work out nicely.
Speaker:You'll get fresh produce for yourself and save money on groceries.
Speaker:If your landlord does not want this or if there isn't space for it,
Speaker:try container gardening on any porch or balcony space you may have access to.
Speaker:You can ask the landlord to pay for a 4-inch potted plant, which is relatively inexpensive,
Speaker:in a large pot with soil and water. Once the plant is established, you can plant several
Speaker:other small plants in similar containers throughout your house. This will allow you to have fresh herbs
Speaker:in different areas of your home without needing any actual growing space.
Speaker:If you instead choose container gardening, then a balcony or porch can be the perfect
Speaker:area for this activity. The key here is understanding what your landlord will allow.
Speaker:Some of these things may be illegal or simply something that won't work out well.
Speaker:This will limit your choices.
Speaker:3. Apartment Homesteading
Speaker:If you live in an apartment, it's unlikely that space is your only issue. You'll also
Speaker:likely run into problems with ventilation and lighting, and if you don't have any outdoor
Speaker:space, your problems will be amplified. There are still options, however, you will need to get creative.
Speaker:4. Types of Apartment in the US
Speaker:A. Compact Compact apartments don't have too much space, especially space you can waste.
Speaker:Your best bet is to grow indoors using grow lights or a hydroponic pond. You can buy kits for these,
Speaker:so don't panic if that idea is new to you. A studio apartment has a kitchen and a full bathroom.
Speaker:5. Alcove Studio
Speaker:A regular studio with an L-shaped living room partition. This gives the illusion of more
Speaker:space and is ideal for a sleeping area. 6. Convertible Studio
Speaker:A studio large enough to build a wall to create a bedroom.
Speaker:Convertible flex and apartment with enough space for an extra bedroom.
Speaker:7. Loft
Speaker:A large, high-ceiling room. These are usually found in commercial buildings that have been
Speaker:converted to apartments. 8. Extra Room
Speaker:These apartments grant you a bit more space than the compacts. You can maximize this added space
Speaker:by planting crops with similar requirements in one pot. For example, in a pot where a tomato
Speaker:plant is a feature, you can plant sun-loving herbs like basil around it. You can use trellises to
Speaker:train plants to climb upward, and also you can use twine to encourage vining plants to climb walls.
Speaker:Duplex or triplex? Two or three-story apartments. The second or third floor is only for sleeping.
Speaker:7. Junior One Bedroom
Speaker:This is a step up from a studio and usually includes a separate sleeping room or three-fourths of a room.
Speaker:8. Expansion Pack
Speaker:If you live in any of these places, you have a bit more leeway in terms of space. Forget about the
Speaker:amount of floor space you have and instead, think vertically. Vertical gardening is perfect for small
Speaker:spaces. You can fit more in and plants will climb upward to reach the light rather than
Speaker:sprawling across the balcony or making a bid for freedom over the railings.
Speaker:9. Garden Apartment
Speaker:A garden apartment has a backyard and is usually on the ground floor but can also be in the basement.
Speaker:Railroad apartments. These are named for their straight floor plan and are mostly found in older
Speaker:buildings. A long and thin rectangle connects three or four rooms without a hallway. Bedrooms can be
Speaker:side or central. A floor through apartment extends the entire length of a building. If you have a
Speaker:balcony, the corner of a communal courtyard can vastly open up your options. The trick is to be
Speaker:creative. Find a pot and think up. The rooftop up top. Whether you live in an apartment or a house
Speaker:without a yard, you may be able to consider your rooftop as a gardening space. When possible,
Speaker:a rooftop makes a great space for a garden and you get some added energy saving advantages too.
Speaker:Your plants will produce you with both shade and insulation, enabling you to reduce your
Speaker:air conditioning and central heating system expenses. I'd recommend getting your building
Speaker:checked by a structural engineer first to ensure your roof can support a garden. Again,
Speaker:you'll most likely be using containers, so make sure they're light enough for your roof to take.
Speaker:However, if you have a larger flat roof space and fancy a more ambitious project,
Speaker:you could create a green roof. This entails covering the whole space with impervious membrane,
Speaker:then soil, and turning it into a complete garden. The soil will then need to be layered with gravel
Speaker:and a filtering mat, followed by a lightweight compost for growing in. The whole structure will
Speaker:need to provide a secure growing environment for your plants, but it must also be in line with your
Speaker:roof's weight capacity. Although self-sufficiency is your goal, I'd recommend bringing in professionals
Speaker:to set up this kind of space as a garden that negatively impacts your building is the last thing
Speaker:you want. 4. Homesteading in the suburbs
Speaker:A suburban backyard or a backyard in the city can either be a substantial space or a tiny one.
Speaker:You may still be limited to container gardening if your space is very small,
Speaker:but it may be that you can turn an area of your yard to vegetable gardening or install a few raised
Speaker:beds. If you have room for raised beds and want to mix my capacity, I'd recommend looking into
Speaker:Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening Model or Lasagna Gardening, designed by Patricia Lanza.
Speaker:The former relies on compacted planting in a 4x4 raised bed. The latter involves
Speaker:building your growing space in layers that break down over time to fertilize the soil. In either
Speaker:case, you can look into container gardening, including rooftop and vertical gardens. If you're
Speaker:interested in a more rustic approach to urban homesteading that's still largely DIY, a creek bed
Speaker:or roadside ditch may be worth investigating as you can dig down for planting. If you're interested
Speaker:in working with your neighbors, you can create a community gardening project that you all share.
Speaker:If you have enough room for a courtyard garden, it can also be worth exploring.
Speaker:If your yard's small, consider organic and raised bed gardening. This can involve container
Speaker:gardening with potted plants and planting in your yard. It also features permaculture,
Speaker:a design method for sustainable human interaction with the environment.
Speaker:Defining Your Homesteading Goals
Speaker:In setting your goals, it's important to make sure those goals are realistic but challenging.
Speaker:You don't want to set a goal that's so easy you can't accomplish it right away.
Speaker:If you do this, you may get bored or frustrated and lose interest. At the same time,
Speaker:you don't want to set goals that are too hard for you. This will make the process frustrating
Speaker:and discouraging. When creating your list of homesteading goals, here are some things that
Speaker:may be worth including. End Goals
Speaker:This is where your homestead is at the end of everything.
Speaker:If you've been working on your property all along, where are you at?
Speaker:What do you want to achieve? And why have you decided on this goal?
Speaker:Long-term Goals
Speaker:This is what your homestead will look like in the future. How much more can you grow?
Speaker:How do you want the land to be used by its inhabitants? Do you want it to be a place
Speaker:where people vacation, grow food or raise animals? Or do you have another specific
Speaker:goal in mind that isn't shared by everybody else, such as growing coffee?
Speaker:Short-term Goals
Speaker:These are things that can help push your long-term goals if things aren't going well.
Speaker:Homesteading is a mentality. Homesteading is how you approach life each and every day.
Speaker:You'll seek to become more of a participant in what you eat, how you live, and how your
Speaker:presence impacts the earth. This mindset means working to rely more on yourself than others,
Speaker:which is a key factor for success. You must focus on figuring out ways to approach problems and
Speaker:opportunities on your homestead and in life. This is the ability to adapt and shift gears,
Speaker:because these don't always go as planned, and they don't necessarily have to. There will be times
Speaker:when your budget is crushed, livestock dies, and don't even get me started on climate change,
Speaker:and its many impacts on farm practices. Your job is to learn how to bounce back from these
Speaker:challenges, and you cannot achieve success by staying down. Just because things don't go
Speaker:according to plan doesn't mean you'll never succeed. While we like the simple things in life
Speaker:and enjoy going easy, this is not always guaranteed. Given a choice between an easy path to an average
Speaker:life and a more rigorous path to our deepest desires and ultimate happiness, most people will
Speaker:choose the easy path. In other words, people like living on fast foods and will often choose to
Speaker:curl up on their couch to binge Netflix instead of taking a walk to enjoy nature. We have forgotten
Speaker:how to do simple things, and it's such a shame. The good news is that you don't have to live that
Speaker:way. The fact that you're reading this book means you're interested in homesteading. You're ready
Speaker:to start on a more rigorous path to self-sufficiency. Before you can become a homesteader, you must
Speaker:spend some time cultivating your mindset, learning how to do without certain things you might want,
Speaker:like easy access to the internet, fast foods, or even instant entertainment.
Speaker:You must learn to enjoy sitting outdoors to watch the sunset, stare up at the stars at night,
Speaker:or sit by the fireplace on cold nights. When you do these simple things, certain elements in your
Speaker:life begin to change, and you get a dopamine effect of happiness. Perhaps you're thinking,
Speaker:how can I cultivate a homesteading mindset? There's power and simplicity. Remember, the
Speaker:goal here is to be self-sufficient. If you spend too much time trying to make things pretty,
Speaker:the chances are you'll not focus on functional things that will further this goal.
Speaker:Your aim is not to have your homestead featured in better homesteads and gardens magazine,
Speaker:although that's not such a bad thing. Putting too much pressure on yourself to achieve perfection
Speaker:will leave you frustrated and overwhelmed. Let go of any attachments to things that look
Speaker:neat and together so that you can achieve more with homesteading. Remember, the whole point
Speaker:of becoming a homesteader is to be self-sufficient. You want everything around your homestead to
Speaker:be neatly organized without scratching your head about it. You want to provide for the needs of
Speaker:your family from your garden. Set realistic goals. Are you already homesteading? How's it going?
Speaker:Do you feel overwhelmed and frustrated? Chances are you're taking on more than you can reasonably
Speaker:handle. The key to cultivating a homesteading mindset is setting your sights on solid goals
Speaker:every season rather than stretching your efforts too thin. Get a book to document all your projects
Speaker:one week at a time rather than biting off more than you can chew. For instance,
Speaker:week one, determining which animals I can raise. Week two, designing a farmhouse.
Speaker:Ask yourself, am I cut out to be a homesteader? Take time to think hard about starting a
Speaker:homesteading project before deciding to embark on it. You must be ready to put in long hours
Speaker:of tough physical labor. Those who grew up in modern family settings are likely to find that
Speaker:this is a big step to take and it will take time to adjust, but you will eventually get the hang of
Speaker:it and love it. It will be painful and uncomfortable, but the sheer joy of feeding the family and the
Speaker:future is rewarding. Planning better. What is your plan for your homestead? How well is your plan
Speaker:going? When you shift your mindset, you have to revise your plan into something that works.
Speaker:One of the mistakes we make is setting unrealistic goals. To get good results,
Speaker:you must first consider what you already have. Even on a tight budget, you can look for different
Speaker:ways to cut your expenditure. Take inventory of the cattle you rear in your homestead,
Speaker:how much it costs to maintain them, and how much money you make from the milk it gives.
Speaker:If the numbers don't make sense, then cut down and try one. Constantly remind yourself
Speaker:that nothing is cast on stone. What are we saying? Before setting any goals for your homestead,
Speaker:you need to consider your desired outcome. Do you want to be entirely self-sufficient?
Speaker:This would be the stereotypical image of a large homestead with solar panels and homemade food
Speaker:for every meal, possibly a water source or two on the property. Would you rather live with a
Speaker:mindset toward self-sufficiency whenever possible? This involves reusing and repurposing items.
Speaker:Are you striving for a better quality of life that you can achieve through homesteading?
Speaker:This idea is promoted because of the fresher, healthier food and time spent working hard outdoors,
Speaker:among other things. Is it all a hope to teach your kids more responsibility? After all,
Speaker:the work never ends. Your homesteading goals can be even simpler. Maybe you want to raise
Speaker:some chickens and sell the eggs. It might be your passion to raise goats and make goat milk soap
Speaker:for small businesses. You might want to enjoy fresh food from your home garden,
Speaker:eggs from the hens or meat from your livestock. Each of these goals has different needs attached
Speaker:to it and will create different demands of your homestead space. Whatever your goals or outcome,
Speaker:remember that these are personal to you, your setup and your homestead. If you don't have this
Speaker:space for full self-sufficiency or have no interest in it, don't feel pressured to follow
Speaker:that path. Raising sheep to make homemade wool is all well and good, but if you have a wool
Speaker:allergy, that would not be part of your plan. Don't let someone else's idea of homesteading
Speaker:fit into your goals. If you want to start with a simpler goal, such as growing herbs in a small
Speaker:garden plot or window box for a full six months, that is perfectly fine and completely acceptable.
Speaker:Any goal you set should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. In other
Speaker:words, a goal to become self-sustainable is more of a dream than a goal. You would better phrase it as
Speaker:wanting to become self-sustainable within a set number of years. Even better would be starting
Speaker:with small goals to get to that step. If you want to raise chickens for eggs and meat, you need to
Speaker:research chicken care and the laws in your area to determine how many birds if any you're allowed
Speaker:to have. This can lead to the specific time-bound attainable goal of, for example, wanting to have
Speaker:space set up for six baby chicks over the next three months. Some basic goals that beginner
Speaker:homesteaders can set might be designed to lay the groundwork for their homestead, after all,
Speaker:deciding to create it involves many smaller steps and jumping into the deep metaphorical end
Speaker:will not succeed. A new homesteader might decide to learn how to cook from scratch with a smaller
Speaker:goal of cooking a full meal twice a week for a full year. Making your own household products can be
Speaker:another goal towards self-sufficiency. These can be anything from reusing old containers for storage
Speaker:to DIY beauty or cleaning products. Setting goals as a homesteader can seem overwhelming
Speaker:if you try to achieve everything at once. It's better to find a few small goals to start with
Speaker:and sort of ease yourself into a self-sustainable lifestyle. Learning how to sew or finding out
Speaker:how your neighbor raises their chickens can be a small easy first step to move you ever closer
Speaker:to your homesteading dreams. Consider the lifestyle changes that you'll have to make.
Speaker:Homesteaders have to make several lifestyle changes that may be challenging at first.
Speaker:It's necessary to know what these changes are and prepare for them.
Speaker:The priority of things in your life will change when you decide to be a homesteader.
Speaker:When homesteading, your family, animals and plants will take precedence over everything else.
Speaker:Your time will also change. You'll need to give more time to your garden
Speaker:and animals for feeding, watering and taking care of them.
Speaker:You may have to sacrifice some things. When you choose to homestead as a lifestyle,
Speaker:you might have to sacrifice some modern conveniences that you're accustomed to having.
Speaker:You'll have less of a social life than perhaps you're used to because there's so much work involved
Speaker:there that it keeps you busy all the time. Requires time and patience.
Speaker:It's important to give homesteading a try, but it's also necessary to recognize that it takes
Speaker:time, patience and a lot of hard work. You'll have to do several things when homesteading that you
Speaker:don't do regularly. You'll have to make lifestyle changes, change how you think about your family's
Speaker:food needs and how much time you spend with your family. This is about making sacrifices
Speaker:for your family's future. Enjoyable
Speaker:While it's true that homesteading takes a lot of work, it can also be a relaxing and enjoyable
Speaker:experience. Once you know how to live with nature rather than fighting against it,
Speaker:you will be healthier because of it. If you decide to become a homesteader,
Speaker:you won't have to worry about feeding your family fast food all the time
Speaker:because homemade, home-cooked meals will be the norm for you. When your family has vegetables,
Speaker:fruit and foods raised without the use of chemicals or hormones, they won't be much healthier.
Speaker:You'll have fresh air and plenty of sunshine in your life when you live on your piece of land.
Speaker:This is a simple lifestyle that you can enjoy if you're willing to accept all of its challenges.
Speaker:Affordable You may be shocked at how much it costs. Most people think that
Speaker:homesteading requires a lot of money, but this isn't true. It's possible to get started on a
Speaker:very limited budget. You can save up your money and start small so you're not overwhelmed by the
Speaker:cost of building from scratch. It's possible to make homesteading pay for itself. There are ways
Speaker:to homestead so you can make money for your time spent. You can sell what you produce and can even
Speaker:consider selling your skills. For example, you could give lessons on self-defense to women or
Speaker:small children, or you could offer a garden and class for local greenhouse. If you're willing to
Speaker:think outside of the box, there are plenty of ways that you can have a successful homestead
Speaker:and also earn some extra money doing it. It may take up to two years to get started.
Speaker:Suppose you decide to get started with either basic or intensive homesteading. In that case,
Speaker:it'll take up to two years before you're producing enough food and income for yourself and your family.
Speaker:If you want to live off grid, it will take much longer. You'll have to be patient and get ready
Speaker:to learn some new skills while you wait for your homestead to produce income or food.
Speaker:While homesteading can be more work than it's worth, once you get started, you might find that
Speaker:it's enjoyable. It can be a rewarding and healthy lifestyle if you're willing to make some sacrifices
Speaker:for your family's future. When your family lives the simple life of a homesteader,
Speaker:they'll have less stress in their lives and they'll be healthier because of it.
Speaker:Checking with the law. Your homesteading efforts must be aligned with your state or area laws
Speaker:to avoid running into trouble with the police or animal rights organizations.
Speaker:Before we get going, a word of warning. Sometimes the drawback of living in a densely populated
Speaker:area is that laws restrict what you can do. Before you start planning any gardening venture,
Speaker:however small, it's worth checking with your local authority to ensure there are no laws you
Speaker:need to be aware of. Sometimes there are rules about how to water your garden, and you may also
Speaker:run up against laws around composting and the maximum height of plants. The Homestead Act of 1862
Speaker:expanded the Limited Preemption Act of 1841, which were both efforts by Abraham Lincoln to encourage
Speaker:westward migration and settlement. It was signed into law by President Lincoln on May 20, 1862.
Speaker:The original act allowed settlers to purchase 160 acres, one section of land, after they had lived
Speaker:on it for five years, which was later expanded in 1872 to 320 acres, two sections or one quarter
Speaker:square mile. The size of allotments was doubled under the Homestead Act of 1976. Fewer than
Speaker:one percent of homesteaders submitted applications for free lands before 1900, but more than 98 were
Speaker:successful in negotiations with the government. Since 1910, the acreage offering has remained
Speaker:under 300 acres. A total of 780 acres has been offered to a single applicant.
Speaker:An act of Congress in 1936 allowed families to get partial credit for expenses that were already
Speaker:paid for a farm that had been used as collateral against mortgages at banks or credit companies.
Speaker:This law opened up homesteads to many who otherwise would not have purchased them.
Speaker:Make a Homestead Declaration
Speaker:In times of economic trouble, a declaration of homestead is a simple legal document
Speaker:that can assist in protecting your home or property. It has nothing to do with the procedure
Speaker:for submitting a claim for unclaimed government assets. Rather, it's a simple form that can
Speaker:occasionally prevent creditors from seizing your land and home. Homestead rights are not
Speaker:recognized by common law in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho,
Speaker:Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina,
Speaker:North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington,
Speaker:West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. If you own property in one of these states and live there,
Speaker:you should spend the hour or two it takes to submit this final vital document. The cost is
Speaker:little, the forms are simple to complete, typically accessible at stationary stores,
Speaker:and no lawyer is required. The objective of homestead statutes varies from state to state,
Speaker:but they always have the same goal. They are intended to protect family dwellings
Speaker:from being taken away in the event of financial hardship or the death of the household's head.
Speaker:In general, this protection is only accessible if the declaration is lodged before a disaster occurs.
Speaker:A judicial verdict stemming from business losses, traffic accidents, or unexpectedly inherited
Speaker:debts may of course wipe out a family savings. However, the safeguards given by homestead
Speaker:statutes would protect their home and land up to the amount of exception allowed by their state.
Speaker:Furthermore, some debts must be paid whether or not you have a declaration of homestead.
Speaker:For example, if you put your home up as collateral on a loan, the homestead exemption does not apply.
Speaker:Property taxes and special assessments are examples of debts that are not covered.
Speaker:If you don't pay someone you hired to perform renovations on your house or land,
Speaker:he or she might file a mechanics lien against your property and sell it to recover the money.
Speaker:Although the cash value of the homestead exemptions varies, in most places it is updated
Speaker:to keep up with inflation regularly. As a result, as the price of real estate grows,
Speaker:homeowners should continue to encourage their politicians to enhance these exemptions.
Speaker:Fortunately, homestead laws are frequently liberally construed in legal terms. A homestead
Speaker:can't be an apartment if you own it a house, a hut, or even a tent, as long as it is the
Speaker:claimant's bonafide habitation. You might be able to homestead your future home site,
Speaker:even if you haven't constructed a house yet. A 161-acre Texas tract was declared a homestead
Speaker:after the insolvent owner demonstrated construction plans by drilling two wells and planting fruit
Speaker:trees. On guessing, the landowner was camped out on the property to meet the residency requirements.
Speaker:However, each family is only allowed one homestead and must prove good faith in their claim.
Speaker:Summer vacation cabins, for example, have been taken away for debt collection,
Speaker:even though declarations had been filed and accepted. Outbuildings and land used by the
Speaker:family for recreation or as a source of income are usually considered part of the homestead.
Speaker:However, unless they're gardened, logged, or farmed, adjacent lots or parcels next to a
Speaker:residence maintained for idle investment purposes may not qualify. Homestead exemptions
Speaker:often apply solely to married couples and their families. Some states offer a head-of-household
Speaker:exemption that applies to two or more people living together as a family unit if one person
Speaker:supports the others. The survivor and any offspring are covered under the exemption
Speaker:until the survivor dies and the youngest kid reaches the age of majority. The exemption will,
Speaker:of course, expire if you sell the property. Claims can be filed on many residences,
Speaker:but only one at a time. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana,
Speaker:Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming
Speaker:have homestead property tax credits. Property owners can deduct a certain amount from their
Speaker:annual property tax assessments in these states. Suppose you're one of the fortunate people who
Speaker:live in a state that recognizes the declaration of homestead. In that case, you should contact your
Speaker:county clerk or recorder immediately to learn more about the process. The few bucks and time it takes
Speaker:to file the papers are well worth it. It's a simple step that could help you save money and even save
Speaker:your house. Budgeting. While most people fantasize that they can provide everything the family needs
Speaker:without spending a dime, that is not realistic. You must realize that you will have expenses
Speaker:that will cost money, especially during your transition to a self-sufficient homestead.
Speaker:The key is to evaluate how you wish to live. Ask yourself simple questions like,
Speaker:do I enjoy going out and partying? Do I travel a lot? If there are certain things you like doing,
Speaker:you'll need to budget for those extras because you may not be able to have an urban homestead
Speaker:and live some of those outside dreams. Perhaps you're thinking, I can just take a loan to cover
Speaker:these needs? The truth is that borrowing money goes against every principle of self-sufficiency.
Speaker:Homesteading aims at ultimately disengaging from the money economy while working as little
Speaker:as possible for the money. Instead of buying food from the grocery store, you can grow your food
Speaker:in your backyard and exchange it for such things as clothing and other necessities.
Speaker:You want to keep your expenses as low as possible.
Speaker:Realize that humor is everything.
Speaker:Laugh through the tough times. Don't think that you're superior to everyone else.
Speaker:When everything goes wrong, try to get a new perspective.
Speaker:Please don't give up until you reach your goals however long it takes.
Speaker:Think through your plan, adjust your goals and timelines, and start over if necessary.
Speaker:Everything can change, including your plan. The process doesn't have to be a pain.
Speaker:You want to enjoy every little bit of the process towards self-sufficiency.
Speaker:Even though urban homesteading is a lot of hard work, open your heart to it.
Speaker:Even if you're early morning and late nights don't translate to the money in the bank,
Speaker:keep a new perspective. Take a walk in nature to help you shift your mindset.
Speaker:Realize that homestead projects never end. They are constant,
Speaker:and the to-do list will grow longer by the day. Taking many vacations to express your
Speaker:gratitude to the universe for sunshine, family, and every little or big gift
Speaker:will help keep your heart open and remind you of your homestead abundance.
Speaker:Setting the wrong budget.
Speaker:There are some homesteaders who, in their excitement, may have miscalculated their
Speaker:homesteading budget. The common problems that could arise from setting the wrong budget include
Speaker:not being able to buy enough seeds during planting season, inability to cover expenses
Speaker:brought about by emergencies, e.g. human or livestock ailments, and machinery and equipment
Speaker:repairs. Running short on income, especially when you decided to quit your job when you moved.
Speaker:Budgeting ensures that you will be financially secure and free from debt, or at the very
Speaker:least have minimal debt until you can entirely depend on your homestead. Since you'll be learning
Speaker:about income sources later on, what you need to initially do is create a monthly budget.
Speaker:A simple notebook and pen can be your tools, or you can use an excel sheet,
Speaker:or go on the internet and look for apps that you can use to jumpstart your budget planning.
Speaker:Remember that every monthly budget should include the following, recurring bills,
Speaker:upcoming or irregular bills, e.g. quarterly or annual bills, seasonal or large purchases,
Speaker:loans, debt, mortgage, car payments, etc. Set up the spreadsheet or make a chart in a notebook.
Speaker:Some people use tables on a Word document. Next, add all the income streams and deduct the monthly
Speaker:bills. Be sure to indicate the due dates so that you'll not miss them. Be sure to set aside savings,
Speaker:even when you're still paying off some debts. Insert the formula on your excel sheet,
Speaker:or manually calculate the figures. Collect receipts so it'll be easier to compute your
Speaker:expenses. Never rely on your memory alone. It's better to keep records or take a photo using
Speaker:your phone camera each time you make a purchase. Recordkeeping is also not limited to accounting
Speaker:for your income and expenses. You can keep records of the crops you recently planted,
Speaker:livestock, harvested crops, and how much you could preserve.
Speaker:Think of running your homestead as you would a business. You need to be on top of it,
Speaker:no matter what. Never approach it as a mere hobby, because farming is a serious business.
Speaker:Every new project that is added is in essence an investment.
Speaker:Skill Acquisition
Speaker:Several skills may be listed here, and a long list can be overwhelming when you're just starting
Speaker:on your homestead. But not all of these are immediately absolutely essential to your homestead.
Speaker:I'm aware that I'm not very effective when I'm overwhelmed. My objective is to make it
Speaker:as easy as possible for you to start homesteading, because homesteading is a fantastic technique
Speaker:to improve your lifestyle, and breaking down effective plans and goals into smaller parts
Speaker:is very helpful. If you haven't had experience being self-sufficient in the past, don't think
Speaker:you can't establish a homestead and provide your family with healthy, clean food and self-sufficiency.
Speaker:I looked at a few different lists of useful talents to master while I agree with most of the
Speaker:items on most lists. You don't have to learn everything at once. I've chosen six categories
Speaker:that I believe will help you get off to a good start. Concentrate on these six, or any few from
Speaker:a list to help you feel in command. You'll need to learn how to cultivate plants, hunt,
Speaker:and harvest your food. You'll need to know how to find water and bait for fishing.
Speaker:You may even need to know how these techniques were performed in ancient times.
Speaker:You need to know how to build a shelter. You may need to know how to perform many other skills
Speaker:in a post-apocalyptic scenario. You'll need to find or create your fuel for cooking and heating.
Speaker:What about transportation? Do you have any mechanical skills or know how to repair machines?
Speaker:Are you good at making repairs and improvising? It takes a lot of hard work and planning,
Speaker:as well as plenty of common sense. The skills you need for successful backyard homesteading
Speaker:include, but are not limited to, construction skills. This is the skill of creating projects
Speaker:with your materials, usually with your own hands. If you want to build a chicken coop,
Speaker:you need construction skills. This is the skill of building and repairing things. This is not
Speaker:the place to learn how to build a house, but you should be familiar with basic carpentry
Speaker:and how to use simple hand tools. You'll need knowledge of constructing a shelter,
Speaker:like a shed or enclosure, or even basic cabins. You'll want to learn how to create a fence and
Speaker:gate for your animals, and to keep yourself in. One of the most basic construction skills
Speaker:is knowing how to chop wood. While each homesteader has their taste on which type of axe they prefer,
Speaker:there are two basic types, two-handed and one-handed wood axes, knowing how to use both will be
Speaker:necessary, and you'll also need to know how to maintain and store them. If you don't want to
Speaker:buy an axe, perhaps a chainsaw is the way to go. A chainsaw has many uses, but be warned,
Speaker:it can destroy your homestead. Chainsaws are noisy and dangerous, with their high exposure to oil,
Speaker:carbon monoxide, and other gases, to name a few. If you buy a chainsaw or other tool requiring
Speaker:gasoline, you'll need storage for fuel. You'll need a bunker of some sort, with a secure place
Speaker:for your fuel tank and other equipment. This can also be a place for your livestock to stay.
Speaker:The ability to build a fire on many different types of wood is important in homesteading.
Speaker:You'll need to find the correct type of wood for the job at hand, and be able to make fires that
Speaker:burn efficiently, and even make them look pretty. You'll have many uses for a natural gas stove,
Speaker:but first you need to learn how they work. You'll use many tools that everyone outside your family
Speaker:may not know about. A double-edged axe is one example of this category, and chainsaws and other
Speaker:specialized tools are used daily. Some of the other tools you'll find useful on the homestead are
Speaker:shovels and hoes. You'll need to learn how to use these tools effectively, or you could damage
Speaker:your landscape and plant life. Hand tools. Hand tools are used every day and in every environment,
Speaker:from warm to cold, humid to dry. The tool that is used the most often by far is a knife. You may
Speaker:want a couple of knives, from small pocket knives to large hunting knives. Eventually you'll need
Speaker:to learn how to sharpen your knife with an axe sharpening stone, though you can start with an
Speaker:old fine grit stone from a hardware store. Shears are also very useful on the homestead. Fiskars
Speaker:make some of the highest quality shears that you can buy. You'll want to get used to using
Speaker:shears on a variety of materials, including fabric and heavier objects like wire. A small axe is
Speaker:extremely useful for felling trees and creating firewood or other materials you need for your
Speaker:home or homestead. Axes can range greatly in price and design quality from heavy-duty professional
Speaker:axes to cheap axes that break easily. A good axe will be made of high-carbon steel,
Speaker:which doesn't rust as easily and keeps its adds well, but it will be heavier than those made
Speaker:with stainless steel or other light metals. A good hammer is also a tool you'll want to
Speaker:learn how to use. You can buy many different kinds of hammers, and each will have a different
Speaker:purpose. I would recommend investing in a good carpenter's hammer, which is used extensively
Speaker:on the homestead. This one comes with an axe head. I've added an image of the head that came with
Speaker:another carpenter's hammer I own, but this is the same style of head. A screwdriver set is also a
Speaker:great item to pick up and learn how to use, especially if you plan to create your tools
Speaker:for repair or modification. You can use rope for many purposes on the homestead. You can use a rope
Speaker:to tie down animals, fencing, hang up feeders or other items, or even make a hammock from cloth.
Speaker:If you have animals that graze on shrubs or weeds, you'll need a small hand saw with which
Speaker:to cut them down. A simple bow saw is the best tool to start with, as it has no moving parts
Speaker:and is easy to use. Many of the skills that go into modern survival skills were developed over
Speaker:thousands of years of human history and research. We've come a long way since our ancestors first
Speaker:learned to survive in the wilderness. It's very important that you know the basics of survival
Speaker:skills and how to use them before considering a move to a homestead. A basic backyard dweller will
Speaker:be able to perform most of these tasks with little difficulty, but it doesn't mean that you should
Speaker:start hacking away at your trees or construction projects without knowing what you're doing or
Speaker:how to do it well. You don't have to be a professional carpenter, but knowing how to use
Speaker:basic tools is important if you want your home or homestead to survive in the first place.
Speaker:Basic Carpentry A minor issue such as a crooked picket fence does not necessitate
Speaker:contacting a specialist. Knowing basic carpentry abilities will allow you to handle the matter
Speaker:without incurring a large charge. Homesteading and creation go hand in hand, so brush up on
Speaker:your carpenter skills here and get to work. Animal Care
Speaker:Know how to care for your animals and pets so you can create a healthy environment in which
Speaker:to raise them. This includes the knowledge of the proper diet for livestock, feeding schedules,
Speaker:breeding, and handling of wildlife. The Basics of Gardening
Speaker:Are you planting the correct kinds of crops for the climate in your area? Are you also providing
Speaker:ample space for the root vegetables to grow? Will you be able to distinguish and prevent crop
Speaker:diseases? Study the crops that you'll plant and then strategize your planting methods.
Speaker:Tilt the ground, use the windowsills, hang pots, create a fence of edible plants,
Speaker:and use just about every possible piece of the landscape on your homestead
Speaker:to maximize the use of your land. If you live in an apartment, make the most of every available space.
Speaker:Study which plants grow in what parts and which ones can grow side by side.
Speaker:In a nutshell, your gardening skills should include knowing when to plant, the distance
Speaker:necessary between planted seeds, what requires propagating, what should be included in a greenhouse,
Speaker:what pot sizes to use, germination and maturation periods, what pests will ravage your crops,
Speaker:what vegetables work together, when to harvest your crops.
Speaker:Cooking Skills Just as important as growing your food
Speaker:is learning how to cook healthy meals. If you're lying restaurant meals, don't worry,
Speaker:because you can learn this skill. It's crucial to shop for your cooking utensils. The essentials are
Speaker:wooden spoons, stirring spoons, spatulas, measuring cups, and a whisk. You should also invest in pots
Speaker:and pans. Copper would be a nice material for these. Use cast iron as much as you can to make
Speaker:any food taste better. In addition to the benefits of taste, cast iron is a durable
Speaker:cooking tool that you can use for many years. One good paring knife should be enough to begin
Speaker:your cooking lessons. Take the time to read the reviews about each cookbook and purchase cookbooks
Speaker:that are written for beginners. If you don't have tangible copies of cookbooks, you can search for
Speaker:phone apps. Animal Processing Skills The most efficient homesteaders are those who depend on
Speaker:animals. They have horses to ride, dogs that guard their property, chickens that provide meat and eggs,
Speaker:and pigs that eventually become bacon and ham. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online,
Speaker:Animal Husbandry is the controlled cultivation, management, and production of domestic animals,
Speaker:including the enhancement of attributes deemed desirable by humans. Dairy farming, beekeeping,
Speaker:and breeding are all examples of animal husbandry. Learning the basics of butchering will allow you
Speaker:to prepare and cook what you harvest from your homestead property. Understanding how meat is
Speaker:preserved will help make it easier for you to consume meat without processing it at home.
Speaker:If a preserving method has not been used on an item, it should be frozen first if it's perishable,
Speaker:or canned if it's not. House Cleaning Successful homesteading necessitates
Speaker:having a clean and well maintained habitat. With the many chores that need to be done,
Speaker:it's important to have good housekeeping skills. If you don't know how to clean dishes and wash
Speaker:clothes, it's very easy to fall behind from there. It's also possible for chores to be pushed even
Speaker:further if your schedule is not organized in a way that allows for time spent cleaning up after work.
Speaker:So know how to keep your home and yard clean. Vehicle Care Homesteading requires a fair amount
Speaker:of driving from place to place. Knowing how to care for your car is important. It's not uncommon
Speaker:for the main power source on a homestead to be a generator, which can operate on one or more
Speaker:fuel types including propane, diesel fuel, and gasoline. A generator is not only useful in
Speaker:providing power during an outage, but it's also ideal for running equipment such as well pumps and
Speaker:freezers when there's no power available. Generators vary in size, so if you intend on
Speaker:purchasing one for your homestead, make sure it's appropriate for the applications you need.
Speaker:Knitting, crocheting, and cloth mending. The ability to mend your clothing is a skill that gives you
Speaker:more options and allows you to avoid having to go out and buy new clothing when something is torn or
Speaker:broken. The same can be applied to knitting, crochet, and sewing. The creation of handmade items can be
Speaker:extremely rewarding if you have some basic sewing skills. Being able to knit or crochet presents
Speaker:wonderful opportunities for creating unique items that your family can use as gifts or
Speaker:keepsakes on special occasions throughout the year. Birthday, Christmas, etc.
Speaker:Tool care. It is imperative that people properly care for the tools they use on their homestead.
Speaker:If you do not know how to maintain your tools, it can become a huge problem. Tools are very
Speaker:expensive and should be kept in good working order. Knowing the proper way to season a tool
Speaker:will ensure it will work longer and be easier to use. To succeed in this lifestyle, you'll need
Speaker:the ability to think logically, the willingness and ability to take action, and the motivation to
Speaker:want to get there. It's important to learn as much as you can about homesteading so that you don't
Speaker:fall into the trap of thinking it's too much hard work, too difficult, or something that can never
Speaker:work for you. This has been the Backyard Homestead Guide for Self-Sufficiency. Learn how to have a
Speaker:self-sufficient backyard, grow your own food organically, raise farm animals for sustainable
Speaker:living, and make money, written by Irwin Cordero, narrated by Russell Newton for Hot Ghost Productions.
