Top 10 Homesteading Resolutions to Make for 2017
Top 10 Homesteading Resolutions to Make for 2017
Are you tired of a full schedule that is void of substance? Do you want more Freedom, Independence and a Self-Sufficient lifestyle? Does Homesteading appeal to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions then it’s time to start your homesteading journey and make these resolutions for the new year.
What is Homesteading?
Homesteading is about reviving old skills, a lifestyle of self-sufficiency, joining others on the journey, sharing your knowledge to pass down for generations, turning away from a consumer culture and finding happiness with less.
Many Homesteaders, rural and urban, practice: Agriculture, Food Preservation, Textile Production, Use Renewable Energy, Preserve Heirloom Vegetables, Raise Livestock and Bees, Composting, Self-sufficient living: re-using, repairing, and recycling items.
Homesteading is not defined by where someone lives, such as the city or the country, but by the lifestyle choices they make.
You don’t have to own a farm or 100 acres to homestead. To work towards a self-sufficient Homesteading lifestyle, you can do it with what you have right where you’re at. The good news? Homesteading is a frugal lifestyle so it can fit any budget.
But where do you start? The answer is somewhere, anywhere but the key is to start.
Scott Terry, from North Country Farmer, said it best when he said today’s homesteading generation is at a disadvantage because we don’t have the knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation teaching us the hands-on skills that we need to sustain ourselves. Now most of us are self-taught from the internet or just trial and error.
In this article of 10 Homesteading resolutions to make for 2017, Homesteaders from all over the country from all different walks of life have shared their knowledge to help get you started towards your Homesteading goals.
Homesteader Resolution to Make #1- Be a Good Steward of the Land
Homesteaders respect the earth and the land, from the dirt to the animals that roam on it. They realize we can get all we need from the land and do their best to take care of it and respect it.
How to be a good steward? Start with the 5 R’s (yes 5- not 3).
- Refuse– Refuse to buy something that has a one time use
- Repurpose– Whatever you do buy, try to find another purpose for it once you are done.
- Reduce- Think twice before buying. Buy reusable gift bags once instead of wrapping paper.
- Reuse- Buy used items that look new. Give your unwanted items to someone that would appreciate them or have a yard sale.
- Recycle- As a last resort, recycle. This should be the last step you take with products you buy. Don’t purchase a convenience product with the mindset “I can recycle it later” . Remember there is no “away” , when people throw “away” it is just being relocated, so do your best at reducing the amount of items you need to relocate.
Ways to Go Green in 20 Easy Steps
The 3 G’s of Kitchen Cleaning by The Coastal Homestead
Clothes Drying Rack: Off-Grid Wherever You Live by The Homestead Lady
Solar Water Heating Basics by Common Sense Homesteading
How and Why to Use Greywater by Survival at Home
Homesteading Resolution to Make #2- Grow Food
From a windowsill to a field, growing food helps create food independence and a sustainable lifestyle. There is something empowering about sowing a seed, nurturing it to ripeness then sitting down with your family to a home-cooked meal.
To help you achieve your food independence, I am sharing articles by Homesteaders who have experience with growing food.
10 Tips Everyone Should Know About Small Space Gardening by Common Sense Homesteading
What You Need to Grow a Successful Vegetable Garden by Untrained Housewife
Planning Your Vegetable Garden: Making a Seed List by Growing a Good Life
New to Gardening- Start Here- 10 Tips for Beginning Gardeners by Common Sense Homesteading
Raised Bed Garden 101 by The Homestead Lady
Pallet Gardens; Simple, Easy and Free by The Coastal Homestead
Vegetable Gardening 101 by Learningandyearning
Getting Started With container Gardening by Survival at Home
Garden Planning When You Aren’t Sure by Grace, Garden and Homestead
Homesteading Resolution to Make #3- Cook From Scratch
I remember back in the day when Home Economics was taught in school; meals involved the whole family and were ate at the dinner table.
Now meal time consists of a drive-through and comes out of a box. Take back your meal time (and your health), one recipe at a time and start cooking from scratch.
The Lost Art of Scratch Cooking by The Organic Prepper
How to Make Mozzarella Cheese by Reformation Acres
Quart Jar Kraut by Little*Big*Harvest
Planning for Seasonal Cooking by Grace Garden and Homestead
Never buy Bread Again- 14 Homemade Bread Recipes by Common Sense Homesteading
How to Make Yogurt The Easy Way by Grace Garden and Homestead
No Knead Dinner Rolls by Little*Big*Harvest
How to Make Butter by Food Renegade
Homesteading Resolution to Make #4- Learn to Preserve Food
Because food is so important for survival, food preservation is one of the oldest methods used by human beings.
When preserving food, you are not just canning or dehydrating food, you are insuring you will eat tomorrow, preserving your harvest, and saving money. To learn more about food preservation, read the articles below, you can also check with your local Extension Service to see if they have any classes available.
How Food Preservation Works by How Stuff Works
Vegetable Dehydrating 101 by Common Sense Homesteading
How to make Yogurt by Grow Forage Cook Ferment
Quart Jar Kraut by Little*Big*Harvest
Food Preservation Techniques by The New Survivalist
Root Cellaring by Mother Earth News
Homesteading Resolution to Make #5- Homeschool
Everyone’s decision to Homeschool is a personal one, and they are all different. Our children have been in public school, private school and homeschool. Each school had it’s advantages and disadvantages, you have to make the right decision for you and your child.
Why I Homeschool by The Homestead Lady
Agrarian Homeschool- Nature Study by North Country Farmer
A Homeschool Planner is Key to Success by Untrained Housewife
Why we Homeschool by Growing in His Grace
Including Faith in Home School Plans by Untrained Housewife
Why We Homeschool Year Round by Growing in His Grace
Homesteading Resolution to Make #6- Buy a Homestead
The American Dream (or Worldwide Dream) to own your own Homestead. The first of the acts, the Homestead Act of 1862, opened up millions of acres. Any adult who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government, could apply. Women, blacks, and immigrants were eligible. The Homestead Acts were several United States federal laws that gave an applicant ownership of land, typically called a “homestead“, at little or no cost.
Now owning your own homestead seems like a fantasy you get to day-dream about on your coffee break at work, but owning a homestead might be more obtainable than you think.
How to Make Money When Living a Self-Sustainable Lifestyle by Frugally Sustainable
Finding Your Homestead by Homestead Honey
Planning Your Homestead by Survival at Home
Where to Find Free Land for Your Homestead by The Frugal Chicken
Purchasing an Existing Homestead by Homestead In The Holler
The Cost of Setting Up a Homestead by Our Simple Life
50 Ways to Homestead No Mater Where You Live by Little Blog on The Homestead
12 Questions to Ask About Homestead Land and a Free Printable by Just Plain Marie
Homesteading Resolution to Make #7- Tools of the Trade
‘It’s not the brush, but the artist”,ever heard that before? While that may be true with art, it doesn’t always ring true with the Homestead. Having the right tool for the job can help save you time and money. Read the suggestions from Homesteaders to start your tool collection.
4 Essential Tools Every Homesteader Should Have by North Country Farmer
10 Homestead Tools You Should Have- They’re Inexpensive by Frugal Chicken
30 Must-Have Items for Every Homestead by One Ash Homestead
The Best Garden Tools to Help Make Gardening Easier by Common Sense Homesteading
10 Hand Tools Every Homesteader Should have by Homestead Dreamer
Homesteading Resolution to Make #8- Add Livestock
Don’t let land stand in your way of owning livestock (although some laws may, so check your local laws before you buy). Provided that your state/county/city allows you to have livestock, there are a lot of animals you can raise for sustainability in a small area.
For instance, we live on just over 1/4 acre and have two milking goats (who are both pregnant-Yippee, baby goats!), 15 chickens, 6 ducks and honey bees. Our livestock provides: fresh milk, cheese, eggs and honey. Other options to consider are pigs, fish, sheep, rabbits, turkeys, guineas, quail, and mini cows- just to name a few.
10 Commandments of Good Animal Husbandry by Life From Scratch
Getting Started with Chickens from The Coastal Homestead
Homestead Rabbits- Getting Started and Finding the Right Breed by Common Sense Homesteading
Raising Rabbits on The Homestead for Beginners by Frugal Chicken
Goats for Sale- 6 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Goats by Common Sense Homesteading
7 Tips for the Novice Pig Farmer by The Flip Flop Barnyard
Planning for Alapacas by Our Simple Homestead
Lessons Learned from a Rabbit Newbie by The Cape Coop
What a Rabbit Needs to Be Healthy by Untrained Housewife
Fall if the Best Time to Raise a Calf by Our Simple Homestead
Beekeeping on a Budget- How to Bee a Frugal Beekeeper by The Coastal Homestead
Buying a Pig- Taking The Self-Sufficient Plunge by Untrained Housewife
Getting Started with Bees and Start-Up cost by The Coastal Homestead
Homesteading Resolution to Make #9- Make it Yourself- Learn a Skill
If you are living on a budget, learning to do things yourself is a vital part of financial survival. Therefore being able to do something yourself without calling a specialist or going to the store is not only empowering but it could also save you thousands. So once you perfect your skill or trade, you could turn it into a money-making opportunity to help support your family.
Beginners Woodworking- 5 Skills You Need to Know by Make Use of
How to Make Your Own Natural Beeswax Candles by DIY Natural
Sewing With Children by Schnider Peeps
Knitting Beginner Cable Coffee Cozy by Idlewild Alaska
How to Crochet by Annie’s Craft Store
Homesteading Resolution to Make #10- Share with Others
If you could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things! That’s what’s at stake here. Not choice. Responsibility.
~Ben Parker
With great knowledge comes great responsibility. So it is our responsibility to share the knowledge we have with others and to pass it down to our youth in order to live an independent (not co-dependent) life.
Homesteaders look out for their neighbor and fellow man; in addition they still have a cup of sugar to borrow; you can call them in the middle of the night when your goat is getting ready to kid; they will pray for you when you ask, and homesteaders will show you how to cook that amazing casserole they made (without leaving out the secret ingredient!).
- Start a 4-H club,
- Offer tours of your homestead
- Teach workshops on how to make bread
- Share your sourdough starter
The Homesteaders Heart Creed
By Tracy, from Our Simple Homestead
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Honor old-fashion skills.
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Live a self-sufficient lifestyle.
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Resist consumerism.
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Be good stewards of the land.
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Reuse, recycle and make do.
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Shop local.
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Share with others.
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Pass on homesteading skills.