Recent Obession ~ Learning about Homesteading

Agriculture, farms, animals, etc have been a passion of mine for a long time and are a big part of who I am.  I was raised on a small family farm (hobby farm or you could call it a homestead) in Georgia.  I can remember as a small child tagging along with family members (i.e. great-grandfather, great uncles) helping feed the cows and picking vegetables in the summer.  My step dad taught agriculture in public school and I would tag along with him while visiting my mom.  I remember he would quiz me over the plants in the fields, livestock in the pastures, and trees while traveling on those South Georgia roads. So, you see agriculture and farming were ingrained in me from childhood. 

One of my show calves.

Once in High School, my interest and passion for agriculture took off.  I took every Ag class I could and became very involved in the FFA program at school.  I consecrated on livestock and forestry.  That passion followed me to college where I earned a degree in Agricultural Education.  I get asked all the time, "So what can you do with a degree like that?" Well what most people do is teach Agricultural in public middle and high schools, however I decided not to go that route, yet anyway.

I have a passion also to take care of my family, to be a homemaker, to be a mother (once that time comes) to the best of my ability so that is what I am doing even though it's only Daniel, Me, and Browning.  I am grateful to have that privilege! 

I have dreamed of having my own farm, a place to put into practice all the knowledge I learned though my years in school and from family members, a place to grow my family and pass on to them that knowledge as well. Since the purchase of land in March, that dream is becoming more of a reality and I am so excited about the possibilities.

Future home site.

I stumbled upon some blogs about homesteading lately and I became very interested.  I have heard of homestead in the sense of the Homestead Act where pioneers were given land to make it sustainable and profitable through agricultural means.  Once they accomplished the task they would be given ownership of the Land.  (I wish obtaining land was like that today instead of costing an arm and leg.)  After some research and reading, I found that as of today "homesteading" applies to anyone who values sustainability and self-sufficiency and strives for it.  It incorporates the growing of one's on food, whether vegetable or animal.  Homesteading is also about using less energy, eating wholesome local food, involving your family in the life of community, and making wiser choices that will improve the quality of life for your family, community, and the environment around you.  So, in a sense Homestead is just another word for the small family farm. 

Homesteading basically describes what Daniel and I want to achieve with our land; going back to the basic of life.  We want to become more self-reliant for our food (healthier food) and other resources while keeping the environment in mind and helping to teach others about the concepts. So I guess you can call Daniel and I homesteaders.  God has given us these desires and is calling us to be good stewards of what we have been given.  "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

For the past year we have been practicing the concepts of homesteading a little but not completely because we kind of limited since we are renting now. 

A few things that we have been doing:
*I recycle.  By recycling, we cut down on the amount of waste we take off to the landfill.  I think it's important to be mindful of the environment and our "carbon footprint."

*Each year our families plants several gardens so we have access to fresh produce in the summer.   Last summer my grandma taught my sister-in-law and I how to can tomatoes and I taught myself how to prepare and freeze corn, squash, and peas. 

Daniel plowing one of the gardens getting it ready for planting.

*Last fall I taught myself how to make jelly from the crabapples that grew on a tree in our yard.  I used the jelly for Christmas presents and we even sold some on eBay.  Which reminds me I still have a lot of juice left frozen that I need to make jelly with!

Jars of Homemade Crabapple & Cinnamon Crabapple Jelly.

*We just got 26 chicks about 2 and half weeks ago so we are going to have our own eggs soon (probably August).

Things I want to try:

*Stop using the dryer so much and start hanging the clothes out on the clothes line.  A great way to save on the power bill and used less energy!

*Buy less process foods and more fresh foods. Example: make french fries by cutting up potatoes instead of buying the frozen french fries in the store. Frozen fries can be so expensive.

*Used less paper products.  Used cloth napkins and dish towels instead of paper napkins and towels. This will cut costs as well.

*Grow a herb garden.  I have never cooked with fresh herbs before. A lot of recipes call for fresh herbs and I always substitute with store-bought dried herbs.

*Probably in the distance future raise dairy goats.  I have an allergy to cows milk and alternatives are so expensive.  So, we have thought about producing out own milk, goat milk that is.

Homesteading is nothing more than a lifestyle.  Like with anything that we do, it's challenging and requires effort but I think the rewards and benefits out way those challenges! This lifestyle will provide us with a more natural and healthy way of life!

For great information about Homesteading and cool ideas visit the Homestead Revival blog.