What was the number one thing that drew you to homesteading? What is something you always wanted to do, something your dh/so wanted to do or was it something you read about and found interesting?

It had to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, I wanted to be her. My love of a log home, was shared by my husband and we now live in one we built.
Homeschooling is something that interested me, but never thought I would be able to do. As we couldn't have children and as the years went on thought an adoption would ever work out. We do now have children and do have alot of our dreams come true.

It's something I read about and found interesting. Factor many other things into the equation since then and our dream just keeps growing.

Partly as it's the way I grew up--- partly as I'm a product of the 60's-- flower child, back to earth, all that.

hmmm I think it's my grandparents. They were all interesting people and none of them lived high off the hog so to speak so frugality and Victorian era living was taught to me at an early age by people I highly respect.

My parents were no slouches either.

I think I got a healthy dose of self sufficiency, and lessons on frugality, simplicity and living respectfully for the other people on the planet as a sign of respect for God's creation and His provision if that makes sense.:D

For me, I think it was a desire to be self sufficent and to be have a more grounded lifestyle. I love feeling of being able to "do it myself" whether it is growing my own vegtables or making a quilt to warm my family.

I've been thinking about this and the only answer I can come up with is that, "it's always been IN me" I just knew I would.:)

I've always wanted to live a more fulfilling life and not be caught up in the "rat race". I enjoy being with my family, learning new skills and being able to grow lots of our own food.

For us, it's the wanting to live a "conscious" lifestyle. A more simple way of living (not meaning less difficult, mind you). Also, for me personally, I want to live the life that I had when I was a child living in the country. I used to help my Aunt gather the eggs and work in the garden. Every time I read a volume of Foxfire I get so excited!!!

It's kind of goofy but I've mentioned a bit of this & that in this forum but find myself intimidated by this forum.I still am for some silly reason. I remember asking CJ what a homesteader is & feeling like maybe I insulted her the way I asked.:hugz: ( not her answer, just the way I thought at the time, she was wonderful and was very nice in the way she answered me)
I  have such respect for people who do things on their own and although Jack & I do garden and enjoy the basics and teach our kids and self sufficiancy and do everything we can on our own... To me waking up in the morning looking out my window, stepping onto the porch, breathing in the air, and feeling content is the ultimate. I have that, I am lucky beyond belief... am I a homesteader? It probably sounds silly but I think if we have some chickens, I've arrived,lol.
Isn't it goofy someone like me who has been in the Village for so long is intimidated by a word? I know I'm welcome anywhere. Any newbies or oldies ready to take the plunge and just jump on in? We all are welcome and can learn & grow together.:hugz:

What a duffer you are, Darlene! If I'm a homesteader, then you're a homesteader. I think that homesteading is living a life that belongs to us, not to a credit card company, a supermarket or to a bank. Many people live these lives and never seek to go beyond it. You said yourself "Jack & I do garden and enjoy the basics and teach our kids and self sufficiancy and do everything we can on our own... To me waking up in the morning looking out my window, stepping onto the porch, breathing in the air, and feeling content is the ultimate. I have that, I am lucky beyond belief... am I a homesteader?"

Yes! Whatever you call it, and my guess is there are many names for being self reliant, you are there with us and in some ways leading many of us because of your generous spirit and open heart.

Darlene, it doesn't take keeping livestock to make you into a homesteader, it's a state of mind. You can be as self sufficient in a city apartment as you can be in the country or a rural town. It's taking the leap of faith that defines you and then little by little your skills develop and one day you turn around and there you have your own chickens. And then you know you've arrived. :toothy:

HA, I just had to look at the beginning of this thread again to see what the subject is. I'll stop raving now. :angel:

Not sure about the word duffer but thanks for the reply Bethany.Didn't mean to make you rave,lol. Told you I knew it was silly to feel so goofy about it. OK I don't need chickens.;)

Let me start over~ what drew me to homesteading is the feeling of satisfaction we get from doing things for ourselves. Knowing we can get through just about anything together and live well as we do it. :)

I was raised (partually) on a farm with my grandparents and it seemed that all of my life, I was working at getting back to the farm.

One of the main reasons was the way the economy is. I felt that the only way to be sure that I could survive was to be more self-relient. In the past years, this proved to be the best for me.

I also love living in the country. I know (frome experience) that I could never be happy living in a city again.

Susie in MN

I'm a country girl at heart, and knew that all I had to do was get dh out in the country to convince him. We've been on our farm for 2-1/2 years now and he's already a true farmer. We have 6 head of beef cattle and 16 chickens.

I guess part of what's drawn me to this lifestyle is the way I was raised, and part of it is a deep yearning to live a simpler life. There are times I wish we could become 100% self-reliant, but in today's age, I don't think that's practical. I love reading books on the frontier lifestyle, and enjoy learning about more ways to continue my quest.

I was raised in the country and have always been a country girl. Dh and I are also avid do-it-yourselfers, so I can't imagine ever living any other way. I was raised more country and self-reliant than dh but I've managed to totally country-fy him, lol, much to his mother's displeasure :toothy: I could never imagine living in an apartment in NYC, I'd go crazy if I couldn't have grass, trees, a garden, fresh air and sunshine, space, flowers; well you get the idea, lol.

Darlene, duffer=goofball. :reindeer: