What does Homesteading mean to you?

**fixer** · 12-29-2008, 12:08 AM

What does it mean to be a homesteader? Is it living in the country, growing all of your food and making all of the things you need? Or, is it a state of mind that someone can have regardless of where or how they live?

QM · 12-29-2008, 12:14 AM

I'm in a city and can honestly say that I don't have the first idea of how to homestead. I can't answer your question, but I look forward to seeing the answers.

To me homesteading is a something like a far away dream that will never come true...being more independent, living in the country, planting and tending a garden, baking everything from scratch, living more like my great-grandparents did. It sounds easy, but because of how I was raised, I'm sure it's not! To me it's a dream and will probably only stay just that.

**madhen** · 12-29-2008, 12:52 AM

I had to go look up the definition of "homesteader" for this one, because I sometimes mix up homesteading with self-sufficiency. Having read the definition of a "homesteader" (apart from the technical definition) as someone who lives a "lifestyle of agrarian self-sufficiency", I think that my idea of a homesteader falls somewhere between your two choices. I don't think you can just "be" a homesteader in your heart, without acting upon it. But I also think that someone who lives in an urban environment can do things to allow themselves to be more ecologically self-sufficient. Many cities have community gardens, and in the years that I lived in the city, I always had potted vegetable and fruit plants tucked in every sunny corner. I think I was a homesteader in my heart, and I was a budding homesteader in reality, and I did all I could to bring that dream to life, despite my restrictive surroundings.

Now that I live out on some property, I believe I am still a homesteader in my heart and mind, and that I am much farther along toward being a homesteader in reality, but that I have not yet achieved a level of skill to label myself a homesteader socially. I have a long way to go. My first baby step is to become totally fruit-independent; ie., not rely on commercial sources and grow enough fruit each year to sustain myself. After that, I hope to become vegetable-independent, at which point I think I would be comfortable calling myself a homesteader without insulting those who have made a complete lifestyle change to accommodate their attempt to live off the land.

**LastDragonfly** · 12-29-2008, 01:10 AM

Originally Posted by madhen

I had to go look up the definition of "homesteader" for this one, because I sometimes mix up homesteading with self-sufficiency. Having read the definition of a "homesteader" (apart from the technical definition) as someone who lives a "lifestyle of agrarian self-sufficiency", I think that my idea of a homesteader falls somewhere between your two choices. I don't think you can just "be" a homesteader in your heart, without acting upon it. But I also think that someone who lives in an urban environment can do things to allow themselves to be more ecologically self-sufficient. Many cities have community gardens, and in the years that I lived in the city, I always had potted vegetable and fruit plants tucked in every sunny corner. I think I was a homesteader in my heart, and I was a budding homesteader in reality, and I did all I could to bring that dream to life, despite my restrictive surroundings.

Now that I live out on some property, I believe I am still a homesteader in my heart and mind, and that I am much farther along toward being a homesteader in reality, but that I have not yet achieved a level of skill to label myself a homesteader socially. I have a long way to go. My first baby step is to become totally fruit-independent; ie., not rely on commercial sources and grow enough fruit each year to sustain myself. After that, I hope to become vegetable-independent, at which point I think I would be comfortable calling myself a homesteader without insulting those who have made a complete lifestyle change to accommodate their attempt to live off the land.

Since most fruits take 1+ years to make fruit, are you working on the vegetable independance at the same time?

I think you could call yourself a homesteader without insulting those that live off the land.

"I" consider you a homesteader.

(ok so gabe doesn't have any chicken smilies does he?)

**LastDragonfly** · 12-29-2008, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by fixer

What does it mean to be a homesteader? Is it living in the country, growing all of your food and making all of the things you need? Or, is it a state of mind that someone can have regardless of where or how they live?

I personally believe it is a combination of both to a certain extent.

I'm not sure anyone can make ALL the things they need. (nails for the house?) etc.

I do believe homesteading is a state of mind also. For me, it's getting back to my roots. It's doing the things that my grandparents and parents did (grow their own food) to a certain extent they did. They made do with what they had--they had no choice. I need making do with what I have--my choice.

Now I don't have a farm, but I live on a property with a LARGE fenced backyard and storage shed. I am currently expanding my garden. My parents live across town and have a beautiful orchard and I have total access to that too.

Of course someday when my elderly parents are gone, I will be able to purchase land and become more self sustaining. In the meantime my "homestead" heart yearns to learn everything I can to prepare me for that time.

What do you think Fixer? Your thoughts?

**madhen** · 12-29-2008, 01:22 AM

Thanks, Misti. I guess because I don't consider myself self-sufficient yet, I don't feel I deserve that title. There are people putting a lot more time and effort into maintaining their agrarian lifestyles than I do. If I quit my job and sold dried herbs for a living, maybe, but I still depend far too much on commercially produced goods to claim to be anything other than a homesteader-wannabe (and gonna-be).

I should have clarified that by being fruit independent, I meant more that I was trying to get my orchards up and running, and that I was concentrating on that before I concentrated on trying to work out a system to grow my own vegetables in any kind of a mass-production way. So, while I grow my sporadic little veggies every year, my scheming and plotting is all directed toward getting fruit production established and going. Once I get that level and reliable, I'll start putting energy into getting larger and permanent asparagus beds put in, digging out new areas to plant larger crops of root veggies, etc.

Along those lines, I watched a show the other day about a couple who have a totally self-sufficient home (which probably cost them about $6 mill to complete - seriously, this thing was beautiful and entirely off-grid), and one of the things they have is a budding olive tree orchard. Their trees are only about 2.5 years old and already give them enough olive oil to sustain them. So now I'm contemplating putting in olives, as well.

I have thought about it before, but can't find trees for less than about $50 each!

**IntlMom** · 12-29-2008, 01:34 AM

In the "olden days" my family homesteaded in northern Maine. At the time, it meant claiming a peice of ground, building a home on it and working the land to produce a crop for sale to support their family. Now, homesteading to me, is still working the land, but it has a sense of working the land for a feeling of satisfaction. Some ppl would be satisfied with self sufficency from their land, while others want to generate a profit from their land.....it's whatever gives you the satisfaction from "working your land" (however big or small)

**homesteadmamma** · 12-29-2008, 10:16 AM

For me homesteading is a state of mind more than anything else. Our family strives to be self-sufficient and God reliant. We live in an urban setting, albeit a small one. My great grandmother was a true homesteader. She came here from the old country, building a home and living off the land totally. They had no money because the money was spent on coming to a new land. So they had to live as a homesteader. Although we aren't the "true" homesteader, we live off the land as much as we can, do as many things for ourselves as we possibly can and continually work at learning new skills.

Will we ever be totally self-sufficient. I don't think in our day and age we can, although the Amish and the Hutterites come in pretty close. We have close friends in the Hutterite colonies and find their way of life to be very self-sufficient. Yet when they build a new building, they still need to bring in cement or steel beams for that building. They grow all their own food, (veggies, fruit and meat), yet they still need to purchase toilet paper. (Yes they could use cloth or an old catalog or two if they so chose). Yet they classify themselves as homesteaders.

I don't think just because you own land you can classify yourself as a homesteader. We have HUGE farms where we live, thousands of acres each. Yet they don't grow their own food, they don't live a self-sufficient lifestyle, all they do is farm their land in the summer and holiday down south in the winter. However they own land. Are they homesteaders - I don't think so. They farm to make a living and that's okay, yet to classify them as homesteaders because they have land doesn't make sense to me.

**fixer** · 12-29-2008, 10:59 AM

What brought this topic to me was the question of "Am I a Homesteader?" I too think of the people who settled raw, untamed land and eked out an existence. Even though our property took many years to get where we are, I just have too much respect for the original homesteaders to call myself one. I do believe that their mentality can be shared. My father was born and raised in a one-room house with dirt floors. He talks about how if they did not raise it, they did not eat it. There was a since of community where people helped each other through tough times. This forum is an example of this, albeit a twenty-first century adaptation. I think self-reliance is the biggest trait I take from homesteading. For their part is was not a choice, but for us it is. As long as people carve out an existence in tough conditions, homesteading will be alive and well..

**57plymouth** · 12-29-2008, 11:32 AM

To me, a homesteader is anyone that grows as much produce and/or meat as he can, regardless of property size. Preserves or sells as much of it as they can. Limit their dependence on ready made items such as convenience foods and cleaning agents. Relies on utility and durability of their "stuff" rather than gimicky fads.

Maximize the utility of every penny, and stretch every dollar to it's breaking point.

But that's just me.

**Debbie-cat** · 12-29-2008, 03:16 PM

A believe a homesteader is someone who is self-sufficent as much as their surroundings allow them (in the city for example). I believe a homesteader is one who reuses, reduces and recycles everything possible. In the old wild west (pioneers) they used every part of everything they had.

There is a very low probabilty that anyone could live like the pioneers did therefore the true homesteader title is one that has changed over time due to technology and advancement.

Looking at all the posts on FV, I believe that most people wish to not only live a frugal lifestyle but be homesteaders in their own way and I applaud each and every one of you!

**peanut** · 01-01-2009, 07:53 PM

I've been struggling with the difference between self-sufficiency and homesteading ever since the new challenges appeared at FV. I signed up for both of them and then wondered "what's the difference?" It was confirmed for me when I found the same things coming to mind to learn/do this year in both challenges.

So...I looked it up...in the Oxford Dictionary

self-sufficiency = needing nothing, independent, able to supply one's needs from one's own resources.

homestead = a house, esp. a farmhouse, and outbuildings. Homesteader n. (noun).

Hmm...that would indicate a homesteader to be someone connected to the land...not a very good definition. Let's see what Random House Unabridged says...

homesteader = the owner or holder of a homestead

Okay. I guess I'm just into self-sufficiency. I can't technically call myself a homesteader. That is reserved for people who are on the land under the Homestead Act in the US and Canada apparently.

However, I've noticed a tendency to be more general on these boards. I am certainly setting up my little piece of urban land to be more self-sufficient. But there are limits here...we're inner city. Not much livestock happening here! And I'm not sure we'd be allowed to go off the grid even if we wanted to.

Thanks for posting this and getting me to check it out. Now I know...

Jean

**Patty A** · 01-02-2009, 12:29 PM

To me homesteading is a state of mind...... that being said I don't think it matters if you live in the city and rent, or if you live on 40 acres of farm land and grow everything. Homesteading no matter what your surroundings is what ever gets you back to the REAL world. Its a state of awareness, actions, a state of being. Turning away from all the consumerness of owning everything....big cars, big houses and oweing your life to banks, businesses, and credit. Turning away from indebtness, stress, overworked, never enough, keeping up with the Jones even if it costs you your life in the pursuit of "the American Dream" in order to have......

To me the real meaning of "homesteading" is making do with what you have, making the best of how things are and learning what is really important. Things that money can't buy! Love, friendship, family, the real important things in life that a dollar can't get for you.
Homesteading has many different meanings for many different people, its letting go of "having" and allowing you to really live the life you want. Its having time to spend with family, instead of time spent at work to make the payments..... Its the reward you get when you try something new and learn you CAN do it! Its pride in the small accomplishments and the confididence that comes with providing for your family and yourself!

Homesteading is a powerful force in that it is whatever YOU want it to be......its whatever you make it, whatever meaning you want it to have. Its not where you live, its not being totally independent.
Homesteading can have what ever meaning your life wants to give it.
It is a state of mind, and a way of life.......your life, your meaning!

**peanut** · 01-02-2009, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Patty A

To me homesteading is a state of mind...... that being said I don't think it matters if you live in the city and rent, or if you live on 40 acres of farm land and grow everything. Homesteading no matter what your surroundings is what ever gets you back to the REAL world. Its a state of awareness, actions, a state of being. Turning away from all the consumerness of owning everything....big cars, big houses and oweing your life to banks, businesses, and credit. Turning away from indebtness, stress, overworked, never enough, keeping up with the Jones even if it costs you your life in the pursuit of "the American Dream" in order to have......

To me the real meaning of "homesteading" is making do with what you have, making the best of how things are and learning what is really important. Things that money can't buy! Love, friendship, family, the real important things in life that a dollar can't get for you.
Homesteading has many different meanings for many different people, its letting go of "having" and allowing you to really live the life you want. Its having time to spend with family, instead of time spent at work to make the payments..... Its the reward you get when you try something new and learn you CAN do it! Its pride in the small accomplishments and the confididence that comes with providing for your family and yourself!

Homesteading is a powerful force in that it is whatever YOU want it to be......its whatever you make it, whatever meaning you want it to have. Its not where you live, its not being totally independent.
Homesteading can have what ever meaning your life wants to give it.
It is a state of mind, and a way of life.......your life, your meaning!

This sounds like a good description of simple living to me. You know, I think this thread is confusing me...guess I'll go back in my hole now.

Jean

**Minner77** · 01-03-2009, 09:08 PM

Thanks to you all for the food for thought: I've been feasting on it!

For me, I've not gone with a technical definition of homesteading; I've likened it more to self-sufficiency, to finding my own place in this world and struggling (this is for me -- I know it hasn't been such a struggle for all of you) to find ways to make that place my own and to be able to fend for my family come what may. This has meant moving from a large metro area to much smaller, more rural area, from suburbia to a piece of land. It's meant endless research about gardening and canning and environmentalism and conservancy and being good stewards of our resources and learning to live a more simple, more purposeful life. (This included the careful construction of our home, which is incredibly energy efficient.)

It's meant discovering our connection to land, food, and community and respecting, admiring, and striving to learn the great wisdom of those who already live as we desire to. (My DH and I are academically well-educated, but are keenly aware of how little we know about this great adventure.)