Homesteading? Me? No, absolutely not me.
May 14, 2008 by Suzanne
Are you crazy?
Or smarter than the rest of us?
I didn’t start out down the crazy-path willingly. It’s come a little at a time.
Okay, to be brutally honest, my dad did always say that I was born in the wrong time – that I’d have made a good “flower child.” And there was that time that my sister-in-law called me a hippie – to which I vehemently replied (at least in my head) “I most certainly am NOT!”
Until I read the definition:
Hippie: –noun
a person, esp. of the late 1960s, who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love, and expanded consciousness, often expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing and of beads, headbands, used garments, etc.
Also, hippy.
Compare flower child.
Taken from: American Psychological Association (APA):
hippie.
(n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved May 07, 2008, from
Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hippie
Oh. “…rejected established institutions and values…” “…sought spontaneity…” “…expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing…used garments…”
I repeat, oh.
Yeah… That would be me. Who knew?
But I thought my crazy leanings only encompassed those silly braids, bandanas, and goofy t-shirts.
Until I had kids. “You mean I’m supposed to put them in daycare at 6 weeks old? Um, I don’t think I can do that.” “Still breastfeeding at 13 months? Uh, yes I am. Is that weird?” “Yeah, I’m really having my 4th child and my oldest is 6, you mean you don’t want any more kids? Are you sure I’m the strange one?” “Yeah, we tried school and hated it, so we’re homeschooling. No, I’m not kidding.”
So it shouldn’t be that big of a surprise for me to be looking into homesteading. But it is. Really. I’m so in denial. It started out as researching how to save money since all these children are starting to really eat, not just nibble at their hot dogs anymore. I mean really eat. That grocery bill’s only goin’ to keep climbin’. So I guess we better get intentional about our shopping. And cooking. Suddenly I’m being wooed by other people’s pantries that are full of those shining glass jars that hold such goodies all year ’round. Not to mention, they usually come from their own hard working of their own land. Oh, homesteading life, why must you be whispering my name so invitingly? My mind turns to daydreaming all too often these days. “If I just had some chickens, I could have eggs.” “Mmm.. Honey… we could have our very own honey!” “If I just had some fruit trees, oh the applesauce we could make.” “If I just had some veggies, and, oh, OH, herbs! Wouldn’t herbs be just delightful?”
Each time I open my processed-laden cabinets, I pine for items that are the fruits of my labor. And somehow, I think I would rather labor over a hot stove than to labor over a buggy full of cranky children, in a cranky store, with lots of other cranky shoppers, only to come home, unloading my overpriced goods, and sulk in my own crankiness.
So to the frugal sites I came skipping along, looking forward to such wonderful tips. And I found, as I began looking at all these resources the word “homesteading” kept coming up. Homesteading? But that’s just for those really out there weird people. Right?
Uh, hello? Person in the mirror, just what do you think you are? Normal? Really, now.
So, I looked up “homesteading”:
At Christian Homesteaders Association they list a few of the Christian Homesteader’s attributes as:
…They usually live in the country, although there are urban homesteaders.
…They grow some of their own food.
…They are financially responsible, choosing to work their way out of debt.
…They homeschool their children.
…They embrace new alternative energy technologies like solar and wind power.
…They depend less upon government and more upon themselves.
New Harvest Homestead puts it this way,”…we have come to embrace the literal meaning of the word which, simply put, means to be ’steadfast at home’. We want to encourage and assist Christians in rediscovering the practical skills and home arts which were once commonplace in our culture, but have been all but lost to the last couple of generations. We especially want to encourage women who want to give the majority of their time and energy to their families and homes, in contrast to a culture where women are constantly on the go.”
Well, if that’s weird, then count me in. I wanna be as weird as the next homesteader. Bring it on. I have lofty goals, people, I want to buy a deep freeze. And I plan to learn to “can” this summer. Not my own food, mind you, I have no garden and can’t keep simple flowers alive, but someday… Ah, far off, utopian someday… I’m aware that I’m startin’ small, but at least I’m startin’. So, think I’m weird, if you must. That’s okay with me. I don’t mind. But while you’re out there poking around in the cyber-garden, if you come across some great resources for this hush-hush term I’d just love it if you passed them along to me!
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Lori Seaborg on Wed, 14th May 2008 4:59 am
I LOVE homesteading stuff, but always with a high tech, modern twist, because I’m soooo not going back to pre-internet days! It tickles me that we can learn so many old-fashioned ways through very modern technology.
It’s good to move slowly into it — I think that’s the only way to make it a way of life instead of a passing phase.
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Marsha on Wed, 14th May 2008 5:26 am
Oh Suzanne, you totally crack me up!
Ahem, as to tips for… y’know… canning stuff that you didn’t grow… check out the local pick-your-own farms for berries and all kinds of fruity goodness that is coming into season. Here in TX, the coming of June means fresh blueberries. So we picks tons to freeze, bake and this year… I hope to make JAM.
So I’m right there with ya sister! Except I really despise pulling weeds. Not good when you want a garden.
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nannyjayne on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:02 pm
You mean there is a term for this?!? LOL I grew up in love with the Mennonite and Amish ways of living – sustaining themselves off the land and each other. We try to do what we can, but in a constantly-moving military family, it gets tricky. Can’t wait to get out and settled and into our OWN routine!
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WendyJanelle on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:07 pm
very neat! Thanks for enlightening me. I was off on my definitions!
You are inspiring…
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Andrea on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:09 pm
Wow! You sound like me! Even my husband thinks I’m a bit weird. In fact, I sent him this link to read your post to show him that I’m not the only one who thinks like this.
~Andrea
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Sarah on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:12 pm
Fantastic post! Reminds me when a friend of mine told me a couple of years ago that I was such a crunchy granola-head. I bristled and told her that I USED to be a granola-head but wasn’t anymore. I was trying to, at that time, be more like the other women at church: trendy and hip. So, boy! I’m glad now that being crunchy is *in*, because that is so more me.
Seriously, though, *Crunchy Cons* was such an awesome, pivotal book for me–reminding me of basic ideals I’d espoused as a young wife but had sometimes relegated to “tiresome” in my 30s.
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Brumbemom on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:14 pm
Great post! Sometimes,when we are watching those “Little House” movies, I find myself longing for those days, but then I come back to real life and appreciate my computer, washing machine, microwave, etc. I think finding a slower pace without losing the amenities would be wonderful! Is it out there?!?
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suzanne on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:20 pm
lori- definitely with the modern technology! i couldn’t start this without it!
marsha- yes! yes! yes! i’m heading out next week to our local farmer’s market!!
nannyjayne- i love it too – when my parents went to pennsylvania a couple of years ago – i was so jealous!!
wendyjanelle- i LOVE seeing you here! thanks for letting me know you’re here!
andrea- yeah, my husband thinks i’m weird too. that’s why i’m planning on doing herbs on the counter! maybe with some money saved he’ll join me in the weirdness!!
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rural momma on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:32 pm
In this day and age of financial instability, I think anything that someone can do on their own is a step in the right direction. :0) I suggest starting small and then once you are comfortable move onto another thing. I also suggest not only learning from others, but also sharing what have learned with others. :0) We all are in different places and can learn a lot from each other.
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Anonymous on Wed, 14th May 2008 12:45 pm
There is a great site on urban homesteading called http://www.pathtofreedom.com They grow almost all thier food on 1/10-1/5th of an acre. THey do live in Pasedena where they can do this but it is still a really eye opening site. And they are trying hard to advocate the urban homesteading lifestyle. I just got a bood for Mother’s Day call “Four Season Harvest” by Eliot Coleman. He grows seasonal food all year long with out fancy heated green houses. I am hoping to do as he does this winter.
Thank you for the post. Sometimes we don’t know what is in us until God kicks us in the pants and tells us to get going. You can also look into Community Sustained Agriculture farms where you can by a share and then get vegetables throught the summer. A great way to support local farmers and reduce the cost of your food especially with gas and food going up. Go with what God has put on your heart ladies and He will fill in the rest.
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Stacy on Wed, 14th May 2008 1:12 pm
LOL!! I thought you were writing about me for a second there!
My mom taught me how to can my own veggies, and make jellies. I was very fortunate to grow up in a family that did all this. To this day we still work together-we can’t grow green beans on our sandy soil so my parents grow ‘em, and I can them for all of us. We share the tomatoes we can together, and just last year we canned a variety of hot peppers for the first time-YUMMY! I go to a local blueberry patch to pick our own (the kids love this as they can eat as many as they pick!) Making jelly is EASY! I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about any of these processes!
georgesdaisygirl@charter.net
Stacy
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Angela on Wed, 14th May 2008 1:37 pm
Mmmmmm…. I love the thought of fresh jams. We have done apple butter and strawberry jam, but want to try and can black beans. (I have a friend who does that.) As one who also had child #4 when the oldest was almost 6 I can sooo relate to the climbing grocery bills.
Great article!!!
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Christy on Wed, 14th May 2008 2:17 pm
urban homesteading? now, i’m interested. the poa won’t let us have chickens, though.
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suzanne on Wed, 14th May 2008 3:12 pm
wow! ladies – can’t believe ther are so many of us out there!
2 more of you commented while i was replying to the first 5!
sarah- “crunchy granola” sounds much yummier than hippie!
brumbemom- i long for it too, when i watch those. i think there is a balance – and i’m gonna find it, doggone it!
rural momma- i SO agree! i will definitely learn from y’all and will pass what i learn on to others!
anonymous- thanks so much for the great website – i can’t wait to learn from them!
stacy- so cool! my mom canned when i was growing up, but alas, i didn’t pay attention. now, maybe i will! and i may take you up on any questions i have – thanks for the offer.
angela- i’m a goofball – i didn’t realize you had kiddos that were around the same ages apart as mine. i need you as a mentor!
christy- yeah, not sure about chickens yet myself. but we’ll see, maybe i could handle a little chicken poop for some fresh eggs. i don’t know!
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schpleiver on Wed, 14th May 2008 3:43 pm
Oh, I am sooo with you! My husband thinks it is so funny – but I am looking into how to get us some chickens and keep them safely in suburbia – oh fresh eggs – mmmmm! And the fresh honey – yes I want to do that. I’m started small on the gardening thing – since I kill every plant I get – I’ve got strawberries growing this year and we have pruned our apple and plum trees hoping to get real fruit this year. I can’t believe the girl who grew up in the philly suburbs, and hung out at the mall every weekend is now I am leaning this way. My husband has always said that my clothes tend toward hippie. I have been in denial too, but you’ve opened my eyes to who I really am becoming. Ain’t it great?!
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Jessica on Wed, 14th May 2008 6:22 pm
Great resources! & great ideas!
You are right. There is nothing like eggs fresh from the hen house & honey from the neighbor’s bees. Tomatoes from the farmer’s market. (all today, I did that incidentally) How apropos was this post?!
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Brenda on Wed, 14th May 2008 7:04 pm
This was hilarious! Oh, how I used to talk about the people who did the “weird” things I now find myself doing…….
it’s almost funny.
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Megan on Wed, 14th May 2008 7:38 pm
uh oh. i think i might be weird too! it sounds oddly appealing to me as well.
i recommend checking out square-foot gardening:
WHAT IS SQUARE FOOT GARDENING?
Square Foot Gardening is a technique of intensive planting developed by a retired civil engineer, Mel Bartholomew, in the 1970’s. Mel describes the technique in his book, Square Foot Gardening, as “a system of laying out, planting, and maintaining a productive, attractive garden in any amount of space. The garden is based on a grid of 1-foot by 1-foot squares, with single seeds or plants placed in carefully determined spacings.” Mel goes on to say, “The square foot system lets you make the most of your garden space to conserve the amount of water, soil conditioners, and labor needed to produce a maximum amount of food in that space. A square foot garden takes only one-fifth the space and work of a conventional single-row garden to produce the same harvest.”
http://www.squarefootgardening.com
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suzanne on Wed, 14th May 2008 8:09 pm
schpleiver- yeah, i’m lovin’ it too! (and i kill absolutely every plant i have too!)
jessica- we need to live next door to each other if you did all that today!!
brenda- yeah, my words are a requent diet of mine now. when will i learn to not judge?
megan- thanks for letting me know you visited here!! and i can’t wait to check out the square foot gardening.
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Tristan on Wed, 14th May 2008 8:28 pm
Oooh! Love this post! I am a young mom who has been pregnant 6 times in 7 years of marriage(yup, we have fun!). Of those, we have two babies in heaven and four here with us, the oldest is 6, then 3, 2, and 7 mos.
We do all the crazy things I never imagined, cloth diaper, make our own baby food, homeschool, bake our bread from scratch, etc. And just a few minutes ago we went out to check our Square Foot Garden (4ft x 16ft) to discover that food is growing. Whoo hoo! It is our first garden and I was introduced to SFGing when my parents did it in my childhood. I highly recommend Square Foot Gardening! We live in town and it fits great.
As for the chickens, I’ll pass. My 3yo is deathly allergic to eggs! But I really want a few goats.
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lori on Wed, 14th May 2008 11:04 pm
ALright….THAT seals the DEAL…we ARE moving in next door…I mean next homestead….I WANT to learn to can food too!!!
WHat a great post!! My only worry is if I’m patient enough…maybe God is trying to teach me SOMETHING!!
HOMESTEADING…I’m gonna go tell my man!:)
keep an eye out for the moving van!!
blessings!
lori
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Maury on Thu, 15th May 2008 2:22 am
I haven’t even told you that Clay and I have had SEVERAL conversations about this lately. Ever since we went to my grandmother’s on the way back from our vacation. She lives on an old farm….and on the way home I was telling Clay that I wish my grandmother could teach me how she made pickles and all other kind of canned stuff. She had a HUGE garden! And we are SO ready to move out to the boonies too!
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Leisha on Thu, 15th May 2008 4:04 am
WOW – This is marvelous – you know we are called to be peculiar people – why not really do it right? I am so thrilled to see that I am not the only weird city dweller dreaming of escape!! ANd funny thing – just this week a friend called me a hippie and I pretended to be offended – LOL
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suzanne on Thu, 15th May 2008 12:35 pm
tristan- it’s encouraging to me that you actually have plants growing! maybe i could do it.
lori- come on! there’s a lot for sale across the street!
maury- thanks for commentin’ here, girl! and no way, on the gardening/canning thing! maybe we can make a party and a lapbook out of it!!
leisha- you are by far not the only weird one!! join the party!
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Kysha on Thu, 15th May 2008 1:12 pm
Great post, Suzanne! I never thought I was weird. My great grandmothers and grandmothers have done this for ages. My Dad’s mom had 14 children and my father in laws mom has 12. They had homesteading down to the art. I actually view the rest of the world as weird because they’re not following along. Ha! Hey here’s the site that Marsha was mentioning.
http://www.pickyourown.org
and another great one
http://www.homecanning.com
I haven’t tried the canning myself because my husband’s grandmother still can’s for us every summer. She makes the most awesome jams! But I am trying to learn how to bake bread so maybe I will dab in the jams too. Happy Homesteading!
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Christina on Thu, 15th May 2008 3:00 pm
I got to tell ya, my hubby’s grandparents have a 40 acre farm and there is nothing better than a weekend there!
Maybe… someday… we’ll be able to follow in their footsteps!
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Julie on Thu, 15th May 2008 3:01 pm
Suzane, I loved your post. You have a way with words!
I moved up to the North Georgia mountains last year where it seems EVERYONE has a garden or cans except me. OK, well not EVERYONE.
I don’t have the yard or the soil for gardening right now, though I’d love it. And the deer are all around my n’hood, so even if I planted it there’s no guarantee I’d get to eat it.
So I made my first step. I bought 70 canning jars from a friend. I hope to can this summer. We have a cannery up here. They do it all for you. You go there and take all your “wares” and they “seal the deal”…..
I guess I’m hoping to start my homesteading this year!
Thanks for your beautiful post!
Hugs,
Julie
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Sonshine4u on Thu, 15th May 2008 9:48 pm
Ever since I moved to the “city” people have always called me granola girl and earthy. I never really saw myself as that..but when I realized that I was the only person wearing farmer overalls (with the pinstripes mind you – “BIG SMITH”) in a 30 mile radius on a day to day basis…I had to agree! You can take the farm girl off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the girl!
I believe the Lord is putting a longing in all our hearts for these things(sustainable farming). The last couple of years I’ve had a longing to can and garden and be as industrious at home too. I’m fed up with the grocery store and I’m ready to try my hand at growing some real food! My DH has agreed to make me my first square foot garden box this year…I hope it works!!! As for beef..I’ve located a farm not to far away to get beef from! Yee haw!
As for a deep freeze…one word of advice, get an upright freezer. When I was a kid, we would have to dig out food from our deep freeze and our entire body was practically in there looking for things on the bottom! We now have an upright freezer and it rocks!!! God Bless You on your homesteading adventures! Looking forward to more posts!
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Anonymous on Thu, 15th May 2008 9:51 pm
Thank you so much for this entry into your thoughts. I agree that living off the land is not only more fullfilling but also better for the earth and of corse our family. I think the Lord likes it when we take care of what he has given us. Pray always and focus on God. Sincerely (:
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Anonymous on Fri, 16th May 2008 2:23 am
it’s not a website but a really good book: the Encyclopedia of Country Living…no “hippie homesteader” should be without one!
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Rachel on Fri, 16th May 2008 3:09 am
Hey girl!
Yet another thing we have in common.. sort of. I am not “doing it” yet, but I do have that desire. And it is a desire that the teenager in me is laughing her head off about! Me? Wanting to actually try to GROW herbs and VEGETABLES– this from the girl who never really ate them to begin with? Wanting to learn how to BAKE bread? Who wants to have tons of fruit bearing trees? Who always made fun of people who lived in the “boonies” far away from civilization and NOW wishes I could be there, too?
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see more posts about this — homesteading with a modern twist! Show us city dwellers how we can save money, learn to grow things and take back that natural feminine/homemaker that modern society tries to shove aside, and leave our children a real legacy!
Thanks for the blessing of this post and the inspiration!
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Elvisgirl on Fri, 16th May 2008 4:19 am
I have always readily admited to being a hippie. I have been known to wear my hair in pig-tail braids, too. I’m all about all natural, old-fashioned, recycling, etc. We have six acres and I have been trying to grow a garden for like 3 or 4 years (it’s a blur). I’m think I’m taking a break this year and just growing compost. I do well with garlic and occasionally beans and peas. We have wild chives growing in our yard; I just discovered what they are this year. Chives commonly grow wild in the mid-west (according to the net). We have a plum tree orchard thanks to the people who lived here before us. I have to give you a tip for making preserves…from my own mistake. Make sure you have a huge stock pot to boil those jars and the fruit. I made such a mess on my stove with my pasta pots. They were at probably 2 inches shy of how tall they should have been and my smooth top range will never be smooth again (I took a couple chunks out of it trying to clean the mess off). I can still cook on it though! And the plum preserves are yummy. Peace, fellow hippie chick! And keep us posted if you manage to grow some stuff.
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