How to start homesteading without a homestead (and why you should!)
It’s true that homesteading usually comes with a home. And at least an acre of property. And a big garden. And animals. And children. But do you have to have all of these things to "homestead"?
Ten minutes scrolling #garden on Instagram will leave you simultaneously inspired and overwhelmed. So overwhelmed that you’re paralyzed, and return to Instagram for more inspiration.
I fall into this trap All. The. Time. Trust me, if you don’t step out and try “it” out, you can get stuck in Instagram paralysis forever (I write about this here too).
Good things, like finding the perfect house and property to rent or buy, take time. But why wait to start developing some homesteading skills? Here’s a list of beginner homestead skills you can do in an apartment, rental property, or urban living setting (small yard) & why they’re important to building your homesteading skills.
Grow something from seed. Have a sunny window sill? Try growing an herb from seed. Herbs are great for indoor growing because they like the sun, don’t grow too big, and are easy to manage (water, cook with, preserve, etc.). Growing something from seed is good practice for a larger garden. Keep a garden journal of your new plant. Keep track of when you planted the seed, the brand and number of seeds you planted, the number of days until it sprouted, did you thin them?, when and how much you water, when and how much you harvested, etc.
Save seeds. Don’t have any plants to try this with at home? Buy a bouquet from a local farmer and dissect the different flowers to learn where they keep their seeds and how to collect them.
Dry herbs and make your own spice mix. Okay, this is SO FUN. If you aren’t growing herbs at home you can buy some from the store or farmers’ market. I can’t be the only one who only uses half the bunch of parsley every time I buy it?!? Low tech: gather like herbs and wrap a long piece of twine around one end. Hang until dried. I like to hang them in my kitchen window because they add to the vintage charm, and I don’t forget about them. High tech: use a dehydrator! This will take a few hours versus a few days. Fun add-ins: celery leaves, garlic, and cayenne peppers. Homemade spice mixes make great gifts too!
Ferment something! Fermentation can be scary. You’re growing bacteria after all. But a little common sense goes a long way. It takes a few days (or weeks) but is generally low maintenance and it’s just so fun to watch (& taste) good transform through fermentation. Try this easy fermented salsa recipe.
Make tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes, bonus points if they’re local or homegrown. Double bonus points for canning it! Tomatoes are the staple of a homestead garden. They are common and familiar, so there are a lot of resources available. They are versatile - the recipes ideas are endless. They’re easy to preserve. Tomatoes have a high acidity so they can be preserved using water canning, which is a lot more approachable than pressure canning. You can find a growing collection of tomato recipes here.
New homesteaders: what new skills are you excited to grow this growing season?
Seasoned homesteaders: what new skills are you excited to grow this growing season?
One thing homesteaders have in common is the “can do” attitude and learning spirit. #learnasyougrow
