Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, if you want to raise your own cattle, spend a lot of time fixing fences, and not see another soul all day, you’re going to need some land.
If your dream is to go totally off grid and grow ALL your own food, you’re going to need a little land, perhaps an acre, but with a good system, probably a lot less.
But homesteading and self-sufficiency is a matter of scale. And although we all like that warm, fuzzy feeling when we achieve certain goals, the homesteading lifestyle is inherently tied to looking after not only ourselves, but the planet too.
Anything, however small, that we can do to reduce our consumption and waste generation, we should do it. If you have 100 acres, then going totally off grid, raising animals in a kind and sustainable way, growing some crops, riding horses, creating a woodland, are all awesome goals that make a massive difference.
But what about of you are apartment homesteading, with 4 rooms and a balcony as a garden? Does that mean you can’t make a difference? Absolutely you can!!!
Vertical gardening on a balcony, fermenting gluts of own grown or local vegetables into sauerkraut or kimchi, participating in a community vegetable garden scheme (many big towns and cities have them), using a Bokashi indoor compost bin to compost your scraps. Making your own cleaning products from natural ingredients like apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Riding a bike to work rather than taking the car, or organising a car share to save on fuel and pollution.
The opportunities for growth and participation are endless. This definitely does not mean that you should become obsessed and lead a miserable life trying to save the planet. But mindfulness and learning are incredible skills to acquire. You tend to look at life very differently when you have a passion to make a difference in some way.
So, please don’t let size matter (snigger). Some of the most awesome homesteaders are doing it in an urban or suburban environment, not out in the hills or out of earshot of another living soul. Also, some of the most vibrant and active homesteading communities are in the middle of cities, in exactly the places you would never expect to find a thriving band of merry men and women living such a life.
Here’s another misconception that many would be homesteaders face..
I think you may well have surmised from the previous section that this misnomer is defunct. Whether you are 100% self reliant (I really don’t think anyone is these days) or growing only 20% of your own food, you are doing what you can. The city homesteading family who are able to grow some salad leaves and tomatoes, and buy in some cabbage to ferment into nutritious sauerkraut are doing a huge thing…for them!
It might not be huge some someone else, but who should judge that? What makes MY huge endeavor less worthy than YOURS?
I certainly believe that everyone, whether landowner or apartment dweller, should be focused on creating some of their own food, and buying at a local level for the remaining grocery needs. Food miles matter, eating seasonally matters, investing your dollar or local currency in your local producers matters.
Us humans have spent much of our existence scattered, it was threats that brought us together into town and cities, as we sought protection from marauders and other miscreants that would harm us. We sought community, with people who were like us, it was a way of being able to identify ‘outsiders’ who may pose a threat.
Well, things have changed and most of us live in a multicultural society these days, where you give little thought to someone with a different skin tone or dialect. This is of course, a good thing. Community is a good thing too. Humans thrive by living together in communities. Forming connections and alliances can go a long way to improving your life and health, both mentally and physically.
5 Actions You Can Take TODAY To Join The Modern Homesteading Movement
On – 06 Oct, 2017 By Homesteading Steve
