What could be more beautiful than living so close to nature? Being able to feel the smell of fresh soil each morning, the sun rays infiltrating the beautiful delicate leaves of your crops—nothing could be more divine. And starting a homestead journey helps you afford all of that and more.
Homesteading as a lifestyle is something many people in Edmonton look forward to for many reasons. Some desire it for the financial freedom it brings, some for the love of nature and growing their own crops, while others want to just live “off the grid.” Living off the grid would involve using a generator or solar panels.
Whatever the case, homesteading is a full-time lifestyle, and there are many things to consider before delving into this lifelong journey.
So if you’re considering starting a homestead journey, here are some critical things you need to know
Starting a Homestead Journey
Consider How Self-Sufficient You Want to Be
This is inarguably the most important thing to consider before starting your homestead journey. Homesteading—living a simple self-sufficient lifestyle—would require you to set financial goals. That means you’d have to spend less than you earn, invest more into your home than outside of it, and repair things more than you replace.
You do all of that to avoid incurring too many bills. And you can even facilitate this by living off the grid, removing the burden of electric bills.
Homesteading is about being independent in a lot of things. You must understand that and make a financial plan before starting, as it keeps you motivated for the journey ahead. Also, try to have a savings account for emergencies.
Consider What You’d Do with your Homestead in the Future
This is also an important consideration. If you’re living with your family, you may put it down as a passing thought that your child will take over from you when you’re older or gone.
But that’s not always the case. If you consider selling your homestead in Edmonton, then it’s advisable to have an idea of the real estate law edmonton. These real estate laws bind the ownership and sales of a homestead, and you want to be sure there are no hiccups.
This makes for a smoother start when starting a homestead journey.
Growing your Plants
Starting a homestead journey means you’ll have to grow your own crops for food. You can choose to sell (highly advisable) to make income or even donate to your community. You’d also have to buy seeds and seedlings from local farmers.
In all, homestead gives you the opportunity to produce healthy plants that you’d be proud of when consuming with your family or selling.
But you’ll have to do in-depth research on how to grow each plant because not all do well with the same methods. You can also decide which way works best for you if there are options. For example, you may choose to till or not, use artificial fertilizers or go strictly organic.
It’s your homestead, and remember, you’re entirely free!
Storing your Food
As you harvest, you’ll need a place where you store your produce. It can be inside your home or a barn. With proper knowledge, you can preserve food for years and save for a rainy day. This is also one of the most crucial aspects of starting your homestead journey. So you want to be abreast of the best methods and things you need to store your harvest safely.
Consider if you Want to Raise Livestock Instead
Remember that farming or homesteading is not only about growing crops. You can also choose to deal with animals. From chickens and rabbits to goats and cattle, the opportunity is almost limitless.
But some livestock requires more capital to start, although they also tend to offer more revenue in the long run.
And what’s more, having animals around can be so fun! Animals and livestock will be a huge part of self reliance when starting your homestead journey.
Keeping Animals
Just as you need to consider your storage options for food, you also need to learn how to protect your animals. Each livestock would require a different kind of shelter, and you need to consider if you’re ready for the investment.
However, note that no matter how much you learn before starting, raising animals is a trial and error process. But getting educated will save you a lot of costs and pain along the line.
Note that you can raise chickens for eggs without having a rooster. Many people who don’t know this fact tend to worry about purchasing one, which is most often a waste. You only need a rooster if you want the eggs to hatch.
Consider if Living Off the Grid Suits You
Living off the grid is essential for homesteading. Being able to generate your electricity can help you during an emergency and reduce your electric bills. However, there are critical choices you need to make. You may not be able to undertake these options when you starting your homestead journey.
The more you use gas for your generator, the more money you’ll need. You may have to use candles and layers on sweaters to cut down on your usage in the winter.
You’d Need to Learn Some Carpentry
When starting your homestead journey, you’ll need to build some things yourself to save cost. However, you don’t need to learn all about carpentry, so don’t get discouraged. Far from it, this tip could even motivate you if you’re up for learning new skills and becoming more independent.
Less Wastage, More Recycling
Homesteading is a great way to lead a sustainable lifestyle without even knowing it. In your quest to save cost, you’d find yourself using scraps as compost, animal droppings as fertilizer, and throwing ashes on the garden to boost the soil property in spring.
If you don’t already know it, it’s important to be aware that you have to utilize everything you’ve got while starting your homestead journey to avoid wastage. It’s a way to save your planet through eco-friendly practices and zero waste.
Consider What Tools you Need
As a homesteader, you’ll need to have some tools and equipment since you’d be doing many things DIY. For starters, you want to have a hammer and nails for your little carpentry work, like building your barn.
If you’re going big, you may also want to consider investing in a tiller or old tractor and any other tool to make your homestead an enjoyable, less tricky lifestyle.
Just don’t buy too much whenstarting your homestead journey, as you’ll get to understand what you really need as time wears on.
Final Words
Homesteading is a way of life. For you to get the most of it, there are essential things you need to know and plan towards. The financial aspect is one, but do not sweat on it. Don’t even attempt getting a loan to start up.
Start small with the little you have, and you’ll see how happy you get when you see it grow.