Zapata-Elias Homestead News
Article: Why Homestead?
There are many reasons that people choose to homestead. Some are trying to save money. Some are trying to be more self-sufficient. Some people want better quality food. Others want to know for sure how their food is produced. Whatever the reason, more people are showing interest in this type of life.
There are also many ways to define homesteading. Many like to make homesteading an exclusive club that usually fit into what they do and exclude all others. I’ve seen the same situation with farming. You can’t be a farmer unless you have over a hundred head of cattle. Others would say that those people aren’t farmers because they care for livestock and not plants. Those may say you have to have X number of acres of crops. Usually the ‘X’ is a little less than that person has. I don’t like the idea of trying to make homesteading, or farming, an exclusive club. Not so long ago, most people did at least some of the things now considered to be homesteading activities. I like to use the definition of doing anything to be more self- sufficient. This allows many people to engage with the homesteading community and support this type of lifestyle.
My homesteading journey had its seeds planted in my early years. My mother had a small garden. My grandfather always had a large garden and fruit trees. However, the moment when I became interested in this life for myself was the day I had some green beans fresh from my neighbor’s garden. They were so much better than the ones from the store that I have tried to produce a little food wherever I could. Many times I have been unsuccessful. But each success drove more desire to improve. I have also made many mistakes and learned valuable lessons from them. Today I am growing a small but significant portion of our family’s food on our property. I am also growing a significant portion of the food for our livestock on our property.
Think about what you want to get out of homesteading. What value does it bring to you? How will that value help others? What skills will you need to learn? How can you apply skills you already have to homesteading? How can you learn what you will need? Be creative and you will find a way.
Best wishes in you homesteading journey!