Homesteading: How it became and the benefits

Studies show that produce in a store has less nutritional value than produce freshly grown and eaten. A vegetable harvested from your garden and eaten the same day will have higher nutritional content than an identical vegetable that has spent several days or weeks sitting in storage, transport, and store displays, according to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.

Homesteading is all about self-sufficiency, but there’s no set definition or list of rules to follow and there are many levels of immersion. Here are a few examples of what homesteading looks like:

• Producing all or some of your own food, which includes:
• Raising chickens, pigs, cows, and other animals (like bees!)
• Organic gardening
• Cooking from scratch
• Brewing your own beer
• Starting a container garden in your apartment
• Preserving and canning food you’ve grown
• Making your own soap, detergent, and other cleaning supplies
• Sewing and knitting your own clothing
• Living off the grid or using renewable energy

Homesteading can save you money over time, but there will be some upfront costs required to get started. These might include:

• Stocking up on staple ingredients for cooking, flour, sugar, beans, and more
• Buying animals—chickens, cows, and pigs—you intend to raise
• Building or buying shelter for your animals
• Buying brewing equipment, should you choose to home brew
• Buying starters for bread or other food and drink products
• Buying textiles, like sewing and knitting supplies

To offset start-up costs or recoup and save, many homesteaders also sell products they’ve created or raised.

Before diving into homesteading, don’t slack on research.

If you want to start a vegetable garden, read up on what produce grows well in your area, when to plant, and how to care for it.

The USDA plant hardiness zone map will give you a sense of what produce is viable in your area.

Get started with the House Method guide to organic gardening.

Check out our guide on composting at home or read up on how to incorporate used coffee grounds into your garden as fertilizer.

If you’re limited on space, see our guide on herb gardening (all you need is a windowsill).

Check local laws to make sure it’s legal