ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 12 Tips for Starting that Homesteading Dream – GWC Mag gwcmagFebruary 23, 2024042 views Having a little homestead is something that lots of people dream of but feel is out of reach. They think that you need acres and acres of space, deep pockets to fund it all, and all the time in the world to run it. To be fair, those things don’t hurt, but they are not the be-all and end-all. The homesteading dream is in nearer reach than many might think. Just a little space to plant some veggies, grow an herb garden, and a few jars in which to save your harvest will have you with a foot in the homestead’s door. You don’t even have to live out in the countryside! With some imagination, will and a bit of graft, you can be well on your way to that homesteading life you long for. If you want to live a little more self-sufficiently and a tad more sustainably, take a look at these OGP articles that give you tips and ideas on getting that homesteading dream off the ground. 1. Urban, Rural and Suburban As the eco-conscious populous moves nearer and nearer to some semblance of a sustainable lifestyle, homesteading becomes more of a realization. In short, if we want a world with chemical-free local food and fewer “food miles”, we are likely going to have to participate beyond the consumer end of things. This effort can manifest in many ways—energy, waste, time, etc.—and it can manifest in many places: urban, suburban, and rural. Having a homestead no longer necessarily denotes living in the countryside on a few acres. With edible landscaping and rain catchment barrels, homesteads are popping up in suburban neighborhoods. With rooftop gardens and productive patios, city folk are giving it a go, too. Read this article all about Comparing Urban, Suburban, and Rural Homesteading. 2. Country to City Homesteading Isn’t it ironic that the very way we can create a positive impact is to rewind and return to a simpler way of living? Luckily, the solution is easy, and we can return to balance with a simple, practical lifestyle known as homesteading. Homesteading allows people to be self-sufficient and sustainable. Where most people rely on supermarkets and stores to supply them with their everyday needs, homesteaders provide what they need for themselves with a grassroots approach. Don’t be mistaken; the homesteading lifestyle isn’t confined to country living. You can be a homesteader anywhere by way of the lifestyle choices you make. If you don’t want to leave the city, you can be an Urban Homesteader. If you are interested, why don’t you Bring a Little Country to the City: Ways to Create an Urban Homestead? 3. Autumnal Homesteading In the world of homesteading, autumn is a busy time. Though spring gets the most press with regards to cleaning and summer brings about the big harvests, many of us nonchalantly account for how important it is to prepare ourselves for the winter. Autumn chores are what keep us warm and fed through the winter months, as well as help us make the most of nature’s gifts in the spring. For those of us pushing towards a greener, more sustainable way of living, even in the suburbs, we can benefit from adopting a fall checklist of tasks that’ll keep us a little safer, satiated, and self-sufficient. Here are 7 Homesteading Activities for Autumn. 4. Beginner Homesteader For many, gardening is no longer just a hobby but a way of life. From the rooftops of big cities to lawns and sidewalks to entire villages, more and more people are trying to become self-sufficient, growing their own food, catching their own water, producing their own electricity, and building their own homes. Though these commodities—food, water, shelter—might not be money in the pocket, they are certainly very valuable. Sustainability is not a personal thing anymore but has become an effort to save the planet as well as ourselves. This has created a massive movement away from consumption and into production. Homesteading is one way to do that, and it’s not that difficult to get started. If you want a simpler life, look at these 5 Simple Ways to Get Started With Homesteading. 5. Simple Solar Power System Solar power systems are becoming simpler (or more complicated if you prefer) and cheaper as the years pass. There are, of course, large-scale, grid-tied home systems that are a popular way to get tax write-offs and participate in the green energy movement. These types require professional electricians, folks who know building codes, and all that jazz. For those who are curious, confident, and crazy enough to try it, setting up a simple solar system can be a fun and educational project. It can also provide lights and maybe a charging station for a tool shed, garage, or playhouse. With just a few hundred dollars, it’s possible to build a solar power system. Check out this guide that shows you How to Set Up a Simple Solar System. 6. Solar Hot Water Heater Heating water for our homes is one of the largest drains of energy, but for those who have had a cold shower on a chilly day, hot water is non-negotiable. This is one sacrifice even the greenest of green people aren’t generally willing to make. Luckily for them (and the planet), with a little forethought and ingenuity, it is possible to create a water heater that runs on the sun alone. We might as well acknowledge that most of us aren’t going to re-plumb our homes to run on solar-generated hot water, which is understandable. However, that doesn’t mean this information can’t apply to you. If you think an outdoor show is for you, read on to learn How to Make Your Own Solar Hot Water Heater. 7. Food Canning As we grow our food and move towards local produce year-round, we are inevitably going to have to try to preserve it. There are many methods for doing this. Canning is one of the most popular ways of preserving fresh food while making it shelf-stable for months and years to come. However, there is a lot that makes canning an intimidating endeavor. With a few tips about how to can and truths around the canning process, hopefully, it can be more approachable for those interested in giving it a go. Have a look at this guide to Food Canning for the Beginner: Tips and Truths to Know. 8. Rainwater Catchment Egyptians, Romans, the Inca, and many other ancient civilizations were built upon the ability to harvest and store rainwater. The big change in catching and storing rainwater today has come in that we now picture gutters feeding rain barrels as opposed to underground cisterns or stone channels for moving water into storage ponds. The concept is the same. That’s all well and good and impressive, and now we get to see the Roman aqueducts and Machu Picchu. But, we are plumbed in now, so why—one might ask—should we bother catching rainwater? Well, the answers are numerous. Here are 7 Reasons We Should Be Catching Rainwater. 9. Sustainable Gardening First of all, it’s worth providing anyone growing a garden with some kudos. Let’s acknowledge that local food production—and it doesn’t get more local than home—is perhaps the most important practice for eating and living sustainably. With that in mind, we can also say that all gardens are not created equally. Some are wrought with biocides, which pollute the environment with all sorts of unsavory chemicals. Some are built with all sorts of inputs—bagged compost, bagged topsoil, bagged mulch, etc.—that are derived from distant sources, and unfortunately, these gardens are at least partly relying on the same “food miles” genre as buying food grown afar. If you want to try something a little greener, take a look at these 7 Practices for Gardening Sustainably. 10. Off-Grid Living Many people envision off-grid living as a slice of paradise. With no bills left to pay and a wealth of healthy food in the garden, life seemingly gets much easier. Of course, the start-up cost feels prohibitive, and there’s the whole debacle of finding a place to do this. Who has the funding and time? The rub with off-grid living is that paying for a place to do it, in reality, is the easiest part. It’s what follows that is an ongoing challenge. While it can certainly be worth the effort, it’s important not to go into the situation with too romantic a view of what you are signing up for. So, what does off-grid living look like, honestly? Before you dive in, read An Honest Glimpse at Off-Grid Living. 11. Starting a Garden If you are a beginner gardener, just moved to a new place, or want to expand a plot you already have, there are a few things to think about if you want your plants to thrive. Perhaps you don’t even have soil, yet, or have very little space at all where container or vertical gardens are going to have to be the way forward. You might have a rather shady yard or live in frigid Zone Four or tropical Zone Ten! Whatever is true for you, there are certainly a few things to figure out before you start buying seeds and plants and shoving them in the ground. Take a look at these 6 Tips for Starting a Garden from Scratch. 12. Off-Grid Laundry Off-grid living is a challenging yet rewarding way to live. Though going fully into it isn’t for everyone, there are many tricks and tips we can all take from life without limitless electricity. One that can be very useful for many is the off-grid washing machine. For example, some apartments don’t come with a washer and dryer, and the constant cost of using laundromat machines can add up over a year. Additionally, those with washing machines don’t always need to run a huge load, and it can be much more energy-efficient and resource-conscious to use an off-grid set-up for washing a few items at a time. It’s also great for camping trips. If you are ready for some off-grid laundry, read here to learn How to Make an Off-Grid Washing Machine and DIY Laundry Products to Go with It. Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content.Click here to Support Us Related Content: Easy Ways to Help the Planet: Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks. Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly. Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. 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