The start of a new year often inspires us to dream bigger, work harder, and lay the groundwork for the life we envision for ourselves. For us at Wayward & Wild Homestead, this year's vision is clear: immerse ourselves in homesteading skills, even as we remain landless, preparing for the day we can bring our dream to life on our own piece of soil.
Transitioning toward a self-sufficient lifestyle is a journey, one that doesn't always require immediate access to land. In fact, this time without land has been a blessing in disguise-providing time to learn, experiment, and refine skills that will serve us well when homesteading becomes our reality. From learning how to grow food indoors and preserving seasonal produce to mastering soap making and exploring herbal medicine, each small step builds a foundation for a future rich in sustainability.
When I first dreamed of homesteading, it was easy to romanticize the lifestyle-lush gardens, happy animals, and a pantry stocked with homemade goods. The reality is that homesteading demands a vast array of skills, careful planning, and resilience.
Without a piece of land to call our own, we began where we could. Growing our own food has been a thing we do since I was a child, but the scale at which we are going requires gaining a better understanding on plant care. I dove into the art of soap-making, a skill rooted in tradition and creativity. Perhaps most importantly, we devoured books, watched endless Youtube videos, and held space for conversations with friends who have already embarked on their journey and were willing to share their experiences.
This intentional learning process taught us a valuable lesson: homesteading doesn't start when you buy the land-it starts when you commit to the lifestyle.
Why Learn Before Committing Rather than Trial and Error in Real Time?
We are drawn to homesteading for its sustainable principles or as a path toward self-sufficiency, investing in our beginner homesteading education before purchasing land. In the end, I think this will save us money, time, and frustration. Here's why:
- Practical Skills Pay Off - Skills like gardening, food preservation, and animal care take time to develop. Practicing in small ways now ensures we have an idea how to manage larger operations later.
- Discovering Passion - Homesteading encompasses many areas - gardening, livestock, crafting, and beyond. Exploring these interests while landless helps to clarify where our passions lie, making our homestead uniquely ours.
- Test the Waters - Homesteading isn't all sunshine and flowers; it's hard work. Practicing on a small scale allows you to evaluate our readiness and commitment to living a self-sufficient lifestyle.
This year, whether you have acres of land or a single windowsill for growing herbs, we encourage you to take the next step in your journey. Build those homesteading skills. Learn before you leap (as much as possible; some in the moment lessons will happen). Remember that every seed planted-in soil or knowledge- is a step closer to a thriving, sustainable life. So here's to learning, growing, and preparing for the future we're all dreaming of.