Why Did I Start Homesteading?

 First, what even is homesteading? There is a technical definition, but I'm going to tell you what homesteading is to me. Homesteading is self-sufficiency. It means using your land and the things you have (ie, animals, garden, etc.) as your means of survival. It means getting back to the basics of life and survival. That may mean sewing your own clothes, making food completely from scratch, or just something as simple as having your own garden to grow your own food. For many years before our modern-day way of life, people used to grow their own food, raise their own meat and eggs, milk their own cows (or goats), and even sew their own clothes. They used these basic skills as a means of survival. But with modern grocery markets and mass-produced food, people have lost the basic foundations to live off of the land the way our ancestors used to.

Homesteading for me means making as much as I can from scratch and only supplementing with the grocery store. Many other people see homesteading as a way to get back to that way of life. They start a garden to grow their own food or get backyard chickens. Above is a picture of my two milking goats. My family also has chickens and a large garden. We are working on adding pigs too. Homesteading is more than that for me too though. It is also learning basic skills, like sewing, churning butter, and canning. Some of the basic skills people survived on for many many years.

Why would anyone want to go through all the trouble of raising their own animals when you can just pop to the market and buy any food you could ever dream of?

For me, a large part of raising my own animals and garden was because I wanted more control over what I was putting in my food. Numerous studies have come out showing the problem with pesticides on our produce. Of course, organic produce is an option, but I'm buying for a family of six and the cost difference was substantial. So, to me, it seemed only logical to plant my own fruit trees, strawberry patch, grape vines, and vegetable garden. Naturally, I didn't have a backyard full of a garden overnight. I started out small with a tomato plant in a pot and evolved from there. My husband mapped out our 1 acre yard and we planned where to plant. Eventually, after a few years, we had a full vegetable rotation of corn, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, peas, and herbs. Some of the herbs we plant are lavender, lemon balm, mint, thyme, oregano, basil, and cilantro.

But why raise chickens and goats?

Studies have shown that "Poultry meat may be contaminated with toxic elements such as arsenic, cadmium, or lead as a result of coming into contact with the materials on the farm or factory or while moving through marketing channels." This is reason enough for me to steer clear of any and all mass-produced chicken products.

But another huge reason for me is the cost. Over the past few years, the price of meat, cheese, and other animal products has skyrocketed, and while raising animals isn't cheap, I know I'm getting quality meat, eggs, and dairy products from my animals, which to me is worth it.

Thanks for reading!

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-Meg
©Meg Sechrest 2024 MegandHerGoats.blogspot.com