Living The Dream
First off, why do I homestead? My passion is to provide a safe haven for my large family away from the world’s chaos. A place where food can be grown, the air is clean and fresh, no noise or people pollution, no homeless encampments, and precious little crime. A safe, productive, hideaway. Realizing that nowhere is completely safe, we know that some places are better than others. Just look around. If you live in the country, you might have a million-dollar view from the porch of a humble home. I do. I can scarcely take it in. It’s restful to the eyes and soul. I take no credit whatsoever for this place. I stumbled upon it for a variety of reasons and feel that it was a gift from the Lord. After possibly decades of reading Survivalblog, I had a mental checklist for a retreat property and this one fit the bill. I had no intentions of “homesteading” other than a deep desire to become as “self-sufficient” as possible. I didn’t even know what I was going to do with this property other than raise some chickens. That’s how it started.
A lot of people are trying to “homestead” now, and for various admirable reasons. Some are looking to get out of the rat race and live a simpler life. Some see that bad things are happening and feel a need to grow their own food and be self-sufficient. Others started out with chickens on a small plot, and as is said, “Chickens are the gateway drug to homesteading.” They end up getting more animals – some have tried goats, turkeys, quail, cows, pigs, rabbits, sheep, etc. In many cases, they think they can quit their job, grow their own food, and have little if any expenses. I’m here to tell you that unless you have a good source of income, it’s not possible. Sorry to mess with your Cheerios this morning, but homesteading costs money. I’ve spent more money “homesteading” than I ever spent as a professional working woman living in the suburbs. I’m here to share my experiences, be they good or bad.Continue reading“Homesteading – A Cautionary Tale – Part 1, by SaraSue”