If you're dreaming of living the homestead life, you're not alone! More people than ever are moving to the country, and getting back to a simple life. Avoid these 10 common pitfalls, by learning from mistakes seasoned homesteaders wish they hadn't made, when starting their own homesteading journey.
1. Getting Too Many Animals Too Soon
Nearly every new homesteader has done it. After years of waiting, they finally have a piece of land to call their own. Then, they immediately start acquiring all the animals they've been dreaming of while they were waiting. Sheep, chickens, goats...we homesteaders want them ALL!
It's so easy to rush into buying every kind of homestead animal you want (especially when they're extra cute, or being given away for almost nothing, and need a home!). But it's easy to seriously overextend yourself on time, energy, and money, when adding multiple species in quick succession.
Old timer tip: Start slow, and add slow.
2. Not Planting Perennials Right Away
It's great to plant a vegetable garden your first year, and start enjoying those fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. But, it's always a great idea to prioritize planting perennial food crops that will give you a harvest, year after year.
Nearly every experienced homesteader wishes they'd put in a backyard orchard as soon as they started working their land. Other great perennial food plants are rhubarb, asparagus, and berry bushes.
Pro tip: Focus your first-year gardening efforts on fruits and vegetables that you can plant once, and harvest from for years.
3. Not Making Local Friends
In this digital age, it's so very easy to spend time following Instagram homesteaders, and YouTube accounts that show homestead families living a rustic life. But real-life homestead friends are like gold.
These are the folks who will be there to help you when your tractor breaks, when your barn needs a new roof, and when your driveway washes out in a flash flood.
Even if you're choosing a homestead lifestyle to get away from society, we all benefit from a strong network of local friends. Church, 4H, the county fair, and your local independent feed store, are all great places to find like-minded folks.
Advice from an old Maine farmer: Find your people.
4. Not Asking Advice
This is one of the most common pitfalls that trips up new homesteaders. Some things about the simple life seem so...simple. What could go wrong? Getting advice from seasoned homesteaders in your area, especially when you're trying something new, can save time, money, and heartache.
I've seen many first-time poultry owners make painful mistakes that could have been prevented by asking for advice from other local poultry keepers. Experienced homesteaders LOVE helping new landowners succeed.
Tip: If you're not sure about the best way to set up a coop, how to predator-proof a run, or another homesteading conundrum, try asking for advice. The help you get might surprise you!
5. Not Investing In Adequate Fencing
Probably nothing has resulted in more homestead heartache, than poor fencing. Good, solid fencing takes time to put up, and it's usually one of the biggest financial investments a new homesteader will need to make.
Inadequate fencing is often the culprit behind homestead frustrations like pigs needing to be chased down, ducks devouring the kale crop, chickens being taken by predators, and sheep finding their way to greener pastures...pastures you don't own.
If you can't afford good fencing for all of the livestock you want right away, it's a good move to prioritize and add slowly. Build the fending you need, then add those animals. Build more fencing. Add more animals.
Pro tip: Invest in great fencing, right from the beginning.
6. Underestimating the Local Predators
Local homesteading groups have been swamped this summer, with sad stories of entire flocks lost to foxes, weasels, raccoons, hawks, and even bears.
A very common error new homesteaders make, is not really knowing what kind of local predators pose a risk to their animals. It's always a good idea to find out from local farmers and homesteaders, what types of predators they most commonly encounter.
This really helps, with knowing how to predator-proof your animal enclosures. For example, in some areas, it's generally pretty safe to free range your chickens...just not during certain months of the year, while hawks are nesting locally, and feeding their young. In other areas, hawks might not be a problem, but there may be so much pressure from foxes that free-ranging a flock might not be possible, unless you have a livestock guardian dog to keep them at bay.
Tip: Get to know local homesteaders, and ask what predators they've had trouble with. This helps you know how to prepare, and avoid animal losses.
7. Not Calculating the Current, Local Cost of Feed
One thing that surprises many homesteaders who move from one part of the country to another, is the fact that feed prices can vary widely based on your location.
It's easy to find yourself dismayed by a debilitating feed bill, if you don't know how to plan, and correctly estimate the cost of feed your homestead animals will need.
Old timer tip: Pay close attention to the cost of grain, and don't keep more animals that you can afford.
8. Keeping Too Many Males
Especially when you've raised adorable baby chicks or ducklings, and they've turned into gorgeous adults, it's tempting to keep more male animals than you really need.
Remember that usually it only takes one rooster in a flock of chickens, to keep all the eggs fertile. And one drake is easily enough for even 7-10 female ducks. Keeping too many males generally doesn't help your homestead pay for itself, and it does mean extra mouths to feed. Having extra males can also lead to injuries and stress in your flock. Instead, try raising out those extra males for meat, and putting them in the freezer for a home-raised meal.
Seasoned homesteader tip: Don't keep more males than you really need.
9. Not Having a Homestead Plan
One of the best pieces of advice I received from an old homesteading couple was this: "You should make a 20-year plan for your land. When you get to the end of that 20 year, make a new 20-year plan!"
Having a plan for how to use and develop your land over time helps keep your efforts focused. It's also a great reminder that a homestead is a work in progress, and you don't have to do it all at once. Keep the plan flexible. Life changes, and it's ok to let your homestead plan shift along with it. But having a plan is like keeping the North Star in your sights. It helps bring both direction, and a sense of peace, to your hard work.
Old Maine homesteader tip: Make a 20-year plan for your homestead.
10. Not Making the Homestead Pay For Itself
Unless you're independently wealthy, and your approach to homesteading is that of a "gentleman's farm", it's probably important to you that your homestead at least break even, with paying for itself.
If you need homestead income ideas that can generate at least $1,000 a month, this list is a great starting place.
No matter what your homestead goals, rest assured that most seasoned homesteaders look back and wish they'd done at least a few things differently when starting their homesteading journey. No homestead plan is perfect, but learning from other's mistakes is a great way to avoid them, and get a jump start on homesteading success!
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Here are some of the most tried and true ways that homesteaders around the country are making income from home, even from very small pieces of land.
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Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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