Homesteading 101: Getting Started

The world is heating up and landfills are overflowing, and because of this more and more people are starting to take notice of the impact they have on the environment and are trying to do their part by reducing their dependence on natural resources. Many people are moving back to the countryside and homesteading, growing their own food, raising their own livestock, and DIYing around the house. 

While that may be great for people that live in the country, over fifty percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Luckily living in a city or town doesn’t mean you can’t still be a homesteader. In fact, it’s easier than ever to be an urban homesteader. 

So for those of you looking to make the leap and start homesteading, here are few tips so that anyone can take to start on the path to urban homesteading

Get Started 

Yes, you can still grow some of your own plants in an apartment. What you’ll have to do instead of tilling ground (since most apartments don’t have that option) is plant whatever fruits and vegetables you want to grow in containers. Whether you grow your own food or not, you can still preserve your own food. If you grow a container garden, you could easily store your harvest through canning or freezing practices.

However, let’s say that you can’t grow your own food. You can still go to a local grocer. When food is on sale, stock up and preserve it yourself.

Grow a herb garden

Herb gardens take up very little space. They can be raised in your kitchen window for that matter.

So if you have a balcony or a sunny spot in your apartment, you could potentially grow fresh herbs which put you one step closer to self-sufficiency.

Start Canning

If you don’t learn to preserve the fruits of your labor you will lose a lot of the fruits and veggies you worked so hard to grow. Canning is an invaluable skill that every homesteader needs to learn. Canning, using mason jars, lets you store all of your produce. You could simply can them as they are or make delicious jams and jellies. 

Cook from scratch

This was another one of my first steps to homesteading. I stopped purchasing convenience foods. Then I had to cook from scratch. It was less expensive, usually healthier, and tasted a lot better too.

So if you are in an apartment, cooking from scratch really doesn’t take that much longer and is something anyone can do regardless of the amount of space they have available to them.

Embrace the DIY Trend

Being a homesteader means reducing your reliance on the goods and services that you have become so used to. That’s why getting into the DIY mindset is so important. Rather than going to the store and buying cleaning products try making your own. Are you not much of a handyman? Don’t worry the internet is full of tutorials to help you learn any skill you may need.

Just because you don’t live in the country don’t let that stop you from enjoying the independence that comes with homesteading. Homesteading isn’t about where you live, it’s about how you live. It’s a way of life that lets you be more independent and reduce your impact on the environment.

Use these tips to start your own urban homestead and start living a simpler more fulfilling life.