FARMGIRL AT HEART: Exactly what is homesteading?

by Virginia Jones

Dear Readers,

“The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land.” — Abraham Lincoln.

Hello. Welcome to my first article. The statement above led me to an idea for my piece of writing. I have always wanted to homestead and am finally living my childhood dream.

So, what exactly is homesteading? Homesteading as defined by Wikipedia is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It involves home preservation of food, agriculture, making of one’s clothing, gardening, etc. It is basically choosing to live a simpler lifestyle in order to bring some sufficiency to oneself. Many times when people would move west they were told that if they could find a piece of land and raise a crop and build a life on it that they could own it after so many years.

Where exactly did the term homesteading originate? I have often read of people who, against all odds, made a life for themselves and became true heroes in the building of this nation. The term homesteading came from the Homestead Act of 1862. The Homestead Act enabled people who wanted to head West to have free land if they met certain conditions, as mentioned above.

A few more conditions were that you had to be at least 21 years old, had to build a house that was at least 12 x 14 feet in size, work the land for five years, certify that they hadn’t brought arms against the United States, and they had to have at least two neighbors or friends attest to all they had done. The Homestead Act was brought into fruition by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. It allowed people to have 160 acres for a small fee. The conditions were as mentioned with the other condition being that you had to produce a crop within the time allotted.

My love of homesteading began when I was a young girl. Every summer my family would visit my Grandma Amanda who lived in Missouri. I relished the time that we spent there. I loved hearing the coyotes howl in the night, the sounds of owls, and the music of crickets floating on the wind. In the mornings we would arise to the smells of coffee, bacon and eggs. They raised a lot of their own food and made their home a cozy place to be. I am not even sure if the house is still standing but my memories of it are still intact.

As I was growing up I used to watch one of my favorite tv shows called Little House on the Prairie. I longed for a simpler life and would have loved to have taken a journey in a covered wagon along with Laura Ingalls. It was an adventure that I would have gladly taken, although there are some things about Laura’s time that I could pass on, such as an outhouse or lack of running water.

As a wife and then a mother, my husband and I decided to homeschool our two daughters. One of the book series that we used in our learning was the Little House on the Prairie series. We also purchased the Prairie Primer to go along with the books. In the winter we would make Molasses Candy from the freshly falled snow. In summer we would do different activities in order to learn the history of the Prairie. We tried on several occasions to get a pig intestine in order to fill it with water and play kickball, but we were never successful. It was fun to sew a patchwork project with my girls or some other activity in the evenings. I miss the days of sitting on the couch reading the series to my daughters.

After my daughters were grown; one being married and the other engaged, we had an empty nest. It was time for my husband and I to start dreams of our own. When we began considering a homestead, we didn’t quite realize the investment that it would be of both finances and planning. Looking back over the three years that we have had a farm, planning a little more would have been wise; not that we didn’t plan but we could have done better. To have a plan is to look to the future. Having a thorough plan is to have wisdom for that future. I have to say though that for two people who don’t always know what their doing, we have done pretty well. To have a dream is to have a passion for what you are dreaming of and then making it a reality. Our dream of a farm is slowly and sometimes painstakingly coming to fruition.

What was our goal for having a farm and homestead? We once lived in the capitol city of Augusta, but after having lived there for several years, we finally decided to move to the country. We longed for a simpler life, a way to grow our own food and eventually be at a place where we could enjoy our older years. Three years ago we started down the farming trail with what most people start with: chickens. They often say that you will eventually understand chicken math, and that has been a very true statement. We started with about a dozen, lost a some, and then gained more. We now have about thirty chickens. Some are pellets, some juniors, and one is an older hen from our first flock. It is such a pleasure to go out in the morning and collect fresh eggs from the nesting boxes in our chicken coop. I love to rise in the morning and go out to do farm chores while the fog is lifting and the stirring of the farm animals can be heard.

Along with the chickens we are raising Saanen goats. I decided on goats because I am unable to drink cow’s milk and felt that goat’s milk is more nourishing, in my opinion. I also love the taste of goat meat. I do realize that Saanen goat milk has a low butterfat percentage so I may not be able to obtain butter or cheese but I can find some way to preserve the goat milk. For the butter and cheese I will have to buy some Nigerian Dwarfs. I am always happy to add another animal to my farm. I am not sure how excited my husband will be.

What are some of our other goals? We have a vegetable garden in order to have produce to can and we hope to grow fruit trees and bushes in order to make jams and jellies for the pantry. I hope to teach others all of the things that I have learned in order to carry the heritage of farming well into the future.

In preparing to live out your dream be sure to do your research. I read a lot of books about homesteading, raising particular animals, and being a good steward of them. I watched a lot of YouTube videos and have followed a lot of homesteaders on Instagram. Visit your library. Seek out those who are like minded. Attend workshops and lectures in order to learn more about different aspects of farming. Your local county office will have a lot of information online. They have no problem with you asking questions.

In conclusion, never be afraid to make mistakes and learn by doing. Nothing is impossible when you put your mind and effort into it. Start small but dream big. Stay focused when the tough times come; be sure that they will. Most of all however, just have fun and learn as you experience the fine art of homesteading and living a simpler life.