Modern Homesteading
Homesteading has become quite the buzz word in recent years, and for a good reason! So many of us are looking to escape the busyness and noise of our modern lives. We yearn for a quiet, simpler life. So what does that have to do with homesteading? Just what does homesteading mean?
Homesteading Then
Let’s start with a little history lesson!
In 1862, President Lincoln passed the Homestead Act which allowed Americans to claim up to 160 acres of land for the price of a small filing fee. There were some requirements. Along with the filing fee, homesteaders were expected to live on their land for 5 continuous years, improve their piece of land by building a dwelling, and cultivating the land often through farming. The Act was repealed in 1976, though it continued for another decade in Alaska. The last homesteader to receive land claimed through the 1862 Homestead Act was Kenneth Deardorff, whose 80 acres of Alaskan land became his free and clear in 1988.
Homesteading Now
These days, we aren’t being given land in exchange for a small fee and a lot of sweat equity. Instead, modern-day homesteading is more of a lifestyle or state of mind and the logistics are different for everyone. For some, it means living off the grid on a large chunk of land and being self-sufficient in every way possible. For others, it means container gardening on an apartment balcony or learning some of the “lost and forgotten” skills of past generations. The common theme amongst modern homesteaders seems to be a desire to live a more intentional, simple life and be good stewards of the land they live on.
What homesteading means for us
In my big almost too scary to say out loud dreams, homesteading for my family would mean living on a few acres of land with a big garden and orchard. Chickens, ducks, goats, bees, and maybe a cow or two would make their home on our land as well. We would work together as a family to grow food and tend our animals. We would learn how to care for the land and let our land support our family as much as possible.
Maybe one day that dream will come true. But I’m a firm believer in not wasting away life, wishing for what I want! Instead, I’m working to create that life, as much as I’m able, on our quarter-acre HOA lot in the Phoenix suburbs.
My kiddos might never be “farm kids”. They will probably never have to get up early to milk cows like their grandparents used to or spend hours in the garden prepping, planting, and weeding. But, they know the joys of homegrown fruits and veggies. They are learning to sew and to can and to cook from scratch. We all pitch in to raise chicks and ducks for our backyard flock. And they will probably have a lifelong hate for having to hang clothes on the clothesline to dry.
For us, homesteading means living within our means and simplifying life wherever we can. We are learning and embracing the skills of generations passed. It’s being self-sufficient when possible and living debt-free. It means less screen time and more time together as a family, learning and working side by side. It’s turning our little quarter-acre into a slice of heaven and a safe haven from the storms of life. It’s a journey, not a destination and one that we are enjoying so very much.
