How to Start a Homestead – Homesteading for Beginners Part Two
Are You Ready to Start a Homestead?
Great, but how do you start a homestead? Let’s figure out what parts of homesteading you want to include in your homestead. Understanding your interests and the purpose they will serve is a great place to start to continue building the roadmap to your homestead journey. I mentioned a few in my blog post What is a Homestead?, along with the main resources you will need to start a homestead. But let’s look into some of these interests.
Now let’s determine your interests and goals for your homestead. While many beginners start with growing something (herbs, flowers, etc), that doesn’t have to be your path. If you want to start with animals, go for it! Remember this is your Dream Homestead, do it your way! For a truly successful homestead each interest should have a purpose that serves you. If you like any of the interest that are mentioned below just add them to your Roadmap (the Freebie above) as we go along.
Digging Into Gardening: Start Simple, Grow Big
Gardening is what we started first on our Homestead. Both my husband and I always enjoyed helping our moms out in the garden when we were growing up. Watching nature do its thing and knowing you had a hand in it is very fulfilling. We also love literally enjoying the fruits of our labor. The rabbit hole that is gardening can go on and in so many directions, but we will keep it simple with a few garden variations.
Garden Goals: Choose Your Favorites
Herbs are great plants for both beginners and seasoned gardeners. You can grow them in a windowsill pot or plant a full herb bed. These flavorful plants are used for cooking, teas, remedies, and even pest control. You could make tea blends or remedies as gifts or to sell.
Vegetable gardens can be as simple or as expansive as your space allows. Vertical gardens are great for small spaces, raised beds can be maintained in small or large areas. Sowing seeds into the ground is great if you have the space and own the land you’re gardening. Make sure the landlord approves before you start digging. The best vegetables to plant depend on what veggies you enjoy and will consume. Fresh veggies are used for cooking and can be preserved in numerous ways for later use.
Fruit gardening takes a little more patience, but the payoff is delicious! Berry bushes, fruit trees and vines, or even small-space dwarf varieties are great options. Other than seasonal pruning and some fertilizing, fruit gardening can be low maintenance once the plant is established. Growing your own fruit offers delicious harvests for snacking, baking, canning, and preserving. You can make jams, jellies, pie fillings and many other sweet treats.
Flower gardens add color, texture, and beauty to any outdoor space, plus they’re great for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Some gardeners grow flowers within their other gardens as companion plants to attract pollinators and for pest control. Herb gardeners include specific flowers in their garden as they can be used in teas and herbal remedies. Growing cut varieties of flowers can add the purpose of selling beautiful arrangements for indoor décor or holidays.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to building your homestead. Some folks dig in with garden gloves, others dive headfirst into animal chores, and a few brave souls wrangle both from the start. The beauty of homesteading is that you get to choose what fits your life, your land, and your goals — one step (or misstep) at a time. Planting seeds or planning chicken names, you can start a homestead with what excites you most!
Critters With a Purpose: Adding Animals to Your Homestead
Animals can add so much to a homestead including a much higher level of responsibility. This interest should not be taken lightly. It requires the most up-front investment in time and money but besides what they produce they usually add some fun too.
Feathers, Fur & Fresh Eggs: Homestead Animals
Poultry are often the gateway animal for new homesteaders. Chickens, ducks, turkeys, and even quail can provide a steady supply of fresh eggs and meat, plus they’re great for pest control and fertilizer. We also just enjoy watching them scratch around the yard.
Dairy Animals turn pasture and hay into rich milk for drinking, cheese-making, yogurt, butter, and more. Goats and cows are the most popular choices, while sheep offer both milk and fiber. Even a single dairy animal can supply more than enough for a household, with extra to share, sell, or preserve.
Fiber Animals are raised for their wool, hair, or fleece, which can be spun into yarn or used for crafting and textiles. Sheep, alpacas, llamas, and even certain goats (like Angoras and Cashmeres) fit this category.
Bees are tiny but mighty contributors to the homestead. They provide raw honey, beeswax, and excellent pollination for your garden and fruit trees. Keeping bees requires a little learning upfront, but they pay you back with sweet rewards and stronger crops.
Your Homestead, Your Rules, Your Way!
Homesteading isn’t about having it all figured out on day one, it’s about growing (pun fully intended) your skills and your setup over time. Whether you start a homestead with a single potted herb, a flock of chickens, or a field full of fruit trees, every choice you make shapes your Dream Homestead. Start small, switch gears, or add more later, it all still counts as a homestead. Have fun, follow your interests, and don’t forget to celebrate the little wins!
