1. Start Small and Grow Gradually

• Begin with manageable projects, such as a small garden or a few chickens. Trying to do too much at once can be overwhelming. We started with Sourdough Starter, kept that alive, and figured we were safe to keep chickens. :) 
• Expand your homestead as you gain experience and confidence in your skills.

2. Plan Your Garden Wisely

• Grow what you and your family consume regularly, and focus on high-yield crops.
• Learn about companion planting and crop rotation to reduce pests and improve soil health.
• Use raised beds or container gardening if you have limited space or poor soil. This is very important to remember. Container gardens, greenhouses, spacesaving flowering pots, or even an herb wall, these are all great ideas to get freshness added to your diet, no matter your living situation. For instance, soil is tough here to grow much at all. We live in the foothills of Colorado, and let me tell you, they call it the Rocky Mountains for a reason.

3. Invest in Quality Tools

• Good tools make a big difference in your efficiency and success. Prioritize essential items such as shovels, rakes, a hoe, and pruners.
• Take care of your tools by regularly sharpening and maintaining them. Just remember, the Pioneers went across America with a covered wagon and very few tools. The ones they brought were all they had so they had to be treasured. 

4. Learn How to Preserve Food

• Canning, dehydrating, and freezing are essential skills for preserving the harvest.
• Stock up on jars, lids, and a canning kit to safely preserve fruits, vegetables, meats, and jams.
• If you have no room, get creative. They make canning stacking units that stack on top of each other to house your canned foods and conserve space.

5. Compost for Healthy Soil

• Create a compost bin for organic waste. Compost enriches the soil, improves plant health, and reduces waste.
• Include vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and leaves, and avoid meat or dairy. So easy to do, yet so few of us take the time to start one.

6. Raise Livestock (Starting with Chickens)

• Chickens are relatively easy to care for and provide fresh eggs. If you're considering meat birds, broilers are also a good option.
• Invest in a secure coop to protect them from predators, and ensure they have access to food, water, and bedding.
• Check out my Raising Chickens section for tips on keeping them well.

7. Use Permaculture Principles

• Design your homestead using permaculture principles, which focus on creating self-sustaining ecosystems. This can include rainwater harvesting, natural pest control, and growing perennials. Rain gutters with down spouts can be used to catch rain or melted snow. We don't have running water in our chicken barn, but we have rain gutters. Hence, our chickens utilize a rain catcher/snow catcher for their water.
• Use zoning to plan your space wisely: place frequently used items near your home and less frequently needed ones farther away.

8. Save Water

• Collect rainwater using barrels or larger systems for irrigation, especially in drought-prone areas.
• Consider low-water-use plants, mulching your garden beds, and installing drip irrigation to conserve water.

9. Grow Perennials and Edible Landscaping

• Perennials require less maintenance than annuals and can provide harvests for many years. Consider planting fruit trees, berries, herbs, and perennial vegetables.
• Use edible landscaping to create a beautiful yet productive space.

10. Be Prepared for Emergencies

• Stockpile essential items like food, holistic wellness supplies, and fuel in case of emergencies. Aim for a 3-6 month supply. Check out my wellness tool kits HERE.
• Build skills such as first aid, basic carpentry, and fire-starting to be more self-reliant.

11. Build a Root Cellar

• A root cellar can store vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, and apples for long-term use.
• Ensure it’s in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated area to keep the produce fresh.

12. Learn Basic Animal Husbandry

• If you plan to raise other animals like goats, pigs, or cows, learn about their care, feeding, and health needs.
• Goats are a good choice for small homesteads, providing milk and meat. Goat milk makes wonderful DIY body products!

13. Embrace DIY Skills

• Learn basic carpentry, sewing, and crafting skills to fix and maintain things on your homestead.
• Making your own soap, personal care, and home cleaning products can save money and reduce waste. Check out my DIY link.

14. Energy Efficiency

• Use passive solar techniques to heat your home, such as installing large south-facing windows or using thermal mass. We are lucky to live in a log home, it retains a ton of thermal mass. 
• Consider installing solar panels or wind turbines to generate your own electricity. So far, we have solar panels and can go off grid if need be. We also have natural gas here in CO.
• A wood burning stove is a blessing! We have a Vermont Castings Defiant Wood Burning Stove. It has a steel lid on the top that you can actually cook on as well.

15. Community Involvement

• Connect with other homesteaders or local farmers. You can learn from others' experiences and trade goods or services.
• Participating in a community can help you get through tough times and share valuable resources.
• In our rural community, we have a Facebook chat for the neighborhood. We alert each other if a farm animal is loose, smoke from a fire is within eye sight, we encourage each other, and most importantly, we all can come together with homesteading experiences and knowledge in case of emergency. Get to know your neighbors!

16. live a grateful life: Place Emphasis on Wellness & Having a Toxin Free Home

• Create Natural Cleaning Products. Essential oils can replace harmful chemical cleaners in your home. 
• Esesntial oils can help you avoid leaving the homestead and shopping in stores, by providing you with the essentials to make quality personal care products.
• Having an essential oil wellness tool kit is always handy and much needed for holistic self reliance.
• Replace toxic fabric softeners and laundry detergents with essential oils for a fresher, more natural clean. Essential oils are workhorses for laundry.

17. Practice Financial Planning

• Track your spending and keep a budget for your homestead. This will help you manage costs and reinvest in improvements.
• Sell surplus produce, eggs, or handmade goods to create an income stream. Sourdough starter, kombucha scoby, and DIY toxin free consumables are always a hit! You could snow plow drive ways, watch animals, or even babysit for extra income. As a bonus, you'll get to know your neighbors!

18. Be Patient and Persistent

• Homesteading is a long-term commitment, and results won’t be immediate. Be prepared to face setbacks and learn from mistakes.
• Celebrate small victories, whether it’s a successful harvest or the birth of baby animals!

19. USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO, OR DO WITHOUT

• Furniture and Household Items: Before tossing out old furniture, clothing, or household goods, see if they can be repurposed or fixed. For example, old clothes can be turned into cleaning rags, quilts, or even new garments. Wooden furniture can be refinished or repainted to give it a new life.
• Glass Jars: Save and reuse glass jars for storing food, canning, or organizing small items like nails, buttons, or screws. You can also use them as flower vases or for craft projects, or for DIY projects. I vividly remember my grandfather, Joshua Paul, saving baby food jars, jelly jars, sauce jars, really anything he could repurpose he used. He would take these jars into his workshed, screw the lid to the underside of a shelf, and then fill the jar with alike nails or screws...then, screw the base to the affixed lid. His workshop was a masterpiece!
• Cardboard and Paper: Use old cardboard for composting, or turn it into storage bins or seed trays. Paper can be shredded for compost or used as mulch in gardens. If you have a wood stove, like us, cardboard and natural package filler makes for a great fire starter when you have to build embers up.

20. thrift and barter

• Thrift Shopping: Before purchasing new items, check secondhand stores, flea markets, or online marketplaces. You may find high-quality items for a fraction of the price. If one had time, selling found thrifting items on ebay or mercari makes for a great 2nd income. 
• Bartering and Trading: Engage in a local bartering system or exchange goods and services with neighbors or fellow homesteaders. For example, trade extra eggs for homemade bread or help someone with gardening in exchange for firewood. We happen to barter here at our hobby farm. We barter fresh made artisan loaves of sourdough, rye, and pumpernickel, for fresh milk with a nearby farmer. She has no time to bake and I have no time to milk cows. Its a win-win!