Why would anybody want to homestead? It looks like a lot of hard work. Well, it is, but all of that hard work is worth it. I have made a list of 9 reasons you should homestead. If homesteading is something that has crossed your mind or if you are already in the thick of it and need a little motivation, keep reading!
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So You Want to be a Homesteader?
When senior year of high school came around, it was time to think about college and a future career. I completed both a bachelors and a masters degree in teaching. But deep down I knew that there was something more. I couldn’t explain it for many years and often I didn’t talk about it because my ideas sounded crazy. As it turns out, my ideas weren’t crazy, I just wanted to be a homesteader.
I was at a funeral for a 93 year old aunt of my husband’s. As they were listing off things that Aunt Betty liked to do, I realized that I was a 93 year old woman at heart. She was a farmer’s wife that loved her family and her kitchen. Even the songs they played were ones that I knew by heart. I adore those old hymns. I’ve embraced my “granny” hobbies as some are now calling them and agree with the many people that called me an old soul.
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Reasons You Should Homestead
Yummy Food
One of the primary reasons you should homestead is for the delicious food. There is a huge difference in taste. Vegetables that were grown in rich soil taste a whole lot better than the ones mass produced in a hydroponic setting. That is why the tomatoes from the store aren’t as good as the ones from the garden. Or so I’m told by people that like tomatoes. Pasture raised meat tastes better and is better for you than something raised in a feedlot. You can see a visible difference in the eggs from your backyard chickens when compared to the ones at the store.
That doesn’t even begin to cover the cooking side of things. Can you even compare a loaf of bread from Walmart with one that was made at home? I have said for many years that the bread aisle at some stores smells like chemicals. I’ve not once smelled chemicals and thought, “Oh boy! Dinner!”
The delicious homegrown and homemade food is one of the reasons you should homestead with me.
The Long Forgotten
Unfortunately, many of the common sense things that our grandparents and great grandparents knew has been long forgotten. Because of the homesteading movement those skills and that knowledge have resurfaced. What we call modern homesteading was once called living. It would be a shame for all of that precious information to be lost forever.
Connect with Nature
In our technology driven world, nature seems to have been pushed aside. Both literally and figuratively. Digging in soil while you plant seeds or harvest carrots helps to boost your immune system. Spending time outside will maintain your circadian rhythms. Being outside also helps our vision. It forces our eyes to focus on things in the distance and up close. Barefoot walking has been shown to have many benefits for the body including less pain. Homesteading often means that you will spend time outside everyday in all sorts of weather. Just know that your mind and body need it, even if it’s crazy hot or pouring rain.
Grow Knowledge & Skills
I love to learn new things. Some may call it ADHD, but I call it curious. Homesteading provides a unique opportunity to learn valuable skills that benefit you in some way. One of the reasons you should homestead is so that you can be the Jack of all trades. I will not ever find a beneficial application for watching 8,000 of those short little videos on Instagram. But I’m sure I can learn to bake bread in that same amount of time. And that benefits my belly.
Family Time
Homesteading brings the family together. My husband and I spend countless hours doing projects together. That time is a lot more valuable than time spent watching separate videos on our phones in the same room. When we have children, I’m sure that family time will increase 10 fold because they are always nearby. Instead of everybody going their own way to do their own thing, the homestead brings everybody together.
Satisfaction of Hard Work
Hard manual labor brings great satisfaction. There is something about working with your hands and seeing results that releases all the happy hormones in your brain. Food tastes better after hard work. Rest feels better after hard work. Showers feel better after hard work. We weren’t designed to live a life of ease. Just look at what convenience has cost us. The obesity rate is at an all time high. Mental health is at an all time low. People are spending more on healthcare and medications than ever before. Homesteading can fix all of those. Hard work leaves you fit, happy, and healthy.
Security
The news continues to report shortages and recalls on our food. Homesteading can lead to food security. Whether it’s because you have a garden full of vegetables, a coop full of eggs, or you stocked up on a year’s worth of flour from Azure Standard. One of the reasons you should homestead is to feel a sense of security during the uncertainties of this crazy life.
Health
If you haven’t caught on by now, then I will say it again. Homesteading is good for your health. Homemade and homegrown food has all of the good stuff and none of the bad. Imagine, food that is good and good for you. You won’t find that in the cereal aisle. The manual labor keeps your body fit without ever seeing the inside of a gym. Hauling feed, walking outside, bending over the garden, and reaching to hang the laundry will keep your body moving. The food will nourish your body. The herbs will support your body during illness. The time spent outdoors will boost your mental health. I can’t think of any medication, frozen pizza, or gaming system that can truthfully promise you all of that.
Community
Growing up I was an odd duck. My mom used to ask me why I didn’t hang out with people my own age. I would tell her it was because they didn’t like the things that I did. Now I realize that it was because I just hadn’t found my people yet. The homesteading community is filled with God-fearing, hard-working, weirdos like me. Find a homestead conference. Join a Facebook group. Or heaven forbid go talk to your neighbor. We are your people and we’re glad you’re here.
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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