Can I share one of my dreams with you?
I would love to live on a farm one day. It doesn’t have to be big. Just a homestead with some chickens, maybe two or four cows; the cattle number has to be even, you know. Because they are very social animals who make best friends- I don’t want to leave anyone out. We could have some goats or lambs—maybe even some ducks. Of course, we would have to have some dogs to guard the chickens and a barn cat to eat the mice. I guess a farm does become rather large the more you ponder it.
Regardless, it is a dream of mine to take care of animals who take care of my family. I imagine there is a little creek that my kids can play in on hot summer days. We can learn about ecosystems and biology while soaking up the fresh air and sun rays. If the Lord does provide this sweet dream of mine in the future, what should I do in the meantime? Sit and dream of what may be. Of course not. I can learn valuable skills right where I am today, and you can, too!
What if I don’t have the space for a homestead?
You don’t need acreage to homestead; yes, it would be helpful, but it is not necessary. No matter how badly I want to, I cannot own a cow or chickens in our townhouse. My husband lovingly reminds me of this often- hehe. But you can start on other parts of homesteading that only require a little land. We don’t even own grass, but there is a solution.
I have a small balcony with pots and a raised garden bed, that’s all. With only a balcony, you can work on your gardening skills and bless your family and friends with your harvest. You can set pots with full sun herbs within your window sills. You could place certain plants inside if enough sunlight streams through your windows. It is truly up to you how much you feel like taking on.
I have learned it doesn’t matter how much room you have for most things. What matters is what you are willing to try. Even in an apartment, you could small batch compost if you wanted to. There was one podcast I was listening to, which I will link below, where a woman who lives in an apartment has a worm farm. Even she is a homesteader, or as Natalie Argo would call herself, a “Wormsteader”. How fun! Maybe one day I will embark upon this hobby, or perhaps even beekeeping!
Put money back in your pocket.
You can save your family money by growing your produce. Not only will you save money, but the quality of your vegetables will be immensely better than what you can buy at a supermarket. You will know exactly what conditions your food was grown in – what kind of soil, no pesticides, etc. You also can provide nutrient-rich food for your family from right outside your door. Talk about “garden to table”.
You can attempt to propagate even products you have already bought from the store to get a second life from your produce. You can do this with green onions, strawberries, carrots, potatoes, and more. There is such a great feeling that comes from growing something too.
One of my favorite things is when a friend comes over with a basket or bag full of produce and says, “Can you use this? We have so much!” What a blessing that is! Not only does God provide for your family, but his provision could be a blessing to another if the harvest is plentiful. Oh, how I love the opportunity to give a homemade gift to a friend.
It may not seem like much, but you could have saved your friend 5-15 dollars on groceries that week with this kind gesture.
An opportunity to learn something new
If you don’t know how or you have a question, youtube it or google it. We live in a world with numerous resources at our fingertips. Instead of looking at that negatively, let’s flip it to our benefit to learn new information! Order physical books or audiobooks from Amazon or listen to free ones on music apps like Spotify. There are also podcasts that can be used as a great resource to gain information.
If you aren’t tech-savvy, you can find many paper copies of resources at thrift stores, Mckays, or your local library. You can find friends who are also interested in these topics but are more well-versed in them. There are local clubs or associations that have free classes or day events that teach you more about the subjects you are interested in. There are endless ways to learn in our day and age.
Reduce your waste
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
Instead of throwing away your banana peels, place them in a jar, fill it with water, and let it sit. After a week, you can remove the banana peels from the jar or strain the water. Use this to water your plants. This will be potassium-rich water that your plants will love. You will see a vibrant green come back to its foliage.
You can also take eggshells and, instead of throwing them in the trash, put them on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven. Then, after baking them, place the shells in a blender to crush them into a powder. Sprinkle this on your plant’s soil to increase its calcium. Another way to gain calcium-rich water for your plants is by not pouring the water out into the sink after boiling eggs. Rather, let the water cool and then repurpose it for your plants. I have a blog with a way to repurpose orange peels that I will be posting soon on https://www.wonderfullymade-kmk.com/blog/, so keep your eyes open.
Encouragement
I say all this to point you to the fact that knowledge and practicing certain skills do not require land, and you do not have to wait and daydream before you start working towards your homestead goals. Your dream doesn’t even have to pertain to a homestead. Whatever it is that you can not wait to live out, be proactive and do something to work towards those goals today. If I find more cool hacks or updated information, I will return and add it to this post. I hope this has encouraged you to try something new. You might be surprised at the outcome.
God, you are so good. Thank you for giving us the responsibility to bring order out of chaos and the duty to take care of what you have given to us. I hope we will be inspired to work hard with our hands and learn new things to benefit our family and friends. What a gift it is to be able to learn. To you all the glory, God, Amen.
SOURCES
Clark, Alex. Argo, Natalie. (2023, March 24). How to Homestead anywhere in America. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zkbuOeQ10IrNdnEzs9k8O?si=b7db392fb80144e1
**If you enjoyed this blog post, I would recommend checking this one out if you haven’t yet. Thank you for visiting the blog!! https://wonderfullymade-kmk.com/the-reward-of-being-a-homemaker/