Why we're shutting down our homestead.
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- 1 YEAR LATER! WATCH THE UPDATE HERE:
• Returning to our homes...
We've worked hard over the past year to build up our dream homestead. Eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables, all raised by our own hands.
Now, we're shutting it all down.
What are we going to do next?
Watch the whole chicken coop build:
Watch part 1 here: • Designing and Building...
Watch part 2 here: • Caught in the Pouring ...
Watch part 3 here: • Man Builds Epic Mid-Ce...
Watch part 4 here: • How to build Chicken C...
Quail Coop Build: • Absolutely STUNNING Qu...
Rabbit Hutch Build: • Simple Minimalist DIY ...
A-Frame Coop Build: • Minimalist DIY A-Frame...
Where I get my music: share.epidemic...
My filming and camera setup:
Camera: amzn.to/3koDtjp
Lens: amzn.to/3GOF89n
Drone: amzn.to/3iOivtS
We're so back. One year has passed, see the update video here:
ruclips.net/video/C-7-zJ93PsY/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/R1UvfINkdoM/видео.htmlsi=S4WDKK-fAIfFnkqo
For those who don't have time to, or perhaps just don't want to watch the video: they discovered that the homestead was an incredible amount of work which prevents them from doing things like taking spontaneous vacations & so on. They did not want to be tied down. Therefore they rented out the homestead. Basically becoming landlords rather than homesteaders.
Pretty much. Ones expectations, motives and ultimately values decide the outcome I think. Which is why the hobbysteading will never last.
Wow. What a call from grace
Lmao homesteaders turned landlords RIP
Yep can't take trips when you have animals etc.
This is why us real farmers laugh at these kind of people. They have zero clue but think they know it all…😅
This is why community is important. You grow the vegetables, the neighbor raises chickens, the other neighbor has beehives for honey. It's unrealistic to assume that you can produce everything that you need to survive in a way that isn't a neverending slog, yet this is what people think when they think of "homesteading". Humans live in groups and divide the labor of existence and have always done so.
Underrated comment
Hey I’m this modern world you could automate a bunch of tasks, watering, feeding, and there are ways of reducing the maintenance of animal bedding. Instead of a daily task it could be a more weekly or so task before it gets dire
Damn💯
Amen. 💯%
Nailed it. The local community is the next logical, healthy step up from self-sustainability. Friends and family are beautiful.
This is a viewpoint that should be pushed. Not necessarily to discourage people who want to try homesteading, but to provide a realistic look at what it involves. Gotta appreciate you putting it out there!
Thanks! It's hard to be vulnerable, for sure. If anything we just want people to live the life that feels true to them. This isn't the end of our journey, actually just the beginning ✌🙂
@@Slowsteading with a great deal of valuable knowledge to fall back on if ever need be. 👍
Absolutely, we'll take the knowledge and skills we learned from this to whatever we pursue next 👍 Knowledge is power.
A concept called permaculture would help. All elements (animals, plants, water, earth, wind, sunlight, etc.) can be designed to work together so that they maintain themselves (a ecosystem in which all are connected; rainwater falls and store at the right place, animals take care of plants; plants help each other). Once laid down correctly, human only need to do a bit of nudging work each day (1-2 hours). From the video, it seems that there is little connection among the elements and humans are doing all the work (watering the plants, feeding the animals - not how nature work).
Exactly Octane. It takes someone with self motivation, need, want & dedication. Ive lived life in the City, owned lots of rentals I managed while working full time designing Americas electric grid, and I traveled the world. Retired & my life is mine. I get bored really fast & have endless energy & homesteading fills all my voids. Since I like to design, I hav designed & built lots of things on my homestead & I just designed my new home on my homestead. Thats my next project.
Currently researching homesteading, and this video was recommended to me. My first thought, not having watched yet, is that they tried to do too much. The description: "We've worked hard over the past year to build up our dream homestead. Eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables, all raised by our own hands." That's too many things to pursue in too short of a time. This is like 5 years ramp up at least to be successful at so many facets of homesteading.
Exactly!
I have ADHD and I know what it’s like to go all in on something brand new to be fairly quickly consumed by it. Which then leads quickly to being overwhelmed,burnt out and ultimately hating it
Andc you can make it much much easier than they did. For example, I have chickens. I built my coop and run myself. This setup is my 2nd because I moved and didn't bring the coop or run (obviously). My coop has: storage area on the back, full door for easy clean out, side nesting boxes so I don't have to go into the coop to get the eggs (just open the door), a 2.5 gallon waterer that is heated that lasts about 4 days and has a "colander" to lift off to remove the debris, a gravity feeder that the chickens stick their heads in the hole to eat so the feed doesn't get scattered or dirty. The feeder holds 20 lbs. An automatic door so the girls can go to their mostly covered run as they please. I still have to let them out if I'm letting them free range that day. I can easily go away for 4 days at a time. To go for longer, I would need a 2nd feeder and 2nd waterer. My garden will be on auto-irrigation next season, so I won't have to worry about it. Things can be made easier. Take your time and enjoy yourself. You're right, they most definitely tried to do too much too soon. Think about your needs and wants. Figure out irrigation and food storage, what you like to eat and how much you might need. Hint: plant 1/3 more to allow for crop damage, fresh eating, and preserved eating. Do you need a freezer? What about canning? Are you going to process animals for food? If not, think about how many eggs do you need? If it is yes to processing, maybe consider dual purpose chickens because after they stop laying eggs (2-4 years as layers and then they slow way down but still live another 6+ years) you could send them to freezer camp. Because they lay regularly for just a few years, start with 3 and add 3 more every year (unless you're keeping a rooster and fertilized eggs). Make sure where you want to live allows for livestock. Maybe a mini Dexter cow would be what you need for milk (2-3 gallons/day instead of 6-8 gallons) at half the pasture and feed. What can you realistically afford, including vet bills. Think about your age and health. Anyway, I wish you luck with your homesteading dreams. This was meant for all who are researching or are on their journey.
Thanks for posting this. My life has been completely opposite so it’s nice to see other perspectives.
We are settling down with the family and getting back to “roots” and done chasing things out there.
Of course, thanks for following our journey! So excited for you and your family. I have no doubt we will do the same again in the future, but at this point this specific property didn't feel like it. Best of luck!
This is why farmers deserve respect I didn’t grow up on a farm but as soon as I could talk it’s all I wanted to be like my gran and grandad and now I hate the thought of leaving my stock for more than a few hours
I used to want a homestead so badly, I grew up in the country but I quickly realized the older I get the less I want to take care of. An acre of land is all I need.
That sounds great, an acre is a very manageable amount 👌👌
Your statement about wasting food resonates for me. My roots are in the Midwest where my ancestors raised at least some of their own food for generations. My dad is 81. He still has a huge garden. My mom, also 81, gets tired from all the cooking and canning to use and preserve what he grows. So, yes, it is a lot of work, and I can't stand to see it wasted! My husband feels the same way.
UPDATE: Wow, what a response this video has received! We just want to clarify that we are shutting down *THIS* homestead, not quitting this way of life forever. We still value sustainable food production and are not interested in pursuing a life of shallow novelty. We are actively working towards a new and exciting project that wouldn’t be possible here. We’ll have more details to share soon :)
I've just come across your channel and am surprised with what is happening in the world re food, cost of living, etc, that you would consider starting again. Surely making the most and building on what you have achieved so far would be a better option. Growing food and establishing a garden takes time and now you will lose another year of growing. Just my penny worth.
I don't think people realize the amount of work that goes into homesteading. Physical labor especially. Trials and tribulations. I've only been at it for 3 years and I try to keep it manageable because I do work full time away from homestead. But in 3 years Im probably not even half way there yet. So I think a year is not enough time
Start slow and build up. For myself April till end October are crazy busy. November to March is when you have more freedom. I try to have all my animals butchered and in freezer by than. If you go away in those months just turn water off and empty pipes and put some antifreeze in drains and toilet. Its not that bad. Hope you change your minds. Best of luck either way.
Cheers, thanks for sharing! That sounds nice to take the winter off completely, and then even get away to warmer destinations. What livestock do you keep?
@@Slowsteading just chickens at this time. I do have roughly 4 beef cattle come winter. If I do go away i have a local feed them. They only need a round bail every 5 days or so. I wish I could have more but like I said I work between 40- 60 hrs a week.
I don’t mean to be overly critical or rude, but how are a few chickens and rabbits and a small garden a “homestead”? There is no shame in changing your plans, but it seems to me like there was a lack of vision from the start. A homestead needs the land to raise enough potatoes and onions etc for the year, grain for your own bread and animal feed, access to timber, the ability to hunt, a small network of other people to trade with, and tons of other things I’m certainly forgetting. If your vision encompasses all of those things, it’s hard to ever get bored or yearn for “more” because you could spend a thousand lifetimes mastering all of these crafts.
You're absolutely right, we felt like we reached the limits of what we could do on this small property, and larger properties are easily > $1m around here. So we're off to explore places in different climates with a cheaper cost of living to pursue our next project.
@@Slowsteading nice! That’s great to hear. Best of luck and I look forward to seeing more of your content!
We live in the 'burbs and have a container garden and sometimes I don't feel like walking to the backyard and watering it.
😂😂😂 I know this feeling
I made an IBC tote winter water system for my chickens that I fill it up at the beginning of winter and it has a heat element in it and then circulates 1700 gallons an hour. It makes the winter way way easier.
Sounds like an epic system. I'm sure it could be tied to a rainwater collection system for maximum hands-off!
@@Slowsteading during the winter I bring all the animals close to the barn to make it easier. If you search for mother of all chicken waterers 2.0 it should show my setup
Wow very cool setup! I couldn't find V2 but even V1 looks very well thought out. Nicely done.
You have to give your goals more than a year. Keep trying.
I'm starting my homesteading journey. I have autism and I struggle with a lot of mental issues, which makes it so that I can probably never get a normal job. So this is why I'm doing homesteading, along with many other reasons.
There's nothing more I want than to work, but because of the reasons listed above, I can't do so traditionally.
I'm going to start very slowly, I've been gardening for maybe 3-5 years already, and I'm going to get chickens next summer. After that, once I'm ready, I'm getting rabbits.
I'm everything but spontanous, and I never leave home, really. Well, I go to the store and visit my mom (7km away from me) every now and then, but I never leave for the night.
So I think I'll be good with homesteading. Hopefully.
Some people are not meant to do it, some people don't like it. I am going into this to ensure my children will have food and will learn about life, also I really like gardening and hard work, so I want to have chickens first. I want my own quality eggs and meat. We bought 5 acres of land in Norway. I did quite a bit of research, I'm gonna make the chicken coop pretty much automatic. My goal is that on daily basis I just need to pick eggs. Water heater so water doesn't freeze up, automatic feeder etc. And later in the future I want Norwegian sheep also.
The good thing about making the coop pretty much automated, is that I can ask the neighbor to just check on the chickens when I'm away for travels and it won't be a huge chore for them. Norwegian sheep can be outside in the winter and are very self sufficient. So I can leave them a bunch of food and water when going somewhere, again asking a neighbor to just check on them.
This sounds like you have a solid plan put together, wishing you the best of luck on your Norwegian homestead!
I only have a acre I have a 1/4 of that a garden, a 10x28 leanto to raise my meat chics once a year, 10 hens for eggs they have a 10x20 run I must keep my girls contained because of neighbor cats and the wild life predators, it’s hard! Especially if you work 10-12 hour days then come home to work 3 hrs in garden but I just keep up doing it, I am 61 and see what’s going on and I think learning and making my fails when I can still afford food vs when I can’t and then trying to learn… it’s a real learning curve, hard work! At least you have each other for help as I do all mine alone and it kicks my tail ! BUT I have this year been able to can up veggies to enjoy till next spring and I get great comfort in that. Good luck on your journey and glad you chose to rent and not sell so when times get bad you can move back and start growing and raising again.
My husband and I were for forced into solo homesteading. Even the oldest civilizations had communities to help
Seems like you quit right when YT started to promote you the channel the algorithm. I just found the Chicken Coop episode in my list.
No quitting, just evolving 🙃 Thanks for checking out the vids!
One of the number one rules with this journey is not adding too many animals too quickly
Rules are meant to be broken 😂
Living a self-sufficient, homesteading lifestyle is an idyllic dream that a lot of us share. The reality is that it's a LOT of hard, dirty, difficult work. Every. day. Props to these folks for giving it a shot. No doubt they learned a lot, not the least of which is that this just isn't for them. That's what life is all about - figuring out what's for you and what isn't.
Hello friend how are you doing today?
Absolutely, great words here. We learned SO much from this experience, and will take those skills and that knowledge with us wherever we go next :)
Such an amazing year for you. You’ve built such a great home. We’re hoping to live the island life in the next year.
Excited to here what you do next.
Thanks Dean! The island life is pretty sweet, not gonna lie. Your little ones will love it to, so much to see and explore. Maybe we'll catch you here in the future!
Homesteading really is a lot of work but worth it if that is what you want. God bless your family on your journey. Wishing you all many wonderful and joyful adventures.
A whole year, huh? You spent only one year at it, and expected you'd have it all nailed down?
You either didn't do sufficient research, you're into instant gratification, or you had unrealistic expectations. Probably all of the above.
Been there done that. It was one thing about dairy farming. Those girls gotta get milked twice a day. Got just a few hens now and large feeder . So I can vacation sometimes
Hello Lisa 👋 How are you doing today?
Oof yeah dairy farming sounds like a handful! Although I do love dairy and I'm sure nothing beats fresh...
Been doing it since 2009. Just now getting good at it. 60 head of cattle,80 birds,2 pigs,A pond with fish. I lived in the city and was a fireman.Wouldnt change it for the world.Cities are crime ridden and getting worse.
Wow that's a lot of livestock! I can only imagine the hard work you've put in to scale up to that point.
I've been farming for over a decade, and have seen more farms like these come and go than I can really count. Anytime I meet someone starting a new, romanticized homestead "Farm". I always tell them to avoid animals, particularly goats, as new homesteads always tend to get one one each animals, and the single goat is usually the culprit of a large time sink. If you want to actually homestead right, grow beans, grow potato, grow carrots and summer squad, maybe a few egg layers to meet the daily needs, but if you really want to be a success, do as I did and farm only salad, or as we call it "yuppie grub" and learn to build mycology labs and grow mushrooms, microgreens are a decent mid winter income if you automate it.
Now imagine you are homesteading on the open prairie and your nearest neighbor is is 5 miles away and the nearest town is 10 miles away.
No electricity, no indoor plumbing, no car, no...think of everything electricity and a car allows us to do.
Enjoy your next adventure with the knowledge you have gained.
Not to mention literally all of your feeding and watering mechanisms maximized your effort instead of minimized it
Obviously you can't leave for a day when your set up is designed to be taken care of daily
Oh to be young and naïve. We been to every state and major city in the country. At 37 I choose to permanently live about 20 minutes from you. Once you hit the road you will quickly realize you live in the garden of Eden and literally nowhere is even half as good as the PNW.
This is the reason why here in Germany (particularly in the east) you see lots of "alternative" living models springing up on former farm areas. Usually young studends or old, fed up early pensioners. They´re buying up an old farm and starting co working and co living spaces, because they know just how much work it is to run such a thing. Especially since many of those farms need to be refurbished from the core.
I personally think it´s a great alternative to the city grind, I´d have to work 8-10h a day anyway, so I might as well do it on a farm. But you do need the proper knowledge and motivated people.
If that is a minimalist chicken coop, I've built my chickens a poverty coop
😂😂😂 sometimes a roof over their head is sufficient
47
WITHOUT going out of your door,
You can know the ways of the world.
Without peeping through your window,
You can see the Way of Heaven.
The farther you go,
The less you know.
Thus, the Sage knows without travelling,
Sees vithout looking,
And achieves without Ado.
Tao Teh Ching
by Lao Tzu
Wow, heavy words from a classic. What do you think that means in practice? Thanks for sharing 🙏
@@Slowsteading
I hope you find what you're looking for.
Good day.
The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-Bilbo Baggins
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R.Tolkien
Gotta say I'm loving these passages :) Thanks again for sharing!
Man every one of these homesteaders loose me at the “egg layers aren’t meat birds”. They got meat. They make good soup birds.
We don't really eat much meat not enough to make it worth growing it we can leave for three days just as long as we take our dog.
“That’s just not it for me right now.”
An amazing adventure beautifully scripted in a short 8 minutes and 27 seconds, great job, and thank you.
Thanks for checking it out and thanks for the kind words! 🙏
Amazing video. I look forward to the future videos. You only have one life to live, take the opportunity while you can. People act like this has to be forever, you can always come back in a year or so whenever you feel it's right or keep on traveling. It's your life(s), live it the best way you feel.
Thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it! Absolutely, life is (hopefully) long, so we hope to fill it with lots of unique experiences. We're working on some pretty big things this year as well, stay tuned!
I’m retired … kinda early
Bought a 180 farm ready to go except for all the livestock
So
Chickens
Pigs
Saint Croix sheep
South poll cows
A garden
For me it’s just a couple of hours of work a day.
Get the book from Jadam and you will learn a lot of great information for making all of the fertilizer as well as bug spray. It's all organic and will not harm humans or animals including honey bees. There may be a video here on YT. Just saying
Thanks for sharing, I'll check it out!
Just a couple of dorks larping, playing with a few chickens and rabbits.. You wouldn't know what hard work is.
in todays world a safety home and off grid with water supply's and a forest is heaven but if adventure is your plan then this new world will definitely give you that
Enjoy the World! It's a big one 🎉.
Thanks so much, we're looking forward to it 😬
I like meat, but I could never kill for it.
Yeah that's a tricky tradeoff for sure 😅
Homesteading is a lifestyle. You’re correct. And need to be dedicated to that lifestyle.
You grew wonderful food.
A year isn't enough time to develop homesteading skills. Slower is better.
God bless your new journey!
Thanks for following along! 🙏
If you didn't have animals, do you think travelling would be more realistic as a homesteader?
Absolutely, there are so many considerations beyond food and water, such as dealing with seasonal weather extremes, or managing/integrating newborns. Gardens can be managed with irrigation systems or a friendly neighbor.
How do you dispatch those animals? Do a snuff will ya plz kind sir!
Tell me you’re sick of the cold weather without saying you’re sick of the cold weather 😂😂😂
Try again in a warmer climate, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to do the work and find the help you need…
Haha for real! Kind of limited to climate options in Canada unfortunately 😅
Hope you didn’t give it up because I think your going to need it
Need it for what?
Leaving the nest will be just a great as returning to it!
Haha I think so! It's all about mindset :)
Thank you for your story! Great explanation!
Thanks for following along!
You're only crazy for not realizing this was obviously going to happen from the beginning.
What? You mean if I get animals I can't just leave for a 3 month vacation to Bali when I get the whim? I'm shocked!
Its easier to raise cats and dogs to eat than rabbits. Catching them for one.
I have spent my whole adult life traveling for work. I hate leaving my city. I cannot relate much to this.
Farming is hard work?? 👁👄👁
goats prize kudzu. You will only need one goat to eat the kudzu
dude like, why would anyone move out to such a hostile climate to plants and live stock? You also put too much effort into stock but not enough grass / plants to make it a little less expensive to feed them
Dang your reasons for leaving are my reasons for starting. Is that how I want to die? Yes lol I ask my self what is success? And I find myself exercising only futility in this modern world. I’m on the pursuit of true freedom and life and to connect to my God. I believe i will only find it in the life style your giving up. Good luck my friend
yea trying to survive like we did 100 years ago proves to be hard....go figure...
It’s true…chickens are a gateway drug.
Do you mind me asking how a young couple was able to afford all of this and then travel and still own it? Was this inherited? Hope I’m not being rude but I’d like to have a little plot myself some day :( currently back in school to try and get remote cyber security work so I can afford to homestead
I think a lot of homesteaders go through burnout and quit because it was too much too fast. I’ve been homesteading for about 8 years and I started out with fruit trees and a garden full of perennials and annuals. That was a huge time commitment in and of itself when you factor in harvest and food preservation. I felt burned out already so I slowed it down a bit. A couple of years later, I got chickens. Now 4 years after the chickens, I’m getting ready to get ducks. One thing at a time for me. Not sure if I’ll ever get any other animals. I don’t mind being home bound but the amount of work is a lot for one person to handle. My husband works a full time job so it’s on me to build most structures and tend to the plants and birds.
That sounds like a great timeline! Slow is definitely good, that's why it's even in our name 😅
It sounds like you have quite your hands full, that's a great design to keep it all manageable for one. I'm sure after 8 years your trees and perrennials are quite bountiful, I'm sure you've built a beautiful space 🙂
You also have to think about diseases when it comes to raising livestock. especially chickens. There is little to no help for livestock animals when sickness occurs. Your flock quickly becomes infected, and you will have to eliminate. Appreciate the hard work farmers go through, and we should support them in every way
@@jend7103 black sunflower seeds, black Elderberry and many others fix so much... a lot like what we "used " to do for a cold before people bought into the fear propaganda r since 2020
Did you have help or were you part of a community? I think humans are meant to cooperate with each other to capture scale and increase productivity. I see a lot of these videos where just a small family tries to do it all alone.
Community makes a huge difference for sure! While we have a lot of friends here, we have no extended family. In all aspects of life, including raising children, that support can have a huge impact.
Most city folks who start homesteading don’t know what they’re in for. My wife was one. It takes years to get used to the grind, the bad weather, the animal escapes, the crop failures, the broken equipment and the endless slog of work. You have to really want all of that, not just the idyllic rural life.
Very well said! So many city folks want to rent a pretty piece of property, a cabin or such, have all the great views and fun, then walk away as soon as the first challenge shows up. Many of these homesteads already have the main building, with city water and power hooked up, so the homestead apart from the livestock pretty much runs itself anyway. In general I say give it at least 5 years to adapt, if the desire to homestead isn’t there at that point, do something else. Our water well broke the second year, we hauled our water by hand in the late autumn. Some of our chickens got sick and died. We had a bad bear and cougar problem one Spring. A wind storm knocked down multiple trees across our windy mountain road, which we cleared on our own with chainsaws, ropes, and an old truck. One Summer we had a grasshopper/insect problem which killed most of our crops. Our drain field flooded so we had to expand it by hand with shovels. The list of challenges goes on. But I wouldn’t trade the homestead life for anything. I love it with all my soul. Honestly though, if you come from a background of having very little I think you’re a little more inclined to appreciate all that homesteading offers. It isn’t a trendy phase, it is a burning desire that cannot be snuffed out. 😊
@@fareshajjar1208 that's exactly what happened...
Most homesteaders that don't quit don't youtube it...
that sounds more appealing than a 9-5+ grind. its a you are born with or you aren't mentality.
I just wanted to be free, that's been enough motivation for the work for the last..... 5 years? Doesn't even feel like that long. I have to haul water, cut wood, sure... But nobody can turn off my heat when I don't conform to their authoritarian demands. And this is in Canada, we only get 90 days a year without snow.
@@fareshajjar1208 moved to the sticks to work for google
Everyone has different needs. The reasons you guys are leaving the homestead life is why I am pursuing it. I hate traveling, I hate cities, and I love the idea of living in my own safe nature preserve and never having to leave. Surrounded by animals and living a physically active life style. Sounds like a dream come true.
For sure, and there are seasons for everything in life :) Wishing you the best of luck!
Me too (wanting Hobby Farm). Hav traveled the world, worked Corp for 30 yrs, many rentals. Now I want to stay home - just what you said.
Yes it’s been my life long dream to homestead, but I married an examish guy who hated farming and never wants to do it again, ugh! I have to live my dream thru YTube.
@@lirpasnooze Aw... this comment makes me sad! Maybe you can do a few little things? A little patio garden, one raised bed, one fruit tree? Alot of towns allow 3-4 chickens (no rooster lol)....within city limits. I had a lemon and lime tree inside, at year 3 they were only in 10 gallon pots. I even got some fruit! And I lived in Michigan so they definitely stayed inside 3/4's of the year! A kitchen herb garden that's self watering? I hope you get to stretch your self sufficiency roots a little🙂
Me too. I can have one or two vacations per year and arrange/ pay someone to come over to feed and water the animals while we go on vacation. That's not that too difficult. I think is also healthier for children to grow in this rural minifarm environment.
And now you know why people live in communities.
Y'all dipped fast. A lot do. Its hard work and a lot of commitment to make it work.
Do they not live in a community? It doesn't look rural.
@@gammaraymonkey They never started homesteading, they literally dropped a couple small animal pens in their one-acre yard, started a garden, and called it a homestead 😂😂😂😂 This must be trans-homesteading...they identify as homesteaders.
@@Ferrous_Bueller typical narcissistic self-promoting 'influencers' ... always talk no walk
Homestead for a year, then giving it up is strange to me. That isn’t enough time to even develop your skills as a homesteader. I hope you are able to create a more stable and consistent schedule for your family.
We're giving up *this* homestead, not rushing back to the burbs and a 9-5. The plan is to continue to grow and develop our skills and knowledge in other ways and locations ✌️
@@Slowsteading I still think it’s disrespectful to all the animals you buy and care for. Just to abandon them cause you couldn’t handle it. Maybe use this as a lesson to be more thoughtful about what you do in your life. I just saw this one video so I’m by far nothing but a bystander with an opinion. I wish y’all the best in the future.
Fair enough, thanks for sharing! All the animals have found new loving homes 👌
Yeah totally. I plan to be a homesteader but I’m giving myself 10 years. I spent 1 year just learning how to grow (maybe 20) different plant varieties, understand soil health & organic farming methods. Now I’m slowing it down and just learning maybe 3-4 each year, caring for fruit trees and slowly building my way up. Because heck, it is a lot of work and there is A-LOT to learn. Especially with kids.
Best of luck
@Kenneth Brandon Peters Those animals are livestock. They are not pets. It's not like dogs who live in the house with you and get attached. Livestock are sold all the time. It's not disrespectful to sell your live stock. I have a suspicion you don't raise animals for food.
My parents were from the city and moved to the country. They lasted 16 years before selling the homestead and bought a house in a development with a 6' wide back yard. They have minimal responsibilities now but my mom enjoys her flower garden. At one time as a kid we had sheep, cattle, horses, everything.. it was the best childhood and since thats how I grew up, its what I want to return to one day. Its not for everyone and it really is something you have to want and enjoy doing - from working until dark, to finding the barn kittens that fell into a water trough and drowned in the night. There is a lot of hardship and sadness being so intertwinned with the constant beginning and ending of life all around you. Life is a beautiful and ugly thing.
Thanks for sharing this, that sounds like an amazing childhood!
I think Mark from self sufficient me hits the nail on the head when he says "you don't have to be self sufficient in everything, but be self sufficient in something."
You don't have to do it all and fall into the "homesteading" trend, you can just adapt one or two practices into your life.
Do what works for you, do what is sustainable for you❤
This....this hits with me
Great words, thanks for sharing!
unless the world ends :/ society is on overtime.
@@omnitone Humanity has never been self-sufficient. We have always existed as tribes, with people doing different kinds of work. So even if society somehow fails, people should and would still work together.
@@DanDanDoe gotta be fake. even worms and microbes are more self sufficient than us? something is fishy. tribes just distribute a workload. it's a necessity for large scale society but is optional for the individual.
Leaving home becomes very difficult when you have to attend animals and gardens, that's why families in the past were formed by three different generations. Grandparents attended daily chores (and hopefully grandsons!) for a while, so mom and dad could take some time for them. Homestead is paradise if you have a community or an enlarged family to count on... otherwise it could become a nightmare.
This is a great perspective, thanks for sharing. Multi-generational living is so important for a lifestyle like this, and I've seen it work for many people in our community. That's something we are lacking here and we feel it 😅
Oh! That does sound more manageable!
Families in the past also very rarely traveled very far from home. My parents grew up in solidly middle class urban homes before and after WWII, and summer vacations for them meant an hour's drive to the Jersey shore. Ocean-crossing travel was something ordinary people only got to do maybe once in their lives if they were an immigrant or in the military/merchant marine. It's not really until the past ~50 years that taking a trip to Europe or Asia became something a middle class family could do, regardless of how many generations lived together.
@@sansbury95 Yup. That is it. Families in the past didn’t travel. Grandparents usually died at a young age. They weren’t taking care of the animals while their children traveled! Lol😂
@@realhousewifeofnebraskacas8357
Why do you think grandparents died especially young? It wasn’t that unusual for people to live 70+ years even back in antiquity
so you like the YouTubing influencing part of homesteading but you don't like a ”working” part of it
It’s so much easier to start the homesteading process without animals that require twice daily attention. Then later, if you find you don’t leave you can add an animal or two per year. Too much too fast means failure.
One of the reasons why farmers and such had MANY children - more help and burden to be shared. “More the merrier”!
I agree with someone here who mentioned many RUclipsrs romanticize it a bit too much. It is labor for a reason. Good, beautiful labor, but God has different callings for us all. Anywho, Godspeed to y’all, and may Jesus take care of y’all in the next adventure!
Haha the more the merrier indeed! 😂 Thanks for the well wishes, we're looking forward to the next adventure!
Spoiler Alert: They were never content with anything they do in their lives even before they built the homestead.
We embarked on a bigger homesteading dream by purchasing fifteen acres. Previously we'd had a large garden, quail, and ducks in the city. Eight months in, I tore my shoulder turning a compost pile by hand. Farming is HARD! So hard. So physically demanding, so consuming. At the same time I had a baby goat with pneumonia needing round the clock nursing care and, a mama goat with mastitis, so she was getting treatment and milked - but I had to dump the milk for over a week. At the same time carrying hot water to the barn a few times a day to keep buckets from freezing (with the torn shoulder 🫤). It's exhausting.
We can't go camping if nice weekend weather rolls around. I have to find someone to come stay at the farm if we leave for more than a few days.
But I still love it. I don't really want to go anywhere. I'm so happy staying home and watching my animals graze and the grass grow and the kids climb trees and cuddle baby goats. But man, the sacrifice for that is real.
Thanks for sharing! Wow 15 acres! It's true the challenges are so real, but also so rewarding. Wishing you the best of luck with your homestead!
Dumping milk for the first time, when I had hungry goat babies to feed, was one of the hardest lessons I've learned about homesteading, and nature in general.
Well that’s to bad. But I’ve known so many former homesteaders that gave up it cause they found out quickly that it wasn’t what they thought. So many RUclipsrs make homesteading look so romantic but it really isn’t. Y’all look like you’ve put some effort into your homestead. Everything looks great. Good luck in your new adventure. 👍
Cheers! It's a been a fun ride for sure 😁 And don't worry, this isn't the end, it's just the beginning. We've got some big things in the works this year!
Agree. If you think you'll be gardening in a sun dress with flowers in your hair, think again😂😊
RUclipsr homesteaders make money through youtube money too.
Like this channel for example.
By logic, homesteaders are just like normal farmer. But small farmer. Soo it's truly hard to get big money and with high workload.
Edit: the basic logic to all nature stuff is, "if you like cat, dont always want to get one. Because, you probably love cats, but you cant nurture them properly". Better go to cat cafe when you have an urge to pet cat. Or just pet some stray cats.
Ya'll!
I just started a veggie garden this year and had to measure my expectations FAST. What I thought were weekend projects are season projects for a beginner, and what I thought I could do in one year is probably going to be 3-5 years. I can't imagine if I'd dived headfirst into a full on acre sized homestead in one year. Respect for trying it and admitting the downfalls. I believe this is a process that, if you want to go into it, you should go slowly. Get used to each routine and sacrifice before adding a new one. Especially if you still have to work full time.
Well said and totally agreed. I only have a mini garden I felt like I have a homestead already lol. I care for my plants daily research information etc. And I work from home full time, Imagine a homestead oh my! I feel like homestead is more for if you're financially stable and committed to just your backyard not having to work or start off ONE thing at a time as a hobby slowly and go from there. I would love to have what they have only if I don't have to work though.
You might need to reconsider EVERYTHING if your garden takes THAT much work.
Most real homestead in France have people that barely work 800hours in a year for the whole homestead. It only get to that level due to high seasons and conservation.
Otherwise, most of the time, their entire homestead needs barely 1 hour a day to function.
Doing an homestead doesnt mean you have to do it all in 1 year. Permaculture is supposed to work on the long term, as time goes on, less work is needed. That's how our (and your) elders did it.
You all want to do everything NOW and in a modern way, ofcourse you end up burning up, even more if you're a city folk lol.
@BeneDiv-lu4gx yeah this land has not been well cared for at all before i got it. its entirely overrun with invasives and i had to build a lot of things. its not about how "modern" you try to make it but how its been cared for before. if youre LUCKY in the us you'll get a place that had monoculture lawns before, and thats best of the best and most expensive. most places are in disrepair
same experience.
A 1 acre homestead? Thats too small & you would be doing work that a tractor should bedoing.
Homesteading like homeschooling is a lifestyle, not a hobby. And many people fail to commit to a lifestyle change, especially one that is so demanding and not filled with multiple hits of dopamine throughout the day to keep you going. What should keep you going is a firm commitment and perseverance especially in times of difficulty. That my friends is what gets you through life.
Don't say "fail". This wasn't a fail, they tried something, noticed that it actually kind of sucks, not wanting to spend every single moment of every single day working like a slave for a tomato they could buy for $0.75 at a grocery store... Not literally but figuratively. This is a lifestyle of virtual slavery to the land, looks charming but in fact, it is hard work almost every waking hour.
It’s hard to commit when the desire isn’t rooted in a strong conviction that the lifestyle is the most responsible, secure and ethical choice. They didn’t homestead - they hobby farmed and gave up the hobby. The desire to put down deep roots and create an inheritance of land and skill wasn’t there. As I’ve lived this life for 20 years, I’ve realized there are a lot more hobby farmers than homesteaders.
@@stillwatersfarm8499 Well SAID! I've seen it to. Truthfully all I had to do was see his Black coat name brand and the hat and KNEW from the moment I saw him in just video he was a BURB kid. I grew up in the city and was a city slicker and super smart about where I was and how I traveled and I saw many of these WANA BEEEES that TRY and BUY and BOLT leaving behind what they want when they want. Animals don't really matter to them once they get sick of the life style that doesn't serve them any more. It's SAD to see but SO VERY BLATANT just looking at this family sad to say. The only thing SMART they have done after making this choice is that they RENTED out there property and not sold it so if and when the sh!t hits the fan they will kick off the ppl on it and go back to rebuilding there homestead. Being young and dumb at this point in time in history is a going to cost a lot of lives and families. This is NO TIME TO BE TRAVELING around the world EXPLORING with 2 young kids.
100% agree with you CrabDigs. People look at homesteading as a hobby & thats what the Govt calls it. People get bored of hobbies all the time. Wen its a true lifestyle, you dig your heels in. "Wen the going gets tuff, the fluff runs away."
Except (speaking as a mom who did homeschool her son), homeschooling requires a lot of work, but I was able to work part-time outside of the home. I don't think this man worked outside of the home (unless I'm wrong). And any homesteader will tell you that you can NOT provide properly for your family the first five years unless one of the adults is working full-time somewhere, while helping weekends and nights with the homestead.
Starting small is important. Staring with growing the smallest of veggies or micro greens and sticking with that for a few seasons then expanding from that. You took in a lot in one year. I don’t think you should give up. Start over with the basics
You can't start smaller than these people did, hahaha. They never started homesteading, they literally dropped a couple small animal pens in their one-acre backyard, started a garden, and called it a homestead 😂😂😂😂 This must be trans-homesteading...they identify as homesteaders.
I totally agree with what you said here. Though I'm not going to stop farming and homesteading, THIS SUITS ME. I'm very introverted. I enjoyed traveling, but I have a family now and there is no way we could afford to travel (plus hubs is a massive introvert). I did my traveling years ago and my son is 2. He wouldn't even remember an expensive trip. I like being far removed and left alone and I actually enjoy the cleanup aspect of animal care. Knowing that I'm making them happy makes me happy.
I have worked with large animals before in a professional setting and knew every aspect of what I was getting into: The death. The potentially scary emergency situations. The failures. THE POOP. Weather challenges. Many people don't understand just how much WORK it all is or, frankly, how dirty it is. It all sounds nice and easy, but the reality is you'll end up covered in poop more than once in your life. Lol.
When I worked at Petsmart for several years (started in pet care and moved up to CEL- manager of animal care and sales interactions) the #1 thing we heard in interviews was "i wanna work here because it seems like so much fun to get to play with animals all day." HAH! the reality? They end up quitting 2 months later because their JOB is cleaning up animal poop (all sizes of rodent poop, LOADS of bird poop, reptile poop, fish poop scrubbing, FRIGGIN TURTLE SWILL), dealing with sick or dead animals (usually from either stress of kids hitting the glass or breeding facilities), handling live crickets with their bare hands, scrubbing. Scrubbing. SCRUBBING. Dog bathers in grooming got soaking wet, covered in dog poop, urine, and anal gland excretions. You aren't "playing with animals." You're CARING for them so eventually someone ELSE can play with them. They didn't usually last long. Lol.
Thanks for sharing! Haha oh man Petsmart sounds like a tough gig 😂 I think your comment really touched on something though, the importance of doing what is right for your family, your personalities, and the age of your children. Ultimately to choose the path that works best for your own unique situation is what matter most. Best of luck in your homesteading journey!
@@Slowsteading best of luck in your new adventures!! 🥰
Dude a year? I'm in for 7 years and now I'm finally getting GOOD at it. It's a lifestyle. You don't get it in a year.
What’s interesting is that most homestead families I’m seeing are small… I think when I look at other cultures the homestead/farm has a huge family, multiple generations there. Expecting to do everything with yourself and maybe your partner is kind of unrealistic.
I really appreciate your honesty about your homesteading experience. It definitely isn’t for everyone. I’ve been homesteading for nearly a decade and while it absolutely does have those beautiful fairytale moments, it is also not for the faint of heart and is filled with its own challenges. (We nearly gave it up a short time in, it is a very different life to adapt to, it takes time.) To be fair, you have to pick your battles. Renting one place then another and another is a massive expense that you never see again. Homesteading is an investment, but it pays off in the long-run. You become a steward of your land, crops, and animals. That is no easy task, but for my family it is the most rewarding one. For me, I was moved around all the time, never feeling settled, never feeling safe, always feeling out of place, and having old wounds I couldn’t heal. All I ever wanted was a home, a sanctuary to take care of, somewhere to finally plant some roots to grow and heal. The homestead granted me all of that and so much more. For some of us, it is a dream come to true to look forward to doing this forever, to grow old watching the homestead grow and thrive as the years go by. Being able to look around saying, remember when we planted those trees? Remember when we built that coop? etc. Like I said though, this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, we are all different and we all have different needs. If you long for adventure, and have places you’d love to travel, and don’t want to be tied down, it makes perfect sense to do something else. Life is what you make it, do what makes you feel alive! 🥰 Homesteading is an amazing experience, and I’m so thrilled you and your family gave it a go. Those skills will stay with you, best wishes!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I agree with all of these sentiments. For us there are many reasons we started to feel that this specific property was not our forever home; changes in the neighborhood (not sure if you can see the big forest that was just clearcut in the lot directly beneath us), high cost of living, and the limitations of this small rocky lot in a residential area. We hope to take the skills and knowledge we gained and go explore alternative places to live in different climates and with a lower cost of living ✌️☺️
Better to figure this all out sooner than later was our thinking!
@@Slowsteading My pleasure! 😊 One should never clear an entire forest, but for safety reasons there should be no trees within falling distance of your home, coop, out buildings. And trees at the perimeter also need to be limbed up. (Fire-ladder) It is definitely nice to not have neighbors within spitting distance, totally understandable! 😆 Best wishes finding the property of your dreams, and in a climate that suits you. Stay safe on your journey! 😊👍
I moved around my whole life and never felt safe or at home too! I hope I can find that feeling of belonging on my own homestead one day! Thank you for sharing your experience! It really helped me feel like I am going in the right direction, towards my goals of healing and stability.
@@cyndeesantos4944 Awww, it was my pleasure to share. I will be rooting for you, and praying you find your peaceful homestead soon! 🥰 If my journey led me to my homestead, your journey will certainly lead you to yours! Best wishes!
@@PonderingWhimsy thank you so much! 🥰
I thought it was going to be the typical click bait.. but it looks like your really doing it! Congrats, on hard decisions, you will never regret spending more time with your family and having new experiences.
Haha glad to hear we could deliver on more than just click bait 😂 Thank you so much, we totally agree. We've got some big ideas in the works that we can't wait to share 😁
We're in our 4th year now and it had been anything but calm. So many responsibilities and tragedies that you don't experience in an urban lifestyle! From farm animals randomly dying to the garden overwhelmed by weeds, diseases and pests really lets you down especially when you contribute so much time and effort towards them. The transition from city to countryside is the hardest thing we've ever done. You always have to be on top of things and think about what could go wrong before it happens. This is why we should RESPECT homesteaders and farmers because they have one of the most difficult job's out there!!
Definitely, growing food is tough! Best of luck on your continued homesteading adventures!
Yes! Respect!
I'm glad someone was honest about the struggles. It's definitely something you have to really really really want. My work schedule doesn't allow for it yet so I refuse to have anything more than just a small garden but my partner, who has more time than me, can barely take care of that 10ft'10ft space, but wants a whole homestead and he just doesn't get what it truly takes. He, like many others, just romanticizes it but when it comes to it, isn't willing to put in the work.
Now that you know what goes into it you'll have an appreciation for local farmers and will be more willing to spend money on local meat and produce
we've been lied to we're individuals but we thrive as a community. . .
Not everyone!
@@livingintheforest3963 yes everyone...
unless you want to do ALL of the tasks yourself and not delegate; if you don you'll be burned out and hate life
We've been trained by the system to "go it alone", struggle with debt our whole lives and pay off just as we die. It's the trap of western living.
Homesteading is f****** hard. It takes all of your soul some days. In March, it’s this swell of excitement and eagerness to plan. The toil and hard work of the warm months is grueling. Come October, the harvest can be overwhelming. By December, I’m tapped out and ready to rest for a couple of months. But there is no other way I could see me and my family living our lives. I’m constantly reminded by friends and family that it’s a dream come true. “How do you manage it all?” “Where do you find the time?” “I wish I had your stamina.” People don’t understand it and are amazed by the way we live. Their curiosity and amazement reminds me that this is the only way I want to live for the rest of my life. We are doing what so many wish they could. But it’s not for everyone. I admire you for making the right choice for you and your family despite what others may think. Good for you ❤
I grew up on a decent sized farm here in Idaho,(100 acres with 120 head of Hereford and Angus Cattle, 4 Arab horses, large white hogs and probably 60 to 70 chickens plus 1.5 acre garden for veggies and 2 acre orchard and then some etc..) its definitely not just a job. Its a way of life and lots of people now days do NOT realize that and I think experiencing it and trying it out is the only way to figure out if it's for you or not!:) I hated farm chores in high school and did not want to be a farmer AT ALL but here I am! Doing it again because I know the expectations and truly do love this way of life. Last big vacation we took was 2018 and I'm great with that. I think this is a great video and thanks for sharing your life story!!
Thanks for sharing! Totally agree it is a lifestyle, but how special for you to come back to it with some renewed perspective. I don't doubt that we'll return to this lifestyle in the future at some point as well, and we'll able to bring all the skills and knowledge we've gained along the way with us ☺️
I’m turning 70 soon, and just want you to know your channel has made an impact on me….my life has come opposite, as I traveled while raising three children and got stuck in the corporate rut once settled down on the outskirts of the Seattle area…..now retired with kids visiting now and then, I’ve ventured into my own little (4 weeks old today!) flock of chicks and thus landed on your channel….no less than 20 of those views on your chicken run build are mine, as I try to figure out the measurements… so far it’s up and ready for the roof. Love the simple design and just haven’t gotten to your other videos-was saving for these pnw rainy ones…. Thank You. And may you and your family enjoy love and happiness as you travel as your heart leads. Glad your keeping the property, as it gives the option to come home to roost
Amazing Jill, thanks so much for sharing! Aww we miss having young chicks around so much-they grow up so fast! Kids aren't like that too, right?
So humbled that you have created a coop following my build! The roof is best part, it makes it much drier underneath 😂 Please share a picture if you can!
I think I understand why some of the comments are a little salty even though I’m a fairly new subscriber. There’s currently some popular bad homestead channels, and by the word’Bad’, I mean they aren’t really homesteading at all…they are pretending to homestead with endless affiliate links and constantly selling stuff and those seem to be the promoted channels, but finding someone really doing it and being honest about the challenges is refreshing in this current social media buzz word commercial marketing affiliate culture.
which ones? so i know who to not really invest in watching.
They never started homesteading, they literally dropped a couple small animal pens in their one-acre backyard, started a garden, and called it a homestead 😂😂😂😂 This must be trans-homesteading...they identify as homesteaders.
Your picking the worse time to quit, I'm just starting my adventure with a homestead, I'm retiring from the rat race to start my own farm. I'm disabled and its hard to move around most days, Yeah crazy right, anyway I'm doing this because the world today has changed for the worse. There are things you can do you automate your homestead to make it easier to care for with less work. I might start a you tube and share my adventure but it will be private at first for just family and friends. I really liked your videos and hope you find what your looking for and maybe someday you will come back to the homestead life. Good luck and god bless.
Thanks for the well wishes, so glad to hear you enjoyed the videos! So excited for you to be pursuing what feels right for you. And don't worry, the rat race is 100% not what we're looking to get involved in 😂 We have some big plans in the works actually, so stay tuned. Best of luck with your homestead!
homesteading is NOT a hipster sport.
Better stick to skateboarding then.
I've seen this a lot. Homesteading requires a serious commitment and rootedness to place. The reality is different than the ideal and not everyone can stick with it.
Yep, it's seriously hard work. That's why when we get a homestead, we plan to try to connect with the community. We can make friends, have choices for homesitters, and trading buddies. We want to do mostly dairy cows (probably only 1 at a time, unless she has a calf) and egg laying hens, maybe a couple goats. We'll probably have a very small garden each year for the herbs & vegetables we use the most. Eventually, we want a bee hive or two. But other than that, we really don't want a huge variety. Just those 4 things (cow, chickens, goats & garden) would be a full time job and then some. But if we need someone to watch the farm, we can make them a deal that they can have a certain amount of milk, eggs, homemade foods, etc. for free. If we need meat, I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen. We can trade homemade cheese, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, baked desserts... even homemade wine. I mean, I think that's legal to trade (I know it's legal to make)... LOL We'd check into that first, but you get the point. I truly believe the only way to survive homesteading without breaking your back and potentially your spirit is to have a community. Do what you love most and are good at. The rest can be traded. And you're right. It's definitely not for families who travel a lot. It's not for everyone, and that's okay!
:D
How can you raise 'adorable' baby bunnies just to kill them? I will never undertand humans.