During WWII, my grandmother watched her 42 year old husband go to war followed my uncle just age 17. She was left with their huge garden, loss of Granddaddy's paycheck, caring for elderly parents and my 9 yo mom. She didn't give up. She drilled down. Rented half the house to another war "widow" and child, worked many days in the summer at the local high school kitchen that bought canning equipment so the cooks could can local produce for the coming school year. My grandmother then stayed til nearly midnight many nights canning her own garden goods - a privilege given the day workers. My mom sat outside on the school steps. Grandma's would wake her when the night's work was done and carry her a mile home. Let's pray for oil in our lamps, sleep when it's available, safety and wisdom for our daily steps, food for our bodies and souls. Love to all!!
I asked my grandmother about what they ate during WW2 (Norway), and she said that towards the end of the war when there was very little food in the shops, they mainly survived on: fish (they owned a small fishing boat), potatoes and carrots. And people living away from the coast raised rabbits and pigs for meat. If one household didnt produce enough food waste to feed a pig on their own, they went together with other familes and raised the pig together. And if you look at photoes from Norway well into the 1960s, people still grew their own potatoes, root vegetables, fruit and berries. (Rabbits went out of fashon though as people got so tired of rabbit meat during the war).
What I dont have: acres of land, livestock, ponds, large gardens. What I do have: a suburban property with baby fruit trees, greenstalks, a solid home, full pantry, good neighbors. What I did have: a covetous heart. What I have now: contentment with what God has given me.
That's where we were too. I had to accept what I had. Loved my beautiful suburban garden and chickens. After 15 years of wanting to have some space to run the Lord has blessed us with acerage. The Lord had impressed on my heart though that he who can be trusted with little can ve trusted with much. Do the best you can with a thankful heart.
Amen! I felt like I couldn’t homestead bc I didn’t have land and instead I became committed to working with what God blessed us with and am not giving up, just looking and moving forward!
I'm 70 years old and live alone on 5 acres. My husband passed away over 6 years ago. I am currently planting the biggest garden I have ever grown. I just got into raising quail for eggs and meat. Last year, I bought a freeze dryer, I also can, freeze, and dehydrate everything that I can get my hands on. My family and friends think I am crazy but all say when things get really bad, they know where to find food. Last year I raised 40 meat chickens that I processed by myself. I could never stand living in town.
That's great! I hope I can do it all at 70. I'm 60 and sometimes I wonder how long I'll last, I know when you sit down and stop, you don't get back up again.
Anyone paying attention to what is happening in not just our country, but globally, will not stop homesteading. IMHO Keep on keeping on. You'll be glad you did.
Things have gotten worse not better. People need to realize that. If you’re lucky enough to have a homestead don’t give it up. We need more families to become independent. ❤
Never give up. It's because of our elderly, who started the "Victory Gardens"! that we survived in the late 30's and early 40's. Seed companies like Burpee etc. were started then and I, in my early teens sold seeds for them, not for money but for things. I got my very own, Bible as one of the choices in their catalog! I recently gave it to my granddaughter as I'm almost 90, and I knew she'd care for it like I did. Another way to spread the "Seeds of Life".
Yes, the Victory gardens were awesome. My grandparents had one on a small piece of rental land where they grew their veg. They lived in the suburbs and Sunday afternoons were spent at the victory garden. Dad hated it lol. But my grandfather convinced family members and others that it was their civic duty to have a victory garden. We are lucky enough to have and old, handrawn layout of one of them.
As a couple in our 60s with three kids still at home and 40 years of gardening under our belts, we still need to hear this kind of encouragement. During covid, our grown kids would come home to "shop". We always had enough milk, meat, eggs and veggies. Now though, they have no time to drive out here for groceries, they get them at the store. We ended up selling our milk cow and scaling back our gardens so we aren't as overwhelmed with harvests that our family no longer wants. Thank you for the encouragement to keep going even if the scale is different now!
It’s called taking things for granted - You - the food supply - that “others” (farmers - ranchers - the government) will take care of them. It’s scary & sad.
I am Canadian- not a true homesteader - no extra large property but everyone tells me I am crazy for growing my own food. I think me feeding 4 other families not just my own makes me very happy and that is so important 💝🇨🇦. Thanks for the awesome message.
You are NOT crasy lady ! I'm 66 and starting seriously making reserves cause my intuition tells me to do so and that is the only voice that you must listen too. People are going to wait until thunder strikes...but it may be too late! Blessings 🙏
I admire all those that Homestead. I live in the suburbs of So. Calif. I have my own little backyard homestead. My backyard is small but I am growing my own food. I even taught myself, with RUclips help, to can, freeze and dehydrate the food that I grow. Thanks for what you all do and have RUclips sites for me to learn.
With an overflowing pantry and a ton of home canned food put away I told Hubs I was tired of canning and believed we were in good shape for a while. He looked stunned then reminded me we have empty jars. Back to canning.
@@christinakoller7489 He's more trouble in the kitchen than worth it. He is great about washing up and running errands while I'm working though. We work pretty well together.
You are so right! I only have a small acre or two with a few chickens, but at 70, I planted an 18 tree fruit orchard and have a small garden in my backyard for vegetables. With our pension and this small amount we are able to care for my husband’s 99yr old mother and help our son who is out of work right now, with his family of five. Doing the best we can with what we have. The Lord is our Provider, trusting him for the rest. So appreciative for your videos. Learning a lot Thank you!
I so needed this today. I'm the only one in my family doing this, I feel like sometimes I'm completely on my own. My husband does help with repairing structures, things like that, and help if I need it, but after that, it's all up to me. I've really amped things up this year, I'll never quit, though, because I see what's coming, but it's hard doing everything on my own, and everyone else gets to go have all the fun. They just don't realize that in the spring summer, and fall, I can't just drop everything. Things have to be harvested, canned, etc. plus animals. People talk like they want to be more self reliant, and they have big plans, but they end up not executing the plan. They go to Hawaii or something. They don't want to put in the hard work. I know I have to. I had a good cry today, but am feeling better after this video. Thank you so much!! Now back to canning, LOL!
My husband and I are 80 years old. We have a huge garden and a smaller garden. This year it just became more than we can handle. However, rather that plowing up the big garden and planting grass. We are covering it with woven ground cloth to keep the weeds and particularly the bermuda grass out. If at some point we want to grow more, we can always fold back some portions of the ground covering and plant a row or two. We just can't give up what we have been doing all these years. Not now!
My son was hoping to find someone like you to Help out with a garden in exchange for a place to live.. I know it's not easy to get the right person to help but there are MANY folks looking for a chance to garden
As a 81 yo homesteader now the sole worker I am dropping many projects. I’ve tried to find folks that want to learn, but none want to do the work day after day. I’ve dropped from 1/2 acre to a kitchen garden now. I’m happy I can still provide myself with food. Still moving just ain’t a fast. lol.
I feel this. I'm 33. We bought our 80 acres 4 years ago, just before covid happened, with very little farm experience. Covid really just confirmed to us that we were on the right path, but it had been our dream. It was a run down farm with not much useful infrastructure, so we basically started from scratch. We now have a 1/4 acre garden, laying hens, broilers in the summer in Idaho A-Frames 😉, fully fenced and cross fenced 80 acres, a cow/calf operation, custom hay business, 2 excellent guardian pups, and I homeschool during the winter my grade 2 and 3 kids. I'm exhausted and overwhelmed, and barely getting by. Did we bite off too much too soon? Absolutely. We did NOT pace ourselves. The laundry is barely done, and house is always dirty. I do feel like I'm on the brink of insanity sometimes. I am so thankful to God for all we have, but also desperate for rest. This year does not feel peaceful. It feels as though God is hammering me into steel - which He probably is, and I should probably be grateful for - but that's easier said than done. One foot in front of the other, one task at a time, breath.
Hawk Nelson has a song called Diamonds. "He's making diamonds out of dust. He is refining and in His timing He's making diamonds out of us." Ask Him if you need to cut back, or if this is part of His plan to make you one of His jewels.
I am a solitary 61-year-old woman, and I would give anything for permission to put a tiny house on a corner of a property like yours in exchange for labor. A laundress, a baker/cook, whatever was needed and agreed upon. Done properly, it could serve to ease your burden and give security and companionship for the other.
@@aliveinfaith you won’t regret it! I homeschooled 6 kids , ran a farm/ homestead for 36 years. The homeschooling is done now but still homesteading. It’s in our DNA. Can’t quit. I know it’s hard but some day you’ll look back and say how did I do all that I did and you say I don’t know but I’d do it all again. God bless y’all.
I was forced to stop growing food this year due to a serious health crisis. But I plan to get back to it as soon as I am physically able. This is a survival skill.
I am in my early 60’s and my husband early 70’s. We finally started our little homestead. Reaping fruit from our orchard we put in a couple years ago. Growing our own chickens for meat and eggs. Gardens is doing well. It is hard. We hurt the end of the day…. But it’s all worth it! If we can do it , anyone can do it!!! Become self sufficient!!
I grew up in Wyoming. It was very important to have a 4-6 month pantry stock prepared before winter. One year we were snowed in for weeks, not water for two weeks-we had to walk to the spring fed creek with buckets-but we had plenty of firewood and food, and that got us through a very rough winter. It only takes one harsh winter event to shut people down for weeks. If I had to choose the most important things-a fireplace with lots of wood(a rocket stove if you live in a rental-this is important for boiling water), water barrels to collect rainwater, alternate non-electric or gas cook options with various fuel sources, a minimum of six month food supply, wool blankets, candles/lanterns and a seeds (both garden but also microgreen/sprout/grain that can be grown or sprouted indoors) w/ growing medium/pots if needed. You don’t need a homestead to have these things, and if an emergency came up it is good to have. We just had a friend who was trapped for several days after a tornado. He was glad for his pantry. Another thing most people lack is an extensive first aid kit, including splints, tourniquets and sutures along with antibiotics. This is wisdom.
exactly this. When I was a young bride and mother in the early 90s I got so caught up in all the "End Times" fear mongering. I tried to garden etc out of fear. But gave it up because it was too hard. We still lived on our farm, that is our favourite place to live. We got burnt out in the bushfires of 2020, then Covid hit. We learned that we don't need end times, we just need a natural disaster to put a halt to being able to access the supermarket. The last couple of years I have slowly got back into my garden, purely for my own sanity and enjoyment. I now have the best garden that I have ever had, my chickens are laying like they never had before.
I think it's tough as we really do need communities of homesteaders, where we can barter and help each other out. We were never meant to do it alone. But hard to find that kind of kinship with people as everybody is so spread out
Hello sweet Carolyn! I am a big fan and YOU are one of the reasons, at the age of 66, (my husband was 62), we moved from Florida to the North Carolina/Tennessee border, bought a 4 acre piece of land with a wonderful home on it and after 2 1/2 years, I'd NEVER go back to the suburbs. I have a freeze dryer thanks to you, we are growing a ton of food, we have chickens and a whole cow (who's in the freezers right now LOL). I am now almost 69 years old. We work hard. I have only gotten stronger and my husband, who is now 65, has huge muscles and looks 45! We're too old to do it all, we pace ourselves, but we are full of joy, we have food security and I pray younger people get OUT OF THE CITIES, get a little piece of land. Start there. It's so rewarding! Thank you for helping a senior citizen see that even we can work hard, get healthier and be secure. All to the glory of Jesus Christ! Love you girl!!!!
We have an urban homestead. Mainly self sufficient food wise. We’re also quickly approaching 60. We are still both working full time careers. We scaled back plants. But we aren’t quitting! You are right Evelyn, this is the calm before the storm! Prayers of strength for all! Keep going! ❤️
I'm just now able to start getting back into homesteading a little after I was hit by a semi 5 years ago. It's been a long road back to being able to do basic things, and I'm still working hard just being able to keep chickens. Please don't walk away from homesteading if you need some rest. I know it's a lot sometimes, but having it taken from you is even worse than giving it up.
Another thing that people need to consider, is that when you look at human history as a whole, the conveniences like grocery stores and having virtually anything we want delivered to us the same day are the exception, not the norm. We're currently watching historical patterns replay themselves right in front of us and while beach front properties and expensive houses in high--status neighborhoods might be considered luxurious in 2024, luxury in 2026 could very well mean not having to beg other people for food to feed your family.
Ive always dreamed of homesteading. Bought a home 4 years ago and put in a huge garden. Taught myself how to garden (still a lot to learn) and how to process foods in many different ways. We are now in the process of purchasing 160 acres and im so looking forward to being off grid, plant more, get animals, the whole thing. Im definitely not giving up, looking to expand!
This is my message to people as well. I’ve been homesteading over 21 years and now I teach people how to start in a healthy and sustainable way because I know how hard it can be but like you said, it’s totally worth it. ❤
I think a lot of people have done this lifestyle as a fad instead of an actual lifestyle. Our society is so influenced by trends that we are willing to get all of the gadgets and set ups, until we grow tired and then on to the next trend! The narrow road is the hardest.
I'm praying for your success!! Please remember the best thing you can do for yourself is to PLAN before you act and think of your zones in order to save yourself a ton of work. There is an old Mark Shephard video where he really hits home the amount of energy saved with proper planning and zones. God speed!
In addition to acquiring vegetables, I’m acquiring SKILLS. We aren’t just born with this knowledge! So instead of learning about the newest video games, newest movies, or the lives of actors or royalty, or whatever shiny distractions are offered to us, I’m learning skills that will save my families’ lives in the future. I can also then teach those skills to those people who wake up (albeit late) and realize they themselves have no skills to survive. So I learn - for my family, and also for my community. (I will not be handing out fish…but I’m willing to teach how to fish!) As a side note, as I was building my greenhouse, a younger neighbor commented that he knew where to go if SHTF, because he has two small children and they need to eat….insinuating that his family could eat free here because his kids couldn’t be turned away. I offered to teach him how to set up his own garden. But nope. I’m a 60 year old woman and I built that 60’ greenhouse by myself with No offer of help.
Amen to the fact that no one was born with this knowledge. Even those who grew up doing this stuff had to be taught. The rest of us are eager to learn from those people.
I’m in Florida, retired, do not have homestead property, but watching all of you who do, since 2021, encouraged me to begin on my food supply. WHAT A BLESSING you have been to me and my family and friends! It’s never too late to begin!Find a way to continue! Don’t give up! We need all of you!!❤
We have been urban homesteading for nearly 15 years and our biggest challenge is aging. We are staring at retirement right now and we just don't know how much longer we can do it. I love having a garden, processing our food, raising chickens, etc. but I'm tired and we don't have family interested. I wish there was more about aging on the homestead.
Yes! I also wish there was more content from and for older homesteaders. Just for encouragement and community for those of us beyond raising our kiddos. I often still plant and can like I am feeling a family of 5. It's hard to cut back!
We have to keep on keeping on! Yes, it is a ton of work, it's exhausting and I have been doing it all my life as well as grew up with it. My reason is not to do it for dooms day (like I used too) anymore because that created a different vibe. Now I do it for our family. It's wholesome, skill building and the food we consume is far better than the over anything in the store. I guess it's had to be a different thought pattern for me. Being more self sufficient makes me sleep better and if and when things go south, we have something to fall back on. We've had to rely on our food storage before and I couldn't imagine not having it. It was a real life saver. Keep on keeping on!
we're in our 70's building a new homestead as fast as we can. we were 30 yrs on last homestead. so from scratch is definitely work but it makes me happy
I am so glad you talked about this and called it what you did. I've noticed a few YT accounts are 'trending' this attitude. I know it is hard work, but I noticed they don't stop being 'content creators' in order to spend more time in their garden or with their animals. Instead, they decrease their garden and herds/flocks. They become political commentary content or other subjects or sell products instead. It is sad. If they want to go that route, fine, just don't become a discouragement to others who are tired this time of year and need that encouragement to go on. Don't be one of those who suggest or tempt you to take a year off or downsize or reconsider your prayed over choices. Thank you for encouraging us. Thank you for being steady and true to this lifestyle.
I had dreamt of homesteading since I was a child because my Grandparents had a farm. Both of my parents worked full time jobs just to get by and when I grew up the family farms were being wiped out by big conglomerate, corporation farming. My dream remained silent until our kids were out of the house and my husband and I realized we could never afford to retire where we were, nor did we want to. We found our 18 acres almost 10 years ago and have loved every minute of changing our lifestyle from work, eat, sleep, repeat into a more peaceful, fulfilling and spiritual kind of work, eat, enjoy type of life. Homesteading is hard work, but we are so much happier working for ourselves instead of having bosses breathing down our necks!
That IS my retirement dream. Not to stop working!! I watched my elder family slow down, and ended up in front of the TV. They were bored out of their minds, except on grocery day, lawn mowing day, and going to church. Lots of hours left in even those days to just sit.
I am SO GLAD I watched this. Not that I was going to stop. I am still in the planning stage, and learning a lot. But this needs to go viral. My plan in 2 years is to eat 80% of my food. Going to learn how to make tomato sauce and salsa since my plants have surprised me with tons of tomatoes this year.
Timing! I just decided to not bother with my backyard container garden next year. The cost for me, and not having a car to get good soil...then too much rain killed all my plants. I started all over and yes, I have some produce thru a lot of hard work. And boy, those cukes are delish! You can't get that from a store. God is good. Thank you so much for the encouragement. It comes to mini backyard gardeners as well. I'm slowly learning from experts like you, who i subscribe to. You have been a real blessing. Love from Vancouver, Canada
This is timely for me. We moved to a new place and I'm amending the clay soil; gardening has been so tough. It takes time to make compost and store bought soil and compost are void of nutrients. I'm kinda stubborn and that's the only reason I've kept going. Thanks for the encouragement!
We have very sticky red clay. I put a 6 in layer of leaves on my rows last fall and broad forked it with a pitch for about a month before I planted this past spring. It help SO much!
Thanks for the tip! I got a load of woodchips in about 2 months ago, and have covered most of my garden. It'll take time, but I'm moving in the right direction.
Part of it also could be all the minimalist and declutter influencers out there and the "reduce inventory" mantra. That is good to a point to keep things clean and organized, but people can treat minimalism as an end in itself with the goal to avoid feeling overwhelmed and working hard. The homesteading lifestyle mindset and the minimalist lifestyle mindset are mutually exclusive. One thinks big to achieve great things, the other thinks small to avoid a difficult life.
We purchased our home last year in 2023. We have an older home on 17.4 acres. We will never give it up! We have a big garden, Chickens and 4 beef cattle. We are new at this Homesteading thing, but we love it and are definitely seeing the need to become more self sufficient! We also love being away from the traffic, the crowds and the crime. Keep getting the word out. Love your videos ❤
Last year , we moved and started building the house. This year, we planted one raised bed. Next year we're having our big garden going! We are the LarchLine
Very well said!! Didn't realize some homesteaders were giving up, but I just watched a channel that said they weren't really homesteading, so they are changing their channel name. I hope people realize that things aren't getting better...it's just the calm before the storm. We need to keep on keeping on!!
Amen!!! You hit the nail on the head. Great advice. I just started building a homestead after the 2020 events out of fear. I feel God pushing me to do this. YES YES YES this is soo hard on so many levels and have questioned myself and does God REALLY want me to do this LOL! Then He reminds me that YES you need to be doing this because He shares a message via RUclipsrs like yourself, or something in the news and then just like that you get that boost of energy to keep on going. Gardening actually takes your mind away from the craziness going on in the world around us. Keep preparing and trusting God and lean on him for strength and wisdom.
My small, backyard garden has had a very difficult year (in the soggy South. . Raised beds, because the soil was dense clay and full of tree roots. Friends said I should move to the country, go 'all in'. But what I really needed was to learn - at a pace and level that I could manage. I found out I could grow a great deal in GreenStalks without breaking my back, and doubled my growing space with 8 of them. Biggest lesson learned has been that even if everything goes wrong, I will learn something, and there will be another season to try again. Life is resilient, and growing a garden has done more to remind me of this than anything else.
I am burnt out mentally and physically. We have been homesteading for over 10 years and I am 57 years old. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I just can’t do all the gardening, canning etc. like I used to. I can still have a plan for emergencies though and make sure we have what we need.
We moved almost 2 years ago to have more land so we could hunt on our own land. Our garden gets bigger each year and we get more perennials planted each year too. To me, this is the time to do MORE for yourself, keep pushing forward, keep growing and preserving. No matter where you live, there is a storm coming (snow storm, hurricane, tornado, earth quake), you just don't know.
Yes me! I’ve been at this for 10 years. I am definitely in a burn out mode and have not done a big garden this year. I also haven’t raised meat birds in a while. It’s mostly been just me….my husband has reluctantly built the things but day to day has always been just me. As I’m aging it’s getting hard! I’m trying to minimize what I’m doing and be more focused on needs and really make things efficient! I got into this becuz I felt called to do it so doing out of fear is definitely going to land you in the middle of no where!
It’s me, too. My husband is disabled, so it literally is just me. I built a huge greenhouse, raised beds, I raise meat rabbits, and keep chickens for eggs. It’s a lot of work. I want to do more…(raise meat chickens, pigs, goats, and cow, ) but my back and knees are 60 years old. I have not figured out how to make money From homesteading, so I work online from home as well. It’s a lot. I will not quit, however. I do love it. Been homesteading for 3 years.
Carolyn, your place is just magical. I love the river view you have. I have been trying to make a homestead for the last couple of years now. I am 68, my hubby is also 68 but has very bad back so I am on my own with most of it. I want more animals, but hubby isn't able and isn't on board with me. We do have a garden and chickens. I can and do the garden but, yes, it is hard for me. I AM NOT GIVING UP! we have a nice area here but the soil isn't great and I do raised beds. With the Lords help, I'm hoping to get at least another meat source soon.
This is such a timely message! You are absolutely right when you say that people think things are OK again, but the truth is, nothing is OK and the closer we come to this upcoming election the more distress we will see on many levels. This includes our food supply and necessities that we are used to uncomfortable with that might not be available. Like you said do not stop growing food. Do not stop preserving food.keep going every little bit counts thank you thank you thank you for this encouraging message
Thank you so much for this encouraging message. It is very hard especially the older we get and if we have problems physically. It comes from a vision and a conviction. Not going to be giving up here. Perseverance with Christ, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. The Joy of the Lord is our strength.
You are such a beautiful person and beautiful family.. Thank you for sharing all that you do.. We've been homesteading for about six years.. I've been raising cattle since 2010. I've had these thoughts of how easy life would be sitting in a cabin on the beach.. YET I would not be happy.. THIS I know!.. Its hard work but its constructive work and so rewarding. You get criticized constantly by friends, family and internet trolls... YET they will be the ones that WANT what you have when in need....
I had to scale back this year due to health challenges. My spring broilers brought diseases onto my property, and I got sick shortly after. Now after a viral situation I have severe neurological symptoms. So no more broilers for now. My neighbor gave up her garden this year due to potty training and homeschooling young children. It has been nice to have her family come help harvest and share in our garden this year though. I have scaled back my dairy goats to what my family can manage without me being physically dependable on a consistent basis, butI have a dependable family network. THANKFULLY. PRAISE God, for Children are Truly a blessing. Honestly, the chores, and demands of a family and homestead have kept me going through these last 5 months. It has been a blessing to have many reasons to get up and keep going. I've had to be creative on some ways, and prioritize while scaling back, but a full life has been better than any physical therapy session could ever be. Seizures, dystonia, possibly stiff person syndrome. Autoimmune illnesses are demonic, but this is my Body, and I will glorify the Lord in it as long as I am able. HE is my Strength, though I am weak.
I agree with you on this, We have a small property right now and are growing food, we are first timers but super proud of what we have accomplished thus far. I would love to have a homestead in the future, it is going to be needed. Like you said Caroline, it is the calm before the storm, we are trying and need to learn all we can because soon that may be all we have left.
Last year just about every gardener's efforts seemed useless in my area of TN. Horible harvest. Too much rain? Too windy? Chem trails? 5G bombardment? Also, if you need to work to get through this economic catastrophe that makes gardening even harder. I appreciate your encouragement. I'm not giving up but just not as hopeful as I once was. Thank you for all your content. ❤
Good advice. Things are only going to be getting worse. i am blessed to have lots of local small farmers to supplement what I need. Hang in there homesteaders.
Thank you for your encouragement ❤ this is our 5th year breaking in a new property. I don't have great health in the energy department and sometimes everything slides badly. But i hit the reboot button and start again. I will keep going for the rest of my life...the food and the environment is just tooo important.
When we got our new homestead last spring, one of the first things we did was put in a garden. Most people don't realize how long it can take for a garden to really start cranking out large amounts of produce. It was a ton of work trying to put that in, build soil, and combat pests, all while adding more livestock, while also making our fixer upper livable, but I am so glad we pushed so hard. Growing and raising your own food is a ton of work, but it is absolutely worth it to know that you have the skills to do it, and you have the security in knowing exactly what you have in the pantry.
@@Pax6368fruit and nut trees are good, but you have to eat from your homestead first, or you wont be around to plant trees, (unless you're relying on the grocery store before they are empty).
Yup! I always say to have a 5 year plan for you garden cause you'll want to spread out the projects over seasons. It's A LOT and can burn you out quickly. A 10 year plan with a homestead! Of course there will be more needing to be done after those years, but having the mindset of taking time helps A LOT.
I love “walk and talks”! And I agree with you. Even if we were not approaching the need for self sufficiency, we are a soft country due to too many years of abundance and homesteading is good for the soul.
Thanks! I needed this! I work a FT job, have some chickens and garden. Right now my weekends (& weekdays) are bust. My husband has health problems but God sustains me!
Another problem though is so many influencers making it look like homesteading is something it isn't. We need more honest influencers! People telling it for what it is! It's messy, hard work, and for most people expensive to start up. In our area, people are finding chickens dropped off by the side of the road because the owners got chickens and a few months in decided they don't want them anymore. I don't know if they just wanted them for an instagram picture or what, but it's such a shame because they are literally dumping them off by the sides of the road because they didn't know what they were getting into. It's important to try to get an idea of what you are getting into beforehand with homesteading and I think that is one of the reasons people are quitting. They just had no idea what they were actually getting into because the grit and grind isn't talked about very much. I think too though is a lot of the issue is so many young families with younger children, trying to parent, homeschool and homestead. All of those things together are a lot of work, especially if one of the parents has a full time job and it's all falling on one parent. There are only so many hours in a day, and people have been taking on more than they can physically handle thinking it will be easier than it truly is. It is important to do like you said, and to take baby steps so as not to get over one's head and thus burnt out.
Yes. My husband is an OTR trucker so he's really only home a few days each month and those days are spent doing things we can't do when he's gone. We don't even have our own land yet, still renting a house (with a decent yard) while looking. Between the garden, preserving, homeschool, and all my usual Domestic Engineering responsibilities, I don't know how I'd manage even a small flock of chickens. We plan to get a few (like 3 lol) next year once we're more settled here but...idk...just getting used to an entirely different area for gardening has been a task in and of itself. We'll see, I guess. God might have something else in mind. Time will tell. Just gotta hang in there.
YES! We are in the “setting set up” stage of our homestead, and aren’t ready for animals. I do my best to share with people the hardship & sacrifice of this stage, because in a couple of years, it won’t look like this, but this is definitely a stage most people (who aren’t made of money) have to go through. Composting toilets and hauling water are NOT sexy 😂
It's not up to RUclipsrs or tiktokers to be "honest" or more upfront about the hard work and the failures you experience during homesteading. That falls on to the individual to do their due diligence and research. Take the baby steps and be honest about how much blood,sweat and tears they are actually capable and willing to put in. If you really need someone to tell you any of that , DON'T get into homesteading.
Man I love that rock path! If I could I would sell everything and move out of here and homestead. As for what's at hand right now. You bet. Not gonna get better anytime soon. Alone in the city, hunkering down 👍😎 just doing time really.. this world has nothing I want anyway. I do follow some homesteaders for old-school knowledge though. It could still happen for me. Right now, after being where I am for 35 years, something tells me to sit still at the moment. The remainder of this year I believe is gonna be off the charts cray-cray...
Thank you for the encouragement, Carolyn! I got into homesteading 7 years ago,. It was something I had really wanted to do for 15 years before that. I am so grateful for all I have learned from you and Josh on this channel and in the School of Traditional Skills. You could have just done your own thing and kept to yourselves. Some people call it prepping, but for you, it's just daily life. We have gotten very comfortable with modern life. We lost so many skills in just the last 100 years. Life happened last year, and I didn't get a garden in. Life happened this year, and I only got a small garden in. But I won't give up. I'm blessed to have several local sources for organic food that I can preserve and grass fed beef. Even if I don't grow it, I can still preserve it. Thanks again!
We just have up our dream of buying a homestead. We dont want to relocate so have been limited in what is available. After 2.5 years of looking we decided to stop and just be content. It is difficult to give up a dream, but I also feel relief. We had also put off renovating our home (disabled daughter) hoping we would be moving and could modify the new place if necesary. Now, my back is literally killing me and I just wish we had gone ahead and modified our home. Ahhh. Choices are hard and we don't always make the right ones! We do have hens (we need a permit and permission from our neighbors), rabbits, and a garden. It is definitely not what we dreamed - we would love to have a HUGE garden, and not be limited in the animals we have, but at least it's something.
@amcall Yes! It is something, and you're doing it. Many people seem to not do a thing regardless of the warning signs everywhere. Good job doing what you can with what you have. 👍👍
Absolutely!!! I have a small house on a standard block here in Australia.. I’ve been lacking in motivation to get my garden back up and running but this week I started my herbs and taking small steps to get it back on track!! Calm before the storm feels exactly right to me ! thanks for the motivation! X
We got rid of our chickens last fall, needed a break, went on vacation in the spring. We do not have neighbors that are able/reliable to take care of our chickens. We also did 1/2 of our normal garden, it has been a wonderful break, BUT we said this is the year for infrastructure, we have excelled at getting things up to snuff here and I am so happy we took a little break. We have been working very hard on projects every day, even if it is 2 or 3 things, even small things add up. Our next project is to shore up our bridge to get to the back of our property (5 acres total). We wanted to get these things done before we get to old, we are 68 and 88 and still working hard, keep going everybody, don't give up, take a break as needed and get back at it.
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During WWII, my grandmother watched her 42 year old husband go to war followed my uncle just age 17. She was left with their huge garden, loss of Granddaddy's paycheck, caring for elderly parents and my 9 yo mom.
She didn't give up. She drilled down. Rented half the house to another war "widow" and child, worked many days in the summer at the local high school kitchen that bought canning equipment so the cooks could can local produce for the coming school year. My grandmother then stayed til nearly midnight many nights canning her own garden goods - a privilege given the day workers. My mom sat outside on the school steps. Grandma's would wake her when the night's work was done and carry her a mile home.
Let's pray for oil in our lamps, sleep when it's available, safety and wisdom for our daily steps, food for our bodies and souls. Love to all!!
I asked my grandmother about what they ate during WW2 (Norway), and she said that towards the end of the war when there was very little food in the shops, they mainly survived on: fish (they owned a small fishing boat), potatoes and carrots. And people living away from the coast raised rabbits and pigs for meat. If one household didnt produce enough food waste to feed a pig on their own, they went together with other familes and raised the pig together. And if you look at photoes from Norway well into the 1960s, people still grew their own potatoes, root vegetables, fruit and berries. (Rabbits went out of fashon though as people got so tired of rabbit meat during the war).
Her testimony brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful woman ❤❤
What I dont have: acres of land, livestock, ponds, large gardens. What I do have: a suburban property with baby fruit trees, greenstalks, a solid home, full pantry, good neighbors. What I did have: a covetous heart. What I have now: contentment with what God has given me.
wonderful take on things!
Praise God!!
What a great response
That's where we were too. I had to accept what I had. Loved my beautiful suburban garden and chickens. After 15 years of wanting to have some space to run the Lord has blessed us with acerage. The Lord had impressed on my heart though that he who can be trusted with little can ve trusted with much. Do the best you can with a thankful heart.
Amen! I felt like I couldn’t homestead bc I didn’t have land and instead I became committed to working with what God blessed us with and am not giving up, just looking and moving forward!
I'm 70 years old and live alone on 5 acres. My husband passed away over 6 years ago. I am currently planting the biggest garden I have ever grown. I just got into raising quail for eggs and meat. Last year, I bought a freeze dryer, I also can, freeze, and dehydrate everything that I can get my hands on. My family and friends think I am crazy but all say when things get really bad, they know where to find food. Last year I raised 40 meat chickens that I processed by myself. I could never stand living in town.
Isn't it funny that people don't want to put in the work but they are happy to come take advantage of your hard work.
You amaze and inspire me!❤
That's great! I hope I can do it all at 70. I'm 60 and sometimes I wonder how long I'll last, I know when you sit down and stop, you don't get back up again.
I have nightmares of living in town.😂 I'm serious.
You are my spirit animal.
Anyone paying attention to what is happening in not just our country, but globally, will not stop homesteading. IMHO Keep on keeping on. You'll be glad you did.
Things have gotten worse not better. People need to realize that. If you’re lucky enough to have a homestead don’t give it up. We need more families to become independent. ❤
Absolutely! 🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️
It’s the quiet before the storm
His coming back is closer
It will not get better. God fore told the things to come.
We are faced with digital ids! That alone is reason to grow your food and preserve ! It might be quiet but it’s about to blow!
Never give up.
It's because of our elderly, who started the "Victory Gardens"! that we survived in the late 30's and early 40's.
Seed companies like Burpee etc. were started then and I, in my early teens sold seeds for them, not for money but for things. I got my very own, Bible as one of the choices in their catalog!
I recently gave it to my granddaughter as I'm almost 90, and I knew she'd care for it like I did. Another way to spread the "Seeds of Life".
Beautifully said ❤️
Wonderful story, blessings 🙌
Yes, the Victory gardens were awesome. My grandparents had one on a small piece of rental land where they grew their veg. They lived in the suburbs and Sunday afternoons were spent at the victory garden. Dad hated it lol. But my grandfather convinced family members and others that it was their civic duty to have a victory garden. We are lucky enough to have and old, handrawn layout of one of them.
This thread is a bot for anyone that didn’t know
Very well said my friend....💖
As a couple in our 60s with three kids still at home and 40 years of gardening under our belts, we still need to hear this kind of encouragement. During covid, our grown kids would come home to "shop". We always had enough milk, meat, eggs and veggies. Now though, they have no time to drive out here for groceries, they get them at the store. We ended up selling our milk cow and scaling back our gardens so we aren't as overwhelmed with harvests that our family no longer wants. Thank you for the encouragement to keep going even if the scale is different now!
God Bless. Hope your youngsters soon realize they need you and your knowledge in their future!!
I am the only one interested in eating what I do in my family. One day they will eat it because they have to.
It’s called taking things for granted - You - the food supply - that “others” (farmers - ranchers - the government) will take care of them. It’s scary & sad.
They will be back.
They will come back but this time they have to help out! Blessings!
I am Canadian- not a true homesteader - no extra large property but everyone tells me I am crazy for growing my own food. I think me feeding 4 other families not just my own makes me very happy and that is so important 💝🇨🇦. Thanks for the awesome message.
Northeastern BC here … getting community minded people together and learning new skills !
Once the SHTF....people with land to grow food will be happy they stuck with....because won't be running around with your hair on fire.
You are NOT crasy lady ! I'm 66 and starting seriously making reserves cause my intuition tells me to do so and that is the only voice that you must listen too. People are going to wait until thunder strikes...but it may be too late! Blessings 🙏
I admire all those that Homestead. I live in the suburbs of So. Calif. I have my own little backyard homestead. My backyard is small but I am growing my own food. I even taught myself, with RUclips help, to can, freeze and dehydrate the food that I grow. Thanks for what you all do and have RUclips sites for me to learn.
With an overflowing pantry and a ton of home canned food put away I told Hubs I was tired of canning and believed we were in good shape for a while. He looked stunned then reminded me we have empty jars. Back to canning.
😂❤
Well than hubby can start canning for a change
@@christinakoller7489 He's more trouble in the kitchen than worth it. He is great about washing up and running errands while I'm working though. We work pretty well together.
You are so right! I only have a small acre or two with a few chickens, but at 70, I planted an 18 tree fruit orchard and have a small garden in my backyard for vegetables. With our pension and this small amount we are able to care for my husband’s 99yr old mother and help our son who is out of work right now, with his family of five. Doing the best we can with what we have. The Lord is our Provider, trusting him for the rest.
So appreciative for your videos. Learning a lot Thank you!
I so needed this today. I'm the only one in my family doing this, I feel like sometimes I'm completely on my own. My husband does help with repairing structures, things like that, and help if I need it, but after that, it's all up to me. I've really amped things up this year, I'll never quit, though, because I see what's coming, but it's hard doing everything on my own, and everyone else gets to go have all the fun. They just don't realize that in the spring summer, and fall, I can't just drop everything. Things have to be harvested, canned, etc. plus animals. People talk like they want to be more self reliant, and they have big plans, but they end up not executing the plan. They go to Hawaii or something. They don't want to put in the hard work. I know I have to. I had a good cry today, but am feeling better after this video. Thank you so much!! Now back to canning, LOL!
Thanks sooooo much, Carolyn!
My husband and I are 80 years old. We have a huge garden and a smaller garden. This year it just became more than we can handle. However, rather that plowing up the big garden and planting grass. We are covering it with woven ground cloth to keep the weeds and particularly the bermuda grass out. If at some point we want to grow more, we can always fold back some portions of the ground covering and plant a row or two. We just can't give up what we have been doing all these years. Not now!
Maybe someone from your local church would help you tend it for some trade in food?
My son was hoping to find someone like you to Help out with a garden in exchange for a place to live.. I know it's not easy to get the right person to help but there are MANY folks looking for a chance to garden
As a 81 yo homesteader now the sole worker I am dropping many projects. I’ve tried to find folks that want to learn, but none want to do the work day after day.
I’ve dropped from 1/2 acre to a kitchen garden now. I’m happy I can still provide myself with food.
Still moving just ain’t a fast. lol.
It's a lot of work, but it pays off, because you work for your family, not for a bank or some other people.
Haha no, you work for your family IN ADDITION to all that. 😄
@@bluefrog8670 truth
I feel this. I'm 33. We bought our 80 acres 4 years ago, just before covid happened, with very little farm experience. Covid really just confirmed to us that we were on the right path, but it had been our dream. It was a run down farm with not much useful infrastructure, so we basically started from scratch. We now have a 1/4 acre garden, laying hens, broilers in the summer in Idaho A-Frames 😉, fully fenced and cross fenced 80 acres, a cow/calf operation, custom hay business, 2 excellent guardian pups, and I homeschool during the winter my grade 2 and 3 kids. I'm exhausted and overwhelmed, and barely getting by. Did we bite off too much too soon? Absolutely. We did NOT pace ourselves. The laundry is barely done, and house is always dirty. I do feel like I'm on the brink of insanity sometimes. I am so thankful to God for all we have, but also desperate for rest. This year does not feel peaceful. It feels as though God is hammering me into steel - which He probably is, and I should probably be grateful for - but that's easier said than done. One foot in front of the other, one task at a time, breath.
Hawk Nelson has a song called Diamonds. "He's making diamonds out of dust. He is refining and in His timing He's making diamonds out of us." Ask Him if you need to cut back, or if this is part of His plan to make you one of His jewels.
I am a solitary 61-year-old woman, and I would give anything for permission to put a tiny house on a corner of a property like yours in exchange for labor. A laundress, a baker/cook, whatever was needed and agreed upon. Done properly, it could serve to ease your burden and give security and companionship for the other.
@@aliveinfaith you won’t regret it! I homeschooled 6 kids , ran a farm/ homestead for 36 years. The homeschooling is done now but still homesteading. It’s in our DNA. Can’t quit. I know it’s hard but some day you’ll look back and say how did I do all that I did and you say I don’t know but I’d do it all again. God bless y’all.
God is hammering you into steel. It is exhausting but wonderful at the same time! Don’t give up!
It sounds like you are just about to crest the wave, hang in there.
I was forced to stop growing food this year due to a serious health crisis. But I plan to get back to it as soon as I am physically able. This is a survival skill.
All that can be shaken will be shaken.
Amen!! The time of trouble such has never been is just around the corner... Matthew 24:21
I am in my early 60’s and my husband early 70’s. We finally started our little homestead. Reaping fruit from our orchard we put in a couple years ago. Growing our own chickens for meat and eggs. Gardens is doing well. It is hard. We hurt the end of the day…. But it’s all worth it! If we can do it , anyone can do it!!! Become self sufficient!!
I grew up in Wyoming. It was very important to have a 4-6 month pantry stock prepared before winter. One year we were snowed in for weeks, not water for two weeks-we had to walk to the spring fed creek with buckets-but we had plenty of firewood and food, and that got us through a very rough winter. It only takes one harsh winter event to shut people down for weeks.
If I had to choose the most important things-a fireplace with lots of wood(a rocket stove if you live in a rental-this is important for boiling water), water barrels to collect rainwater, alternate non-electric or gas cook options with various fuel sources, a minimum of six month food supply, wool blankets, candles/lanterns and a seeds (both garden but also microgreen/sprout/grain that can be grown or sprouted indoors) w/ growing medium/pots if needed. You don’t need a homestead to have these things, and if an emergency came up it is good to have. We just had a friend who was trapped for several days after a tornado. He was glad for his pantry. Another thing most people lack is an extensive first aid kit, including splints, tourniquets and sutures along with antibiotics.
This is wisdom.
exactly this. When I was a young bride and mother in the early 90s I got so caught up in all the "End Times" fear mongering. I tried to garden etc out of fear. But gave it up because it was too hard. We still lived on our farm, that is our favourite place to live. We got burnt out in the bushfires of 2020, then Covid hit. We learned that we don't need end times, we just need a natural disaster to put a halt to being able to access the supermarket. The last couple of years I have slowly got back into my garden, purely for my own sanity and enjoyment. I now have the best garden that I have ever had, my chickens are laying like they never had before.
I think it's tough as we really do need communities of homesteaders, where we can barter and help each other out. We were never meant to do it alone. But hard to find that kind of kinship with people as everybody is so spread out
Hello sweet Carolyn! I am a big fan and YOU are one of the reasons, at the age of 66, (my husband was 62), we moved from Florida to the North Carolina/Tennessee border, bought a 4 acre piece of land with a wonderful home on it and after 2 1/2 years, I'd NEVER go back to the suburbs. I have a freeze dryer thanks to you, we are growing a ton of food, we have chickens and a whole cow (who's in the freezers right now LOL). I am now almost 69 years old. We work hard. I have only gotten stronger and my husband, who is now 65, has huge muscles and looks 45! We're too old to do it all, we pace ourselves, but we are full of joy, we have food security and I pray younger people get OUT OF THE CITIES, get a little piece of land. Start there. It's so rewarding! Thank you for helping a senior citizen see that even we can work hard, get healthier and be secure. All to the glory of Jesus Christ! Love you girl!!!!
Don’t give in now!
The greatest show on earth is here!
They are not giving up
Stay with it 2024 IS THE FINALE. Look out!
Even without the strange political hubbub, our heavily financialized markets are on borrowed time.
We have an urban homestead. Mainly self sufficient food wise. We’re also quickly approaching 60. We are still both working full time careers. We scaled back plants. But we aren’t quitting! You are right Evelyn, this is the calm before the storm! Prayers of strength for all! Keep going! ❤️
I'm just now able to start getting back into homesteading a little after I was hit by a semi 5 years ago. It's been a long road back to being able to do basic things, and I'm still working hard just being able to keep chickens. Please don't walk away from homesteading if you need some rest. I know it's a lot sometimes, but having it taken from you is even worse than giving it up.
Another thing that people need to consider, is that when you look at human history as a whole, the conveniences like grocery stores and having virtually anything we want delivered to us the same day are the exception, not the norm. We're currently watching historical patterns replay themselves right in front of us and while beach front properties and expensive houses in high--status neighborhoods might be considered luxurious in 2024, luxury in 2026 could very well mean not having to beg other people for food to feed your family.
Yes so true, I doubt those places will be occupied shortly.
Ive always dreamed of homesteading. Bought a home 4 years ago and put in a huge garden. Taught myself how to garden (still a lot to learn) and how to process foods in many different ways. We are now in the process of purchasing 160 acres and im so looking forward to being off grid, plant more, get animals, the whole thing. Im definitely not giving up, looking to expand!
Well said Carolyn, we all need to keep on--keeping on!
This is my message to people as well. I’ve been homesteading over 21 years and now I teach people how to start in a healthy and sustainable way because I know how hard it can be but like you said, it’s totally worth it. ❤
Thank you so much for the reminder to keep going and do the best we can, you and your property are an inspiration
I think a lot of people have done this lifestyle as a fad instead of an actual lifestyle. Our society is so influenced by trends that we are willing to get all of the gadgets and set ups, until we grow tired and then on to the next trend! The narrow road is the hardest.
We close on our land this week! God provided. ❤ Praying for God's guidance as we move forward to building.
I'm praying for your success!! Please remember the best thing you can do for yourself is to PLAN before you act and think of your zones in order to save yourself a ton of work. There is an old Mark Shephard video where he really hits home the amount of energy saved with proper planning and zones. God speed!
In addition to acquiring vegetables, I’m acquiring SKILLS. We aren’t just born with this knowledge! So instead of learning about the newest video games, newest movies, or the lives of actors or royalty, or whatever shiny distractions are offered to us, I’m learning skills that will save my families’ lives in the future. I can also then teach those skills to those people who wake up (albeit late) and realize they themselves have no skills to survive. So I learn - for my family, and also for my community. (I will not be handing out fish…but I’m willing to teach how to fish!)
As a side note, as I was building my greenhouse, a younger neighbor commented that he knew where to go if SHTF, because he has two small children and they need to eat….insinuating that his family could eat free here because his kids couldn’t be turned away. I offered to teach him how to set up his own garden. But nope. I’m a 60 year old woman and I built that 60’ greenhouse by myself with No offer of help.
He has hard lessons to learn, you gave the education for free, it's up to him. Be leary of people like this! Blessings 🙌
Amen to the fact that no one was born with this knowledge. Even those who grew up doing this stuff had to be taught. The rest of us are eager to learn from those people.
This reminds me of the story ‘The Little Red Hen.’
@@tedshepsky5591 Indeed it does!
I’m in Florida, retired, do not have homestead property, but watching all of you who do, since 2021, encouraged me to begin on my food supply. WHAT A BLESSING you have been to me and my family and friends! It’s never too late to begin!Find a way to continue! Don’t give up! We need all of you!!❤
We have been urban homesteading for nearly 15 years and our biggest challenge is aging. We are staring at retirement right now and we just don't know how much longer we can do it. I love having a garden, processing our food, raising chickens, etc. but I'm tired and we don't have family interested. I wish there was more about aging on the homestead.
Us too we are retired and in early 70s. I can't do as much anymore.
Yes! I also wish there was more content from and for older homesteaders. Just for encouragement and community for those of us beyond raising our kiddos. I often still plant and can like I am feeling a family of 5. It's hard to cut back!
We have to keep on keeping on! Yes, it is a ton of work, it's exhausting and I have been doing it all my life as well as grew up with it. My reason is not to do it for dooms day (like I used too) anymore because that created a different vibe. Now I do it for our family. It's wholesome, skill building and the food we consume is far better than the over anything in the store. I guess it's had to be a different thought pattern for me. Being more self sufficient makes me sleep better and if and when things go south, we have something to fall back on. We've had to rely on our food storage before and I couldn't imagine not having it. It was a real life saver. Keep on keeping on!
I am absolutely exhausted right now, but I’m not going anywhere. It is so important to have our land.
we're in our 70's building a new homestead as fast as we can. we were 30 yrs on last homestead. so from scratch is definitely work but it makes me happy
I am so glad you talked about this and called it what you did. I've noticed a few YT accounts are 'trending' this attitude. I know it is hard work, but I noticed they don't stop being 'content creators' in order to spend more time in their garden or with their animals. Instead, they decrease their garden and herds/flocks. They become political commentary content or other subjects or sell products instead. It is sad. If they want to go that route, fine, just don't become a discouragement to others who are tired this time of year and need that encouragement to go on. Don't be one of those who suggest or tempt you to take a year off or downsize or reconsider your prayed over choices. Thank you for encouraging us. Thank you for being steady and true to this lifestyle.
I had dreamt of homesteading since I was a child because my Grandparents had a farm. Both of my parents worked full time jobs just to get by and when I grew up the family farms were being wiped out by big conglomerate, corporation farming. My dream remained silent until our kids were out of the house and my husband and I realized we could never afford to retire where we were, nor did we want to. We found our 18 acres almost 10 years ago and have loved every minute of changing our lifestyle from work, eat, sleep, repeat into a more peaceful, fulfilling and spiritual kind of work, eat, enjoy type of life. Homesteading is hard work, but we are so much happier working for ourselves instead of having bosses breathing down our necks!
That IS my retirement dream. Not to stop working!! I watched my elder family slow down, and ended up in front of the TV. They were bored out of their minds, except on grocery day, lawn mowing day, and going to church. Lots of hours left in even those days to just sit.
It's not the amount of work that gets to me, it's the feeling that I'm never caught up, and that I'm farther behind every year.
Agreed. Even before we had our 2018 wake-up call (personal SHTF) we felt that way. Just gotta keep going...hang in there and pray.
I am SO GLAD I watched this. Not that I was going to stop. I am still in the planning stage, and learning a lot. But this needs to go viral. My plan in 2 years is to eat 80% of my food. Going to learn how to make tomato sauce and salsa since my plants have surprised me with tons of tomatoes this year.
Timing! I just decided to not bother with my backyard container garden next year. The cost for me, and not having a car to get good soil...then too much rain killed all my plants. I started all over and yes, I have some produce thru a lot of hard work. And boy, those cukes are delish! You can't get that from a store. God is good. Thank you so much for the encouragement. It comes to mini backyard gardeners as well. I'm slowly learning from experts like you, who i subscribe to. You have been a real blessing. Love from Vancouver, Canada
This is timely for me. We moved to a new place and I'm amending the clay soil; gardening has been so tough. It takes time to make compost and store bought soil and compost are void of nutrients. I'm kinda stubborn and that's the only reason I've kept going. Thanks for the encouragement!
We have very sticky red clay. I put a 6 in layer of leaves on my rows last fall and broad forked it with a pitch for about a month before I planted this past spring. It help SO much!
Thanks for the tip! I got a load of woodchips in about 2 months ago, and have covered most of my garden. It'll take time, but I'm moving in the right direction.
The positive side of stubborn is called perservering. You are perservering! 🙂
I have brought back to life an old WWII Victory Garden I found on my property. Good stuff!
Thank you Carolyn❤ love your channel, dont grow weary in well doing!! I will not quit!! Luv yall!!
Part of it also could be all the minimalist and declutter influencers out there and the "reduce inventory" mantra. That is good to a point to keep things clean and organized, but people can treat minimalism as an end in itself with the goal to avoid feeling overwhelmed and working hard. The homesteading lifestyle mindset and the minimalist lifestyle mindset are mutually exclusive. One thinks big to achieve great things, the other thinks small to avoid a difficult life.
We purchased our home last year in 2023. We have an older home on 17.4 acres. We will never give it up! We have a big garden, Chickens and 4 beef cattle. We are new at this Homesteading thing, but we love it and are definitely seeing the need to become more self sufficient! We also love being away from the traffic, the crowds and the crime. Keep getting the word out. Love your videos ❤
Last year , we moved and started building the house.
This year, we planted one raised bed.
Next year we're having our big garden going!
We are the LarchLine
The skill, supplies, and practice.
So important to develop this!
Carolyn, this message was such an encouragement to me. Thank you for sharing ❤
I would really like these short kind of updates more in the future. It is really encouraging!
Very well said!! Didn't realize some homesteaders were giving up, but I just watched a channel that said they weren't really homesteading, so they are changing their channel name. I hope people realize that things aren't getting better...it's just the calm before the storm. We need to keep on keeping on!!
Amen!!! You hit the nail on the head. Great advice. I just started building a homestead after the 2020 events out of fear. I feel God pushing me to do this. YES YES YES this is soo hard on so many levels and have questioned myself and does God REALLY want me to do this LOL! Then He reminds me that YES you need to be doing this because He shares a message via RUclipsrs like yourself, or something in the news and then just like that you get that boost of energy to keep on going. Gardening actually takes your mind away from the craziness going on in the world around us. Keep preparing and trusting God and lean on him for strength and wisdom.
My small, backyard garden has had a very difficult year (in the soggy South. . Raised beds, because the soil was dense clay and full of tree roots.
Friends said I should move to the country, go 'all in'. But what I really needed was to learn - at a pace and level that I could manage. I found out I could grow a great deal in GreenStalks without breaking my back, and doubled my growing space with 8 of them.
Biggest lesson learned has been that even if everything goes wrong, I will learn something, and there will be another season to try again.
Life is resilient, and growing a garden has done more to remind me of this than anything else.
I am burnt out mentally and physically. We have been homesteading for over 10 years and I am 57 years old. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I just can’t do all the gardening, canning etc. like I used to. I can still have a plan for emergencies though and make sure we have what we need.
Amen! From a former Bonners Ferry resident to you, keep it up!
Thank you for this!! The storm is coming...
We moved almost 2 years ago to have more land so we could hunt on our own land. Our garden gets bigger each year and we get more perennials planted each year too. To me, this is the time to do MORE for yourself, keep pushing forward, keep growing and preserving. No matter where you live, there is a storm coming (snow storm, hurricane, tornado, earth quake), you just don't know.
Thank you so much for the much needed encouragement ❤
Thank you. 🙏 we will always keep going.
Thanks for the encouragement and the dose of reality! Your homestead is gorgeous!
Yes me! I’ve been at this for 10 years. I am definitely in a burn out mode and have not done a big garden this year. I also haven’t raised meat birds in a while. It’s mostly been just me….my husband has reluctantly built the things but day to day has always been just me. As I’m aging it’s getting hard! I’m trying to minimize what I’m doing and be more focused on needs and really make things efficient! I got into this becuz I felt called to do it so doing out of fear is definitely going to land you in the middle of no where!
It’s me, too. My husband is disabled, so it literally is just me. I built a huge greenhouse, raised beds, I raise meat rabbits, and keep chickens for eggs. It’s a lot of work. I want to do more…(raise meat chickens, pigs, goats, and cow, ) but my back and knees are 60 years old. I have not figured out how to make money From homesteading, so I work online from home as well. It’s a lot. I will not quit, however. I do love it.
Been homesteading for 3 years.
Carolyn, your place is just magical. I love the river view you have. I have been trying to make a homestead for the last couple of years now. I am 68, my hubby is also 68 but has very bad back so I am on my own with most of it. I want more animals, but hubby isn't able and isn't on board with me. We do have a garden and chickens. I can and do the garden but, yes, it is hard for me. I AM NOT GIVING UP! we have a nice area here but the soil isn't great and I do raised beds. With the Lords help, I'm hoping to get at least another meat source soon.
This is surprising to me; in my circle, we have only gone deeper. Thank you for sharing what you're hearing and seeing.
This is such a timely message! You are absolutely right when you say that people think things are OK again, but the truth is, nothing is OK and the closer we come to this upcoming election the more distress we will see on many levels. This includes our food supply and necessities that we are used to uncomfortable with that might not be available. Like you said do not stop growing food. Do not stop preserving food.keep going every little bit counts thank you thank you thank you for this encouraging message
Thank you so much for this encouraging message. It is very hard especially the older we get and if we have problems physically. It comes from a vision and a conviction. Not going to be giving up here. Perseverance with Christ, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. The Joy of the Lord is our strength.
Thank you from Ontario Canada ❤❤❤
It is a lot of work but at the end of the day you are so blessed.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words. We all need a pat on the back back. Bless you and your family!
Yes. Many people need to hear this.❤
I couldn’t have said it better! We are preparing more now than ever.
You are such a beautiful person and beautiful family.. Thank you for sharing all that you do.. We've been homesteading for about six years.. I've been raising cattle since 2010. I've had these thoughts of how easy life would be sitting in a cabin on the beach.. YET I would not be happy.. THIS I know!.. Its hard work but its constructive work and so rewarding. You get criticized constantly by friends, family and internet trolls... YET they will be the ones that WANT what you have when in need....
Best words, Thank you God bless and keep you and your house👍👍
I had to scale back this year due to health challenges. My spring broilers brought diseases onto my property, and I got sick shortly after. Now after a viral situation I have severe neurological symptoms. So no more broilers for now.
My neighbor gave up her garden this year due to potty training and homeschooling young children. It has been nice to have her family come help harvest and share in our garden this year though.
I have scaled back my dairy goats to what my family can manage without me being physically dependable on a consistent basis, butI have a dependable family network. THANKFULLY. PRAISE God, for Children are Truly a blessing.
Honestly, the chores, and demands of a family and homestead have kept me going through these last 5 months. It has been a blessing to have many reasons to get up and keep going. I've had to be creative on some ways, and prioritize while scaling back, but a full life has been better than any physical therapy session could ever be.
Seizures, dystonia, possibly stiff person syndrome. Autoimmune illnesses are demonic, but this is my Body, and I will glorify the Lord in it as long as I am able. HE is my Strength, though I am weak.
I agree with you on this, We have a small property right now and are growing food, we are first timers but super proud of what we have accomplished thus far. I would love to have a homestead in the future, it is going to be needed. Like you said Caroline, it is the calm before the storm, we are trying and need to learn all we can because soon that may be all we have left.
Last year just about every gardener's efforts seemed useless in my area of TN. Horible harvest. Too much rain? Too windy? Chem trails? 5G bombardment? Also, if you need to work to get through this economic catastrophe that makes gardening even harder. I appreciate your encouragement. I'm not giving up but just not as hopeful as I once was. Thank you for all your content. ❤
Good advice. Things are only going to be getting worse. i am blessed to have lots of local small farmers to supplement what I need. Hang in there homesteaders.
Thank you for your encouragement ❤ this is our 5th year breaking in a new property. I don't have great health in the energy department and sometimes everything slides badly. But i hit the reboot button and start again. I will keep going for the rest of my life...the food and the environment is just tooo important.
When we got our new homestead last spring, one of the first things we did was put in a garden. Most people don't realize how long it can take for a garden to really start cranking out large amounts of produce. It was a ton of work trying to put that in, build soil, and combat pests, all while adding more livestock, while also making our fixer upper livable, but I am so glad we pushed so hard. Growing and raising your own food is a ton of work, but it is absolutely worth it to know that you have the skills to do it, and you have the security in knowing exactly what you have in the pantry.
Well said💖👵🏻👩🌾❣️
I feel the first thing to plant even before a garden are trees.
@@Pax6368fruit and nut trees are good, but you have to eat from your homestead first, or you wont be around to plant trees, (unless you're relying on the grocery store before they are empty).
Yup! I always say to have a 5 year plan for you garden cause you'll want to spread out the projects over seasons. It's A LOT and can burn you out quickly. A 10 year plan with a homestead! Of course there will be more needing to be done after those years, but having the mindset of taking time helps A LOT.
@@Pax6368 we planted trees within the same week as the garden ❤️
Thank you. The encouragement is appreciated.
Thank you for being conscise. So many YT'ers have a 5 minute message and make a 45 minute video to slog through.
I love “walk and talks”! And I agree with you. Even if we were not approaching the need for self sufficiency, we are a soft country due to too many years of abundance and homesteading is good for the soul.
Thanks! I needed this! I work a FT job, have some chickens and garden. Right now my weekends (& weekdays) are bust. My husband has health problems but God sustains me!
We are twins!
Another problem though is so many influencers making it look like homesteading is something it isn't. We need more honest influencers! People telling it for what it is! It's messy, hard work, and for most people expensive to start up. In our area, people are finding chickens dropped off by the side of the road because the owners got chickens and a few months in decided they don't want them anymore. I don't know if they just wanted them for an instagram picture or what, but it's such a shame because they are literally dumping them off by the sides of the road because they didn't know what they were getting into.
It's important to try to get an idea of what you are getting into beforehand with homesteading and I think that is one of the reasons people are quitting. They just had no idea what they were actually getting into because the grit and grind isn't talked about very much.
I think too though is a lot of the issue is so many young families with younger children, trying to parent, homeschool and homestead. All of those things together are a lot of work, especially if one of the parents has a full time job and it's all falling on one parent. There are only so many hours in a day, and people have been taking on more than they can physically handle thinking it will be easier than it truly is. It is important to do like you said, and to take baby steps so as not to get over one's head and thus burnt out.
Yes. My husband is an OTR trucker so he's really only home a few days each month and those days are spent doing things we can't do when he's gone. We don't even have our own land yet, still renting a house (with a decent yard) while looking. Between the garden, preserving, homeschool, and all my usual Domestic Engineering responsibilities, I don't know how I'd manage even a small flock of chickens. We plan to get a few (like 3 lol) next year once we're more settled here but...idk...just getting used to an entirely different area for gardening has been a task in and of itself. We'll see, I guess. God might have something else in mind. Time will tell. Just gotta hang in there.
YES! We are in the “setting set up” stage of our homestead, and aren’t ready for animals. I do my best to share with people the hardship & sacrifice of this stage, because in a couple of years, it won’t look like this, but this is definitely a stage most people (who aren’t made of money) have to go through. Composting toilets and hauling water are NOT sexy 😂
It's not up to RUclipsrs or tiktokers to be "honest" or more upfront about the hard work and the failures you experience during homesteading. That falls on to the individual to do their due diligence and research. Take the baby steps and be honest about how much blood,sweat and tears they are actually capable and willing to put in. If you really need someone to tell you any of that , DON'T get into homesteading.
Man I love that rock path! If I could I would sell everything and move out of here and homestead. As for what's at hand right now. You bet. Not gonna get better anytime soon.
Alone in the city, hunkering down 👍😎 just doing time really.. this world has nothing I want anyway. I do follow some homesteaders for old-school knowledge though. It could still happen for me. Right now, after being where I am for 35 years, something tells me to sit still at the moment. The remainder of this year I believe is gonna be off the charts cray-cray...
Great encouragement. We've All got to Do Something.❤
Thank you for giving folks the encouragement they need to keep moving forward. Onward and upward 🙏
Ty for always always encouraging me
You are just the best ever
Thank you for the encouragement, Carolyn! I got into homesteading 7 years ago,. It was something I had really wanted to do for 15 years before that. I am so grateful for all I have learned from you and Josh on this channel and in the School of Traditional Skills. You could have just done your own thing and kept to yourselves. Some people call it prepping, but for you, it's just daily life. We have gotten very comfortable with modern life. We lost so many skills in just the last 100 years. Life happened last year, and I didn't get a garden in. Life happened this year, and I only got a small garden in. But I won't give up. I'm blessed to have several local sources for organic food that I can preserve and grass fed beef. Even if I don't grow it, I can still preserve it. Thanks again!
💯 correct
Thank you for being so encouraging 😇
We just have up our dream of buying a homestead. We dont want to relocate so have been limited in what is available. After 2.5 years of looking we decided to stop and just be content. It is difficult to give up a dream, but I also feel relief. We had also put off renovating our home (disabled daughter) hoping we would be moving and could modify the new place if necesary. Now, my back is literally killing me and I just wish we had gone ahead and modified our home. Ahhh. Choices are hard and we don't always make the right ones! We do have hens (we need a permit and permission from our neighbors), rabbits, and a garden. It is definitely not what we dreamed - we would love to have a HUGE garden, and not be limited in the animals we have, but at least it's something.
@amcall Yes! It is something, and you're doing it. Many people seem to not do a thing regardless of the warning signs everywhere. Good job doing what you can with what you have. 👍👍
This is so true. Pace. But don’t give up. We are living in scary times.
Thank you for the words of encouragement. May be short but packs a big punch.
Absolutely!!! I have a small house on a standard block here in Australia.. I’ve been lacking in motivation to get my garden back up and running but this week I started my herbs and taking small steps to get it back on track!! Calm before the storm feels exactly right to me ! thanks for the motivation! X
Wonderful!
We got rid of our chickens last fall, needed a break, went on vacation in the spring. We do not have neighbors that are able/reliable to take care of our chickens. We also did 1/2 of our normal garden, it has been a wonderful break, BUT we said this is the year for infrastructure, we have excelled at getting things up to snuff here and I am so happy we took a little break. We have been working very hard on projects every day, even if it is 2 or 3 things, even small things add up. Our next project is to shore up our bridge to get to the back of our property (5 acres total). We wanted to get these things done before we get to old, we are 68 and 88 and still working hard, keep going everybody, don't give up, take a break as needed and get back at it.
Peace to you and your family.
❤ from Melbourne, Australia
You bring me solace.
Wow been feeling this for several weeks. Taking it slow but stepping back some. Thank you! You are a blessing!!!!
External persuasion is a POWERFUL thing! Unfortunately some of us still don’t see it while it’s in play.
Good words, give us ears to hear…calm before the storm.