Commitment to Homesteading: What You Need to Know
Homesteading is not just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle that demands commitment.
Sustainability: The ability to be sustained. Method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.
The ultimate goal of the homestead is sustainability. Learning how to practice sustainability gives knowledge thus empowering the individual to be able to provide for themselves and their families. Practicing sustainability involves growing and raising your own food. Vegetables can be grown in a garden and meat can be raised. Various animals that we tend to get meat from are cows (beef), deer (venison), Chicken or Turkey (poultry), and pigs (pork). If you are a hunter, then you may also harvest rabbits, squirrels, wild ducks, and fish. If you can shoot a gun and are able to shoot accurately under pressure, then you will be able to hunt. The reason why we raise animals for food is because we know what we are feeding these animals and ultimately what you feed them will be what you ingest later.
Growing a garden takes a little more knowledge than simply aiming and shooting or digging a hole and putting a seed in and waiting. You must know when to plant, what to plant, how to plant, and where to plant. First you must learn why we plant. We plant fruits and vegetables to provide food with vitamins and nutrients for our families and ourselves. We plant so we are not dependent on others to provide for us. We plant because garden fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and nutrients that your bodies need to stay healthy.
Over the years, I have learned the basics of planting a garden, but many people do not know where to start. Hopefully these posts will show people how to save and process various produce from the garden, tend to animals that can be used for food, and the processing of those animals. The ultimate goal is for you to learn how to be sustainable and not have to depend upon anyone to provide your basic needs.
It takes commitment and hard work, but keeping goals in mind helps turn that hard work into fulfillment and joy.