The events of the past year have left many people asking the question, “Should I move to the country and start homesteading?”
This is a good question to ask, especially if you have never lived the rural life. The reality is that you don’t just move to the country and magically have the picturesque farm on the hill that you see in the movies.
Homesteading According to the Movies
If you have watched any of the numerous Christmas Movies, you have seen the country life portrayed in an almost glamorous way. It almost seems that everything is so peaceful and problem free.
Small Town
All these movies are set in a small town where everyone seems to get along and knows everyone else.
It seems like people have an endless amount of time to spend sitting around in the local diners and visiting with each other. They go to the local hardware store and visit with the shop owner.
Everything looks relaxed and pretty chill.
Farm Help
You often see the owner of the farm hanging out around town. Rarely is the owner seen doing the work on the farm.
Most of the time there is hired help taking care of all the farming tasks while the owner is doing something else.
Overall
While those types of movies are not intended to focus on homesteading and the homesteading life, I do think they put thoughts into our minds about what that life might look like.
Couple that with someone who does not have the past experience of living on a farm and you are left with a picture that is far from reality.
That is not helpful when trying to determine if you should begin homesteading.
Homesteading According to Reality
There are many factors that determine what the homesteading life actually looks like.
Size
A homestead can be a variety of different sizes. You could have a small homestead on an acre of land or a homestead on hundreds of acres of land.
The size of the homestead may impact your focus and therefore the daily chores that need to be accomplished.
Focus
A homestead is pretty loosely defined. It is a farmhouse with outbuildings on some property. Therefore, a person can have a different focus for their homestead depending on their needs.
Some people choose to focus on gardening. Some focus on animal husbandry. While others may choose a combination of both.
Each homesteading focus requires different skills, series of tasks, and time. Once you decide on your focus, you will know just what is involved in making that a reality.
Skill
Depending on your focus and present skill level, you may need to learn new skills in order to have a successful homestead.
Your learning curve will directly impact the amount of work it takes to get started. If you are coming from a completely urban lifestyle with no homesteading background knowledge, it will take much more time and energy to develop the skills necessary.
That being said, if you know that you want to make the move to homesteading, there are some things you can start doing to hone your skills even while living in the city.
There are so many books you can read on different topics and you will want to start building your reference library.
To learn more about animal husbandry, it might be a good idea to reach out to some local farms and see it would be possible to volunteer some time. This could be a win-win solution for both you and the farm.
Condition of the Homestead
If you find a move in ready homestead, it will take less work to get it up and running. However, many farmhouses are in need of a few upgrades. If not the house, the outbuildings.
This will slow down the process of getting everything else up and running. In addition, if you don’t have the skills to make the necessary repairs, you will need to hire out the work. This will end up costing money.
Cost
Moving to the country costs money. This cost can be different depending on what part of the world you live in. There are moving costs involved in any move, no matter where it is to.
As previously mentioned, there is the cost of any upgrades that need to be done. These can vary depending on your skill level. There are also costs involved in setting up the homestead to meet the needs of your selected focus.
Depending on how far out in the country you decide to move, there may be increased gas costs since it will be farther to drive places.
There may also be increased food prices if the only close store is a small independent one. You may not be wanting to drive a long way to get to the larger stores that are more budget friendly.
Time
Again, there are a lot of factors that go into determining how much time you will need to spend working on the homestead each day.
If the homestead needs quite a few upgrades or new elements to meet the need of your focus, you will need to devote a larger amount of time to getting things up to speed.
Once you have things set up, your area of focus will determine how much time you will need to spend working around the homestead each day.
This can become problematic if you have a full-time job that keeps you busy for 40+ hours each week. Even if your dream is to work on the homestead full time one day, it will take time and money to get everything operating smoothly.
The Actual Bliss
While I have laid out a number of things to consider before moving out the country, there are some blissful moments that make it all worth it.
The country life provides a peace and tranquility that really can’t compare to city life. You are able to walk outside without hearing your neighbors or the sound of cars. A quiet day to work in the garden can bring some much-needed stress relief.
Wildlife is much more prevalent. You may have the opportunity to see deer, rabbits, and other animals. Watching the birds flutter around is another amazing perk.
There is also the reward of engaging in hard physical labor and seeing the results of it. There is something extremely satisfying in working hard and then being able to reap the fruits of your labor.
Conclusion
Living in the country has it pros and cons. Taking the time to weigh them out before moving can help you to make the best decision for you and save you from getting in over your head.