Homesteading is a lot of work

I followed up on some folks  I knew from a decade or so ago. They had bought a place in the country and were diving into the homestead lifestyle…..I thought a little too aggressively at the time. The property was to be off grid. They would supply all their own food, etc, etc.

The first thing I noticed was the house was much larger and elaborate than I thought they had planned. There was no barn….no livestock…and no garden.  The planned off grid house had power lines running to it.

We spoke for about an hour, and I listened carefully.   To cut through all the smoke they were sending up, the message was, “We stopped homesteading because homesteading was a lot of work.”  I would agree. If one is equating homesteading with a hammock and iced drinks all day long, then there may be some disappointment.   I always found the sore muscles, blisters, and bee stings to be, in a twisted way, enjoyable.

LOL!  Yes...the simple life isn't so simple.  

I grew up on a homestead and have done it always.  Your setup is vital in how doable it is, but even with the best setup in the world, there are daily chores and you really are tied to it.

Sometimes that doesn't come across in the "Homesteading is great" Youtube genre.

I love homesteading shows as much as the next person, but I can watch them and see that its a lot of work.  That's why I don't think of myself as a full-fledged homesteader, probably ever.  I want a more intentional community in the suburbs situation, where I can garden, and we can accomplish more together than alone, and that way I can do the jobs I'm learning to be good at, and other people can do the jobs they're learning, or have learnt, to be good at.  Growing things and doing projects, but not every second of every day, because my life has lots of different elements to it, and my goal is to increase that richness, not get to a point where I'm frustrated and grumbling about being tired of it.  Some people can live and breathe farming/steading 24/7, but I need ... less work,

Gardening can be fun and relaxing though sometimes a person might not feel like getting out there to pick all the ripe veggies.

Animals require a lot of care.  The stalls, pens, and houses require cleaning.

Homesteading is a lot of work, yes you are right.

Riona Abhainn wrote:I love homesteading shows as much as the next person, but I can watch them and see that its a lot of work.  That's why I don't think of myself as a full-fledged homesteader, probably ever.  I want a more intentional community in the suburbs situation, where I can garden, and we can accomplish more together than alone, and that way I can do the jobs I'm learning to be good at, and other people can do the jobs they're learning, or have learnt, to be good at.  Growing things and doing projects, but not every second of every day, because my life has lots of different elements to it, and my goal is to increase that richness, not get to a point where I'm frustrated and grumbling about being tired of it.  Some people can live and breathe farming/steading 24/7, but I need ... less work,

I love your attitude!  It's great that you have put thought into what works and what doesn't for you.  In my experience that's a rare and precious quality...

Years ago I made a decision of working as little as possible and having as much fun as possible.   Fortunately, I see homesteading as fun.  I have only worked for about 18 months in my life using my definition of work ( if I dread starting my day … it is work).