Homesteading with a mind towards minimalism

We are a family of 7, soon to be 8. The kids will be 9 and under at the arrival of number 6. We traveled full time in a 21’ bumper pull for 3 years. We have the RV parked in a barn at the property we bought and still live in it.

We like simple living, maybe classified as a form of minimalism to some. Those words mean different things to different people. We are constantly trying to tackle the homestead life with a mind towards minimalism/simple living. With all these bodies, things could get out of hand if we let them with clothes, toys, etc. We keep the amount of stuff at a very sparse level.

For example, I bought a BCS tractor and have the one motor to maintain that runs the mower/bagger, flail, rotary plow, log splitter, pressure washer and hooks up to and pulls a utility cart.

Now I realize that having a mind towards minimalism for some would mean a splitting maul, scythe, hoe, 4 wheeled cart, point hose nozzle, to accomplish what I am doing with the BCS and implements.

I have my wood neatly stacked, extra building materials have a place neatly stacked and the shop/storage area has all open shelving so I can see exactly what I have so it does not get out of control. I make time to have things this way because it saves me time in the long run to not have to handle items several times to get to the one I need. I also do not end up with duplicates because I can see exactly what I have.

Our chicken coop/run combo houses meat rabbits and is also the source of the wonderful compost for the garden. We do humanure composting and grey water recycling. I posted a pressure canner question previously because I wanted one big enough to scald chickens, serve as out large cooking pot, etc.

We try to really consider if we need something before we purchase it. The item in question normally goes on a 30-day list and is purchased after it has been on that list for 30 days. I try to use what we have so I don’t have a bunch of stuff lying around.

I’ve read a lot of Joel Salatin books and he likes to comment, in almost all of them, how he thinks a farm should have a “thread bare” look to it. I have never seen his place so I am not sure what exactly that could mean. Is it a code word for a junk pile looking place or a minimalist/simple place? Anyway, I see a lot of variation in my area, but the old timers would call being neat and organized “pride of ownership”. I probably tend towards that thinking.

The point then would be to ask some questions for you wonderful folks to comment on if you like:

Does anyone else have a little mental conflict going on with these things?

What are some ways to keep your place from looking like a junk pile while being a good steward with what you have?

What are some of the best multipurpose items you have?

What are some things you purchased or built and now wish you had not?

What do you wish you had purchased or built sooner?

[quote=Josh Hoffman
What are some ways to keep your place from looking like a junk pile while being a good steward with what you have?


Hi Josh, I think that part of a minimalist lifestyle is not so much having very few things, more important would be minimizing your purchases and the ability to recycle or repurpose items that you may find or have.
To somewhat answer your above question included in this reply:
Almost all older farms and probably most of the newer ones have an old hedgerow or other out of the way place where they line up in rows all of their old machinery and any other items like scrap metal , wood and the like that could possibly be used in the future. I know many farmers and myself who have repeatedly gone out to that hedgerow and retrieved parts or material that allowed them to accomplish a task without visiting a merchant.
If this hedgerow is kept somewhat neat and organized even if it is in sight it seems to blend in with the surrounding trees and vegetation.
A time-tested method of minimizing purchases.

I believe that we live a very frugal lifestyle, maybe what you call minimalism...

Your question:

What are some ways to keep your place from looking like a junk pile while being a good steward with what you have?

This takes a lot of work that folks have to figure out what works for them.

Not buying into commercialism, for one.

Sorting stuff into categories like donate, burn, make a compost pile.

I hope your family can figure this one out.  It took me a lot of years.

I found The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman a useful thought experiment in doing the necessary work with the least amount of waste, inspired by the Japanese mindset/ethic. I highly recommend digging in to those ideas while you ponder what you want to do with your family's lifestyle.


I checked my copy out from my library, so I was very minimalist with my experience with that book, and I hope your library has it or will Interlibrary Loan it for you.

It's difficult to be minimalistic and also homestead at the same time.
Homesteading needs tools - less tools equals more time spent on breaking your back or money spent on tool rental which quickly exceeds the value of the tool.
Also some materials are much cheaper when bought in bulk - economy of scale.
It's good to have a large storage shed to neatly hide it all.

Rachel Lindsay wrote:I found The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman a useful thought experiment in doing the necessary work with the least amount of waste, inspired by the Japanese mindset/ethic. I highly recommend digging in to those ideas while you ponder what you want to do with your family's lifestyle.


I checked my copy out from my library, so I was very minimalist with my experience with that book, and I hope your library has it or will Interlibrary Loan it for you.

Thank you for the recommendation. I am looking at the review link you posted now.