Challenges are something that humans cannot get away from no matter how hard they try. When it comes to homesteading, some days it feels like you signed up for an intensive class in overcoming obstacles! I am the first to admit I am not a pro at homesteading – not even proficient (yet) – and yet we still face the same tests of endurance and imagination that the old pioneering homesteaders had to deal with.
Even just starting out to build the infrastructure was a monumental task in itself. As I daydream about having a homestead, I imagine they felt the same kind of excitement at the thought of building a home, a woodshed, a chicken coop, and a permanent garden area. Getting the land and materials is the first hurdle and makes the building part once we get there seem easy by comparison!
Here are the 5 Challenges All Homesteaders Face
1. Funds. Ahh the evil dollar. There is just never enough which makes this the biggest challenge to overcome. In our disposable and plastic society that demands instant gratification, learning to slow down and make the dollars stretch as far as possible is a skill that takes time to learn. You absolutely must get creative to solve problems that pop up.
A recent example is our mailbox. The hinge pins had rusted through on the door and it fell off. We kept putting it back on and then got a nasty note from the mailman telling us they would not deliver the mail until it was repaired. We do not have the extra funds to buy a new mailbox so the Mister got creative and bent some long staples from a staple gun and fashioned new pins. Our mail was delivered the next day!
2. Flexibility. This ties into the “funds” part of homesteading as well as everyday life. When you truly homestead, you are not bound by the clock and schedules like you would be in a city. Instead, you are now bound to the weather and seasons which takes a bit to get used to. You may wake up one morning all gung-ho to finish the greenhouse project only to find that Mother Nature has decided to blow 40mph and rain sideways.
Instead of getting angry over something you cannot control, change up your plans and call it an ‘inside project’ day. You have to be flexible in all things, otherwise you will end up angry and frustrated often.
3. Skills. It is a given that if you homestead in any form, there will be certain skills you will need to know. Examples are gardening, mechanical repair work, food preservation, and construction. The the most vital (in my opinion) skill set to have is the ability to assess, adapt or accept, and overcome obstacles. Life is going to throw some really weird curveballs at you when you homestead. Things you could not have ever foreseen or planned for will happen sooner or later. How you handle those situations will have a large affect on whether you fail or succeed in meeting the challenge.
4. Time. Even living in Alaska where you can get 20 hours + of daylight in the summer, there is never enough time to get everything done that you want to. Refer to #2 for flexibility! You have to be able to prioritize your projects while still being adaptable to those odd curveballs. The bottom line is: in this lifestyle your “To Do” list will never be complete. It will never truly get smaller because you are always adding to it. Flexibility, skills, and funds all play a part in this too.
5. Outside Influences. Recently, there have been numerous stories all over North America about government agencies who are coming in to private land and confiscating people’s cattle, sheep, and vegetables. They claim that the people are not following the rules, or that their animals may be diseased (with the ‘only’ way they can determine the truth is by killing the animal). People are getting SWAT teams breaking their doors down because they bought “growing equipment” from hardware stores and are accused of growing marijuana. When none is found, they take the tomatoes instead citing it as evidence. Then there was the situation with Nevada regarding grazing rights.
Thankfully, these situations are not common place (yet) but there are other outside influences that can challenge a homesteader’s ability to continue. Local, state, and federal laws may prohibit certain types of food or animals on the property. Building codes may prohibit the building of certain structures on property you own. In some areas, it is even illegal to catch rainwater for your garden. Keeping well informed will help the modern homesteader to mitigate these issues and keep under the radar of these overreaching agencies. You can be assured when we are able to make the big push, we will research every facet of the laws of the land to make sure we aren’t buying a piece of property in a nightmare county or borough.
To be a “homesteader” means you rely on yourself more often than not and find your own solutions to problems. Most of those who have chosen this lifestyle would say it is 100% worth it. There are certain freedoms afforded to living a more self-reliant lifestyle, not to mention the level of satisfaction you feel. When you sit down to a meal where everything on your plate is something you produced – from the chicken to the spices and vegetable side dish – the feeling is something that is hard to describe!
It’s fun to get a glimpse into a homesteaders life:)
I think so, too. We are kind of the ‘diet coke’ of homesteaders but once we get the property, we will dive in! Thanks for the comment and for following along!
As a 50/50 homesteader I love hearing about how others use skills to survive! We have our own chickens, a huge vegetable garden but no farm animals. I can, dehydrate and freeze much of our garden produce and sell some to cover costs of seed. The fertilizer comes from our chicken coup which is mixed with wood shavings. This makes a great aerator for the soil. I try to live as my grandmother did way back when! My husband is very self-sufficient and works his proprietorship in the woods. We have a portable saw mill and he can sell lumber but we use a lot of it ourselves with raised beds, camp decks, etc. We do maple syrup in the spring at our camp in the wilderness and have enough for us and our children’s families too. Just loved the good ole days.
I really look forward to when we are as far along as you are! Thank you for sharing your story with me/us, I love hearing about what others are doing, too!
Our family just purchased the farm (to be). The land with barn, pond, Hay field and water well. We are so excited and feeling so blessed.
So much to do and I guess we’re having an early spring here in Huntsville Tx. Was hot enough for shorts today. Gosh where to start? I would love to have a garden this year but I need a fenced area
To keep the deer out first. Feeling a little overwhelmed..
How could you NOT feel overwhelmed? If I may, embrace it. Wallow in it, swim around a little and ENJOY it. Yes, there is a lot of things that need to be done. Don’t let yourself get down because you aren’t ‘getting enough done.’ You are making a beautiful piece of art and some ‘brush strokes’ take longer than others to dry. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your homestead won’t be either. Congratulations on your new farm. I am envious!