5 Homesteading Rewards

Last week I wrote an article on the 5 Challenges All Homesteaders Face. The response was amazing! Many people in all phases of ‘homesteading’ or self sufficiency commented and agreed with many points I made. Several suggested a view on the other side; homesteading rewards we receive for our efforts. It will be difficult to keep it to a mere 5 rewards but I accept the challenge! 😉 These are not given in any specific order.

1. Emotional Reward. I thought long and hard about this one. Then I considered how I would feel if I took the whole gardening aspect out of what we do to be more self sufficient. Most people when they think homesteading instantly think about a garden. It is an iconic part of being a homesteader but even if you took it out of the picture, I would still want to do what we are doing. Even without the garden (which is a huge aspect of the lifestyle for me personally) there is a sense of confidence and satisfaction that comes with it all. I am constantly filled with awe at what we have accomplished in a short time. The new skills we have learned alone make every annoyance or frustrated day worth it. We know that if we really had to, we could rebuild from next to nothing and be OK. That is a powerful and liberating realization.
2. More Control. Who doesn’t want to be in control of their lives? Everywhere we turn there is some one or something telling us we have to be or do or say thus and so. Growing your own food and then preserving it is a serious reclamation of your rights as a human being. When you grow your own food, you know not only where it came from but how it was grown and handled. You also save money in the long run! Consider how much ‘organic’ produce is where you live and the savings go even higher. Furthermore, when you homestead, you learn to rely on yourself more often than not and find your own solutions. How about learning how to repair or even fabricate what you need? Being self reliant means you have taken more control of your overall life. While you can never be truly self-sustainable (humans need community, plain and simple), you can make the choice to not rely on the overall system to solve everything for you. 
3. Realizing Your Place. As kids, most of us never questioned that we were part of something bigger and that we are all connected. As we age, society creeps in and changes that through lessons taught, experiences, etc. One of the deeper “soul-ular” rewards most homesteaders receive is the re-connection with nature, the seasons and cycles and our part in it. It is almost like you tap into a different time zone; one that is ruled not by the tick-tock of a clock but more of one dependent on seasons, weather, and mother nature.
4. Community Connections. In our technologically driven society, human to human contact has changed drastically. When you homestead, you get to know your neighbors more often than not. Humans are curious and if they can see you working outside, eventually there will be a conversation about what you are doing. One of the things I have noticed is every time we are outside working on or in the garden area, our neighbors come by to see what we are up to. They want to see and hear our plans coming together. Oddly enough, many of them will offer to help “for a few minutes” and before you know it, 2 hours has gone by and I am bringing cool drinks out for everyone. I had one person actually thank ME for letting them work on our greenhouse construction. They said it felt good to be outside in the sunshine, constructing something that is not for ‘work’ or some huge company. What really gets me going are the kids, especially in the garden. Their eyes light up when they see the little sprouts, or later when they come into the greenhouse and see bean and pea plants taller than they are, heavy with food. Last year I actually had a neighbor kid who would always want to know when I was harvesting so they could help. To them it was just “cool.” I think it’s pretty cool too. 🙂
5. “Plus, you get strawberries…” Like the infamous Ron Finley said, “Gardening is the most defiant and therapeutic act you can do…plus you get strawberries.” Being able to literally harvest the fruits (and veggies!) of your labor is a truly wonderful experience. Each seed you plant is like a tiny miracle and here you are months later, harvesting baskets full of beans, carrots, and onions.