Homesteading is more than just growing your own food—it’s a lifestyle built around self-sufficiency, sustainability, and independence. Whether you want to live completely off-grid or just take steps toward greater self-reliance, getting started can feel overwhelming. But don’t worry—this guide will walk you through the essential steps to kickstart your homesteading journey. You are only here because your ancestors were prepared for whatever life threw at them. Pass that gift along to your children and their children.

Step 1: Define Your Homesteading Goals

Before jumping in, ask yourself what kind of homestead you want. Do you dream of a fully off-grid farm with livestock and solar power, or do you just want to grow a garden and raise a few chickens?

Consider these questions:

• How much land do you have (or want to get)?
• Do you want to generate your own power (solar, wind, etc.)?
• Are you looking to produce all your food or just supplement?
• Do you want to raise animals? If so, which ones?
• Will you keep your current job, or aim for full-time homesteading?

Your answers will shape your homesteading plan and help you prioritize the right steps.

Step 2: Start with a Garden

Gardening is the backbone of homesteading. Even if you don’t have land yet, you can start growing food in containers or a small backyard plot.

Tips for Beginner Gardeners:

• Don’t be afraid to start – Start small if you’re on a budget and try to get some tomatoes or peppers through a season. If you don’t have any experience then you probably won’t start the first year feeding your family or even yourself. However, if you grow some peppers and tomatoes in your first season you can celebrate with the best homemade salsa you’ve ever tasted.
• Start small – A 10×10-foot garden is plenty to begin with. Pick an area in your yard that has enough sun to support plant growth and easy access to water.
• Use raised beds or containers – If you have poor/immature soil, limited space or an old back like mine then consider gardening in raised beds. You can raise the planting to a comfortable level, keep out animals and have total control of the soil. Some plants prefer soil with different level of pH and amendments to help their growth cycle (to more naturally mimic their natural growing conditions). You’ll learn more about that as you grow (pun intended)
• Good fences are key for good gardens – If you have pets or you plan on raising animals then make sure they can’t get into your food area. There is not much so disheartening as checking on your crop only to find they have been decimated by your own animals.
• Choose easy crops – Tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, radishes, and herbs are great starters. Visit your local garden center to find out the local varieties that do well in your area. They are usually much better informed than your local big box store and it helps support local business. Some even offer free classes to help you along. An informed and appreciated customer buys more plants.
• Improve your soil – Good compost and mulch make a huge difference. Good soil is everything, you can slowly improve bad soil in the ground with compost and other organic matter. Raise beds give more “total control” while you build and evolve your in-ground soil.
• It’s a journey, not a destination – Every season you’ll be building on the knowledge you gained during the previous one. Keep a journal of what you tried and what worked. Make “new” mistakes and refine your approach for where you live and what you have.

Step 3: Learn Basic Animal Husbandry (If you want to)

Raising animals can provide eggs, milk, meat, and even fiber. Start small, animals require daily care and infrastructure like fencing and shelters. We currently raise chickens for their eggs and they’re fun around the yard. Not a big fan of ducks, but that’s a personal preference built from experience. Before you get any livestock animals, give some thought to whether you want to slaughter and butcher your own meat. We decided against that, at least for now. We tend to get too attached to animals.

Best Animals for Beginners:

• Chickens – Low-maintenance, great egg producers. Great for a free source of compost (organic matter). They will also clean up all of your excess vegetation from cooking. Very little goes to waste when you have chickens. You’ll notice you create far less “trash” than before you got them.
• Rabbits – Easy to raise, provide meat and fertilizer.
• Goats – Good for milk, brush clearing, and small-scale meat production. If you’re raising them to provide milk please note that they need to be milked on schedule, sometimes twice a day, or a) it becomes painful for them and they get loud b) they will stop producing. Goats aren’t just milk making machines, they make milk to feed their offspring. Once their body decides they are done with that then they stop producing. You can “milk” it for quite a while with proper care.
• Ducks – Hardy and excellent for pest control in gardens.

Step 4: Master Food Preservation

Homesteaders need to preserve food for off-seasons. Learning simple preservation techniques means enjoying homegrown produce year-round.

Food Preservation Methods:

• Canning – Ideal for fruits, vegetables, and meats.
• Dehydrating – Perfect for herbs, fruits, and lightweight storage.
• Fermenting – Boosts nutrients and preserves vegetables.
• Freezing – Good for surplus harvests if you have reliable power.
• Freeze Drying – Believe it or not there are small versions of these machines that you buy for home use (If you have money burning a hole in your pocket)

Step 5: Reduce Your Dependence on the Grid

Even if you’re not planning to go fully off-grid, cutting down your reliance on utilities is a core homesteading principle.

Ways to Become More Self-Sufficient:

• Solar panels – Generate your own electricity. Start small and get accustomed to all the different parts of solar systems. Demystify the magic and you’ll find it’s not as complicated as you thought. I would recommend pairing your panels with a battery bank so you still have power when the sun goes down or a storm blows through.
• Rainwater collection – Provide water for gardens and livestock.
• Wood stoves – A backup heat source and cooking option.
• Composting toilets – Reduce water usage and create fertilizer.

How to Set Up a Budget-Friendly Off-Grid Solar Power System

Step 6: Learn Essential Homesteading Skills

Being a homesteader means developing hands-on skills that allow you to solve problems and thrive independently.

Skills Every Homesteader Should Learn:

• Basic carpentry – Build sheds, fences, and raised beds to support your new homestead. Even more importantly, learn to how fix the structures and fences that you already have.
• Firewood cutting & splitting – If you heat with wood.
• First aid & herbal medicine – For self-sufficiency. There are several great YouTube channels and field manuals to teach yourself the basics. You and your family are the first line of defense for one another.
• Animal butchering – If raising meat animals.
• Seed saving – Ensures a continuous supply of crops. Don’t be at the mercy of giant seed conglomerates or your local state official deciding that growing your own food is not essential.

Chainsaw Mastery: Keep It Sharp, Keep It Running

Step 7: Generate Homestead Income

If you want your homestead to be self-sustaining financially, consider selling goods and services that align with your lifestyle.

Ways to Make Money on a Homestead:

• Sell fresh eggs, honey, or raw milk.
• Grow and sell herbs, microgreens, or heirloom seeds.
• Raise meat animals or breeding stock.
• Create handmade products like soap, candles, or preserves.
• Teach homesteading skills online (YouTube, courses, or blogs).

Final Thoughts: Start Small & Build Over Time

Homesteading doesn’t happen overnight—it’s a journey. Start with one or two manageable projects, build confidence, and expand as you learn.

Your First Steps Today:

✅ Pick one skill or project to start this week.
✅ Set a realistic goal for the next 3–6 months.
✅ Begin reading, researching, and practicing.

Come back here and we’ll be adding articles to cover all of these subjects more in depth. We’ll also be adding reviews and links to the tools and techniques that we’ve tried and settled on after 20 years of homesteading. See you soon.