Homesteading is a Mindset - Not a Place.

Practising stewardship over what God has blessed us with. rm setting. I grew up raising poultry and riding horses, David grew up raising dairy cows and became an expert field worker.

Spring was full of field work and planting. Gardening was a part of each summer. Winter was full of digging out snow away from the barn to do chores. You helped your neighbour in times of need. You stacked hay. You brought livestock in from the fields. Dogs ran about, children played, and harvest season was full of hustle.

When we got married, we moved into town. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love our cozy little condo, but we both yearn for something more. Specifically, that “more” is a homestead.

It was such a blessing for us to grow up in agriculture - knowing where our food comes from start to finish. It’s something that we’re both very passionate about to this day.

Just because we don’t own land or have a farm doesn’t mean that we are not homesteaders.

How does that work? How can you homestead while living in town? Don’t you at least have to have chickens in your backyard or something?

For us, homesteading is a way of doing life. It starts with a mindset - not ownership - and it isn’t an all or nothing sort of thing.

It’s something that you can engage in right where you’re at today.

What does homesteading look like for us?

To us, homesteading is a way of living that consists of:

• Thriving as a family spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.

• Doing what you can, with what you have, where you’re at in life.

• Practising stewardship over what God has blessed us with.

• Loving the land and respecting nature.

• The enjoyment slow living.

• Learning traditional homesteading techniques.

• Having the “pioneering spirit” of optimism, tenacity and generosity.

How do we live this out in a practical manner?

Well, we might not be able to have a garden on our patio in town, but I keep an extensive vegetable garden at my parent’s farm. I start seeds indoors at my place and transplant them when the ground is ready.

David does field work several Saturdays out of the year. He currently works in agri-trucking for his day job.

I can and preserve food. I walk when I run small, local errands in town. We support small businesses and local farmers by purchasing their products. We practice minimalism. We try to do repairs on broken items before tossing them. I’m hoping to learn how to knit before the year is through!

Small, little things. Doing what you can, with what you have and being grateful for it. A pioneering spirit. That’s homesteading.

xo, Alyssa