Can Homesteading Save the Planet?


* This article contains an affiliate link. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure.

 

Can homesteading save the planet? Learn how living a more self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle can help create a better, healthier world. #homesteading #sustainableliving #savetheplanet #sustainabilityI’ve been on a personal mission to save the planet ever since I was a little girl.

When I was a kid, I used to take a garbage bag with me whenever I went for walks in my neighbourhood so I could pick up any litter I came across (which was always a lot). Even as a young child, I couldn’t understand for the life of me how anybody could be so careless about the environment that they would just throw their garbage on the ground.

This passion followed me and manifested itself in many different ways throughout my life, from campaigning to save endangered animals when I was a kid (I once made a sign that said “Save the Tigers” and hung it in my bedroom window), to working abroad with the World Wildlife Fund in my twenties and specializing in Environmental Education when I got my teaching degree.

Even as an adult, when I used to go running, I still always brought a garbage bag with me. I had to stop every few steps and some people stared, but I didn’t mind 🙂

My passion for protecting the environment eventually led me to take more of an interest in what I was eating, where my food was coming from, how it was being produced and what the impact of our modern western lifestyle really is on the planet.

My (now) husband and I started watching a ton of documentaries about the health and environmental impacts of our modern, industrialized food system, excessive consumerism and dependence on governments and big corporations to provide for us on such a large scale. What we learned was enlightening at best, and downright depressing at worst.

 

Related: Why I Homestead

 

Homesteading as a path to a better world

While these documentaries shed a light on the ills of modern society, they also focused on people who were choosing to live more sustainable lifestyles to improve their health and lessen their impact on the planet. Many of them were small farmers, organic gardeners, off-grid enthusiasts, “back-to-the-landers” and “urban homesteaders.”

Collectively, they called themselves homesteaders, and had chosen to opt out of the “rat race” and go back to living a simpler, more self-sufficient lifestyle.

This was really the first time I’d heard this term “homesteading.” Or at least, it was the first time I gave much thought to what it meant.

I became fascinated with the idea of homesteading and started seriously considering it as an option for myself and my future family as well. Fast forward to today, and I think this blog alone is a testament to what came next. Needless to say, I embraced the homesteading lifestyle with open arms and have never looked back.

There are many reasons why this lifestyle works for us, including

  • a desire to become as self-sufficient as possible
  • to eat good-tasting food that’s good for our bodies too
  • to provide our family with a natural, non-toxic environment in which to thrive
  • to inspire our creativity and resourcefulness
  • to challenge ourselves to always keep learning and improving

But one HUGE reason why we choose to homestead is because homesteading offers us a real, tangible way to do our part for the planet.

 

You don’t have to be perfect to make an impact

Now, before I get into some of the ways that YOU TOO can have a positive impact on the environment through homesteading, I want to take a moment to make the following disclaimer: I am not perfect.

Shocking, I know.

But I think it needs to be said, because we seem to live in a world nowadays where everyone is quick to point the finger at each other, judge one another and expect nothing less than absolute perfection from anyone who stands up and speaks out about anything (especially, it seems, when it comes to the environment).

So I’m letting you know right now, I do NOT live some perfect, zero-waste lifestyle.

I have a car that I drive occasionally, and I use technology and work online every day.

I eat meat!

And while I do believe there are many benefits to a plant-based diet and that we should all be consuming a little less meat and a lot more vegetables, I personally believe that sourcing local, ethically-raised, grass-fed meat is better than eating highly processed, genetically modified “meat substitutes” any day.

I even occasionally accept a plastic bag from the store, although I try REALLY hard to refuse any excess packaging or bags.

I also whole-heartedly believe in the scientific evidence that supports climate change, and years of study and critical observation have helped me arrive at the conclusion that human activity is absolutely having a massive impact on the unprecedented speed with which the planet is warming.

I also believe with all of my being that climate change is one of the biggest threats facing humanity (and all life on Earth) today, which is another key reason why growing my own food, becoming more self-sufficient and preparing for an uncertain future is SUPER important to me. 

And in between all of the things I do and believe and stand for, I’m only human. I’m just trying to do my best in an increasingly hostile and judgmental world where it seems that good is never enough.

 

Let’s agree on what we can agree on

I know there will always be people who will disagree with me on certain things, and that’s okay!

Please know that I’m not trying to change anybody’s opinions or beliefs. I respect different points of view and lifestyle choices and I hope you can respect mine as well.

But I’m fully aware of how deeply divided people are over issues like climate change and even what we choose to eat, and how politicized these issues have become over the past few years especially. I’ve seen this division bring out the absolute worst in people, including everything from shaming and name-calling all the way to threats of violence against those with a different opinion.

At the end of the day, the biggest challenge humans have to face is learning how to work together to create a healthier planet and a better future, which is something (I hope) we all want for ourselves, our children and all life on Earth.

And so, we do what we can. And while it may not literally save the planet, I truly believe that every small action, whether positive or negative, truly does make a difference. And that many small actions over time can have a BIG impact.

My hope is that regardless of your personal beliefs, that we can all come together on the issues that we do agree on. And I know that safeguarding our land and creating a healthy environment to grow and live and thrive in is something that most homesteaders hold near and dear to their heart.

How we go about it and what political beliefs we prescribe to are personal choices and opinions. But at the end of the day I think we all have more in common with each other than not, so my hope is that we can focus our attention here instead of on what we believe divides us.

Alright, now that I’ve cleared that up, let’s talk about some of the real, tangible ways that homesteading can help you tread a little lighter on the planet (even if this isn’t the reason why you’ve chosen to homestead).

Can homesteading save the planet? Learn how living a more self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle can help create a better, healthier world. #homesteading #sustainableliving #savetheplanet #sustainability

 

Eight ways homesteading can help save the planet

 

1. Homesteading produces less waste

“Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without.” That’s the homesteader mantra, and it can help keep a lot of waste out of the landfill.

Not only is one of the tenets of homesteading to reuse, repair and repurpose as much as possible to save money and avoid having to buy new, as an added bonus, it helps to cut down on consumerism and the subsequent waste that it produces.

Also, when you grow and preserve your own food, that can massively cut down on packaging waste. Even if you don’t grow your own, most homesteaders have a tendency to buy food locally and in-season from other farmers in their area, and more often than not, small farms tend to package their products in compostable containers rather than, say, plastic clamshells like you see in the grocery store. And then if you preserve it yourself, you can reuse glass Mason jars over and over and over again.

 

2. Our food doesn’t travel as far

Again, whether you’re growing food yourself or purchasing it from local farmers when it’s in season, you can massively cut down on the distance your food has to travel, and that helps to reduce your overall carbon footprint too.

If you’re interested in eating more locally (even if you don’t grow your own food yet) check out the book The 100 Mile Diet.

 

Related: 25 Ways to Become More Self-Sufficient

 

3. We produce less food waste

Just as homesteaders tend to produce less waste over all, food waste, specifically, is massively reduced by preserving food at peak ripeness and by cooking from scratch and using the ingredients you have on hand.

Plus, many homesteaders have livestock and/or a compost pile somewhere on their property, so any food scraps can be put to good use by going to feed the animals or by being turned into healthy, nutrient-rich soil for future plantings.

 

4. We use more natural solutions and organic methods

Many modern homesteaders tend to opt for natural, organic solutions over synthetic ones that can be harmful to both our health and the environment. Eliminating harmful substances like Monsanto’s Round Up weed killer, chemical cleaners and “fragrance” sprays and opting for natural solutions like hand-weeding, mulching, using essential oils and making your own all-natural cleaning products keeps dangerous chemicals out of our land, water and air. And that’s good for people and the planet.

Can homesteading save the planet? Learn how living a more self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle can help create a better, healthier world. #homesteading #sustainableliving #savetheplanet #sustainability
 

5. Homesteading helps to protect and preserve biodiversity

Whether you’re attracting bees and other pollinators to your property with flowering plants, building a home for Mason bees or hanging a hummingbird feeder, or providing a little food for local critters (we leave most of our sunflower seeds to the birds and squirrels at the end of the season), you’re helping to protect biodiversity in your area, which helps to maintain a thriving ecosystem in areas where humans have moved in and developed the land.

Also, by planting heirloom seeds, saving seeds to replant year after year and trading seeds and plants with others in your community, you can help to protect biodiversity within the plant kingdom and preserve old and ancient strains that might otherwise be lost forever.

 

6. Homesteading (often) uses less energy and produces fewer carbon emissions

While this isn’t necessarily true in every case or for every homesteader, many use less energy and produce less harmful emissions with their lifestyle. Some of the ways we can accomplish this include:

  • staying close to home more often (and therefore not driving, flying or otherwise travelling as much as lots of people do)
  • hanging laundry to dry on a clothesline instead of throwing it in the dryer
  • using rain barrels to collect rainwater instead of watering our plants from the grid
  • living off-grid completely and using less power (obviously this only applies to those homesteaders who actually live off-grid)
  • generally being more conscious about energy efficiency, usage and conservation in our homes and around our homesteads
 

7. Homesteaders produce more and buy less

Much like the way homesteaders tend to produce less waste, we also tend to buy less, produce more and spend our money with more intention. So, for example, many homesteaders prefer to spend their money at the farmer’s market over the grocery store, or on locally-made, organic goods rather than big box stores. We value the quality of the products we buy and the people who grow and make them (not to mention they’re usually much better for us and the planet too!)

We believe in investing in our local communities and economies and supporting small businesses. If possible, we even like to trade with others instead of using money at all! And in the end, we not only produce less waste, but we keep money out of the hands of big, destructive corporations and industries too.

I firmly believe that every dollar you spend (or don’t spend) is a vote cast. In fact, I would venture to say that our buying power is THE most most powerful tool we have to make a difference in the world. If there is something or someone you don’t support, don’t give them your money. Visa versa, if there is something or someone you do support (like your local, organic farmers;), try to support them whenever you can.

Can homesteading save the planet? Learn how living a more self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle can help create a better, healthier world. #homesteading #sustainableliving #savetheplanet #sustainability

 

8. We raise environmentally-conscious children

I know an amazing mama homesteader who has six children (soon to be seven), but who has raised each and every one of them with all of the skills and values mentioned above (and then some) and taught them all to be good, thoughtful stewards of the environment and all life on Earth. Yet, she still gets nasty messages about how she’s not doing her part for the planet because of how many kids she has.

On the contrary, I know people with just one or two kids who are spoiled beyond belief, taught to expect everyone else to do everything for them and raised to believe the universe revolves around them and that they don’t need to contribute or be good stewards of anything.

Now, I’m not by any means saying that if you spoil your kids that you’re teaching them to be entitled brats. I’ll be the first to admit, my daughter is spoiled BEYOND BELIEF, especially because she is our only child and the only grandchild for both my parents and my husband’s.

But it’s very important to us that she learns to be grateful for what she has, that she learns an appreciation for the land and the hard work that goes into growing and preparing the food that we eat, and that she grows up to be a thoughtful, kind, compassionate human being who shows respect for others and for the planet that sustains us. These are values that we make sure to talk about daily in our home, and that I’m determined to make stick with her throughout her life.

 

Related: 6 Ways to Promote Self-Reliance in Your Community

 

Can homesteading save the planet? Learn how living a more self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle can help create a better, healthier world. #homesteading #sustainableliving #savetheplanet #sustainability

 

Together we can make a lasting difference

Of course, there are many more ways that homesteading can have a positive impact on the environment (or at least reduce the negative impact of much of modern day life). 

But the point is that those eight ways alone can have a HUGE impact on our environment and our world, and the more people who join the modern homesteading movement all over the world, well, the greater impact we can collectively have.

Will it be enough to save the entire planet? Doubtful. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter or make a difference. Everything we do, everything we produce instead of merely consume, every dollar we spend (or don’t), every jar of food we preserve and flower we plant and toxic chemical we refuse and environmentally conscious human being we raise can have a positive impact on the planet, and has the potential to make big changes in this world.

Regardless of our differing backgrounds and beliefs, us homesteaders are a collective force to be reckoned with. And while we may not be able to save the planet, we can most definitely change the world.

Can you think of any other ways that homesteading can help us lessen our environmental impact or make a difference in this world? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂

 

 

 


CATEGORIES
HOMESTEADING
REAL FOOD
NATURAL LIVING

8 Comments

  1. Connie Browne

    Excellent article. I agree with all of this so much.

    Reply
  2. Sandee Protzmann

    That is what I LOVED about teaching art for 20 years…..we reused and recycled everything:)

    Reply
  3. Colleen

    I think this is so important and I am glad that you are willing to speak about it. I am trying to convert our household to a more sustainable one. It is great to see what other people are doing for ideas and inspiration. Thanks Anna.

    Reply
  4. Grammyprepper

    I agree to disagree with you on the whole ‘climate change’ thing. Higher CO2 production is a good thing for the plants and us, and the world has gone through hot/cold cycles as long as its been here.
    That said, I DO agree that homesteading has a positive impact on the world, for all the reasons you mention.
    As ‘homesteaders’ or just local gardeners, we need to adapt. Every year presents with new challenges, and we face them, and learn.
    ‘Big Ag’ needs to learn from the past, as homesteaders have. THAT is the big takeaway.
    And people in general need to get comfortable with a little ‘discomfort’ and the ‘just in time’ delivery system. I personally will not buy tomatos out of season. (Tomatoes Inc. I believe is the name of the book I read) I work in food service, and I can not believe how ppl order fruit trays when fruit is out of season…
    I am not perfect, who is? But I believe the choices I make to grow my own as best I can, choose local, are definitely positives in the ‘circle of life’.

    Reply
  5. JB

    I’m not looking to change the world, but I do try to improve my tiny spot. I plant one or two new trees each year, most produce some kind of edible (e.g. acorns, nuts, fruit, or animal fodder). I also try to plant at least one plant for butterflies and/or bees each year. I have Mason bees, and my chickens help fertilize everything. Would like to have a large garden, but haven’t managed that … yet. I started with the plants to help with the Oxygen/CO2 exchange.

    Reply
    • Anna Sakawsky

      That’s all we can do. And it sounds like you’re doing a fantastic job:)

      Reply
      • Robin

        I whole heartedly agree with your post. Thank you, Anna, for being brave enough to say your truth though it may be frightening and may alienate some people.

        It’s time to be brave. We find ourselves in an unprecedented global crisis and it’s not time to stick our heads in the sand.

        It’s time to take action and model another way of living. I talk about my choices to my family, co-workers and random people I meet. Maybe I can inspire someone to take a small new brave action in their lives toward changing their impact.

        It’s time to be strong. This work is not easy but it is fulfilling and meaningful. We must be strong because there is a lot of work to be done. Homesteading is the ultimate best way to go, but the time and energy required make it unattainable for many of us. There are, however, small changes each of us can decide to commit to. I have decided to cut out plastic and it is so hard! Plastic is in and on everything we buy at stores. For my family, in our city home, with small garden space, it has meant eating as much as possible from the garden, buying in bulk, making bread and yogurt, dIY laundry soap, going to our local refill shop for shampoo and conditioner, meat from the butcher wrapped in paper and the list goes on! I have to stay strong to get it all done after work and before feeding family.

        It’s time to find support and community. I found your blog as I was looking for a recipe for bees wax cloth to give out as Christmas
        Gifts, and am so happy to have connected with you!!! Thank you for inspiring me with your many good ideas for how I can live more sustainably. May we each connect with those who inspire us to be brave, take action and stay strong!

        Reply
        • Anna Sakawsky

          Hi Robin,

          Thank you for your thoughtful comment. You’re so right: Now is not the time to stick our heads in the sand. It’s the time to speak the truth regardless of what some people might think.

          I worry all the time about the world my daughter is growing up in and what the world will be like for her children one day. If we’re where we’re at now already (right on track for many of the predictions made over the last few decades, many of which I remember studying in school 10 to 15 years ago), then what will the world be like 10-15 years from now and beyond?

          Honestly it’s a scary thought, but all we can do is adapt and do our part to effect some positive change, preserve what’s left, educate others on the need for change (and HOW to change some of our behaviours that are contributing to the demise of our planet), and then, of course, learn to be more self-sufficient and pass these skills onto our children so that we can give ourselves and them the best chance at surviving and thriving in this new reality.

          I’m so glad to be hearing from readers like you who understand the seriousness of these issues and while I may alienate some people, my hope is that I will find my tribe of people who understand and who want to work together to create a better future for everyone.

          Thanks so much for reaching out. I’m so glad you found me!

          Anna

          Reply

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ABOUT ANNA
Hi! I’m Anna, and I’m a city girl turned modern homesteader who’s passionate about growing, cooking and preserving real food at home, creating my own herbal medicine and all-natural home and body care products, and working toward a simpler, more sustainable and self-sufficient life each and every day. 
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If you haven't checked-in lately, the last week or so, we've sorta been in the trenches of homesteading and life over here. While some make it out to be glamorous all the time there are high's and low's just as there are in life. ⁣

With all that's going on, I've been making a point to find my way back into the garden, which is not only needed to feed my family, but also for some personal spiritual nourishment. ⁣

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Not only is it one of my favorites, but we've also found it's one of the easiest veggies to grow so if you haven't tried it or added it to your garden yet, there's no better time than the present. ⁣

I've got an entire post on How to Grow Broccoli from Seed here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-grow-broccoli-from-seed/ if you're looking for any tips or tricks.⁣

In my "How to" post you'll also find a link to one of my favorite recipes for Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup!
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29 5

Can I be honest?

Sometimes you've gotta take a step back and look at the life you've created for yourself and ask yourself "is this truly what I want?"

The other day I shared about losing two of our rabbits this week to Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease. The stress of losing them comes amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions around here...

From work pressures for Ryan to me trying to run a business and handle a very fussy, colicky 2-month-old (and a very busy 6-year-old), to things ramping up in the garden again and all of the other million things that need to get done (including multiple loads of laundry a day thanks to more spit up than I ever knew a baby was capable of producing), I finally felt like I was ready to crack this week.

Oh, not to mention we're doing this all on next to no sleep thanks again to our sweet boy.

I know this is all part of what we signed up for, but when it all happens at once, it can feel completely overwhelming. And when I'm completely overwhelmed and stressed out, that's exactly when I get sick too, which is exactly what happened a couple days ago.

Then yesterday (Saturday) I woke up feeling awful and decided to scroll Instagam as I nursed Noah. I saw other mothers with 6, 8 or even 10 kids somehow keeping it all together getting three square meals on the table every day while managing to keep a tidy kitchen and find time to Instagram about it.

I saw other homestead bloggers reaching new levels of success in their business that I can only dream about right now. And as I sat there in bed, covered in spit up with a ravenous baby nursing off me as I tried to console him, I felt sad for myself in that moment that I couldn't live up to the folks I was comparing myself to.

Later in the day I had to work, so Ryan took the kids to the beach and I stayed home. And I felt sad once again; Sad that I was missing out on yet another weekend with my family because I had created a life where I now have to work weekends just to keep up.

But the silver lining was that the work I had to do yesterday forced me out into the garden, and it was probably the most soothing thing I could have done for my soul.

(Continued in comments…)
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86 23

Sometime homesteading looks like homegrown vegetables and freshly laid eggs and sourdough rising on the counter.

And sometimes it looks like tears when you have to bury one of your animals 😔

Ryan went out to feed the bunnies yesterday and Flopsy -our little black and white bunny- was laying dead in the pen. There was no blood, other than a little bit by her mouth. Seems like something internal happened. We’re not sure what.

Evelyn helped lay her to rest yesterday. It was a hard weekend for her. First she stayed with grandma and went with her to put her sick, 17-year-old cat down. Then she came home to the news that Flopsy was gone.

But I believe she’s more resilient because of it. We talked to her about how death is a part of all life, and allowed her to go through the stages of grief and process it however she felt she needed to.

Homesteading isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and snuggly barnyard animals. Homesteading teaches us hard lessons and helps us to become stronger and more resilient by challenging us daily.

Yesterday was a sad, hard day. But I’m glad we got to experience it together as a family.
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The spring issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine is out now!

It’s that time again...

The time when things begin ramping up in the garden, the barnyard and the home.

From trays of seedlings to baskets full of eggs, spring is in the air and I don’t know about you, but I’m here for it!

It’s also time for a brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, and boy do we have a good one for you…

In the spring issue, we cover a diverse range of topics from how to trade your skills for land to the realities of going off-grid, from seed-starting to what to do with too many eggs, and from the simple joys of a homemade herbal cocktail to the sometimes heavy emotional toll of raising meat animals.

In this issue, you’ll find:
🌱 What it really takes to live off-grid, with Tammy Trayer of Trayer Wilderness
🌱How you can trade your skills for a piece of land with the SKIP program from the folks at Permies.com
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🌱 How to make your own healthier cocktails with homemade botanical syrups
🌱 Dealing with the emotional toll of raising meat animals on the homestead

Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to login to the library and read the spring issue (current subscribers) or subscribe for just $19.99/year to read this issue and gain instant access to our entire library of past issues!

#modernhomesteading #homesteading #selfsufficiency #springonthehomestead
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If you grow plants from seed (or if you want to), you’re likely going to want to start a few of them indoors. And if you start your seeds indoors, something that will make your life so much easier (and make your seedlings bigger, stronger and healthier) is an indoor growing stand with grow lights. ⁣

I've got a post I'm sharing with you today that will walk you through choosing the best type of lighting for whatever you're growing and then a step-by-step guide of how to make your grow stand, along with product recommendations if you want to make yours just like mine! ⁣

Ours can accommodate up to about 200 seedlings, but you can make yours as small or big as needed:)⁣

You can check out the post here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-build-indoor-growing-stand/ or at the link in my bio. ⁣

Let me know in the comments what you're growing new, or what you're most excited about in your planting journey this year!
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Before you just start throwing seeds in the ground or into red solo cups on your windowsill, it’s important to take some time to read your seed packets and get to know each crop’s specific needs.⁣

Understanding the information on a seed packet is super important when it comes to gardening, especially if you want your plants to get a strong, healthy start and produce an abundance of food for you. And what gardener doesn’t want that?!⁣

Set yourself up for success and take a minute to read through my 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦, before your weekend gardening plans begin. ⁣

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This all-natural homemade toothpaste recipe is made with just four simple ingredients that are good for both your body and your bank account!⁣

I’m on a personal mission to replace every commercially-made, toxic product in our home with homemade, all-natural alternatives. One-by-one, I’m getting closer every day.⁣

The benefit of making all-natural toothpaste at home is avoiding the unhealthy additives found in most commercial toothpastes by substituting ingredients with proven benefits for oral health.⁣

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Wishing you health, wealth and squeaky clean teeth… The all-natural way;)⁣

You can find the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/all-natural-homemade-toothpaste-recipe/ or at the link in my bio.
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It's that time of year 🌱 seed starting season! ⁣

I know you can feel it too. The transition from winter to spring is truly a special time. It’s when life begins again. It’s the very first taste of all that lies ahead.⁣

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I will walk you through, planning, sowing, containers, watering, lighting and more, and if that's not enough you can download my Seed Starting Cheat Sheet at the end to lay it all out. ⁣

I hope you're as excited as I am for the beautiful Spring season that lies ahead:)⁣

You can find the list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/before-starting-seeds/ or at the link in my bio.⁣

What are you planting this year? Anything new you've never tried before? Share with me in the comments!
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Ever thought about growing mushrooms at home??

A great EASY way to get started is with one of these mushroom grow kits from @northsporemushrooms

All you need to do is cut open the pack, spray with a little water (the kits even come with a handy little spray bottle), and then sit back and watch the magic happen!

And seriously, watching mushrooms goes does feel a little like magic because they grow so fast you can practically see them growing, no time lapse necessary!

The mushrooms are ready for harvest in just a few days. No gardening experience or land necessary! Even a newbie homesteader in an apartment in the city can grow these babies!

This is a great way to dip your tow into the much bigger world of mushroom growing and harvesting, and to try out a few new varieties that you probably won’t find anywhere else.

I grew Pink Oyster Mushrooms, Lion’s Mane and Blue Oyster Mushrooms (all pictured here). I’ll be using the Pink Oyster Mushrooms in a rigatoni pasta for dinner tonight. I turned the Lion’s Mane into Lion’s Mane “crab cakes” and the Blue Oyster Mushrooms are delicious as part of a stir fry or sautéed in butter and spooned over sourdough toast.

If this reel intrigues you, you can grab your own mushroom grow kit (along with time of other mushroom related products, including fruiting blocks, outdoor log kits, medicinal tinctures, capsules and more) at northspore.com. Use code HOUSEANDHOMESTEAD for 10% off your order!

And if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my interview with Louis Giller of North Spore Mushrooms in the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine. You can also find my recipe for Lion’s Mane “Crab Cakes,” along with other delicious mushroom recipes and an in-depth feature on medicinal mushrooms including Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps in the winter issue.

Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe or login to the library and read the current issue.

Mushrooms really are pure magic, don’t ya think? 🍄 ✨

#mushrooms #mushroomhead #shrooming #eatyourshrooms #mushroomsaremagic #modernhomesteading #urbanhomesteading #homegrown
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If you’ve been following me for any length of time, it probably comes as no surprise that I don’t exactly love relying on the grocery store to provide for me and my family, and that sentiment is only getting stronger as time goes on.⁣

Between supply chain issues, rising food costs and the plethora of unhealthy ingredients, chemicals and GMO foods on grocery store shelves, I’d rather toil in the garden and kitchen all year to grow and preserve my own food than have to rely 100% on grocery stores to provide for me.⁣

But that being said, we are in no way 100% self-sufficient so when I do go to the grocery story, I haveI have some ingredient guidelines in mind that I use when shopping for my family. ⁣

Check out my shopping tips, what I do and don't buy, and where and who I like to buy from here at this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/healthy-grocery-shopping-tips/ or at the link in my bio.
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Usually by late February/early March, right about nowish, I’ve pretty much had enough of winter and the thought of enjoying a tropical fruit platter and a cold adult beverage on a sunny beach in *insert tropical vacation destination here* seems to be just about all I can think about...⁣

But with a newborn at home that's about the last thing on our to-do list right now! So this year, I will be visiting my tropical escape via my favorite Low-Sugar Mango Jam recipe. ⁣

If you do have tropical vacation plans, have a piña colada for me 🙏🏼, but if you don't then this recipe may be just what you need to "escape" for a few minutes into that tropical paradise:) 🥭🍹⁣

Check out the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/low-sugar-mango-jam-recipe/ or at the link in my bio. ⁣

Let me know how the recipe works for you, and if add in any additional fruits to change it up!
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