Subject: classical homesteading

From: [email-masked] (Jeff Owens)
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 1995 11:00:53 -0400

Classical Homesteading

  Well, the rain has driven me indoors and halted spring
  planting, so here is another inflammatory statement about
  homesteading <grin>.

What is classical homesteading?

  The classical concept of homesteading seems to be one of
  living in the boonies and utilizing the resources at hand.
  To do this one would quit their job, buy a remote piece of
  land, and start homesteading.  This concept was popularized
  in the 60's and was attempted by large numbers of people.
  Typically, the heat source was wood.  Food was a
  combination of animal products and a large garden.  Methods
  and tools were mostly borrowed from a previous era.  The
  motivation was a simpler life, away from city problems.

Is classical homesteading practical?

  Classical homesteading does not work very well for lots of
  reasons.  The major one is money.  The new homesteaders
  found that the homestead had a difficult time producing the
  income they wanted, so they had to have a second job.  The
  second problem was work.  After a few years of hard work,
  the fun was gone and everyone wanted to quit.  The third
  problem is that most new homesteaders do not have the
  skills and mental state needed to be happy at homesteading.
  Very soon the idealistic expectations give way to harsh
  reality and the new homestead becomes a trap.  The concept
  of a simpler life turns out to be somewhat false, and the
  city problems were replaced with different ones.

What is alternative homesteading?

  A few people do succeed at homesteading, so it is possible.
  But, are they just normal people?  What attributes do they
  share?  Is there a better way to homestead?  The people I
  have known who succeeded at homesteading were resourceful
  and not scared of hard work.  Not all of them had to work
  hard, but they understood hard work and were motivated to
  find ways of avoiding it.  Most of them had an active mind
  or background which helped solve problems.  This concept of
  homesteading being somewhat mental surprises some people,
  but I believe it is true.  One way to think about it is
  that the homestead provides no discipline, direction, or
  methods.  At the same time it has endless options, and
  possible activities.  The only way to cope with this is by
  mental conditioning from ones youth, or creative planning.

  So, how would an alternative homesteader start out?  First,
  recognize that the problems of money, hard work, and mental
  preparedness need to be addressed.  Second, take the best
  of old homestead ideas, and the latest technology, methods,
  and tools.  What results is quite different from classical
  homesteading.  The log cabin is gone, the tools are
  different, most of the animals are gone, and the land is
  probably smaller, the hunting is not as good, society is
  not helpful, the children are less supportive, etc.

  Thus, the definition of alternative homesteading is:
  Sustainable, cautious and somewhat self-reliant livestyle
  which borrows heavly from currently technlogy and the
  enviornmental movement.

  One way to deal with todays homesteading problems, is to
  make the work easier, minimize problems, and emphasize the
  enjoyable parts.

Does alternative homesteading work?

  If we look at an alternative homesteader starting out, what
  happens?  The idea of quitting work, selling the house, and
  jumping into homesteading would be rejected quickly.  This
  does not solve the money, hard work, or mental conditioning
  problems.  Better yet would be to keep the job, and start
  homesteading on a small scale.  Drop out of society.  Make
  a plan to solve the eventual money problems and test parts
  of the plan.  Try to develop food preparation skills and
  stop buying at the grocery store.  Buy food in bulk through
  food clubs, coop's, or directly from the farmers.  Study
  solar housing.  Study alternative energy systems.  Study
  new ideas in agriculture.  Study permaculture.  Study,
  study, study.

  Would this method of homesteading work?  Would it be as
  enjoyable?  It worked for us, but most people would choose
  the city life which is easier.  Once it becomes clear what
  is involved in homesteading, some of the appeal is lost.

Why do people choose homesteading?

  It is generally understood that city life is easier and our
  society is now oriented towards city life.  Homestead
  products are not worth much in the market, and wages in the
  city are high.  The easy choice is to live in the city.
  Entertainment is readily available and all the services our
  taxes provide are close at hand.  Medical facilities are
  close and everything is provided for a few dollars.

  The advantage of homesteading is a little more difficult to
  see.  When the homestead money, work, and conditioning
  problems are solved, we are left with lots of freedom and
  time.  We are usually living in a healthier environment and
  doing healthier activities.  Some of us have a clearer
  conscious about our impact on the earth.  Our struggle is to
  work with nature to provide food and shelter.  The
  competition involved with jobs and city living is mostly
  gone.  This annual task of providing food can be very
  rewarding and the cycles of nature can be joy.  It can also
  be boring and drudgery.  It all depends on how one defines
  happiness.

  There is another reason which makes homesteading appealing,
  and this is security.  Civilization is constantly in a
  state of change and sometime this change can be a problem.
  What happens if one of the following disasters occur:

     1. The oil runs out.
     2. A major war starts.
     3. A financial crisis occurs.
     4. Food becomes scarce
     5. Society starts to fail.
     6. Water becomes polluted and scarce.
     7. The cost of living increases dramatically.

  Not very probable you say.  Well..  the news over the last
  few years and the history of civilization tells a different
  story.

Jeff (vote with your lifestyle)