10 More Essential Tips for Every Beginner Homesteader

Building a successful homestead is a journey of continuous learning. Following the success of the first "Top 10" guide, this second installment provides additional strategies to help you transition from a beginner to a self-sufficient farmer. 

Tips for Every Beginner Homesteader

1. Prioritize Food First

When starting, it is easy to get "shiny object syndrome" and want to grow exotic plants or pretty flowers. Instead, you should grow what you actually eat. Focus on staple vegetables like onions, garlic, peppers, and leafy greens, and prioritize livestock like chickens if you consume a lot of eggs and meat. Master your basic food needs before expanding into experimental crops.

2. Master Food Preservation

Self-sufficiency requires more than just growing food; you must be able to store it so it lasts through the seasons. The sources suggest determining your preferred storage methods early on, whether that be freezing, vacuum sealing, pickling, canning, or salt curing. For a comprehensive guide on these methods, the speaker recommends the book Back to Basics.

3. Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

Homesteading is rarely a "walk in the park". You will face extreme weather, pests in the garden, and livestock emergencies at inconvenient hours. Success depends on your ability to problem-solve through the "shenanigans" rather than giving up when things get difficult. Just as in business or fitness, you must step outside your comfort zone to see real growth.

4. Track Everything

Do not rely on your memory alone. It is powerful to take information from your mind and move it into the physical realm by writing it down. Keep detailed logs of:

• Seed start dates and transplanting schedules.

• Livestock lineages, birth dates, and ear tag numbers.

• Medical histories, including exactly when animals were dewormed or vaccinated and which specific medicines were used.

5. Save and Store Seeds Properly

To avoid the recurring cost of buying seeds, you must learn to harvest them from your own successful crops. One single seed can produce "infinity seeds" because every harvest provides the genetic material for the next. Once harvested and dried, store them in organized, compartmentalized bins to ensure they last for years.

6. Choose the Right Breeds and High-Quality Stock

Not every animal thrives in every environment. For example, a hair sheep is ideal for the heat and humidity of South Georgia, whereas a woolly breed is better for freezing northern climates. When you are ready to buy, invest in high-quality breeding stock from reputable sources from the start. Cutting corners on the initial investment often leads to sick or low-performing animals later.

7. View Livestock as a Full-Time Responsibility

Raising animals requires round-the-clock dedication. This might mean assisting with a birth at 3:00 AM or nursing a puppy through a life-threatening illness like Parvo by providing hydration every hour. You must take the responsibility for their lives seriously, especially during lambing or calving seasons when mother animals might reject their young.

8. Develop Basic Specialty Skills

On a homestead, you are the first line of defense. You must learn the basics of several trades to keep the operation running:

• Mechanic: Changing oil, tires, and batteries on equipment.

• Carpenter: Building chicken coops, shelters, and fencing.

• Veterinarian: Administering dewormers and vaccinations.

9. Build Repeatable, Streamlined Systems

Your homestead should be able to function with or without you. Create systems for feeding and maintenance that are so simple and well-labeled that a guest or helper could step in if you are sick or away. Establishing an "appointed time" for tasks like shaving hooves or administering medicine ensures nothing is overlooked.

10. Become Relentlessly Resourceful

Nothing on a homestead should go to waste. Animal waste can be turned into rich compost, and even deceased animals can be buried at the base of fruit trees to act as natural fertilizer. Additionally, be resourceful with materials by looking for secondhand wood or fencing and storing extra supplies for future projects.

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