Why Do I Homestead – Freedom Over Convenience

Shalom family,

People ask me all the time, “Dre, why do you homestead? Why put yourself through all that extra work when you could just buy what you need from the store?”

And honestly, I get it. On the surface, the grocery store looks easier. You walk in, grab what you need, swipe a card, and you’re done. Convenience. Quick. 

Why Do I Homestead

No sweat. But here’s the thing: that convenience comes with a cost. It costs you freedom. It costs you health. And if you’re not careful, it could one day cost you everything.

Depending on a Broken System

Let’s be real. We live in a fragile system. Stores run out of food. Prices keep rising. Supply chains break. Power grids fail. And when that happens, people panic.

But if I can raise my own animals, grow my own vegetables, and collect my own water, I don’t have to panic. My family doesn’t have to depend on whether trucks deliver to Walmart this week. That’s the freedom I’m after.

I’d rather sweat in the sun now than be at the mercy of an empty shelf later.

Peace in the Work

Now, don’t get me wrong. Homesteading is work. There are days when I’m hot, tired, muddy, and wondering why I signed up for this. But then I look around. I see chickens scratching, goats grazing, plants pushing up from the soil, and it hits me — this is peace.

There’s a satisfaction in providing for yourself that no paycheck, no supermarket, no delivery app can give you. When I walk outside and feed animals I raised, or when I sit down to eat food that came from my own land, that peace is priceless.

It feels right. It feels the way life was meant to be lived.

More Than Just Food

And let me be clear, homesteading isn’t just about food. It’s about survival.

If the power goes out, I know how to make a fire. I know how to collect and filter rainwater. I know how to fish, how to hunt, and how to preserve food. Right now, I’m even making my own wine.

 To some folks, that might sound extra, but to me, it’s just another skill that keeps me from depending on stores for every little thing.

And survival isn’t only physical. It’s financial. If your whole livelihood depends on one job or one paycheck, you’re not really free. That’s why entrepreneurship and homeschooling are part of my self-sufficiency plan. Because I don’t just want my family to eat, I want them to live free.

The Hard Truths

Here’s the part people don’t always want to hear: this life isn’t glamorous. You’ll sweat. You’ll lose animals. You’ll fight pests and predators. You’ll deal with storms, floods, and snakes. It’s not all Instagram sunsets and pretty garden baskets.

But here’s the thing — the hard is what makes it valuable. If it were easy, everybody would do it. The grind makes the reward sweeter. The struggle builds wisdom.

How to Start Your Journey

So maybe you’re reading this thinking, “I want that. I want freedom. I want peace. But I don’t know where to start.”

Here’s my advice: start small. Don’t buy 20 acres tomorrow. Don’t try to raise every animal at once. Start with what you can handle. A small garden. A few chickens. Even just herbs in containers on your porch.

The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s journey. The goal is to build your own definition of self-sufficiency.

• Learn skills before you buy more stuff.

• Make small mistakes before big ones.

• Grow step by step.

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Every little move toward independence is a win.

Final Word

So why do I homestead? Freedom. Peace. Faith. Because I don’t want my family’s survival in the hands of a system that could collapse at any time.

This lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but if you feel that pull , listen to it. Start small. Define self-sufficiency for yourself. And then grow into it

One day, you’ll look around and realize you’ve built something priceless with your own two hands. That’s why I do it.

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