Learning Curve
Hey friends! When Mat from Cidiot asked me to write a blog post to support his theme for this month's podcast, and he told me the topic, Problem between City and Country, I knew this was a very timely topic that I wanted to discuss. I knew that I needed to talk about the 'mistakes' us homesteaders make. They're not really mistakes. I hate that word. They're just glitches that we didn't know were happening until it was over and done with.
As homesteaders and wanna be homesteaders and everything in between, we all have these glitches or hiccups. We do things without knowing what we're doing. It happens. But there are a few things that most people don't consider before jumping in with both feet into the homesteading world. I've seen it all and done it all and I'm here to share that experience with you so you don't make the same mistakes. My intention isn't to 'gaslight' anyone. It's to help you think about things before continuing down your path. It's a moment of pause, if you will. Let's get to it, shall we?
It's all in the plan
First things first. Have a good plan. It's that simple. Don't jump in with both feet. I know it's hard to wait before you purchase your livestock or start your garden, but trust me, you will want to have a good plan. That plan will not only keep you on track, but it will help you understand where you might need more help (more on that in a minute). I know you will want to jump right in to starting your homestead, but don't. Wait. Save some money. Do your research. And draft your plan. Like any good plan, it will be fluid. You'll make changes to it as you move forward and as you learn more, but you need one. For every aspect of your homestead. Garden? Write it down. Draft it out. Livestock? You will definitely need a good plan. You're dealing with lives so you will not want to jump into this without thinking it through and putting pen to paper. Purchasing your homestead? Don't rush into it. Think about the location of the house, the outbuildings, where you'll put the garden and the livestock. Do you need to do extensive work to the property? Is it turnkey and you'll just need to unpack your bags? What about the actual location? Do you need to move a long distance? Or is it just right around the corner. Map out what all of this will look like.
I think most of us want to get started on our homesteading journey yesterday! But a good plan is a must. Like I stated above, it can change, but it is so important that you really think things through. How much time do you have to devote to the homesteading life? If you don't have the time to tend to your dairy goat operation, then you might need to wait before you dive in. Want 100 chickens and start an egg business selling eggs to the City? Do you have the right location and set up for that? How about the time to collect eggs, wash eggs, package eggs, and then drop them off to the various locations in the City? Write it down. Plan it out. Draw a map.
And don't forget that emergencies will happen. You will want a really good plan for that. Do your research (I'll tell you how below) and then put your emergency kit together. For everything. Animals, humans, garden, buildings. You name it and you'll want to be prepared. I love being prepared but I do find myself caught unaware. A lot.
Sending Out an SOS
So. You've written it down, mapped it out, and you are living the homesteading life. You think you've got it all figured out. But do you? What happens when things go sideways? Because they will. Do you have a network of neighbors, friends, or other homesteaders that you can rely on? Did you do all your research before you brought home the 100 chickens? Because part of being a good steward to the land and livestock, is doing your research. Read the books. Take a class. Join a local group of homesteaders.
Let me caution you though. Don't just rely on the internet. There's a lot of great information out there on the internet, but nothing, and I mean nothing, beats being able to take a class or ask someone in person. Sure, you can send that 'homesteading guru' a message on the internet, but will they respond? Will they actually know and understand your needs? Will they help you research the issue(s)? And that YouTube video by that guy from across the country? He's not going to hold your hand while your animal is in pain. You know who will? The person who you paid to take that class. Or you local homesteading expert. Or the farmer down the road. That's who you need to rely on.
Don't get me wrong. The internet is a great starting point. There are groups on Facebook for just about everything you could imagine, including all aspects of homesteading. But don't consider those to be your only source. I have seen it time after time where someone jumps in with no plan and buys all the discount chickens at Tractor Supply with no way to house the chicks. They don't even know how to brood a chicken! Or when someone asks me a question about chickens (without attending one of my classes) the first thing I ask is 'did you do your research?'. Invariably the answer is 'yes, I joined a Facebook group'. Or 'I watched a YouTube video'. Friends. That is not research. And it is going to take you longer than a week or a month to research and figure things out.
Why am I going on and on about this? Because it's not just that I want you to take one of my classes. Really, you can take a class anywhere. It's the lives and livelihood of your animals. Being a good steward to the land and the animals. Trust me, it doesn't take much to kill a baby chick. Or have all your well tended seedlings die. I've been there, done that. And I'm here to help you not do that.
Wait. Chickens are predators?
While we're talking about chickens, let's talk about them being predators. I was just on the Evening Tickler over at WIOX in Roxbury. We were discussing chickens and I said that everything preys on chickens. But did you know that chickens actually prey on things too? It sounds weird, I know. I mean foxes, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, eagles, dogs, even cats, all prey on chickens. You know this (if you've done your research! And you know about your area and what predators are surrounding you), but did you know that chickens are also predators? I'm not just talking about preying on bugs and worms. We all know that. But did you know that chickens will eat mice, snakes, and frogs? And while you may not be so concerned about that (maybe you are with the frogs because frogs are cute), did you know that they will kill and eat baby birds too?
Okay. So they prey on things that are smaller than them. So what? You might have this ideal in your head that you are going to have this great big garden and provide all your produce from and the chickens are going to be frolicking through it all summer long. But wait. What happened to the broccoli? And that arugula that you painstakingly tended all spring long and anticipate cutting for the freshest salad this season. Where did it go? To the chickens that are bucolically roaming around your garden. So. Not only do chickens prey on those sweet baby birds (that are destined to grow up to eat your garden too) but they prey on your garden plants. And flowers. And trees. Did you know that chickens love hostas? Yep. They love 'em. They must taste so good. About as good as that baby bird they just supped on.
So what's my point here? What does this have to do with being a good homesteader? My point is that if you've done your research and made a good plan and waited and not jumped in feet first, you'll know that those cute little dinosaurs or the bigger livestock will sometimes do things that you might not find all that cute. When you see the chicken grab a fledgling and devour it like it's a fine delicatessen from the best restaurant in town, you won't be shocked.
So go grab that library book and get to reading. And researching. And taking notes. And coming up with a plan. Drop me a note with questions. And if you want to know more about problems between City and Country, just hop on over to hear what Mat from Cidiot has to say.
'til next time
-k
xoxo