Photo courtesy of the author
Imagine growing up chasing pigs, milking cows, collecting eggs from the hen house, harvesting supper ingredients from the garden; learning to butcher a chicken, forage for wild medicinals, maintain an orchard, and render lard. No, it’s not my childhood that I’m describing. It’s my children’s.
The life that I, a twenty-first century thirty-something-year-old mother, live today is a far cry from the way I was brought up. My grandfather was raised in a homesteading family, but this self-reliant way of life skipped a generation or two. By the time that he became a man, society had shifted far away from the practices of raising livestock, keeping a garden, and even cooking from scratch. Packaged and convenient reigned over homegrown and nurtured.
It was motherhood that brought me to homesteading. Within the first seconds following my daughter’s birth, I felt a self-imposed call to duty to provide my family with the best food and medicine that nature has to offer. I set out to obey that feminine instinct to equip my family with vibrant health and wellness, even though I hadn’t the slightest clue how to do it. I certainly was not aware of how hard it would be to relearn hundreds of years of lost wisdom. That tiny baby girl in my arms gave me all of the motivation that I needed, though. She awakened a yearning inside of me for a life of simplicity and intention.
Now a decade into homesteading, I can say that every tear shed over spilled milk and dead plants was just part of learning what should never have been forgotten. For anyone who’s willing to listen, I’ll go on for days about all that I’ve gleaned over the years and how I’ve gotten to the point of feeding my family most of their meals from our own backyard. Ask me the benefits of this lifestyle, and I’ll ask you to pull up a chair. Among them: quality time with family, mental health, nutrient-dense foods, physical fitness, resourcefulness, community engagement. The list goes on. In my experience, there’s not one single fragment of living that isn’t improved exponentially by being connected to nature and all that she provides.
Start Anywhere
Let’s dispel a myth or two, shall we? No, you don’t have to own several acres of land to homestead, nor do you need to spend a great deal of money. Small gardens and easy keeper livestock can supply a family with plenty of homegrown food, and recycled materials mixed with a little Cajun ingenuity can provide the necessary structures of coops, fencing, garden beds, and sheds. I offer myself as proof that you don’t need to know what you are doing in order to be successful, although success might take a while to make its appearance. Be patient. Try again. And again. And yet again.
The first question people usually ask is… “Where do I start?” The answer is simple … anywhere you’d like. Some folks prefer to start with a small garden and others like to begin with a few laying hens. Library books, YouTube, and blogs abound with details and explanations to help you get started. The abundance of information can actually be a hinderance if you aren’t careful, though. Don’t let yourself get so caught up in overwhelm that you fail to begin. Just start. Anywhere.
Photo by Courtney Prejean
Naming the Animals
The type of livestock that you choose to care for on your homestead depends on the amount and type of space that you have, the time that you are willing to devote to the animal, and the intentions that you have for them. Larger animals such as cows and goats require more upfront costs but can pay for themselves quickly by way of milk and/or protein. Smaller animals such as chickens, ducks, rabbits, and quail are easier keepers, and if given the proper housing can thrive in even a small backyard. It is a good idea to check your city and parish Codes of Ordinance for more information regarding which types of livestock you are permitted to have and how many. When you bring home that first animal, you can bet that someone will warn you not to name it. They’ll say that once it has a name, you won’t be able to eat it. Every one of our animals has a name and is loved dearly, even if their life will one day be sacrificed in order to sustain ours. So go ahead and give them a name, they deserve it.
"In my experience, feed store owners are some of the most undervalued sources of homesteading wisdom within our communities. Make friends with them, and they’ll get you out of all kinds of trouble that you’ll surely find yourself in at some time or another."
Gardening The Easy Way
If you want a successful and productive garden on your first try, go ahead and plant a fall and winter garden. Ignore those directions on the back of seed packets, too. Most of them aren’t meant for us here in South Louisiana. Although we can grow some really great vegetables in the summer heat like okra, sweet potatoes, and peppers, most of the food that can be grown in our climate thrives in cooler weather, such as potatoes, cabbage, spinach, garlic, and carrots. I learned the hard way that my garden yields much more food when I’m not battling pest infestations, dreadful weeds, and life-sucking humidity during those scorching summer months. Fall and winter is our sweet spot, and we can grow a considerable supply of food during that time with minimal effort. Use the LSU AgCenter Vegetable Planting Guide for directions on what needs to be planted and when.
We are lucky to live in a region that has a wide variety of options for what we are able to grow. Beginners might feel more comfortable purchasing small vegetable or herb plants called ‘starts’ rather than seed packets, but I recommend trying both. Cucumbers, radishes, carrots, beans, and basil are all easily started from seed along with dozens of others. Family-owned feed stores have been providing both large and small scale growers with the variety of seeds that are acclimated to the area and have stood the test of time for many decades. While you’re there, ask for tips and advice. In my experience, feed store owners are some of the most undervalued sources of homesteading wisdom within our communities. Make friends with them, and they’ll get you out of all kinds of trouble that you’ll surely find yourself in at some time or another. If you prefer ordering seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and Seed Savers Exchange are reliable options.
Photo by Paul Kieu
Cooking From the Yard
There aren’t many younglings that leave home equipped to cook a decent meal for themselves these days. I know, because I was one of them. Even more rare is the knowledge of how to cook seasonally and with ingredients grown or foraged from one’s own backyard.
Over the years, I’ve developed an utmost appreciation for my land and its gifts—to the point of finally being able to put nourishing and delectable meals together for my family using what I have. I cook “nose to tail,” because I can’t stand the thought of anything being wasted or underutilized. That incapacity is a result of having a hand in raising and growing what feeds us, and it’s the way our ancestors prepared meals before the grocery stores existed. Our family’s meals are flavorful and fresh, inspired by what I have available or preserved from last season. Instead of asking myself what meal I’d like to prepare, I ask myself what I can concoct with my myriad of prized ingredients. Cooking from the yard is yet another lost skill that’s long overdue for a resurgence, in my opinion.
It is with sincere disappointment that I must refer to myself as a first-generation homesteader. I truly wish that the wisdom had not vanished from our ancestral lines, leaving us so very dependent on external systems to provide for us. My children, though? They won’t be the first. They’ll know that beets like to grow in mud, and rabbit manure makes the best fertilizer. They’ll be skilled at hunting, fishing, foraging, and trapping. They’ll know how to cook from scratch, mend their clothes, sharpen garden tools, and milk a cow. What we refer to as a homestead, they’ll simply consider a home.
Follow the author’s homesteading journey on Instagram @harlowhousehomestead.
