Nancy (Little Homestead in Boise) posted an interesting question the other day, What The Hell Happened to Homesteading??? I suggest you hit that link to read it (and the comments), because it points to a chain of people who have observed a decline in the popularity of homesteading. As a movement or trend, "homesteading" seems to have reached it's peak and is now on the downward side of popularity.
Eighteen years ago, when Dan and I started a serious search for the place where we now live, our goal was a self-sufficient lifestyle. We weren't even familiar with the term "homesteading." And we weren't influenced in this goal by online "influencers." We were influenced by the books of Eric Sloane, Ralph Moody, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
When I started this blog, it was as a place to share some pictures of our new property. I had been successfully fiber blogging for about three years, so this blog was a place to document what we were doing. Instead of a fiber journal, it's a homesteading journal. Over the years I've enjoyed having a popular homesteading blog and writing homesteading books (of which only 5 Acres & A Dream: The Book sold well.) During that time I resisted the advice to "monetize" my blog. I had lots of advertising requests, but I always demurred, saying that my blog was just a personal journal. In my mind, if my goal was to help people be less dependent on the system, then using that same system for profit was hypocritical.
The problem is that our current system model is Industrialism. Previously, society had an agrarian economic system, where sustainability and self-reliance were the norm. But an industrialized system has no room for these things. Everything must be a cog in the great wheel called "progress." The only thing that makes sense to people is making money because economic growth is the goal of the System. Personal wealth is the bait. None of this facilitates personal independence. Trying to establish a homestead in an industrialized system takes a lot of work, time, and money, starting with a huge mortgage. People have to have a job. So in essence, homesteaders have two jobs, one from which they "make a living," and one by which they hope to live.
It's no surprise then that people came up with ways to make money with homesteading. Heck, I did it with my books. I just refused to go any further. To support themselves, people develop homesteading blogs, websites, books, video channels, products, product review affiliations, and subscription content. "Branding" became the trend. As I mentioned to Nancy, it seems to me that people stopped promoting homesteading and started promoting themselves.
What Dan and I have learned over the past seventeen years is that the more we can produce and do for ourselves, the less money we need. Especially once we got our mortgage paid off. But that required lifestyle changes that the System doesn't support. The System needs cogs, not independent doers. We're trained from birth to be consumers of disposable goods. We're trained to think physical work is undesirable and that convenience, entertainment, and leisure are desirable goals. This mindset isn't compatible with the lifestyle called homesteading.
Trends and movements grow, peak, and then fad away. Lifestyles, however, are more resilient. By producing at least some of our own food and staying out of debt, we've weathered unemployment, inflation, supply chain disruptions, lockdowns, and stupidity (remember when people were boasting about buying up all the toilet paper?). And we've weathered it all quite comfortably, I might add. We've had very little lifestyle disruption.
Is homesteading dying? My conclusion is that there's a difference between homesteading as a trend and homesteading as a lifestyle. Of the trend, I think perhaps we've strangled the goose that was laying the golden eggs. As a viable lifestyle, I can only say that for Dan and me, this is the way we think we were meant to live. That is another story, however.
Thoughts?
I bet as the economy tanks there will be a resurgence in self-sufficiency.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I've always seen that to be the case. When the economy gets bad, people look to increase their self-sufficiency, usually as homesteaders. What I find puzzling is why, for the past 5 or 6 years, the economy had gotten worse but people aren't looking to ways to be more self-sufficient. I have no idea why this is, it's just an observation.
DeleteAh, humans. Greed is always trying to creep in, and so many systems depend on its influence. It takes conscious effort to exercise "enough."
ReplyDeleteMichelle, even in those books I mention, there was typically some character that used others to advance themselves. I'd venture to say that the real problem isn't the "system," they all look good in theory. Rather, the real problem is human nature, which exploits all systems.
DeleteNo matter what it's called, I think there will always be people doing it. In fact, I think there will always be people who think they have just invented it :)
ReplyDeleteQuinn, ha! I think you are right about that. When I first got involved it was the back-to-the-land movement. We were staunchly anti-establishment. But eventually people drifted back to the cities and civilization. I wasn't one of them. :)
DeleteExactly, Leigh, I believe it is inherent (but not inevitable!) in human nature. And the reason that 'systems' (including religion!) never work as well as IRL as they look in theory is because they are all made up of humans!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, the thing about systems is that they are good for keeping people divided. Stir things up by criticizing a system, and someone is always happy to argue.
DeleteThe biggest key to surviving the fickle nature of the economy is to live within your means, no matter where you live. You can go broke anywhere if you don't keep an eye on your cash flow. Unless you have an independent source of income, living in a rural area 'homesteading' is the fastest way to bankruptcy I know. Because not many factors in the costs of equipment (shovels, power tools, etc.), fencing, animals, feed, and buildings (barns, chicken coops, etc.) in their dreams.
ReplyDeleteAnother observation: Every generation I've watched over the past 70+ years gets that 'homesteading' bug. It will come again in due course.
Judy, I'm sure it will, although that doesn't help people who've built a brand marketing it. ;)
DeleteLiving within one's means is absolutely key. But it requires some degree of contentment, which advertising and marketing trying hard to counter. In a consumer economy like ours, contentment is terrible for sales.
I think for Dan and me, the goal wasn't total self-sufficiency, but rather the ability to continue to live comfortably when hard times hit. So our diet might change, but we'll still be able to eat.
You are so right Leigh, as usual! The 'System' would grind to a halt rather quickly if it had to depend on us. We are living quite comfortably with what we have, and with what we can grow and store. The only hard part will be continuing as we get older and less able.
ReplyDeleteRosalea, Dan and I are discussing that now, i.e. growing older and how to maintain our homestead. Fortunately, we got all the big one time projects done earlier. Now we're looking at tools and equipment to help as we get older.
DeleteLot of great stuff in this post and I think I agree with it all. To me, trendy things come and go and I knew that homesteading would be one of those things. Homesteading isn't the way it is portrayed on television or by YouTubers. It requires a constant amount of work and especially when you are talking livestock, a commitment that last 365 days a year. I would say the vast majority just want the glitzy YouTube version that has been heavily edited and when they find out that it isn't really like that, they gave up. Honestly, as someone who grew up on a farm and saw all these people come in putting up their new houses and barns everywhere and then demanding that we conform to their wishes so they don't suffer allergies or smell livestock, I'm not to broken up to see them leave again. People like you who understood that it is a living and not a lifestyle and take the good along with the warts without complaint are the ones that have stayed behind and they are most welcome.
ReplyDeleteI grew away from the farm life, mostly because I grew up at a time when farmers everywhere were losing their farms to banks and committing suicide by the dozens. I still miss it but I also like the life I've lead away from the farm. I only scratch the homesteading ethics now but I'm pretty sure I could fall back all the way if ever needed without much thought or effort.
Ed, I don't think there's any way to prepare people for the reality. I won't say Dan and I didn't have some idealized notions, but I guess the difference was that we were committed to it. The other way of life simply didn't work for us.
DeleteI think the industrialization of farming didn't help anybody. Mostly farmers in that system seem to just end up in debt. But having a background like yours will always be helpful.
I suspect that quite a few people tried back to the land and discovered how hard the work is. That might account for a dropoff. But there will always be sturdy people who take it on and succeed long term.
ReplyDeleteLiz, I think you're right. And it isn't for everybody. But there's something about living in relationship with the land and providing on a local level that offers a lot of security for the entire community.
DeleteLeigh, I think there is an element of "trendiness" involved. Like many things, it seems shockingly easy via videos or lightly written books. The reality is quite different, and becomes much more difficult when faced with the "temptations" that the modern System has to offer.
ReplyDeleteContentment plays a big role, as you so rightly point out. Accepting that your income will be less and then being okay with that is something that might seem like an easy thing to do, but becomes difficult for many in the long haul. Even when we reach the point of the saturation of goods and experiences in our lives, we still struggle so much with saying "No" to more.
To Charlotte's original comment above, as things continue to become more expensive and difficult to obtain, we might see a resurgence in the practice of aspects of homesteading out of sheer necessity.
TB, I agree. I just wonder how many people are mature enough to finally realize that the accumulation of goods and experiences can be insatiable.
DeleteAnother trend is to "monetize" everything. I get wanting to make an income from home, but it's the folks whose only answer is "buy my book," that are a turn-off. That said, I've been grateful for every book I've sold. However, I always expected market saturation and so acknowledged it was a temporary income stream.
Such an interesting post and discussion in the comments. Always appreciate your thoughts on the big picture. One thing I’ve noticed with homesteading is the difficulty of finding and maintaining a robust community and relationships with others who are making similar choices. There’s the physical distance of rural property combined with the all-consuming workload, and lack of money to “go out” to see people. It can get lonely. Many of the homesteads we see online are likely online at least partially because it provides some social connection. I think we need more guilds and structures that bring people together in community-sustaining ways in real life. At least for me, yes I want to be self-sufficient and less tethered to the swings of the dominant economy, but I also would enjoy more mutuality and vibrancy in a community of like-minded folks. This could be a reason some people can’t stick it out on a homestead.
ReplyDeleteSharon, you are so right. Community is the backbone. I think the global push has really hurt the concept of community. What is more resilient than a community of producers who are willing to work-share. That's something Dan and I sadly miss, finding like-minded people close by. Most of our neighbors think we're nuts.
DeleteGirl, you're speaking my language! Although homesteading has become trendy, its nature will only ring true for those meant to live the lifestyle. Those who have a willingness to learn new skills, live without every new convenience or toy, and stay true to their own inner dialogue about the value of each and every day.
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed to be debt-free and it allows so much freedom. We are not avid consumers because we'd rather spend time and efforts on experiences, not things. Homesteading is a deep commitment to counting one's blessings every single day.
Daisy, that's a really good way to look at it. I think that's what I mean when I say homesteading is both a mindset and a lifestyle.
DeleteBeing debt-free is truly liberating, isn't it! And I agree that an attitude of gratefulness goes hand in hand with contentment. That's not necessarily an easy lesson to learn, but it's vital for staying the course.
We thought about selling produce from our garden and then decided it would be just for us, family, and friends. No pressure about the harvest that sometimes doesn't produce. Like you said we save a lot of money on our grocery bill and it helps a lot. We love the acre of land we have in the city too..
ReplyDeleteHave a great Easter!