Practical Skills for the Aspiring Homesteader

A lot of practical skills are learned on the farm

Do you think in order to learn homesteading skills, you have to already have to own your property? Absolutely not! There are tons of practical skills one can learn in order to start living the every day homesteading life. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s a life long goal of mine to have a homestead, but right now that’s not on the table. In this article, I will share some of the practical skills I have learned and will continue to learn for the future to be ready for my future homestead.

Cooking

Probably the best practical skill on this list. Cooking is a life skill. Knowing how to make a variety of recipes is important. Simple dishes like pasta recipes, poultry, various styles of eggs, casseroles, and basic soups are good to start out with. As you learn and feel more comfortable, spice things up. Try baking bread or grilling that steak for the family barbeque.

Learning a practical skill is not only fun, but economically beneficial! What is costs for one meal in a restaurant, is what you would pay to buy a list of items to make food at home.

Baking

Another significant culinary skill is baking. A lot of homesteaders choose to use organic ingredients instead of buying processed, non-organic foods from the grocery store. Bread is a common staple in any diet. By learning to make bread and other baked goods, you’ll not only learn another practical skill, but get to make some tasty treats!

DIY

Living on a homestead in the Everest of self reliance. Becoming more proficient in things like: carpentry, mechanics, auto mechanics, plumbing, HVAC, are just some of the trades that will be beneficial to know. (I myself, need to become better at this!)

Another thing you could do that supports this, is to start collecting tools. Sometimes the older tools are best. I am lucky to have had a grandfather that built a impressive tool collection in his lifetime that he passed down to me and my brother!

If you falter in one of these disciplines, a good resource would be YouTube videos and How-to books like the For Dummies books.

Gardening

Gardening is a main staple on any farm or homestead. Thus, learning the basics is a must. The cool thing about gardening is, that anyone in any condition, can learn how to do it. Start with something simple like planting a common plant like strawberries, tomatoes, or squash. You could also try just planting flowers to get the hang of things.

One thing you could get into, is building some sort of raised garden beds. There are several types that you can either build or use re-purposed materials to create one. It’s something I want to do personally this summer!

Frugality

Often times, homesteaders need to be frugal. This is something you can definitely start doing now. Learn to live with less. Use what you have. Frugality is a significant skill in the homesteading world. Especially if you’re attempting to purchase raw land. Land isn’t cheap.

Frugality also benefits other things such as saving for retirement, education, and other meaningful purposes. Set goals. For example, a goal of mine is to save money to build or buy a house. Therefore, I need to limit spending money on leisure activities or eating out at restaurants. Start as soon as possible.

Build up your library

Chances are you may be living in an area with poor Wi-fi. Thus, building a personal library is a smart idea. You can save money by buying from local used bookstores. Gather books of all kinds: fiction, non-fiction, reference/resource. Homesteading is hard. It is vital to keep learning and become more self-reliant. Perhaps owning a reference book could just be what is needed instead of paying someone to fix that leak in your faucet?

Start Collecting Tools

If you want to live on a farm or homestead, you’re going to want to have the right tools. Sometimes the old ways are best. They just don’t make things like they used to. That’s why it is recommended to shop used for some of the tools you want to acquire. Accessories that go with it are key too. Things like tool cabinets and heavy duty bench vise come to mind.

This collection ties into the DIY practical skills category. They go hand in hand. Flea markets and antique stores are good places to shop around for older model tools. Facebook Marketplace is another good option.

Compost

Composting is something that I’ve done, even when living in the city. Compost is using organic garbage (coffee grounds, twigs, peelings, etc.) to form fertilizer. The goal is for it to eventually be mixed into the soil, to form a organic, rich soil.

Tip: don’t make the mistake I did by adding in egg shells; they don’t compose well.

Hunting & Fishing

Hunting and fishing is a significant practical skill to know when living on a farm or homestead. It is a pass time that can be used as either a way to feed your family or a fun leisure activity. It is a great way to spend time in the outdoors as well. To get started in hunting, head over to your state’s hunter’s safety course.

Fishing is another great way to feed yourself. It is a little bit easier to get started than hunting. Just go down to the local big box sporting goods store or online, apply for a license, buy some gear….. and you’re good to go!

Sewing

Sewing on the homestead is a valuable skill, especially if you are attempting to stay frugal. Instead of buying a new item that has torn, try your hand at sewing it back together. Sewing machines are common in antique stores and thrift shops. You can pick a good one up for cheap.

Foraging

Foraging is the act of going out into the wild and finding suitable things to eat. You can forage for berries and plants. Perhaps find some sort of wild medicinal plant that could be used for making tea. Course in herbalism can prepare you for this.

Preserving

Once you begin homesteading, you will eventually need a way to keep some of the produce from your garden preserved. That’s why learning how to preserve is key. There is a bevy of ways to preserve: pressure canning, fermenting, dehydrating, pickling, freezing etc. Learning this practical skill will make you more skillful and will give you a newfound thankfulness for modern kitchen wares.

Firearms

Guns is a big deal on this blog. However way you feel towards the matter, on a farm or homestead; you’re on your own for the most part. Owning a gun (or several) is a way of life for farmers and homesteaders. Guns are used for a variety of purposes on the homestead: hunting, varmint control, self-defense/home defense, and plinking.

Check out our previous post on guns to own here.

Autodidacticism

Becoming a self educator is a huge skill for aspiring homesteaders. Teaching yourself various skills and topics is a very fun and rewarding endeavor. I’m currently teaching myself the Russian language and learning as much as I can about blogging and homesteading in order to deliver content to you all!

Notable autodidacts include: Leonardo Di Vinci, Sean Parker, Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain, and Nikola Tesla.

Whatever practical skills you choose to learn, make sure you have fun and learn as much as you can on the given subject. It will make you more well-rounded and a knowledgeable person in the long run.

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