Self sufficiency, security, and peace are often thought to be interrelated and synonymous with homesteading. Today, people can live a healthier life living in small home-based farms, growing their own food and producing their own clothing, and also making trades to make enough money to satisfy all their needs. This is often called “Homesteading,” which many of you may already be familiar with.
What is homesteading?
Broadly, homesteading refers to a lifestyle of self-sufficiency, where people grow all the food they need to feed their families and themselves. People practicing homesteading have a variety of crops and livestock growing around their home-based farm to support their families, and also enough materials to clothe themselves. Some families also market the products they grow at their home farms. The types of crops that families grow on their home farm depends on the market price of crops and the needs of the family for that year.
Basically, in homesteading, people grow what they eat and most homesteading also involves production of some sort of textile or clothing for household needs or for trading, as well. Homesteading also means self-sufficiency, and so, people who follow this kind of lifestyle do not have to depend on making purchases from the market regularly, but they do make money through trading or selling the product they grow in their home farms.
Benefits of homesteading
If you use your home as your farm and grow food around it, you could be benefiting in several ways. On one hand, you could be saving a good amount of money on grocery bills, when you grow your own food, on the other hand, you would be benefiting from the freshness of homegrown food, while you conserve the environment. Using your home as a base for your home-based farm will also help you obtain tax breaks on your property.
Below are some benefits of homesteading:
1. Easy stress free living
Many people have reported that living in the country on farm land is more relaxing and easier living than living in the cities. Living in your farm home would give you more freedom, and healthy atmosphere, while you save money on food and clothing. You could also make money through selling and trading the goods that you grow in your own home, without having to depend on the marketplace.
2. The great outdoors for kids
Your children can learn to live and grow in the farmlands, connecting more closely with nature. Compare this with city life, where you would have to dress your children well and go through time and trouble to take your kids to the park. You would also have to carry all the necessary equipment such as blankets, toys, diapers, and food, and walk from your house. Some people living in apartment buildings in the cities don’t get enough outdoor fun or exercise, especially if they live far away from a community park or playground.
3. Exemption from property taxes
In some states, if you use your property for homesteading, you could get a tax break, called a homestead exemption. It allows a homeowner to protect the value of his or her principal home from property taxes and creditors. It also ensures that the property is inherited by the children of the property owner or the surviving spouse after the property owner dies. In most states, the first $50,000 value of your home is exempt form property taxes entirely, and you will only pay taxes on what exceeds that. (Source: What Are the Advantages of Homesteading Your Property? | Home Guides | SF Gate)
Are you ready to try homesteading?
Homesteading and the country life is looking more promising today as the bright lights and the fast lifestyles of the city is losing appeal constantly in the modern world. Many people are finding the country lifestyle more secure and promising as they can benefit from the fresh air, fertile lands, and the relaxed healthy lifestyle. They don’t have to worry about the high expenses of city life for food and rising costs of utilities, rent, mortgages, and other bills. As the job market becomes volatile and unstable, more and more people are considering the country lifestyle.
Modern homesteading has more choices and possibilities for saving and earning money from home. Today, with the rise of high-speed internet, people have access to a vast knowledge base, and have more opportunities available at their fingertips. Choosing a lifestyle where you are self sufficient and can produce your own food can lead to a healthier worry-free life, all while you help the environment and Mother Nature to keep her economical balance intact.
To learn more about homesteading and its benefits please join us on our next webinar huddle, to be held on the 6th of August, here at NTP CEED headquarters live. We are excited to have Dr. Jennifer Orlowski, as our guest.
Source: Nourish The Planet
