The Beauty of Starting Small: Building a Homestead from the Ground Up
When it comes to building a homestead, it’s easy to get caught up in the grand visions of abundant gardens, pastures filled with livestock, and a pantry overflowing with your own homegrown bounty. But the truth is, those dreams are made up of countless small, thoughtful decisions that lay the foundation for long-term success. Starting small and intentional can lead to the most rewarding journey, especially for first-generation homesteaders juggling the beautiful chaos of a young family and a busy life.
Small Homestead Projects for Beginners
The best advice I can offer to anyone beginning their homestead journey is to embrace starting small. Begin with manageable projects that allow you to learn and grow without feeling overwhelmed. A small garden is a perfect place to start. Spend that first year observing your soil, understanding the growing climate of your area, and testing out what grows well for you. Success in those first efforts will build your confidence and set the stage for future expansion.
Another wise first step is planting fruit trees. They are a long-term investment in your homestead, requiring years to mature and bear fruit, but they’re worth every moment of patience. Imagine the joy of your children picking apples or plums from trees you planted together years earlier—it’s the little things like this that make a homestead so special.
How to Choose the Right Livestock for Your Homestead
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” — Mary Anne Radmacher
When it comes to livestock, smaller is often smarter for beginners. Over the years, we’ve raised a handful of different breeds of sheep and eventually settled on Icelandic sheep for their many exceptional traits. This decision didn’t happen overnight; it took time to truly understand what we needed in a sheep and what we could best manage. Icelandic sheep offer an incredible range of benefits for their size. They provide fiber for spinning or felting, milk for cheese and yogurt, and meat that is both flavorful and nutritious. Their manageable size makes them easier to handle, especially if you’re still learning the ropes of animal husbandry. They’re hardy, adaptable, and well-suited to small-scale farming—a true blessing for anyone just starting out.
Chickens are really the “gateway drug” to homesteading! They are easy to care for, give nourishing eggs, and are a great way to control bugs on your homestead.
Pigs are another great choice. They grow quickly (6 months to harvest weight) and are a great way to help recycle the bounty from the garden into bacon on the table. Pigs do require a sturdy fence. We have found giving them a good-sized area for rooting and exploring helps. Hog panels with T-posts have worked well for us over the years. If you have extra dairy products from your sheep, goats, or cow, the pigs love it and grow so well!
We had a dairy cow for 15 years while raising our children, and it was a true blessing for our family and farm. Having a dairy animal on your homestead can become the cornerstone of your farm. The milk not only provides rich nourishment for your family but is also a great food source for your other farm animals.
Personal Reflections from Our Journey
We started our homestead 25 years ago. It was a dream realized on raw pasture land where we built everything from scratch while raising and homeschooling our young children. To get started, we hired a contractor to frame our house. With a short deadline and winter fast approaching, we spent every available minute making our house livable. By the time the snow began to fall, we had a roof over our heads and a space ready for the cold months ahead.
That first year, we lived very rustic, but it was good. We quickly realized that less was more, and simple was great. I still remember our first Montana winter vividly. A ranching neighbor dropped off a bummer lamb on our front porch, and we faced the steep learning curve of caring for it. With no outbuildings to house the lamb, we made a little manger under the stairs in our basement. That lively winter taught us resilience, creativity, and the joy of embracing the unexpected.
Building Confidence Through Experience
The journey of homesteading isn’t about achieving perfection overnight. It’s about learning, adapting, and finding joy in the process. Every small success, whether it’s your first handful of fresh eggs or the sight of your first lambs frolicking in the pasture, is a victory worth celebrating. These little wins build your confidence and deepen your connection to the land and the life you’re creating.
Encouragement for the New Homesteader
To the young families just beginning this adventure: know that it’s okay to start small. Your enthusiasm and energy are your greatest assets, even if your experience feels limited. You’ll learn as you go, and that learning will shape you into a capable and confident steward of your homestead. Be patient with yourself, savor the small joys, and don’t hesitate to reach out to those who have walked this path before you.
“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” — Tommy Lasorda
The journey of building a homestead is a beautiful, rewarding endeavor that’s made all the richer by starting with small, intentional steps. Remember, it’s the little things—the seeds you plant, the sheep you tend, the lessons you learn—that add up to the life you’ve dreamed of. You’re not just building a homestead; you’re building a legacy of resilience, connection, and joy.
Let us know your first homesteading goal in the comments below or connect with us to learn more! Your dreams, small steps, and determination will shape a beautiful future.
