Most people I know don’t homestead like our ancestors did. I mean truly living off the land and, just as importantly, living free. These days, it’s easy to feel like you are just playing at homesteading, like it’s a hobby.
Anybody can get a flock of chickens for their suburban home or start a modest vegetable garden, all while being hooked up to the grid and dealing with the red tape of society.
It’s discouraging to think that homesteading for free, for life, is just a dream. But I’m here to tell you that isn’t the case. If you’ve got the grit, the will, and the tenacity to see it through, it is entirely possible to homestead in the old ways and do itwithout much money if any, or as free as possible in the modern era.
Sounds crazy? It isn’t. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know…
Can You Really Live Truly Free?
Yes, with only a few caveats. Homesteading, real homesteading, is about self-reliance. The trick with modern society is that it forces you to be reliant upon it, and at gunpoint: that’s why there are so many fees, taxes, and other financial obligations that keep you looped into the system.
And that’s not even getting to day-to-day survival necessities like food, water, shelter, sanitation, and more. Ninety-nine percent of people pay to provide for all of them.
But that doesn’t mean you have to, necessarily. Not everywhere! It is entirely possible to grow, gather, or hunt for your food, supply your own water, build your own home or other shelter, and even provide for electricity, doing it all yourself as long as you have the materials, know-how, and an adequate supply of elbow grease.
You can craft, trade, or work for what you need and opt out of the usual rat race activities that keep most of us dependent on the system and prevent us from living the life of our dreams.
Every skill that you bring to the table – farming, gardening, framing, roofing, blacksmithing, upcycling, water purification, food preservation, animal husbandry, anything – is going to save you a fortune one way or the other. Is it a lot more work, ultimately? Yes, but real freedom entails a lot of sweat and toil.
Assess your skillset now: are you experienced and highly capable? A well-rounded generalist? Or are you woefully lacking in the DIY and self-sufficiency department? If you are the later, start learning and growing now if you want to stand a chance of breaking free.
You Can Live on Low- or No-Cost Land
Let’s tackle the biggest hurdle for some folks head-on: getting the land. After all, land is the prime element in real estate, and like all real estate, it is very expensive. And of course, the government isn’t just giving away land anymore like way back in the day, is it?
Don’t be so hasty on that last part! Surprisingly, there are many places around the US that will do exactly that: give you land. There’s usually an application process and other stipulations, like improvements or a timetable commitment for building your domicile, but in most cases, it’s surprisingly straightforward.
Little out-of-the-way villages and surprisingly quaint small towns from Kansas to Iowa, Nebraska to Minnesota, and beyond will give you land in exchange for precious few commitments. It’s the real deal!
Searching out these places online might just be the first step to homesteading free for the rest of your life.
If the location is a problem, you might look into land conservatorship or stewardship, an arrangement where you can live free in exchange for watching over and taking care of the land.
Ultimately, if you’re willing to search, do a little legwork, and make the right commitments, it’s possible to get a patch you can call your own essentially for free.
But caveat emptor: Always, always verify zoning laws and be prepared for financial or performance obligations if you sign on the dotted line.
Building Your Dwelling for Free
Now on to the next major hurdle, one that’s seemingly so costly it has led some sour homesteaders to declare the entire concept impossible.
Everybody knows that building or buying a home is expensive, especially these days! That’s true, but if you are only going to settle for a modern, stick-built dwelling, then your priorities for homesteading might be a bit out of whack…
Consider ancient building techniques like cob, straw bale, and earthbag structures, all of which use freely sourced local materials like clay, straw, or sand.
Get your hands on free lumber from pallets or reclaimed barn wood by asking around in your locale or through sites like Craigslist and elsewhere on social media. Don’t forget to check local salvage yards for hardware. Barter labor with neighbors skilled in trades to learn techniques or get help.
Most importantly: Start small. A small cabin or tiny home will minimize material needs and labor, whatever they are. Again, check all local and state building codes: even some rural areas restrict unconventional structures. One last thing: No matter what else you are facing, prioritize insulation for your climate!
Water Collection, Rights, and More
Every homesteader and every prepper knows that water is the most precious survival resource, and not just for ourselves. Our animals and our crops also need plenty of it, and no matter how you get it, supplying water tends to be very expensive. Does that mean we can’t get it for free or nearly so? Not at all!
You’ll be happy to hear that this is one element of homesteading that people have mastered for centuries. There are lots of ways to obtain and store your own water, including rainwater harvesting with barrels or cisterns, which can collect hundreds of gallons from your roof. Digging shallow wells or tapping springs, if available, is another time-tested option.
Water table data for your area should be readily and freely available. You’ll still want to research state water laws; as hard as it is to believe, some restrict collection of rain or groundwater.
Grow, Gather, or Hunt Your Food
Homesteading or not, you and yours will still need food. So how are you going to get it without breaking the bank at the grocery store? The same way people always have: by growing it, gathering it, or hunting for it and then trading for the things you cannot procure yourself.
Plant calorie-dense crops like potatoes or beans using heirloom seeds you can save yearly for future plantings. Forage for wild edibles like berries or nuts, foods that are highly nutritious and can still be found growing in great abundance in some places.
Hunting for small and large game or fishing is always a good bet if you have the skills, but in most cases, you’ll still need to obtain licenses and learn all the relevant state and federal regulations.
Don’t neglect trading: Bartering surplus crops and other comestibles or even your skills at farmers’ markets or homesteading groups can help you pad your pantry with what you lack or would just like to have.
As always, at-home food preservation is a homesteader’s best friend. Preserve all food possible through canning, drying, or other means to prevent waste. Now is the perfect opportunity to consider digging and outfitting a root cellar for keeping your food fresher, longer, with no electricity!
Become Your Own Power Provider
Speaking of electricity, I have no doubt that some of you reading this think that homesteading in this way means retrogressing and adopting completely archaic ways and means. Once again, it doesn’t have to, and I am happy to disabuse you of that notion.
In case you haven’t been keeping up with current technology and skill sets, you’ll be thrilled to know that there are more ways than ever to generate sustainable and reliable electricity when living completely off-grid.
Solar and wind are the big winners here. If you don’t already have the tech, you can hopefully rustle up, trade for, or buy secondhand solar panels or make DIY wind turbines from small motors for power. Even something like a human-powered bike generator can work for minimalist on-demand requirements.
In any case, carefully assess your energy requirements. Chances are very good you won’t be running as many lights or as many devices and appliances as you would living back in the “world.”
Once again, red tape may rear its ugly, pimply head: double-check local regulations, as many places restrict off-grid systems.
“Free” Doesn’t Mean “Alone”
Last but not least, I want you to start thinking about homesteading for free as an exercise in community and not a “man on Mars” scenario.
I know that’s the default for most people owing to its somewhat romantic notion, but I don’t know why: Most folks throughout history, and certainly in the United States, have not lived in such a way as to be completely isolated from other people.
Your neighbors might be a good bit down the road, but they are still your neighbors. There is still a greater community somewhere that you’ll be a part of. You should be grateful for and take advantage of this!
Showing people that you are willing to help and reliable will see them do the same for you. Skills and supplies you don’t have can be readily provided by others as long as you return the favor.
I urge you to join any local co-ops, community networks, and even the relevant online forums for your neck of the woods. Attend community holidays, gatherings, and get-togethers to build trust and start developing the social networks that will provide very real benefits.
Tim is a farm boy with vast experience on homesteads, and with survival and prepping. He lives a self-reliant lifestyle along with his aging mother in a quiet and very conservative little town in Ohio. He teaches folks about security, prepping and self-sufficiency not just through his witty writing, but also in person.
Find out more about Tim and the rest of the crew here.