Yesterday, while surfing the internet, I came across a video of a homesteader on Instagram. We are in the 21st century where modernism has taken over the world. Centuries ago, human beings relied on homesteading- they grew their own food, raised animals, preserved food through local processes, and foraged from one place to another, looking for food and fruits to grow.) However, things are different now. Times have changed, and most people have adopted more modern lifestyles, which isn’t surprising. As humans, it is only right that we adapt to changes. So, whenever I come across videos of people who are practicing homesteading, it fascinates me, especially those who practice it on a large scale.
The video I watched featured a man who withdrew himself from the modern world. He bought a land secluded from the rest of the world, where he grows plants and raises animals. At the time, my friend asked me a question: “Would you prefer this kind of lifestyle to the one we are living now.” Meaning, would I prefer to leave this modern world, start a new life in a place far deep into earth, and start a homesteading lifestyle. The question almost led to a heated argument, but in the end, we agreed that it's possible to balance modern life with homesteading practices.
For day 13, the INLEO prompt asks us to share our thoughts on foraging and homesteading. Do you practice any of them? First off, homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency where farmers grow their own food and raise animals, which in turn reduces the cost spent on buying food from stores or markets. While some find joy and pleasure in this lifestyle, others prefer not to get into it, saying “A homesteading lifestyle is not for me.”
There’s a misconception about homesteading and foraging. People often think that you have to have a really big farmland before they can start practicing homesteading or that you have to have a good number of poultry animals before you are considered a homesteader. Well, I’m here to enlighten you that those are mere misconceptions. Even if the only thing you grow in your garden are tomatoes and bell peppers and you are consistent with it, you are as well a fully-fledged homesteader. You can start your homesteading journey in that little space in your farmland. People who don’t have so much space find alternatives; they grow their plants in sacks. Begin with what you have and whenever you are ready to take your homesteading journey to the next level, then you can proceed to buy farmland.
My homesteading journey started many years ago. Like many other homesteaders, I started in my backyard- I built a little garden. I started my homesteading journey by growing cocoyam. Actually, I didn’t plant the first one- it just miraculously appeared there. Then, with the help of my friends, we built a small garden around it. After some months, the cocoyam multiplied and the leaves grew much bigger. I was the happiest person in my house when it was time to harvest and cook them. Although I realized I didn’t like coco yam that much, it was nice to see my siblings eat them.
After cocoyam, I started planting bell peppers and tomatoes, which I find to be some of the easiest plants to grow. I simply dug soft soil, planted a few seeds, and voilà! It brings me joy to see my tomatoes and bell peppers doing well. As the years passed, my mom and I took our gardening to the next level by raising poultry. For the past 5 years, caring for these animals has been my mom's primary hobby. During my last visit home, we had chicken soup more than twice a week, and I have to admit, it got to the point where I felt we had it too often.
So far, my homesteading journey has been going well. On the other hand, foraging is not something I practice, but who knows what the future holds?
All images in this post are mine.
Thanks for reading.
Posted Using INLEO
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