No matter where you are in your homesteading journey, this is a question we should all answer.

The answer will be different for each of us, and there is no wrong answer.

But knowing why you homestead is vital to your success. It will determine what homesteading even means to you and it will keep you going on the rough days.

Some homestead motivated by fear. I see this more and more. Fear of our broken food system, fear of government control, fear of a major disaster. And while there are serious and justified concerns to be had, fear is not my ‘why’ and I will not allow fear to ever be my motivation.

Some homestead as a trend. Some because that’s how they grew up. Some for health reasons.

Why do you homestead?

For me it is joy.

Yep, joy.

I garden because eating a warm, sweet, juicy tomato in the garden, grown from a seed I planted myself, brings me so much joy. And because growing amazingly tasty food, with incredible health benefits, fills me with joy.

I hunt because feeding our family wild raised, sustainably harvested meat, cared for by my own hands, brings me so much joy.

I preserve our harvests because serving meals of food grown and harvested by our very own hands is so incredibly rewarding and joyful.

I learn new (old) homesteading skills because challenging myself and learning new things creates joy.

I homestead because having the knowledge that I can feed and defend my family brings me joy when fear tries to sneak in…

This all makes the hard work (because yes, it is hard work) incredibly rewarding and totally worthwhile! Joy will do that, fear will not.  

Why do you homestead?

There is no wrong answer. But if you do homestead out of fear, I encourage you to explore what it might look like to homestead out of joy.

Let me know in a comment or email!

God bless!

Abbie