Have you noticed the word "homesteading" lately?
 

I was wondering about the word "homesteading". In today's vocabulary there are only a handful of words to describe the lifestyle I have in mind: living in the country, growing your own food, doing unique things to save money, getting prepared for a disaster, rediscovering old fashioned values. The most apt word seems to be "homesteading". Another verb I like is "prepping". A couple of adjectives (?) are "self-sufficient", "down to earth". Did I miss any good words that describe you?

I found this really cool tool that checks the historic use of particular words found in books. For instance, you can see how the word "homesteading" has gotten popular recently...

http://books.google.com/ngrams/graph...=0&smoothing=3

Interestingly, the word "homesteader" peaked in 1940 and has leveled out since then. The word "homestead" peaked between 1880 and 1920.

"homesteader" originally describe people who went out to tame the west. Laura Ingles, for instance. Today it has come to mean someone who likes to grow their own food, live out in the country, and those who has a desire to be more self-sufficient.

I know when I buy a certain model of car, I start seeing that car all over the place. When I started to learn to spin yarn...all the sudden, people who knit and spin are all over the place. It's a popular movement!. I garden - and all these other gardeners start popping out of the woodwork. I raise a steer - do you know how many people on my road do that? So of course, the word "homesteading" is popping up more now than ever to me.

I like the term "self-reliant" better than "self-sufficient". It's probably not a big deal, but I doubt if I will ever be self-sufficient - rather, I rely on myself to find solutions to problems ( often, that means asking others for help) and provide what I need.

Now that you mention it, self-reliant is a much better word than self-sufficient. If there is one word that sums up homesteading, I think it would be "self-reliant".

My personal thinking is you are a "Homesteader" if you filed for free land from the Federal Government, and proved up to meet the (at that moment in time) requirements. Then we were given a title to the land. Note: The requirements changed over time, and we could get hardship wavers under some conditions. There were slightly different programs, for 160 acre homestead, 15 acre T & M site, or 5 acre Home site. In all cases it was never really Free land.

Generally speaking, in my region, being self-sufficient is not called "homesteading." Probably because so many of us are descended from the real homesteaders and know the difference.

Then again, things like canning, sewing, butchering, raising your own meat, tinkering on your own vehicles, gardening, etc, etc. aren't particularly unique, either. Nor is "prepping." It's just called "stocking your pantry." :shrug:

There definitely is a resurgence in the use of the word. I wonder if the circulation is up for homesteading-type magazines, too?

I don't think there's any one definition for "homesteader" today. I think it's a bit prideful to claim that one kind is better than another or has a special tie or claim to the term. Where did the homesteaders of the this country come from? Who were they before they moved to get free land?

From my own family, the first arrivals to this country left a pretty settled life behind in England, Germany, France, and Scotland in the late 1600's. They were school teachers, shop keepers and the like. Why did they leave? For the chance a new continent offered them - a better life. They knew they were going to have to work to have it. They didn't arrive with all the skills they needed - they had to learn. They became farmers and butchers, etc. When they were able to start providing some comforts and luxuries for themselves - they jumped at the chance....until...

The early and mid-1800's - my family again - many left the southern and eastern states to move west. They left very settled cities - with schools, dentists, groceries, shoemakers, dressmakers, paved roads, brick homes. It'd had been 100 years since some of the family had lived in the "wilderness". But they picked up and moved west. Some chose to go for the chance to own more land so they could get ahead in life. Some chose because of the adventure. Some chose it to get away from what they felt were the ills of society. MANY of my family - again- didn't know how to hunt or skin rabbits, drive a mule, or plow a field when they started. They struggled and were pretty disgusted about many of the parts of their new lives.

Are so very many of us any different today? For me, I can almost call this a repeating cycle. Or maybe we should call it a family tradition? I don't hold it against anyone if they aren't "originals" or can't do everything they "ought" to be able to do. We all have to start somewhere. I'll applaud anyone efforts - no matter what they call themselves.

Definitions change with the times...the 1800's definition of "homestead" (-er, -ing) is not relevant in 2012 (can't get that "free" land from the gov anymore). Today's definition per common usage refers to what most of us here aspire to be, as self-reliant/sufficient as is possible according to his/her own ambitions.

Yes homesteading is a good word for what we are doing and most people consider a self seficiant farmer a homesteder .calling someone a prepper or country person just brings to many differint types to mind

Homesteading is the word that most people who don't live this life understand without thinking your a "whacko nut job".

I had Farms for years,raised that way.Finally bought a place with nothing on it,could barely get back to it.Went for 20 year surviving,improving but came to the point it was getting much Too Hard! But Loved every minute of it and miss it.

Got a New Adventure,fixing up our House in an area I really enjoy.

big rockpile

I hang-out of various forums, I find that in common usage today these phrases do have distinct meanings.

A "homesteader" holds to rural living, growing your own food, being prepared for disasters, and some level of "self-sufficiency".

"prepping" is more often urban, and simply means to stock-pile or hoard stuff that you think would be needed in a disaster.

"Survivalist" is the idea that with the right knife and firearm, along with a filled backpack [called a BOB] a survivalist would be able to walk out into the wilderness and live for years without assistance.

the property we live on was HOMESTEADED back in the 1800's or earlier..

Oh... they may still think you're one. Goodness, anything out of the ordinary in this house gets you the "your hair is on fire" look. YMMV

I can see that.

However I think it exists more so on-line than in-real-life.

Where we moved to homestead, homes are commonly spaced a mile apart in dense forest. Nearly everyone has some form of livestock, gardens, a few fruit trees. Nearly every home has a huge pile of firewood next to it. The landscape is predominately dense forest, we have very few monoculture farming enterprises here.

So to produce our own food, and market the surplus is kind of normal here. No body thinks it odd.

Yes, or an ignorant hick who just has some chickins running around, and something that resembles a garden. There is a purpose, a sense of knowlege, efficiency and education in what I consider to be a true homesteader today. But like many things, once it becomes popular, the term gets twisted and bastardized. USDA "Organic" is far from what was originally called organic. Heritage breeds used to have a specific meaning. Now almost all breeds are considered heritage, by someone.

I don't get hung up on definitions, often times definitions seek to divide rather than unite.

We happen to have some acreage, animals etc, but I see no reason one can't homestead in the more populous areas as well. I see 'homesteading' as mindset.

To be sure, venacular evolves. However, in my part of the world, you would never hear people use the term as anything but its historical definition.
To try to compare a 21st century back to the land movement to people who left everything they knew, risked their lives, to eke out a living on a quarter section...? You just would never hear such a comparison. Most people on the rural prairies are just to close to the history.


"Homestead" (the verb) in what people are claiming is the modern usage, tends to be something you only hear in areas that were never homesteaded in the first place... :shrug:

Btw, that doesn't mean you're wrong if you call yourself a homesteader. Shoot, I know people ont his board who call their 5 acres a "ranch." But in my part of the world, that's thought of as a big yard. ;) a ranch is very specifically a large tract of land that raises livestock for a living. But that's my point: venacular not only changes with time, but also varies by region

You're a trend setter:)

If I had my choice of what people called me I'd choose "back to the land-ers".

I find it interesting how many times in history people have looked to farms and county as a means of escape or rejuvenation.

Now hold on a minute there! :bash:
I resemble that remark. That's all I have now is a small garden and chickens that freerange but I'm not an ignorant hick. :hysterical:

I've "been there/ done that" when I was younger and for whatever reason choose not to any more. I don't need to be labeled a "homesteader" or have a yard full of 4 legged animals to enjoy my life that I was born into ;)
I like my luxuries and work hard for them off the farm so I can spend time on forums like this one instead of working my butt off till midnight :) :buds:

I've decided that I want to be known as a 'Homeinsteader'. A homeinsteader is one of them folks that would rather be home instead of racing to the store to buy milk and bread when the white death blows in and the news folks declare a 'winter french toast emergency'. A home insteader knows he can buy a pack of seeds, grow a whole row of peppers, save his seed, and repeat---year after year---for the same price as that nice looking red bell pepper in the super market. A home insteader likes to go talk to the bees or pull a few weeds instead of having to go on that 2 week vacation to the beach or run to the opening night of the newest hollywood-must-see-blockbuster. A home insteader likes to sip a cup of coffee on the porch and watch the bluebirds fight over the nest box instead of listening to the boom boom base of the next door, 20 feet away neighbor. A home insteader enjoys a nice fillet sizzling in the skillet while he's breakin down that steers carcas in the fall, the crisp juicy bite from that apple he just picked and the sound of the dogs baying when their running a rabbit up on the back hillside. I know every time that I get pulled away---to work or to school I'd as soon be home instead.

Actually homestead has a definition.
1.
house, outbuildings, and land: a house, especially a farmhouse, with its dependent buildings and land, considered as a whole
2.
history land claimed by settler: formerly, a piece of land occupied by a settler or squatter under the terms of the U.S. Homestead Act or the Canadian Dominion Lands Act
3.
commercial law residence exempt from forced sale: a house, adjoining land, and buildings declared as the owner's fixed residence and therefore exempt from seizure and forced sale for the recovery of debts

Now I seriously doubt many folks even on this forum actually have a homestead per item 2. Item one pretty much includes any farm regardless of weather it is working or not. Which is more how I see the word used here. Item three is the only defined form of homestead I have owned.

I have seen posts here that included homesteading issues liek the cost of driving to work. the expense of maintaining all sorts of equipment and the drain the effort took to do the gardening etc on top of working a full time job and living every detail of city life. That to me is not homesteading.

I also grew up in Kansas on a farm. at 14 I had produced my first pork for my family. helped my father farm 120 acres of wheat and basically worked my tail off. I still don't consider that homestead. that was farming.

Homesteading also has a definition but it is quite a bit looser in translation and application since the original homesteading system basically no longer exists.

Homesteading:
The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading remains as a way of life. According to author John Seymour, 'urban homesteading' incorporates small-scale, sustainable agriculture and homemaking.

According to the above Homesteading has gravitated from being a means by which to obtain land to a lifestyle. I think this one reflects the current day definition of homesteading the best. It also leaves a lot to the imagination as to what exactly a self sufficient lifestyle is.

I'm with Willy. I will now be known as a homeINsteader. :)

"Homesteading" as used today is usually used by people who prefer to think of themselves in more grandiose or noble terms than "hobby farmer". Which doesn't make it true.

Dale, I think ;you just poked someone with a stick. As Erin mentioned about the term ranch, I laugh when some hollywood type talks about their "ranch"- 5 acres, six dogs, 9 cats, 4 goats, two horses and a llama. That is not a ranch its a petting zoo.

SOURDOUGH, My father and uncle tried to homestead in Alaska I think before I was born. Stayed the winter, then ran out of food and money, so went to Fairbanks to get a job. Dad ended up coming home, but uncle stayed for a while. They left guns, stove etc in their little cabin at the junction of the Johnson and Tannenau (sp) rivers. I've always wanted to go back and see the area. They had quite an adventure, which is all written down. I wish they'd gotten title to the land!

Yes! I like that term, too. I'd rather be home INSTEAD of in town!

What FarmerWilly said x 2. I couldn'ta said it better.

Re:homeinsteader
 

Wow, I never knew that there was a way to describe who I am but I will be using that description for myself from now on! Beautiful!