First steps on a homestead, step by step
Interactive lesson: from an idea to a first step you can keep up — homestead level, five questions, starting point, a small start, money and safety.
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The whole lesson as text
1. The four homestead levels
A homestead isn't an escape from work: it is work, daily and seasonal.
- A homestead is a home — A home that gets a good share of its food, water and fuel from its own land and its own work. It isn't necessarily a farm that sells.
- Level 1: backyard — Up to about 1,000 m² (¼ acre): vegetables, herbs, a few fruit trees, 4–6 hens and compost. In season, 4–8 hours a week.
- Levels 2 and 3 — A smallholding adds a polytunnel, an orchard, soft fruit and bees, at 8–15 hours a week. A small farm adds rabbits, goats or sheep and hay, at 15–30 hours.
- Level 4: self-sufficient — 2 ha (5 acres) and more: a cow, pigs, grain and woodland for firewood. It takes 30+ hours a week and the whole family.
Why: Every 4freelife guide is marked with the homestead levels it applies to. Find where you are now, not where you'd like to be in ten years.
- The hours apply to the April–October season. In winter you need less than half, unless you keep larger livestock.
- Level 1 isn't worth less: a well-run back garden can give most of the vegetables and all the eggs for a family of four.
2. Five questions before the first spade
Before land, seed and hens, sit down with your family and answer five questions.
- Why? — Food, health, security, the children, peace of mind or extra income? Write down the three main reasons in order of importance. When things get hard, the paper reminds you.
- Who works? — Who in the household really works, and how much? Who looks after the animals when you are away? Children help, but they can't be the main workforce.
- How much time and money? — Honestly write down the hours per week from April to October: most beginners overestimate their time by a factor of two. Invest only what you can without a loan.
- Where? — Do you live on the land or come at weekends? Fruit trees, soft fruit, potatoes, onions, squash and bees can cope with a week without you. Animals need a person every day.
Why: Half an hour of talking saves years of wandering. Write the answers in My homestead vision and read them again every January.
- Until you live on the land or have a reliable neighbour, start with plants.
- Polytunnel tomatoes without automatic watering, and hens without someone to shut them in, can't cope with a week without you.
3. Your starting point · Locked
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4. Start small · Locked
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5. Time and money · Locked
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6. Safety from day one · Locked
Get the free Getting started module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 26 steps.