Is a small homestead right for me?

Is a small homestead right for me? I must have asked myself this question a hundred times over. While I may still daydream of owning a dozen acres, a horse and a milk cow, the reality is that size homestead did not fit into our lives the year we found it possible to make our move.

A woman picks a peach from a tree in the orchard of her small homestead farm — Are you running out of space to grow everything you would like? I did, too.

Is a small homestead right for me?

You see, when I was living in the suburbs, I would daydream about ten acres and a jersey heifer. I wanted to do it all, the full homestead experience! Of course, reality often has parameters that seem to get in the way of our desires.

Reality Demanded Reason

My husband was working at a job he loved and throwing that to the wind to become a farmer was not going to be a sound financial decision. A two hour commute was not an option either. For years I could not find a way around this dilemma; how could my husband keep his Houston job while living our dream of raising our son in the county? If I wanted wide open spaces and my husband wanted a reasonable commute to work in the fourth largest city in America, how would that ever work? Our mutual desires seemed mutually exclusive.

Our move began with a single text

One day, out of the blue, my husband texted me a house for sale that had a slightly shorter commute than our current home.

It was as if I was seeing, for the first time, an overlooked wedge of land on the map, northwest of the city. It was still considered the country but not truly rural. There were schools and grocery stores less than thirty minutes away but nowhere near enough commercial development to call it a suburb. Could I postpone my dream of owning a cow and a horse in exchange for the chance to raise my already-ten-year-old son in a place where fresh air blew more wild and free? Yes, I could!

A dairy calf in a barn wood stall on a farm — No one would have helped me tend to a cow at sunrise any ways.

Suddenly owning chickens, a little orchard and a sprawling garden were much closer to becoming a reality. I’m not sure why it took me so long to realize that most of what I wanted to do could be accomplished on less than two acres.

So let’s get down to the real reason for this Article:

If you are wondering if a small homestead might be right for you, ask yourself these questions:

Do you find yourself simply craving more space, sunshine and fresh air?

Have you found that your back yard is not large enough to hold everything you would really like to grow?

Because of space limitations and/or HOA rules, is poultry or other livestock something you want to own but they are out of the question in your current location?

Would you be willing to swap your gym membership for slightly more physical work outside? (Or would you be fine if the gym was a half hour drive?)

Would you be okay if the grocery store was a 25-30 minute drive from your front door?

Does the idea of regularly producing a portion of your own food appeal to you?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are likely to find a lot of joy and fulfillment in your own small homestead.

But let me add one more question:

If homesteading, gardening and chickens don’t work out, is every member of your family okay with living in an area with fewer people, fewer stores, minimal entertainment options, less than ten fast food places, distant hospitals requiring a 30+ minute drive and surrounded by wildlife that will include a few snakes and rodents for the next several years?

If your family can answer yes to this question, you already know why your heart is being drawn to the homestead life. You’re ready.