Why Has Homesteading Become Popular Again?

Homesteading has become popular again largely because of a growing dissatisfaction with being disconnected from our food.

We've become so far removed from where our food comes from that there are actual adults today who believe farms are no longer necessary because stores exist.

Think about that.

They have no concept of the true origin of their food!

For most of us, food shows up neatly packaged on a grocery store shelf. We don't see the soil it grew in, the animal it came from, the farmer who raised it, or any of the work involved in getting it there.

Today, a growing number of people have decided it's better to reconnect with the origins of our food, even if that means working hard under potentially arduous conditions.

Rain, snow, sleet, heat and humidity can make some chores on the farm downright frustrating.

But the work still has to be done.

That's probably another element of the appeal.

In our comfortable, consumer-focused society, we've lost touch with some of the satisfaction that comes from hard work and overcoming hardship. Homesteading gives us a tangible way to experience that.

You plant something and try to keep it alive.

You raise an animal that depends on you every day.

Something breaks and you figure out how to fix it.

Sometimes you succeed. Sometimes you fail and have to try something else.

There's a kind of character development in that process that many of us didn't grow up experiencing.

Salt & Soil Realty Group is a real estate brokerage, not a farm planner, attorney, or agricultural consultant. This post is educational. Confirm zoning, livestock, and land-use questions with local officials and licensed professionals.

See what homesteading is, how to get started, and land buyer services.

Carroll Harrod with Salt & Soil Realty Group helps buyers looking for homestead-friendly land in Jacksonville, NC and Coastal North Carolina.

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What is the homesteading community actually like?

The homesteading community varies pretty wildly.

You've got homegrown, grassroots, traditional types of homesteaders, as well as hippies who would make the 1960s feel right at home.

There are people on large acreages, people raising chickens in suburban backyards, gardeners, beekeepers, hunters, sourdough bakers, regenerative agriculture folks, and just about everything in between.

But regardless of the particular cultural flavor of the homesteaders in the room, there are some distinct commonalities.

Generally, there's an embrace of hard work.

Stewardship of the soil is important.

How and why we do what we do matters.

There's a strong thread of self-sufficiency, while most homesteaders are also pragmatic enough to understand that we still need community.

That creates a strong culture of collaboration as well.

Maybe you've got the equipment your neighbor needs. Maybe your neighbor knows how to build something you don't. Maybe somebody has extra chicks and somebody else has extra seedlings. Skills, knowledge, equipment and products get traded around.

That's one of the things I enjoy about the homesteading community. Self-sufficiency doesn't necessarily mean doing everything yourself.

What does homesteading look like in Coastal North Carolina?

Homesteading in North Carolina varies regionally.

Since I live on the coast, I'll focus on what homesteading looks like in Coastal North Carolina.

Our summers are hot and humid, and our winters are usually really mild. That gives us a long growing season and some seriously fast-growing plants.

Consequently, gardening can be incredibly productive.

The weeds can take over just as fast if you leave them alone.

Our abundance of rain, sunshine and warm weather can also produce a tremendous amount of forage for livestock. I met a cattle farmer in the mountains who told me that I could probably stock at almost three times the rate he could because the Coastal Plain is so conducive to growing grass.

Obviously the actual stocking rate of any property is going to depend on the soil, forage, management and the property itself, but his point stuck with me.

Things grow here.

Fast.

Naturally, there's also a vibrant homesteading movement in Coastal North Carolina with a lot of collaboration between people.

Facebook groups like Barnyards By the Sea are valuable resources for connecting with other homesteaders, asking questions, finding livestock and trading homesteading goods.

We also have local stores such as Humphrey Farm and General Store, Northwoods Urban Farm, and The Country Barn that support the local homesteading community by providing a place to buy locally produced goods, find supplies, connect with other people doing the same things, and occasionally participate in events like flock swaps.

Those kinds of connections are important.

Homesteading may be driven by a desire to become more self-sufficient, but I've found that the deeper you get into it, the more you appreciate community.

Maybe that's part of why homesteading has become popular again too.

We're reconnecting with our food.

We're rediscovering the satisfaction of hard work.

And somewhere along the way, we're reconnecting with each other.

If you are comparing properties, how much land you need and buying a home with land near Jacksonville are practical next reads.