How to Start a Homestead in 2026

I’m often asked how we started our homestead, followed by “Where do I start?”

I feel like the easiest answer to that, as cliché as it sounds, is to begin where your heart lies. In this day and age, we’re inundated by information from every angle, and that can be overwhelming when you're just getting started.

Where to Begin

If you’re looking to start a homestead in the coming year, pick one thing, the thing that really speaks to you. I’ve raised chickens almost my entire life so when we, as adults, decided to start on this journey, it was only natural that chickens were the first thing we decided to raise.

Maybe your heart lies in the garden and with growing food? Perhaps it’s because you want to know what’s on your plate, or you want to teach future generations skills that are timeless. Self-sufficiency is such an invaluable resource and I encourage you to take those steps if you’re considering it.

Start Investigating

Once you’ve picked one thing, start researching! I cannot express how valuable research will be towards your success. Find trusted resources, find someone that’s already doing what you're interested in and ask questions. Most homesteaders are eager to share what they know and teach others.

Doing that research and asking those questions will inevitably save you time and money in the long run. While learning is half of the fun, there will be lessons that can only be taught by doing.

Start Small

As homesteaders, we tend to jump blindly and with both feet!

While it is tempting to try to do everything, burnout will come quickly if you’re unprepared for the obstacles that come your way. Start with a small flock of chickens, one raised garden bed, a covey of quail or just learning to bake your own bread. Get comfortable with your “one thing” and then add the next thing that piques your interest.

I initially started out as a flower gardener. While I still grow a lot of flowers, I also grow a ton of vegetables. Your interests will ebb and flow throughout the years, so don’t be afraid to try whatever the next “thing” is.

Start Where You’re At

It does not matter if you have a balcony in the city, a small backyard or several sprawling acres. If your heart is in homesteading and it’s a dream of yours, you can make it work no matter what your current situation is.

That balcony can house a covey of quail, an herb garden and two tomato plants. That small backyard can house a few chickens, a pair of meat rabbits and a couple of garden beds that allow you to walk outside and pick fresh ingredients for your dinner. Those several acres have endless opportunities; homesteading truly is what you make it.

My husband and I were married very young, fresh out of our teen years, and we didn’t have the same resources as the adults we are now. We had the dream to raise quail, have chickens for eggs and grow our own vegetables.

The term “homesteading” wasn’t as popular then as it is now, 22 years later, but that’s what we were doing. We had such a small yard to do it all in, yet we made it work. There is such an immense pride that comes with hatching your first chick or adding fresh rosemary to the meal you're cooking. Don’t let your current limitations stop you from following that dream.

It Doesn’t Have to Stick

Another important point that gets lost along the way, if you try something and don’t like it then it’s ok to give that up.

I’ve tried for years to bake my own sourdough bread. I want to love the process of letting the dough rise and kneading it to perfection, but I just can’t. I see people successfully do it every single day as I scroll through social media. My adult daughter can bake bread like nobody’s business. For myself, it causes more stress than enjoyment.

I’ve come to the conclusion that it wasn’t for me; I’ll probably still try, and I’ll probably still fail at it, and that’s ok. You don’t have to do something if you don’t love it. That’s the beautiful part about the whole process: finding what sparks your passion and pushes you to continue.

Let It Take Time

Patience is the least talked about lesson in growing your homestead and the most valuable. Starting and maintaining a homestead in any form takes time and patience. We’re not all born with that quiet contentment that comes from watching things slowly built from the ground up.

The tiny chick you buy from the local feed store will take 16 to 20 weeks to start laying. In the meantime, you’ll brood and care for it all while dreaming of the fresh eggs that will grace your kitchen counters. You hit that estimated time frame, and your chicken produces...nothing.

Patience. That’s the only thing you’ll need at that point. It’s so simple yet so forgotten.

Go For It

When spring rolls around again, get that raised bed, some soil and started plants. Get your hands dirty doing the things that you love. That’s where you’ll find your homesteading dreams getting fulfilled.

As the saying goes, if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. This holds true in the homesteading world because there is always work to be done, but it can be so fulfilling.

If you’re daydreaming of starting your homestead in 2026, then just do it. Don’t ever let the fear of failure stop you from trying.