Why We Live a Simple Country Life (without homesteading)

Have you ever wanted to live a simple life in the countryside, but aren't sure if you're ready to become a "homesteader?

You're not alone.

Over the past decade and a half, the internet has created an explosion of interest in homesteading.

It's a wonderful thing.

You can learn almost anything from these individuals and families who make a living by teaching us how to homestead and practice traditional skills.

But lately, I've seen something that makes me sad.

Everyday families are starting to feel like they have to go all in...or not at all.

You hear things like:

"We want to move to an acreage in the countryside, but I don't think we could do justice to the land."

"I would grow a garden, but I don't have time to preserve all that food."

"We would like to get chickens, but we can't keep enough laying hens to fully supply our need for eggs."

"My daughter would love to have a dairy goat, but I can't see us milking every day of the year."

People have been led to believe they can't dabble in the country life.

"If we're going to do it, we have to go all in."

It's sad to see, because this just isn't so.

You can make an amazing life for your family by choosing to live a simple life in the countryside, without running a homestead!

Why We Chose to Not Homestead

When my man and I were first married, we knew that we wanted to settle in the countryside. The stillness of rural life appealed, and we wanted to raise some of our own food.

But it wasn't just about food. We wanted things in our lives that were enjoyable and kept us grounded to basic life.

I like keeping ducks, gardening and preserving. My man wanted space for his honeybees. And we both wanted to use these things to train our children to work, be responsible and learn basic life skills.

For us, it wasn't about setting up an actual homestead.

We just wanted a taste of farm life, and have the freedom to do as much (or as little) as we judged to be healthy for our family.

The Struggle We Face with Other People

What we want is simple, right?

But it's crazy how people try to squish you into the homestead mold (especially people who spend a lot of time following homesteaders online).

"You live on an acreage, bake bread, garden, preserve food, keep bees and have chickens? You must be a homesteader!"

They proceed to pile expectations on you.

"You must produce several thousand pounds of food from your gardens?"

"What kind of cheese do you like to make with that milk?"

"It must be wonderful to never buy eggs from the grocery store."

"I suppose you have enough canned food to feed your family for a year?"

Whew!

I grew up in the 90's on a farm where we had lots of animals, put up hay for livestock, butchered our own meat, chopped firewood and did lots of preserving. But the farm wasn't our livelihood. My dad always worked an outside job.

Some years, we dropped certain activities so we had space for the most important things.

I think that's the best way to live this country life.

Permission to Live the Simple Country Life without Homesteading

Whether you currently live in the country or hope to soon, I'm here to give you permission.

You don't have to always make the most of your resources.

If you want to keep dairy goats so you can teach your children how to milk, you can do that...for 3 months or 8 months or 12. You get to choose.

And you know what else? You don't have to make your own butter, yogurt or cheese. The milk can just be...milk.

Do you like gardening? You can grow a lot (so you have extra for preserving), or you can grow very little and have a fresh eating garden. Your choice!

Want to teach your kids to care for poultry? You can keep 6 hens or 60, and make that decision based on what aligns with your family values.

It's ok to go small.

And here's a thought for you: if the homestead folks you follow online didn't teach homesteading as a full time job, they wouldn't be able to do all the things, either.

There's No Shame in Going Small

I'll say it again. There's no shame in going small.

I want to be able to bake my own bread, yes. But sometimes we just need to grab a few hot and crusty loaves from the bakery. No shame.

Some years my gardens are overflowing with homegrown vegetables. But sometimes a few beds might be empty. No shame.

The pantry shelves might hold 600 jars of home canned food, or I might just have 100 jars on the top shelf. No shame.

Sometimes we raise (and hunt) 100% of our meat. But in other seasons, we buy it all from a local beef farm. No shame.

This is the beauty of living the simple country life. You can lean into whatever is coming your way, and adjust your "traditional life" accordingly.

Do What Works for You

As a little girl, I remember my mum getting the Country Woman magazine by mail every month. The first article always featured a woman and her family who lived in the country and made an income with their land and skills.

This woman and her family might live on a Christmas tree farm, a flower farm, apple orchard or vineyard. She might farm sheep, cattle or meat chickens.

Sometimes, this woman would use her skills to create a business for herself by producing wool yarn, making cheese, handmade wreaths or something else.

The point is, these women were busy, kept their heads down and focused on making their traditional skills work...for them.

I like that. I like seeing people doing what works for them, without the pressure that so often exists in the homestead mindset.

You Don't Have to Do More

In homestead circles you're always expected to learn more, do more and always make the most of what you have.

It's no longer enough to be really good at 4-5 things. Now, you have to do all the things!

But what if you don't want to 100% rely on your chickens for eggs? Or only eat fresh fruit in season?

What if you don't want to preserve enough food to feed your family for a year? Of if you want the guilt-free luxury of buying bread from the grocery store that isn't (gasp) sourdough?

What if you want to grow a small vegetable garden for fresh summer eating? No preserving involved?

What if all you want from your "homestead life" is outdoor space for children to play, some chickens or ducks and a simple summer garden that is half filled with flowers?

Hmmm.

Is it ok if you don't use everything to its fullest potential? Can you be proud of your decisions for simplicity? Are you missing something big if you choose to go small?

Traditional Skills Are There to Serve Us

When I became a mama two years ago, I realized something important.

Traditional skills are there to serve us. We don't serve them.

I think traditional skills are good for me and good for my family. They are refreshing to the soul, and are also a wonderful tool I will use to teach, train and equip our children for life.

But we don't want to let these activities dominate and push us away from our most important life goals.

As a wife and mama, I have to regularly ask the question: "is this traditional life serving us, or are we serving it?

I'm realizing I need to examine our lives in each new season, so I can thoughtfully decide whether or an activity is right for us, at that time.

I'm Not a Homesteader

Folks, it was never my goal to become a homesteader. In fact, I don't want to be a homesteader.

I just want to live a simple country life, because I believe it creates a wonderful environment for our family.

I want a life we can enjoy, where we learn responsibility, to work with our hands, create and build relationships with each other, our community and our God.

I'm not a homesteader.

Fact is, I'm more like someone out of a 1990's Country Woman magazine (without the bad hair and bright lipstick).

I want to put my head down and do what is best for my family, without worrying about whether or not I'm living up the "homestead" label.

I'm here for it. Not homesteading. Just simple country living.

Amen?