Almost a year ago, my husband started half-jokingly suggesting we go the homesteading route. He listens to podcasts nearly nonstop since his job includes a lot of driving and had started to hear the research regarding processed foods being damaging to health. Now, when I heard the word “homesteading” at that time, my mind instantly jumped to chickens, goats, cows, and Little House on the Prairie. Raised a city girl, albeit in a fairly agricultural area, those concepts were foreign to me and my instinct was to laugh the suggestion off. My husband is a smart man, though, and he knew exactly how to reel me in. “You can mill your own flour,” he said with a smile. He knew his audience. Over the past 6 years I have been developing baking skills and even a side hustle where I sell homemade vanilla products and baked goods as a cottage bakery. As I started researching the benefits of fresh milled flour, I got rather excited and within a day we ordered wheat berries and a grain mill. Since that time, I have been experimenting with bread recipes and trying to replace store-bought snacks with homemade ones as much as I can.
Real talk – I have a full-time job, my husband has a full-time job, and we have three very young children (6 years, 4 years, and 2 years). Our lives are extremely busy and stressful. Realistically I know that my life will not resemble Little House on the Prairie anytime soon, nor am I sure that is what I want. Instead, I am doing my best to slowly implement healthier habits and new skills into our lives. Hence the name of my blog—Halfway Homesteading. I have not been convinced to get livestock or move to a farm property (our HOA does not allow livestock, anyway), I am not sure I am ready to give up my commercial cleaning products, and we still frequent the grocery store.
As of now, I do mill flour and make our own bread, I am venturing into sourdough, I plan to plant a garden in the Spring, I have been water bath canning things like jam, and I am trying to cut back on store-bought snack foods. I intend to research things like raw milk and homemade cleaning products, but because I deal with extremely nasty bacterial infections all day at work, I am leery of anything that could lead to infection. I love listening to homesteading podcasts and getting tips and knowledge. I have extreme respect and awe for the people who are able to fully dive into the homesteading life, but I know that is not possible for me at the moment. For now, I will do the best I can and learn as much as possible.
If you are someone who is just starting to look into homesteading life, someone who does not have the capability to fully dive into that life, or maybe someone who is a little hesitant about aspects of homesteading, then you are in the right place!