Finances, gardening, animal husbandry, or skills: what homesteading goals are you setting this year?
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” -Zig Ziglar
Setting goals is a first step in pointing yourself in a strategic direction. What is it that you want to accomplish that you haven’t? Where do you wish to be one year from now? Whatever it may be, today is the day, and this is the year!
Pertaining to homesteading, here are some categories to consider:
Money
Make your budget (“Having a budget is the difference between telling your money where to go and wondering where it went,” as Dave Ramsey says).
Get out of debt
Build emergency savings fund
Invest
Increase giving
Gardening
Begin gardening
Try new techniques (grow bags, hydroponics, vertical gardening, etc)
Add pollinators to your beds
Fruit trees can be a delightful addition to your property
Build a cold frame
Use grow lights
Consider planting fruit trees, nut trees, or berry bushes (remember that unless the plant is self-pollinating, you’ll typically need to plant two).
Skills
Add a new skill,to your set, such as
soap making
canning
wood working
cheese making
fermenting
Animal Husbandry
What animal(s) would you like to raise?
Do you want to get into beekeeping?
What are your local 4-H options? (Many chapters have openings for members regardless of land acquisition)
Check out my blog on raising quail, the animal that is perfect for any size homestead
Property Improvements
Fencing
Replacement windows
Animal sheds/housing
Wood stove installation
Paint
Adding supplemental heating such as a wood stove lessens your dependence on the grid
Medicines and Herbs
Identify and grow medicinal herbs
Learn how to preserve and use medicinal plants
Organization
Clean and declutter your house, room by room
Plan and make meals by the week or by the month
Miscellaneous
Update wills
Research or make move toward land acquisition or even renting
These are just a handful of ideas you might try. What other goals are you setting for yourself this year on the homestead?