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Starting off on a homesteading journey can be daunting. There are circumstances and situations that will arise that you never saw coming. The problem is, you don’t know what you don’t know, and when faced with unexpected challenges, where do you turn?
Whether it is equipment failure, pests in the greenhouse, a veterinary issue or learning what supplements your animals will need and what to avoid. Maybe it’s something less serious, like planning your garden design, building your animal housing, or learning what plants will grow where you live. You’re going to need help from time to time.
We hope that you have community support, friendly neighbors, and those who are willing to step in and help, but that’s not always available. Sometimes it’s just you and the curveball that life is throwing your way. Here are some resources that you can go to for information and assistance on just about anything you might come up against in your quest to be sustainable.
If you’re homesteading in an area where there are other farms and ranches nearby, you can bet there are associations having to do with all aspects of farming.
Local Resources
A good place to start looking for local resources in your area is your local Chamber of Commerce. They usually have a physical location where they can point you to agri-businesses and other associations in your vicinity.
Extension Office
If you live near a college or university, there’s a good chance that they will have extension offices in the county or on the campus. These offices are staffed by student volunteers who are learning to be experts in their field of study. They can provide general and specific information on things like local crops, pests, landscaping, soil components, gardening and more.
Guilds and Associations
No matter what kind of a homestead you’re building, there is more than likely to be a guild or association filled with people who are passionate about the same things that you are. Whether you’re farming sheep, cattle, goats or pigs, there are farmers guilds and associations, granges, and other types of organizations that meet regularly to discuss matters that impact their farms.
There are spinning and knitting groups, there are dairy cow and goat groups. Whatever your focus is, we recommend that you visit these meetings and familiarize yourself with the people involved and educate yourself on the concerns that face all of you on your farms and homesteads. There’s usually a water district chief or water master as well. That is a very important person to know. Even if you’re not a joiner, and you moved to the homestead to get away from people, you will benefit from these associations with experts in their chosen fields. Experience is the best teacher, but it doesn’t hurt to glean from others’ experience. It’s a great way to avoid making rookie mistakes that can set you back both physically, and financially.
Library
Feed Store
The local feed store is where everyone goes sooner or later. Get to know the people who run your local store and you may find that they are a valuable resource. They should be experts in the products that they carry, and can advise you on feeding requirements and supplements for your animals. They should also know the types of pests and diseases that are common in your area. They can often give some very common sense advice on where to find information and other resources. They may also have a bulletin board in the store (see below).
Community Bulletin Boards
Community bulletin boards are an incredibly useful thing especially in small town, rural farming communities. They might be located at the library, feed store, grocery store, gas station or laundromat. There is information on meeting places and times, educational programs available, animals and equipment for sale, lost and found pets, handyman services, and more. You will be surprised what you can find on a community bulletin board.
Veterinarian
Your vet is another great resource for information on animal care and feeding as well as local topics of interest. They are acquainted with many of the people in your area, and can be a very important person to know. Both large and small animal veterinarians should be on your speed dial.
It’s recommended that, even if you have healthy animals, you should establish an account with each type of vet in case of an emergency. Some vets will not treat an animal unless they are established with you as a client, which makes emergencies even more challenging. When you have a sick or injured animal, you can’t waste time on calling around to find a vet that’s willing to treat your animal. It could literally mean life or death.
Online Resources
Vlogs, blogs, podcasts and YouTube channels are other resources you can learn a great deal from if you have Internet access. There are literally thousands of channels, podcasts and blogs covering every single aspect of homesteading. Most of it is free, and some do require that you subscribe to get access.
Not all of these resources, however, are 100% reliable. You have to use your good judgment when taking in the information provided. A percentage of these content creators are sponsored by companies that pay them to put forth their products and methods, so you’ll want to be careful that you’re not being led astray by someone who claims to be an expert, but is really just a shill for a shadow company just wanting to sell their products.When choosing your channels, look beyond the topic or what comes up in the search, and note comments, how many subscribers the channel has, and whether the content has been liked or disliked.
There are many knowledgeable people out there sharing their homesteading journey. You can find generational farms, new homestead bloggers, families and individuals sharing their lives and farms for all to see.You can find content on just about every subject you might think of.
By viewing a wide variety of content, you can get an idea of which content creators are truly helpful and are speaking to you and your particular homesteading experience.
Here at http://homesteadeducationchannel.com/, we are dedicated to helping you find resources, education, and information regarding all aspects of the homesteading lifestyle.
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