In the beginning (circa 2007), frustrated by grocery and gas prices, we (Erik and Catie, an early Millennial couple) ripped out a small patch of lawn in our city yard (gasp!) and shoved some dollar store seeds in the ground. They barely sprouted. Perplexed, we tossed some manure from our pet rabbits on top, and watched in awe as food emerged from the ground. Our sense of wonder was further awakened when we were able to share our small bounty and new set of skills with the people around us, especially during a time of economic instability.
We were always inspired to learn to do more for ourselves and others using whatever resources and space that we had. That’s what homesteading is; a mindset! You can homestead anywhere. We lived in dorms, houses, apartments, basements, and we “homesteaded” everywhere..sometimes mostly in our heads.
Nowadays, we live on the last remaining 14 acres of an early Victorian dairy farm, in an area where urban sprawl encroaches on our peace more every day. Even so, we continue to grow and preserve food, raise dairy goats, raise poultry and keep beehives, tap maple trees, forage, and make lots of goat milk soap, and try to learn new skills each year. We are constantly undertaking projects to make our homestead as self-sufficient as possible with an emphasis on working within a limited budget and avoiding debt. We succeed, sometimes in a big way, and we also fail, also sometimes in a big way, but we learn from it all. We are striving to be good stewards of this land for those who come after us.
Wojo Homestead, the little YouTube channel that shares our journey of building a self-sufficient life, is a creative endeavor meant to inspire others to try this lifestyle for themselves and their families. The time is NOW. The rewards of homesteading are rich, and the well of fulfillment runs deep. We want that for other people. But we are also selfish, because the more folks we can inspire, the more friends we might have. We are looking for our community. Care to join us?
