💬 Community Question - August 18, 2025

[OldTimerJohn]

Community Question of the Day
August 18, 2025​

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"What's your top advice for someone starting a self-sufficient homestead from scratch?"​

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I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this! Share your experiences, tips, and perspectives.

This question came from today's newsletter. What do you think? Let's get a good discussion going!

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Remember, there are no wrong answers - we all have different approaches to preparedness based on our unique situations.

 

[OrbitJazz21]

What do you think? Let's get a good discussion going!

I’m all for that, OldTimerJohn—sharing lessons learned is how we all get better, whether it’s growing beans or setting up solar panels. What’s been your biggest “wish I’d known” moment on your homestead?

 

[ChamomileCraze]

Biggest “wish I’d known” for me is just how much time and stamina it takes to set up reliable water and soil systems. It’s easy to get caught up dreaming about fresh eggs and baskets of veggies, but if your water source isn’t steady or your soil isn’t alive and healthy, everything else turns into a headache fast. I spent the first two seasons fighting bad drainage and compacted earth—wish I’d started with proper composting and mulching right away.

Another thing: learn your local weeds! Some of what folks call weeds are powerful medicine or great for compost, and knowing what grows wild can save so much money and effort. Early on, I focused too much on what I *wanted* to grow and ignored all the dandelion, plantain, and wild violets (now they're staples in my herbal pantry).

Curious, does anyone else rely as much on wild edibles as cultivated crops? Sometimes I feel like half my meals are straight from the hedgerow in spring.