Epic Gardening Founder on the Magic of Homesteading: “It’s to Become Just a Bit More Self-Sufficient”

In 2022, Homesteaders of America found that aspiring homesteaders were apprehensive for two leading reasons: Finances and lack of space/land.

By Bianca Piazza
Green Matters
May 2 2024

Excerpt:

In the U.S., homesteading connects back to the Homesteading Act of 1862. This act allowed 270 million acres of public land to be distributed to private American citizens. To officially hold a 160-acre parcel of said land, citizens had to be at least 21 years old or the “head of a household” and pay a filing fee, as per the National Park Service. Acquiring this land came with much work, as homesteaders had to “live on the land, build a home, make improvements, and farm.”

The Merriam-Webster definition that best fits modern homesteading calls it “the act or practice of living frugally or self-sufficiently (as on a homestead) especially by growing and preserving food.”

Espiritu personally feels modern homesteading is about becoming “just a bit more self-sufficient, just a bit more of a producer than a consumer,” he tells Green Matters exclusively via email. “This doesn’t mean you need to live off your land exclusively, only to decide on a target and work from there. Maybe you want to capture more rainwater, or put solar panels up and use less electricity from the grid, et cetera. This doesn’t necessarily need to be gardening; maybe you just want eggs.”

The Field Guide to Urban Gardening author tells us that farming video games from his youth, like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and SimFarm inspired him to prioritize self-sufficiency.

Read the complete article here.