r/Homesteading101

I’ve been thinking about how often things go wrong out here, plans fail, animals don’t behave the way you expect, crops don’t grow like the YouTube videos promised, but sometimes those “mistakes” end up teaching way more than doing everything right ever could.

want to hear real stories, what’s something you messed up on your homestead that actually worked in your favor later, or led you to something better?

Could be small, could be a big one, I feel like those are the experiences people don’t talk about enough 👀

I just scored the biggest win of my whole week: I finally got a watering cart. And wow, what a game-changer. Sure, maybe it’s just a tank on wheels, but honestly? It feels like pure magic to me.

Dragging a heavy, constantly-tangling hose around the yard used to leave me sweaty and sore. But today, I shot through my garden like I had wings. It actually felt fun, like I was a garden fairy making sure everyone got a drink. My plants? They’re living their best lives. I’m pretty sure I even caught my hydrangeas doing a happy wiggle.

I ended up browsing Alibaba for cute garden stuff afterwards, feeling seriously thankful for these little inventions that make caring for our plants so much easier. And honestly, if you watered even one plant today, you’re a legend. Helping something grow is its own kind of superpower, and you’re nailing it.

Let’s keep the good vibes rolling! What tiny tool or trick made your day a little better? No win is too small for a happy dance or some sparkles. Keep those plants hydrated, keep smiling, and don’t forget to bloom exactly where you’re planted.

I started my first real garden this year. Not a huge one. Maybe 30ft by 30ft. But watering everything with a hose is taking forever. Like an hour every morning. My back is starting to hurt me.

I've been looking at watering carts online. The ones with the tank and the spray bar on the back. It seems like it could save me time but I'm not really sure yet.

A farm supply store here in Texas wants like $1500 for one. Then I saw similar looking ones on Alibaba for like $400 plus shipping. Thats a huge difference. Is the cheap one gonna develop issue after a month? Or am I just paying for a brand i know nothing about?

Also do I need a tractor or something to pull it? I only have a little riding lawn mower. Not sure if that would work. Sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm very new to all this.

I don't have any animals yet. Just vegetables. Maybe next year I'll get chickens and pigs but not right now.

Does anyone here use a watering cart for a small garden? Is it worth the money or should I just keep hand watering and deal with the back pain?

Also how do you store them during winter? Do they freeze and starts cracking?

Thanks for any advice. I really appreciate it.

Hello,

I've recently got a home with a big coop (i gotta clean and sterilize it before I get new chickens, finished 1500 sq ft garage plus my home and finally the 5 acres. Its everything I always wanted. That being said, Im trying to figure out a way to make money with my property as well as enjoy it. What can make me some money (ideas) while also allowing me to have two horses at the same time. Any rational thoughts are welcome ;))

Some days I’m on top of everything, chores done, things feel peaceful, almost why I started this in the first place.

And then other days, it’s like everything stacks up at once. Animals, tasks, weather, random problems and my head just feels cluttered.

What surprised me is, it wasn’t the workload, it was my mind that was the real mess.

So I tried something super simple, just writing for 5 minutes in the morning. Nothing deep, just a few lines, what I’m thinking, what I need to focus on, what’s bothering me.

Didn’t expect much, but it actually made my days feel way more controlled.

I even ended up putting together a simple yet powerful daily journal because I wanted something that fits real life, not those perfect “Pinterest routine” things.

though, how do you all deal with the mental side of this lifestyle?

Do you just push through it? or do you have something that helps clear your head?

Three years ago my wife and I bought 27 acres to build a house/raise our kids/start a vineyard one day. I was looking back on my notes/progress and was like… I wish I’d had a checklist or something when I started, because I was very much just winging it.

This is what I came up with - it covers everything we did, (or we wish we did) starting out on day 1 with a bunch of land and no real idea how to start.

Sharing because I hope it will help anyone who is in similar shoes. I’ll gladly take & fold in any feedback on anything I missed/should do better. Thanks all!

I’m asking this seriously, not for the romantic version of homesteading, but the real one.

What is the hardest truth you learned only after doing it yourself, something that changed how you see this lifestyle completely?

Could be about money, burnout, isolation, animals, land, weather, food production, relationships, or just the mental side of trying to do all of this without breaking.

I think a lot of people admire homesteading from the outside, but the people actually living it know there are some truths that hit hard, and usually stay with you.

I’d genuinely love to hear the kind of answer that a beginner probably doesn’t want to hear, but absolutely needs to.

I have been doing YouTube for a while but recently started switching the focus of my channel towards woodworking. I want to make sure I am posting videos that people are interested in and find worthwhile.

If you wouldn’t mind I would really appreciate feedback on how to make my videos better.

Thanks so much.

Lately I’ve been thinking, we spend so much time tracking the land, the weather, the animals, the harvest, but how often do we actually track ourselves?

Not in a complicated way, not another long routine to keep up with just something simple.

I started taking 5 minutes in the morning, before things get busy, just to write a few thoughts down, what I’m grateful for, what I want to focus on that day, even just clearing my head a bit.

It’s honestly changed the way my days feel. Less chaos, more intention.

if anyone else here does something like this journaling, planning, even just sitting quietly for a few minutes?

And if you don’t, do you feel like it would help, or just another thing on the list?

Hello!

I’m a doctoral researcher studying how people understand and experience homesteading.

I’m inviting individuals with any level of connection to homesteading, whether past or present, to share their perspectives in a short survey (about 10-15mins).

The goal is simply to better understand how people describe homesteading / self-sufficiency in their own words and what it looks like in practice today. There are no right or wrong answers, just your perspective.

Participation is completely voluntary, and your responses will remain confidential.

I really appreciate your time and insight.

ive never plucked ducks, so looking for any, and all tips & tricks. i was also wondering if those drill attached pluckers actually work, and if so, how

I think I underestimated how hard it is to figure out “how much to grow”

Like: how do you even plan this properly?

I started thinking I’d grow a good chunk of my own food, but now I’m realizing I have no idea how much space or effort it actually takes to be even partially self-sufficient

Some people say a small garden is enough, others talk about needing serious land, preservation, crop planning, rotations

And then there’s timing harvests coming all at once, things going bad if you don’t store them right

Right now I feel like I’ll either grow too little and still depend on stores or grow too much and waste half of it

Is there some baseline or system people follow? or is it all trial and error?

Reliability and back up. Instead of one main grid of panels/wind to end device, say 3 individual systems. 1 could be dedicated to high power devices like washer/dryer electric stove, microwave. 1 for front room and 1 for back with their own window units.

Hi all!

My husband and I moved a couple of years ago and are slowly trying to transform our space! On the back corner of the property we have a pond that I'd love to get cleaned up and turn into a stocked pond that we can fish on. I don't know the exact dimensions but from aerial views the footprint is bigger than our house so perhaps 90x30 ish and no idea how deep but some of the neighbors that it was likely fairly deep! The water is murky at best. Due to this formerly being used for agriculture and the fact that some neighbors are still farming or raising cattle, how can I determine if the water is safe to put fish in, swim and/or filter in an emergency? I've looked at a few testing sites but most test just for pH, nitrates etc and not chemicals that might be in agricultural run off.

Also, if anyone is in NE Washington I'd be curious to hear what fish you've successfully stocked due to the big temperature fluctuations! Any advice or thoughts are appreciated. Cheers.