Homestead-ish: Embracing the Spectrum of Homesteading
If most of the homesteading content I’ve consumed in my lifetime were to be believed, homemade things are good, while anything bought in a store is bad and will likely kill you.
All meals must be homemade from scratch, and you can never eat fast food.
You must always eat whole foods and nothing that comes out of a package is good for you.
You’re either a healthy human being who is going to live a long life OR you’re a lazy person who’s going to die.
You are either 100% IN the homesteading box without exception,
Or you’re OUT of the box and don’t deserve to sit at the homesteading table.
Thankfully I don’t believe all of the absolutes commonly associated with homesteading. I believe in living a homestead-ish life.
What Does "Homestead-ish" Mean?
The definition of “ish” is “to some extent”, so the literal definition of homestead-ish is participating in homesteading to some extent.
To me homestead-ish means embracing the parts of homesteading that fit your life and leaving the rest without shame or guilt. It’s about creating a balance that works for you. You might raise chickens, but still grab fast food on busy days. You might grow tomatoes and make homemade marinara, but buy some pasta from the store to make spaghetti. You might bake sourdough bread from scratch, but still stock up on boxed mac and cheese for those low-spoon days.
Homesteading doesn’t have to mean living completely off the grid, grinding your own wheat for flour, and living off of canned goods from your garden during the winter. It’s about finding joy in the process and doing what you can with the resources, time, skills, and energy you have.
The Shame in Modern Homesteading
This is the part where I get frustrated and I do my best to not let my anger get the better of me.
Many homesteading influencers create a sense of shame around anything that doesn’t align with their version of “pure” homesteading. If you’re not making everything from scratch, avoiding all processed foods, and refusing fast food, you’re somehow “doing it wrong.”
This all-or-nothing mindset is toxic to put it bluntly. It discourages people from trying even the simplest homesteading activities. It also feeds into a culture of fear and guilt, which is the opposite of what homesteading should be about.
The truth is, you don’t have to give up everything modern life has to offer to embrace homesteading. You can be a homesteader and still enjoy a cheeseburger from your favorite drive-thru. You can make homemade butter one day and buy a loaf of bread from a store the next.
How I Homestead-ish
Let me tell you a little about my own homestead-ish lifestyle.
We grow a garden every year and I preserve much of what we grow. But I still buy pasta and snacks at the store.
I’m planning to milk our dairy cow after she calves, and we’ll pasteurize that milk ourselves. But I’m also not above running to the store for milk if it makes life easier.
I bake bread made from scratch and cook homemade meals when I have the energy, but on crazy days, SpaghettiOs or frozen pizza are perfectly fine meal options.
This balance keeps me sane, allows me to enjoy the process of homesteading, and keeps it accessible for my family.
You Can Homestead-ish Too
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of homesteading, please know that you don’t have to do it all at once. You actually don’t have to do it all EVER if you don’t want to. Don’t let the fear of not living a “perfect” homesteading lifestyle stop you from trying something new.
Want to get a sourdough started and try baking some bread? Do it!
Interested in growing herbs on your windowsill or raising a few chickens? Go for it!
The beauty of homestead-ish living is that it’s flexible. You can pick and choose what works for you. Don’t let fear-mongering or guilt stop you from exploring homesteading. You don’t have to give up modern conveniences or follow rigid rules to be part of my homestead-ish community. You can embrace the “ish” in homestead-ish and create a lifestyle that brings you joy and works for your unique circumstances.
Homesteading isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection—to your food, your environment, and yourself. Whether you’re growing a full garden, milking your own cow, or just trying to make one meal a week from scratch, you are homesteading because homesteading exists on a spectrum. It’s okay to find your spot on it.
So, go ahead. Try the thing. Bake the bread. Plant the garden. And don’t let anyone’s judgment or unrealistic standards hold you back-not even your pessimistic husband’s. You can homestead-ish. And I know you’ll be amazing at it.
What’s one homestead-ish thing you’ve always wanted to try? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to cheer you on and help out where I can!
