Leap of Faith
After taking a break to have our newest member of the Haxton Homestead family we are up and running again. Even though we are not starting from scratch, getting everything up and running back to where it was before my maternity leave is overwhelming and it has me thinking of day one on this homestead. I remember getting the keys and pulling up the driveway with such mixed emotions. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. Looking out at all the empty space with all the possibilities it held was, just like now, overwhelming.
We still had a lot going on during the leave we took. We were still taking care of chickens, ducks, horses, cows, goats, sheep and rabbits. We scaled down what we could and didn’t take on any more public events. Now we are at the spot again in our lives, looking out on the property and saying, whats next? I want to share advice for anyone looking to start homesteading and thinking to themselves, what next or how to I begin. My advice is always just do it. Of course, do your research and plan, but most likely you will never feel ready. That first step is always a leap of faith. When I brought home my first chicks years ago, I had a feeling of “what did I just get myself into”. And years later I still get that same feeling every time I bring on a new animal or project to the farm. Our newest addition is going to be bees. It has been something I have wanted for years and have put off year after year. I am grateful to my brother who gave me the push by gifting me bees for Christmas. They are being shipped this spring. Even though I prepared, researched, bought the equipment, and found a mentor to ask my questions, I still have the feeling of “what did I get myself into”.
Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t listen to other people who tell you that you’re crazy for wanting this or if they try and talk you out of it by telling you it will be too much work. If you want to homestead, just do it. There will always be reasons not to start or to wait till next year. Life is short and can change in an instant. If you want to do it, take the jump and don’t look back. That jump will look different for everyone. For some it will be starting a small container garden in your apartment window. For others it might be buying a bigger piece of property. Ask yourself what you would do if fear wasn’t a part of your decision. Before you know it those baby chicks you brought home in a box from the feed store will become just part of your everyday routine. Or your small garden will be doing well, and you will be pouring over seed catalogs all winter planning whats next.
If you are local and are looking for help, we love helping new homesteaders. I’m not claiming to have all the answers because no one person can. We are here as a resource for our community. Come take a class with us or schedule a tour so you can have all your questions answered 1 on 1. And even if I can’t answer all of them, I can help you find the answers. If you want to support us on our mission to be an educational homestead, you can come to one of our events. Our next one is the Brunch with the Easter Bunny. Maybe we’ll see you there!