Embracing Community: The Heart of Homesteading

Homesteading is not a one-person endeavor. There are more blessings and projects than any individual can manage. Embracing community is at the heart of homesteading. Even with our small urban homestead on a standard town lot, we produce more than we can preserve or consume. Typically, there are more cherries and apples to pick than we can enjoy. Sharing our abundance has been a very rewarding experience.

The Power of Giving

I don’t fully understand how fruiting works because, as you know, a tree can bear five apples or 500, depending on the year or circumstances. If it produces just five, we enjoy those; if it yields 500, we share them. The factors that lead to having five or 500 are often beyond our control. Therefore, I view it as a blessing—a gift meant to be shared. It often seems to me that the more we give, the more we receive in return.

Let me explain this with a story: I used to grow many beautiful, juicy carrots and shared them with a friend. One year, I wondered why I was growing so many carrots and thought I could just plant enough for myself. Nevertheless, I planted an entire bag of seeds, but surprisingly, they didn’t produce well. In fact, it was the first time in years that I didn’t have enough carrots, even for my own preservation. Thankfully, a fellow Homesteader had plenty of carrots that I could go and dig for myself. During our conversation, she mentioned, “You always have to grow more to share, right?” as if she had known my thoughts. Yes, I learned an important lesson: the mindset of not wanting to share is not a good one to begin with.

Distributing the workload is essential to enjoying the bounty of our harvest. I don’t have to pick my cherries or dig up the carrots myself; instead, I can invite someone who wants them to do the work. This greatly eases the workload! Furthermore, having neighboring kids pick raspberries or a friend gather cucumbers leads to meaningful conversations. It’s a wonderful way of exchanging not just produce but also communication and companionship.

Willing to Help

Of course, there’s more to life on a homestead than just harvesting. There are many projects to accomplish that are beyond my abilities. It’s so encouraging to know that there are people willing to lend a hand. For example, just this weekend, I had our neighbors over. She was excited about the perennial plants that had multiplied abundantly. She dug up suckers and plants that had reseeded themselves, eager to fill her buckets with plants that would cost a fortune in the store. Meanwhile, he fixed a siding trim on a garage that had fallen off during the last big storm and cleaned the rain gutters, which are too high for me to reach. One of the kids brought a ball, and I filled it with fresh spinach from the garden. We all ended the day feeling very happy. I’m grateful for all the help they provided, and they’re happy with the plants. What a joy it is to be part of a community!

It is necessary to be willing to give help as well. It’s a give-and-take relationship. I may not be able to do heavy or high-up work, but I can grow, bake, or cook. If we each contribute our abilities and gifts, it becomes a beautiful experience.

Self-Sufficiency as a Community

Self-sufficiency and self-reliance are widespread concepts in homestead communities. However, I believe it’s crucial to expand the idea of “self” to encompass all of us. Being self-sufficient and self-reliant as a community. We need each other, and supporting one another makes the journey much more enjoyable. Striving for self-reliance alone is unrealistic, but building a strong community is not.

The idea of moving far away from others to gather enough food to survive for years in a doomsday scenario has never appealed to me. Besides, why plan for mere survival when we can aim for thriving? Instead of hiding from neighbors, we should work together. It’s important not to disconnect from our communities but to incorporate ourselves into them.

Sharing Tools and Equipment

Another important aspect of community sharing is tools and equipment. Each of us has a lawnmower for our small yards, which we use maybe once a week. However, that one lawnmower could easily handle the mowing for five yards. While it is convenient to have our own tools stored in our garages, don’t forget that they will all also end up in landfills after they reach the end of their lifespans.

Tool libraries, rentels, and sharing apps are all great ideas. We really don’t need to own every single tool we might use one day. We can allow neighbors to borrow simple items, such as a spade. Why not? Often, it just takes a shift in mindset or a willingness to change.

Building Community in Difficult Times

Community becomes essential when life gets tough, and it’s important to start building that community long before challenges arise. This isn’t about preparing for hardship; rather, it’s about creating connections so that when life does throw obstacles your way, you don’t feel alone.

A strong community isn’t just about having one person to rely on, especially during tough times—that can be overwhelming. It was a transformative realization for me to understand that there are many people I can turn to for help, whether I need assistance with something specific or I want to share resources I have in abundance. Life is busy for most of us, and while we may not have the time to help someone consistently, when everyone contributes a little, it adds up to a lot. There’s a Russian saying that goes, “A thread from everyone makes a shirt for the naked.”

The past few years have been particularly challenging, and I feel incredibly grateful for the many people who have offered me support, even in small ways. Each gesture means so much, and collectively, they make a significant difference.

No matter where you are in life, I encourage you to focus on building a community. You can do this by giving, contributing, and also by asking for help when you need it. Many people are willing to help but may not know how. When you reach out, it not only allows others to assist you but also encourages them to feel brave enough to ask for help themselves. Step-by-step, we can learn to depend on, trust, support, and thrive together in our communities.

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