How Literature Inspires a Modern Homestead

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When you think about homesteading, usually a vision of an old farmhouse pops up. The family probably makes their own clothes and live like it’s still the 19th century. So where would the term modern fit in any of that? What is a modern homestead?

 

 

Modern Homestead the Unsatisfying Answer

The most true answer will probably not be satisfactory. Modern homesteading can be whatever you want it to be. There is no right answer. 

 

The hippies in their refurbished busses parked together taking turns on tending the garden and selling natural homemade lotions and bath salts would be considered a modern homestead. So would the guy who works in an office building and goes home to his small plot in the suburbs and spends his evenings working on his vegetable garden. Or the family that just bought 25 acres and is making plans to bring in a diverse group of animals to raise for meat and milk. 

 

Wherever people are making a life and nurturing their surroundings, that is a modern homestead. So, how should you do it?

 

Homesteads Simply Unnoticed

Looking back on life, even though I grew up surrounded by the hustle and bustle of city/suburban life I now realize that homesteading was never that far from my peripherals. As an avid reader I would consume books faster then I could get my hands on them. Farming of some sort was a constant theme. So simple and so unnoticed. The most benevolent characters were the ones who were knee deep in dirt working the land or domesticating an animal. I like to take each of them into consideration when figuring out what bits I can glean for my own small farm.

 

 

Hobbit Holes and 7 Meals a Day

In Tolkien’s classic tale The Hobbit he introduced us to a simple yet joyful character who took pleasure in the quiet surroundings of the Shire. Hobbits in general were known for their love to consume fresh food at many hours of the day. Relaxing and taking in the view after a long day’s work. They made their homes out of a hole in the ground. Even so, their homes are elaborate structures with passages and ornamental design throughout. Hobbits bring together simple time honored tradition with beauty.

 

 

“I am in fact a Hobbit in all but size. I like gardens, trees, and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking; I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humor (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I do not travel much.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

 

 

Harvesting Friendship and Kindness

In Veronica Roth’s Divergent series the characters were separated into factions that all had a name which foreshadowed their demeanor and job in society. The faction that hung out on the outskirts of town, and was least noticed out of the five factions was Amity. The name suits these post-apocalyptical farmers. Amity represents friendship and kindness. They are the peaceful people working the land. Amity provides food for the entire society while striving to maintain a neutral existence far from the wars that have plagued mankind up until that point.

 

 

Modern Homesteaders Provide for a Need

I know its not necessarily a book, but I can’t ignore Luke Skywalker’s humble beginnings in Star Wars. Luke was living with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine a desert planet that was home to some unsavory characters. Most people remember the blue milk but what kind of farming does one do on a desert planet? Luke’s Uncle Owen was a moisture farmer. They used vaporators to harvest excess humidity in the atmosphere. Their job was imperative to keep life on the planet with two suns.

 

 

Life is Precious

Lastly I cannot leave out the most obvious rural influence in children’s lives. In E.B. White’s, Charlottes Web we are introduced to a little girl who takes in the smallest runt of a pig and nurses him to health. Her devotion to him was as if he was her own baby. We learn the value of life through an unexpected source, a tiny spider living out her days in the corner of a barn. We see that valuing things over others is toxic and the effect hoarding has when a rat’s rotten egg is stored in a place that eventually gets cracked open and permeates the air with its foul stench.

 

 

Each of these stories were preparing me in some way or another for this homesteading endeavor long before I even considered it a possible path. Structurally I will need to do more research before I build my infrastructure but my main goals are already in place.

 

 

 I will value all life both in my homestead and out. I will see how I can provide for a need. Kindness, and friendship will be integral as we use our resources to show love to our neighbors. All while stuffing our faces with home grown food and appreciating the simple things in life. What will yours look like?

 

 

Let’s be friends! Subscribe to my monthly newsletter and I will keep you updated on my journey as a city girl from the North, discovering this wonderful world of Southern living and modern homesteading with fresh eyes. Hopefully you will be encouraged in your journey and possibly learn something new!

 

 

As always, thank you for meeting me AT FORESTS EDGE, it has been a pleasure.