Sustainability

Can Homesteading Offer a Sustainable Model of Living?

• How does traditional homesteading tie into rural discourses we discussed in class, such as the urban/rural dichotomy, the rural ideal, and the rural hybrid?
• How can homesteading be extended into urban settings?
• How has homesteading changed over the years from a necessity to an alternative lifestyle?
• How do different homesteaders define and understand sustainability? 

Our Definition of Sustainability:  To maintain a lifestyle that is interconnected with and understands the workings of this planet’s natural systems by decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, living locally, and increasing self-sufficiency. Wendell Berry describes sustainability as a different kind of economy,  “If we believed that the existence of the world is rooted in mystery and sanctity, then we would have a different economy. It would still be an economy of use, necessarily, but it would be an economy also of return. The economy would have to accommodate the need to be worthy of the gifts we receive and use...mostly we take without asking, use without respect or gratitude, and give nothing in return.”

Our Findings:To answer our research question, yes homesteading can offer a sustainable model of living; however, there are caveats. Homesteading is one of the most sustainable ways of living, be it in rural, suburban, urban, quasi-urban, or peri-rural spaces because it fosters self-sufficiency. The practice of homesteading relies on understanding the rhythms of ecosystem services such as nutrient cycles and this level of competency helps the homesteader to provide for herself and her community. It is important to note that homesteading requires a great amount of labor, time, and resources. We have found through our field research and interviews that many homesteaders became homesteaders after they had already established themselves as financially secure. We hypothesize that it may be difficult for the younger aspirational homesteaders to purchase land and pursue a more “traditional” method of agrarian homesteading. However, through our extensive research, we have also found that homesteading manifests itself in many ways and can be easily adopted through methods that are less resource-intensive. For instance, many aspiring homesteaders can sprout their own grains, no matter if they live in a crowded apartment with many roommates. Homesteading is a way of living rather than a rigid outline of rules and regulations.