Words can be interesting, and they can even change definitions over time.
I've recently done some reflecting and thought that it might be good to share a few of my thoughts on this subject, pertaining to the distinct difference that I choose to see between being a modern "farmer" and being a "homesteader."
Individual definitions or interpretations may vary, and some may choose not to see a difference, but this post is just @papa-pepper sharing his thoughts.
HOW I CHOOSE TO DEFINE A FARMER & A HOMESTEADER
For me, a "farmer" is someone who has a farm. The purpose of that farm is to use the farm to generate money. Essentially, the farm is a business and it provides the income for the farmer rather than some other "job." The farm is the business and farming is the job.
On the contrary, I define a "homesteader" as someone who chooses to homestead. The purpose of the homestead is to provide a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Often, at least part of the purpose of the homestead is to provide more for yourself and your own family so that you need less money.
HOW I CHOOSE TO DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENCE
Common things that I would associate with a farm are a massive amount of one thing. Here are a few examples.
In the photo above, you see a large amount of round hay bales. By this sight alone I would determine that I am looking at a photo from a farm. The hay is most likely to support a large herd of dairy cows or meat cattle through the winter. A Homesteader may make and use hay, but I would struggle to see such a massive quantity being necessary on a yearly basis.
Likewise, giant manure lagoons, in my opinion, have no place on the homestead. They can be a common site on farms, but most homesteaders would never need to deal with such a massive amount of manure all at once.
Crops on the homestead are often going to be found in smaller quantities than you would see on some farms. If you are staring at tens or even hundreds of acres of a single crop, like corn, you're going to be looking at a farm. The purpose of the corn is money, not personal supply.
Additionally, while homesteaders may have an orchard, if you see acre after acre of the same tree, like apples or cherries, I'd say that you are not looking at a homestead.
LAND & MONEY
The amount of infrastructure and land can certainly vary. To start a homestead, people really don't need a lot of land. Often, though, to farm, a lot more space will be needed. According to how I view things, most frequently it will take a lot more space to generate a large income by farming than it will to raise some animals or grow some crops for your family.
Some of the modern issues with getting into farming are the high costs of land, property taxes, and equipment. Since the average person doesn't have hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase a large acreage and a lot of farm equipment like tractors and attachments, far too often those who want to get into farming do so at the high cost of debt bondage. Because of the loans and interest associated with paying off the property and equipment, even more money must be generated from the property.
For a homestead, though, less land is commonly needed. We picked up our small amount of acres for mere thousands of dollars, not tens of thousands or more. I like the way that they refer to homesteads in the UK, "small holdings." As the name "small holdings" would imply, the land can be just a small amount land which the family holds in their possession.
Also since it is fairly common among homesteaders to cut costs and save money, taking out large loans can be counterproductive.
While many people do generate some sort of income from their homestead, I draw a distinction between homesteading and farming when it comes to earning money. Personally, I have no desire to try to generate as much money as possible from my homestead. Enough to get by, provide for my family, and perhaps save for their futures will be enough. Without having large debts to pay off, I really don't need incredible amounts of money to be made on a yearly basis.
PAPA'S POINT
As always, everyone can evaluate things for themselves and make their own determinations. I just wanted to share more about my life and my views. Many on steemit seem to have similar views on things, but others have never even heard of homesteading before and have no idea what it is.
@Papa-pepper will not be planting hundreds of acres of corn or apple trees. I'll grow both, but in much smaller quantities. Also, while I may feed some animals hay or have some cattle, I won't be needing hundreds of hay bales every winter to feed my massive herds.
My goal is to live a life with my family, where we take care of more (if not most) of our own needs. By doing so, I won't need to earn as much money as I would if I had to pay a mortgage or rent every month, pay for day care, and purchase all of our food from a store. I know that not everyone will choose to live in such a manner, but since we are free to, we have chosen to .
My dad, @grandpa-pepper, grew up on a dairy farm. When he was old enough, he left. The way that he saw it, "There had to be an easier way to make money." You can see from his conclusion what the purpose of that farm was, "to make money." Personally, I'd rather not need money, or at least not so much of it.
Of course this is by no means an "official definition," it is just how I see things. People can go into debt to start a homestead, or try homesteading as "a business." Others can farm debt-free or even use a tiny lot to "farm" as an income or job.
I've seen the bumper stickers that say "Farmer's Feed the World," and once that may have been a more beautiful thing than it has become. I'm just not comfortable eating animals that we raised on antibiotics in densely populated "warehouses" or mutant crops that are "Round-Up Resistant" and sprayed every two weeks by crop dusters. Not that all farmers are into that sort of thing, but far too often, when money is the goal, a lot of things are compromised. Life is my goal, not money.
Thanks for your time, and I hope that I haven't offended anyone. This is just the way that I see things, and why I choose to be called a homesteader and not a farmer. People are free, at least to a certain degree, to live how they want, and this is just my choice. We can discuss more below if you want.
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-papa-pepper-just-being-a-homesteader
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
Wow good post. You can see in our name it says farm. When we started in Washington we named ourselves Rocky Brook farmstead. Now farmstead to me was about raising enough animals and growing food for us and our friends that could not grow food or raise animals. Reading this make me think that we are definitely homesteaders that want to sell some of my extras for thing i would need to buy. I guess you never see the word farmstead. I want to grow food for us and extra for farmers market. So do you think farmstead fits or are we just homesteaders?
No, I agree with you. Farmstead is another good word. What we want to do sounds similar to what you're up to, and I think either name applies.
Yes we are soooooo on the same page on trying to need less money not wanting to make more.
Just gave you a full power upvote on that comment to try to help out with needing less money, LOL!
Lol
I also agree with your thinking, when we can manage the land, then we will not depend again with the outside world, because we already have what is needed. when we raise cattle, then there we must have farmland. because the cattle in the creation of God is the best fertilizer factory. and the best farming technique is the intercropping model, because the nature of the plants keep each other. we can also see the forest. why did God grow a variety of plants there, so there is a balance that goes there. I wrote a lot about Integrated Farming, please visit my blog. and i always follow you ,,, good luck @ papa-papers, thank you.
I like the term farmstead and I think you used it well. (I wrote my comment below before I saw your comment) Nothing wrong with being a farmer AND a homesteader to me. I don't really buy into the idea that if you make any money at all, you are a farm, and you can't call yourself a homesteader if you are making money. There probably is a line somewhere between being just a farm or just a homestead, but I tend to think that should be determined on a case by case basis. You're fine, keep defining yourself however you want.
I hope that you didn't think that this was my point. I totally agree with you. I just would prefer not to have manure lagoons or acres and acres of corn associated with what I'm up to. It paints a very different picture in my mind.
No, I didn't think that was what you were saying at all. I've heard that elsewhere quite a few times, and I think it is an over-simplification. I thought the boundaries you suggested between the terms was very accurate. It's kind of a "I'll know it when I see it" thing for me, and I agree with the contrasts you pointed out.
I thought so, I just wanted to double-check. Thanks!
Reading the article and comments the one area that bothers me is putting a label on it and calling it good.
"Living" is what it was called when I grew up, child 7 of 11 and we always had food no matter the time or season of the year. We grew our food and stored for down times (canning) so that we could eat in the winter.
My mother called it her garden but neighbors would call it farming (11 kids and parents takes a lot of food) and yes there were pigs, chicken, turkeys, dove, quail, cattle and fishing was just the normal for something extra and the few things they could not raise or grow was bought in bulk and barter was just the normal way of doing business.
When society throws a label on something that is just normal, folks start using it and calling themselves that new term instead of telling them "nope it is living".
During the depression not many of those who were living, raising their own felt the impact because it was just the normal life we all lived.
I more align with Prepper than Homesteader. I learned to prepare for whatever is thrown at me (tornado, floods etc) and can take what I have prepared with me anywhere so am not bonded to my land.
Hearing anyone place a label on themselves is just falling for the same FUD (fear, uncertainty, death/defeat) that media is driving.
Kick the labels and call yourself "Living" and blow away what anyone else calls it so that it becomes the normal again.
Shared for others to chime in with their thoughts...
Upvoted because I appreciate the topic and making me and others think...
I follow because you have your head screwed on right ;-)
I'm with you on definitions and distinctions. I'd rather find what we have in common, rather than what divides us. And I'd rather celebrate our uniqueness, than evoke simplistic judgement.
I see your point. We have always grown, not nearly enough for sustainability, but enough to get a taste of it on my tongue. It tastes good!
I have started looking more carefully at sustainability because I can and there is something to be said about living without all the trappings that take me away from what is most important in life.
My family.
So, kudos to you for having achieved or on your way to succeeding what many people only dream about. I always look forward to papa-pepper time.
Thank you!
Totally valid points and good on you for actually being resourceful enough to make that work. I think a lot of people get caught up in the grind and focussing on money and status without first seeing how productive they can be with their own hands.
I also agree from the animal side of things. In the UK we have more controls over what our animals are allowed to be fed regarding supplements but it's still not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
That and the fact that we as humans consume more meat than we need or should...I'm not a vegetarian, I don't believe in giving myself such a label, but I don't eat meat so much, I live largely on a vegetable diet, sometimes I have chicken or fish, and rarely I have some red meat.
In England we usually call them allotments by the way...I'd love to have one myself! I've just spent some time in Greece and among other things, designed and built some raised beds.
Buuuut, they weren't for me! :(
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Same to you for sharing your experiences, it's really interesting to see. You also inspired me to write this just now, with your how tos - https://steemit.com/howto/@sammarkjames/2017-or-how-to-build-a-frame-picnic-benches
Cool! Thanks!
I am not offended. And I have repeated said I grew up on a dairy farm. We made most of our money by selling milk and extra animals. Yes it does cost a lot of money to be a farmer. With little return on what you get paid for selling milk. Also I have never made big round bales of hay,we did the rectangle bales of hay. Manure was spread on the fields and use as fertilizer. Our animals had pastures they ate from and the crops we planted was used to feed our animals. We went out in the woods and forage for food on our property.
In my mind homesteaders are doing the same things we did just on a smaller scale.
My Dad taught me you need to be respectful to the land. You treat the land right and it will treat you right.
Well said and thanks for sharing your thoughts. What town in Wisconsin was that dairy farm near?
Wausau
We sold the farm after my Mom died, My Dad said he couldn't live there with out her.
Great Articles and Captures Buddy !
Farmer vs Homesteader is similar to housewife vs homemaker. Eventually, they are similar but they mean something else to different people. Would you call someone like Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver a cook? No! You would call them chefs or celebrity chefs.
I agree. Good point.
Very true great comment thank you.
We're really good at muddying up the definition of words in this country, but individuals defining some these words to fit themselves is fine with me if I know what they are talking about. One thing I'd add to this discussion of differences in farming and homesteading, is that you can do both.
I'm often hearing the term farmstead these days, like @rockybrookfarm has used. I like it, seems to be a nice bigger box for us to fit in. Another example is @coghill, who goes by Cog Hill Farm & Homestead. Brilliant. Why not both? :)
Right! You sure can do both.
Can we come and live at your farm ? Please :)
Words mean things!
This distinction is far less advanced in rural Colombia. Most of my neighbors desperately want to make money, mostly because we live in 'poverty'. We also have a seemingly endless supply of fresh healthy food, but that doesn't pay school fees!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, this is one that I would consider translating to spanish.
Great shots my friend!
Great post and thank you for sharing @papa-pepper
Nice article and I appreciate your choice of lifestyle.
Nearly everyone who owns a small amount of land where i live in central Portugal has their own "horta". They usually consist of cabbages, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, a few chickens and a couple of goats.
They are not normally any larger than half a football pitch and relied on to lower the shopping bills at the end of the month!
Hometeader @papa-pepper in my country ruined farmers, only wheat farmers who farm regularly, apart from wheat farming most of the people in the region I farmed mixed crops and did not focus on one crop in an area. so the results are not achieved in the maximum, you have a great job @papa-pepper warm regard from Aceh, Indonesia
Good points. I agree with all of them. If everyone were a homesteader, large farms wouldn't be needed. The American Way seems to be "Bigger is Better" but the law of unintended consequences comes into play. If all our eggs are in one basket, what happens if that basket gets dropped? All people who are dependent on those eggs starve. If each person has there own egg supply and an individual drops their own basket, their neighbor can step in and share with them and no one starves. In the economy, bigger isn't better. It just means larger profits for the mega corps but it leaves the whole system vulnerable. Good post. Viva La Homesteaders!
posting a very great, I really like posting friends,
You are amazing... I always read your article @papa-pepper... I love homesteading... In the Philippines, we have a saying.
Thanks,
@kennyroy
I can declare I am a 'preparing homesteader' (thanks to @goathollow for clarifying the term for me)
I have a small plot of land (less than 1/2 acre) but I make good use of every square inch with plans to add more herbs and plants next season.
I've raised chickens and once had a goat. Need to start restructuring that part of my homestead soon.
Nice pictures papa, thank you so much👍👍👍👍👍👍
Very good
Just following you read your blog
Very nice story and pictures :-)
Upvoted you :-)
Hey @papa-pepper, Good post as always. Thank you for sharing.
Good ideas & pictures from @papa-pepper. Nice to meet you in Steemit. I am from Indonesia.
Interesting to see how the meaning of homesteading has evolved over the years. my great grandparents. were homesteaders in southern North Dakota. all of your basics were provided by the land. I too now see this as a term of self sufficiency. We only run on 21/2 acres. We grow less now that our family has grown up. But we used to grow enough for us and supplemented our income at the local farmers market with the overflow.
Hi papa im shiddy slicker farmer 1 year in, yes i agree and might have to change out of homesteder into prepper, what do you think?
I think you can call yourself what you want, but certain words may paint a different picture in people's minds than what you are actually up to. That's why I don't call myself a farmer.
i work 6 months cleaning seed for a real farmer for my tractor
they work hard almost to the death and bankruptcy
im would love that honor but im just trying to off grid, feed the kids
i did plant loads of garlic, thanks mate
I respect your point of view and practice your lifestyle. Blessings.
Very well put, @papa-pepper! I couldn't agree more. I especially like the part "..and once that may have been a more beautiful thing than it has become." I suppose before agriculture went industrial, farming itself was smaller scale, probably a lot more diverse, and closer to homesteading.
Excellent points!If I may add one other contrast... Permaculture style farming versus big ag with machines. A small tractor is pretty much needed on a homestead, and you use it all year. Big ag requires equipment that costs more than my house that you use for 2 weeks a year... and for every 2 weeks of work you need another $100K+ machine. The average "modern farmer" will NEVER own his stuff.
What excellent definitions. I've struggled with defining both words/lifestyles and you summed it up so tidily. I sure wish I had written this, but at last, I couldn't find the words. I even goof and say I live on a farm when in reality it is a homestead that I grow blueberries on.
i have a piece of land and i didn't know what to do with it... my initial thought was farming... but homesteading seems like the better option for me personally. thanks for this post, you break down the differences nicely
I like your lifestyle :)
The ability to be self sufficient is really undervalued in todays modern society. It has become too easy for the public to get any type of fruit or vegetable anytime of year from the local grocery store, we've become spoiled as a society.
Being able to provide resources for your own family, through your own effort can be very satisfying. I remember growing up our family had a vegetable garden. Nothing spectacular maybe 30 x 20 as the dimensions, growing potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and a few other things. It wasn't easy work and it needed constant attention but that intangible experience from start to finish is amazing. great clarification in this post
Hi papa, consider raising pigeons. Some of them are so expensive and they are very easy to keep and multiple
Hey, @papa-pepper! I would have to agree. Homesteading is more about a way of life than farming which has become big business. Homesteading is about self-sufficiency whereas farming is providing food for the masses at a profit. We had a farm in Canada, beef cattle and cash crops. It was not the sort of lifestyle we wanted for our family. That is why we moved (and health reasons) and bought our small parcell of land to homestead. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
Hello, it's really great what you did. Farming is amazing and I would love myself to get back to the basis of life and focus on those things that are core to our existence and live peacefully, giving something for the nature from myself everyday.
the great post @papa-pepper
Well Said
This is a great postscript to your Why I Homestead? series. Thanks.
Great Post & Points!
If your a homesteader your a farmer and of your a farmer your a homesteader.
Steem on :)
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That's very wonderful. I wish I didn't want so much to be acting for a living so we could live somewhere that a couple acres is mere thousands of dollars, but we all make our choices on what will bring joy. Yay that there's folks like you getting joy the way you do!
You are a homesteader @papa-pepper no doubt and you are a source of inspiration for your readers like me .I wish to be as much near to nature as you are .
Congratulations @papa-pepper!
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Hey @papa-pepper, I shared this post on my Look What I Found! collection of interesting articles. I hope you like it. https://steemit.com/curating/@stortebeker/look-what-i-found
The goal of a farm is money, the goal of an homestead is life: I love this point!
Very good post @papa-pepper! Everything your wrote was on point and makes clear and perfect sense. I would have to say, going by your personal definition that my farm; well pending farm is in fact a future homestead. I guess to me growing up in eastern Iowa everyone had farms or it was a ranch. The only things we really sold were milk to the milkman and a few cows at the sale barn.
For me to name our new home, I just kept it with what I have grown up knowing. Hence, Pfeiler Family Farm. Do I plan on having a lot of cattle? Ooooh no. Cass Co Missouri states I can have 1200 lbs of livestock per acre. I will leave it to maybe 2 or 3 just so we have some beef for our own freezer. I am in it for peace, soul rebuilding, self reliance and a place to raise my family.
Thank you for another well written post.
Kenny
I agree with your analysis between the difference. A farm will have a lot more up front cost also that a homestead should not have since homestead is about cutting cost. I see the difference between a farm and a homestead as a homestead can make money but they make a little money in a lot of different ways by using a closed circuit where everything produces for something else in the homestead that in return produces for another part of the homestead while also producing by products to bring income. Where as I see farms producing very few products in volume that they sell for a large income but also have a very large cost of production between fertilizer, diesel etc. I have a worm farm on my homestead that produces extra worms and castings to sell but also produces enough for my to grow extra food for my livestock that in turn produce a waste product that circles back to my worms but also producing extra baby livestock, tanned hides and meat that can be sold. I try to have everything brought into the homestead to have multiple uses and produce something for me and my family, something for another part of my homestead and something to sell. Nice article though it is hard for someone to understand the difference between a homestead and a farm when they have never lived on either.