What *is* Homesteading?

Sometimes, I just want to play in the woods

There’s something I’ve been puzzling out for quite some time: what exactly is homesteading? 

At one of my recent “Grow a Homestead-Style Food Garden” classes I teach at the local community college, a student asked me that very question. 

I think of myself as living a “homesteady” life, yet I had to admit I wasn’t quite sure what to tell her.

On the one hand, isn’t it the concept of “homesteading” kind of obvious? For example: it’s 1) growing your own food, 2) being big on DIY, 3) maybe living more simply. 

Self-reliance is a prime consideration. To me, however, homesteading is so much more…

But first, let’s consider what homesteading is *not*.

It’s not necessarily living on a large acreage out in the boonies. (We do live on 10 wooded acres out in the sticks.)

It doesn’t mean you’re off-grid. (We do have a solar array for our home, but it’s connected to the grid. When the power goes out, we’re out too. But we also have solar for our well pump, which is connected to 3 humongous batteries, and that means we’ve got plenty of water when the power does go out!)

It doesn’t mean you’ve installed a graywater system, or you collect rainwater, or you eat only what you can grow or raise. (We grow a *lot* of the fruits and veggies we eat, but far from all of them!)

A food gardener I admire greatly lives in a mid-sized Midwestern city, on about 1/2 acre, and raises lots of food for her family, and calls her life a homesteading journey. She writes eloquently:

“Homesteading is deeply tied to the seasons, and time begins to flow differently when you lean into the rhythm set by nature.” —Laura Lemon

I agree 100%! Homesteading, or as I prefer to say, “the homesteady life” is simply a mindset. A few things to ponder about this way of thinking.

~Living and raising food according to the seasons, going with the flow of nature.

~Caring for nature, being closer to the land

~Creating homes and food for pollinators and other “good garden friends” as my husband John would say.

The little toad house John created for one of our *friends*

~Aiming for crop productivity. A perfect, photogenic garden? Not so much!

~Using what you have on hand…why buy something when you can make do?

Here’s a real-life example.

We’ve got some neighbors about 3 miles down the main road, a lovely young family with about 2 1/2 acres on a former clearcut. When they moved in, the property was mostly covered with young firs, 3-10 feet tall.

They bulldozed down all those lovely young firs, and cleared all the underbrush and grass. Then they graded the entire acreage, and I do mean thoroughly: back and forth, back and forth, until the land was as bare as a moonscape. 

I wondered, were they going to plant a huge garden, or even put in a little farm with a pasture?

But no. They left the bare dirt, then planted about 100 little store-bought cedar saplings around the perimeter of the property. Despite lots of rain, about 90% of the saplings died within 2 or 3 months. My guess is that the soil was completely destroyed from all the grading.

Why, I wondered, didn’t they just leave a little circle of firs and brush around the borders of their property? The strip of native plants would have made a mini-habitat for birds and insects, privacy for their yard, plus a nice windbreak. 

They ended up replanting with a whole new set of cedar saplings. A whole lotta money spent for both sets, when they could have just used what they had on hand, and let nature do what she does best! 

Native red currant that popped up on our property provides oodles of food for bumblebees!

As you see from my pic above, I used what I had on hand for gardening gear…an old shirt of John’s! 

Anyway, back to cultivating a homesteading mindset…

Maybe all you have room for is a small container garden. But you can still raise food “homestead-style”! And even if it’s cold and snowy where you live, it’s not too soon to start thinking about it…I’ll chat more about this next time…

And you can get my free gardening guide, Little Farm in the Garden, plus find more about all my homesteady books at www.susancolleenbrowne.com !

Photo credits: John F. Browne

How *Does* Santa Deliver all those Gifts?

Ever since Santa Claus has become a Christmas tradition, how he operates has remained one of the great mysteries…

If Santa delivers gifts to the children of all the families celebrating Christmas around the world, how in the heck does he get it all done in one night? 

Especially since he’s driving a sleigh with limited cargo space, powered by flying reindeer…which don’t appear to be flying at supersonic speeds.

Then there’s also the chimney thing. The whole story, no matter how wonderful and magical Santa is, just doesn’t add up. 

Plus: If Santa enters all those houses in the dark of night through the chimney, what about all the houses that do *not* have a chimney? 

Well, it has taken centuries to figure out how Santa gets it all done—but finally, we have answers. 

Famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has, through careful research, figured out the mysterious ways of Santa Claus…

Santa is actually “whipping around the world and into the homes of good girls and boys via some wondrous wormholes.” The sleigh and reindeer, as cool as they are, is just a ruse…a decoy. 

It could be because we can picture the sleigh and reindeer, even flying, but we have no idea what a wormhole looks like. 

And if we’re busy watching the chimney, says Dr. deGrasse Tyson, we’re distracted from what Santa is really up to!

In any event, if the kiddos get anxious about Santa, especially if there’s no chimney at their house, there’s an easy way to calm them down… 

Go on a search around the house to find the wormhole… By bedtime the kids will be so worn out they’ll sleep like angels!

Photo credit: the official website of Iceland

So who is this jolly fellow? It’s not Santa! 

If you’re impatient for Santa’s arrival—and really, who isn’t, with three more nights to wait!— how about another fun, old-timey holiday tradition…one that involves not an elf like Santa, but trolls?

It’s Iceland’s Yule Lads! This jolly guy is Stubby, one of the mischievous Yule trolls, celebrated from December 12 to Christmas Eve. The lads creep down from their mountain lair to the villages, one troll each night, to sneak around and steal whatever goodies they can lay their troll-y hands on. 

Tonight, December 22, comes the Lad with the biggest nose, “Doorway Sniffer.” He comes to sniff the enticing aroma of cakes baking, and will hover at the door to sniff out any goodies he can steal. I’m starting another batch of cookies soon, so I will be sure to be on the lookout for him! 

These trolls might not seem all that celebratory but what I really love is that they’re all about what’s really important about the Christmas holidays— contented sheep, and a house full of warmth, light and yummy holiday food. 

No fancy gifts, food, or decorations required. 

You can find the full Yule Lads’ story of naughty goings-on and pranks in my earlier posts, starting with “Countdown to Christmas…with the Yule Lads!” May your holidays be happy ones! 

40% Off Irish Novels!

Three of my romantic Irish ebooks have been selected for Kobo’s 40% off November promotion!  

These small-town cozy women’s fiction novels explore enduring friendship and “all the feels” in family relationships—each with a deeply emotional love story at its heart.

All 3 books also focus following your dreams…

In The Little Irish Gift Shop, Dublin girl Emma journeys toward the life of her dreams, with an unexpected romantic entanglement along the way…and a touch of Jane Austen!

The warmhearted novel, The Galway Girls, follows best friends Kerry and Fiona and their romantic relationships… and each woman pursuing a long-held dream of her own.

In The Hopeful Romantic, the prequel to The Galway Girls, Kerry dreams of having a farm. With Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching, this tender holiday novel might just be your cup of tea! 

All 3 books are also available in paperback at your favorite online retailer!

There’s just one more day to get 40% off…you can take a look at all 3 ebooks at Kobo’s promotion page, in the “Fantastic Fiction Finds” carousel, promo code NOVEMBER40! 

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Free Halloween Book for Kids!

 Happy Halloween and Day of the Dead Weekend!

Are you gearing up for your Halloween or Dia de los Muertos festivities? Kids of all ages can celebrate with my free ebook for tweens, Morgan Carey and The Curse of the Corpse Bride! Here's more about the story:

Halloween and the Day of the Dead is just around the corner, and 5^th grader Morgan chooses the coolest costume ever—a dead bride. 

Prepared for a fun night of trick-or-treating with her best friend Claire, she definitely does not expect a trip to the costume store to set off a series of strange and spooky encounters… 

But Halloween quickly takes a scary turn with a strange old book of magical spells, a dark, creepy cemetery, and especially, a life-changing ancient curse. Will Morgan be able to resist the powerful magic of Dia de los Muertos?

This family-friendly Halloween adventure, Book 1 of the Morgan Carey Adventure series, is suitable for all ages…other Morgan Carey books include Book 2, Morgan Carey and The Mystery of the Christmas Fairies, and Book 3, The Secret Astoria Scavenger Hunt! 

The Curse of the Corpse Bride is free at Kobo, Apple and Nook.… It’s supposed to be free on Amazon but they have resisted lowering the price. Anyway, you can find more of my free books at www.susancolleenbrowne.com !

Lost Chickens & National Hermit Day!

Hermits unite!

Photo credit: KRiemer on Pixababy

This is our day 😊

Actually, nearly every day is a hermit day for my husband John and me. Around our little homesteady place, except for a trip to town about once a week, it’s just us, the woods and the wildlife—the only sound we generally hear is the call of birds and the rustle of leaves in the trees.

Now, this is no hardship for me—I’m intensely introverted, and enjoy being by myself.

However, whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, it seems the day is worth celebrating! Wherever you are, it’s recommended you set your phone aside, and engage in some solitary pursuit. 

John and I don’t have cell service out here in the Foothills, so smart phones are not part of our lives. In fact, we love our lives without them! But if you’re here at the Little Farm blog, chances are you’re a gardener!

If so, you can always go outside and commune with your plants. It’s actually a great idea to spend time with your plants regularly, so you can see issues before they turn into problems. For example, squish a few aphids on your kale before the entire plant is covered with them! 

Yet with all the benefits of solitude, we humans are social creatures. Much like herd animals—the neighborhood cows I watch often hang around together in small groups of five or six. Likewise the horses. So I  think it’s beneficial for the spirit to remember that we are (or can be) part of a community.

An interesting experience I had today really brought this home. 

On my bikeride, passing an old, dense forest, I heard an odd clucking. A grouse? I’d just seen one in our orchard this morning.

No. Not a grouse. I turned to see what was making the sound.

It was a small flock of chickens near the road! In a forest, more than a 1/4 mile from the nearest house! Rustling through the underbrush was a black rooster, with about five tawny-colored pullets around him. 

All I could think about was how defenseless the little flock would be, and all predators around here:  from coyotes to bobcats to eagles and hawks. Those chickens wouldn’t have long for this world.

So I decided to give up my hermit-y existence and turned down a deserted road not far from where I’d seen the chickens. 

I rode the short distance to the small farm I knew was tucked up against a foothill, and called out “Hello!”

I ended up meeting a nice older fellow, who’d probably lived there since we moved here, but with whom I’d never crossed paths. When I told him about the chickens on the loose he seemed really surprised, and said there were no other houses nearby. 

Confirming that the chickens were not his, I have to say he had a gleam in his eye. I’m hoping he’ll climb into his pickup and see if he can rescue the little flock. 

As it turns out, I was so glad I took the chance to *not* be a hermit. After all, we can always be hermits together. 

Light Irish Summer Read + Anne of Green Gables!

Picking scads of blueberries and harvesting the first apples, I can just feel the summer clock ticking down…

Summer always feels like it’s over by the end of August, doesn’t it? If you’re in the mood for a light, cozy read, to stretch out those summery vibes, my novel The Little Irish Gift Shop might fit the bill…

And it’s featured this week in a Kobo Books special promotion, “Great Reads at a Great Price”—now through August 29!

A summer of discovery, a charming little shop, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance at a new life… Dublin girl Emma begins her journey toward her dreams, with an unexpected romantic encounter and a touch of Jane Austen! 

The brand-new cover says “summer” to me too, with the cloud of jasmine blossoms and pink roses. You’ll find The Little Irish Gift Shop at all other ebook retailers, like Amazon, Apple and B&N.

Coming soon in paperback!

How about the ultimate cozy summer read? I’m loving reading Anne of Green Gables for the upteenth time! If you love the 80s TV series like I do, there’s more about “Anne” in my August newsletter 😊

I’ll be back next time with some new garden tips. In the meantime, you can find lots more about my “Little Farm” homesteady books and Irish novels at www.susancolleenbrowne.com !

Where the Wild Things Are

 The Wild Things Are Actually Right Here…

Along our little wooded lane, seven families live on the seven 10-acre parcels, and there’s another farmer with about 50 acres—all habitat for bears, coyotes, deer, raptors, songbirds and rodents.

Photo credit: Unsplash

Lately, most of the action has been right next door. About a 1/4 mile from our house, our neighbors put out what’s called a deer block. It’s a big chunk of manufactured grains and molasses, which ideally the neighborhood deer will feed on—instead of coming into their unfenced yard and devouring their pretty ornamental flowers and shrubs.

Our neighbors report that it’s been fairly effective—but there’s one big problem: the block attracts far more than deer. Songbirds, for instance, which is lovely. 

Black bears, which is not.

Shortly after they set out the block, some critter moved the 40-pound chunk a few yards away from where they’d set it. I don’t need to tell you that only a bear would have the dexterity—and the strength—to do it.

In the last couple of weeks, with this ready source of bear food on their property, they’ve seen a sow with two cubs several times on their game cam. Which I have to admit is a bit chilling.

The destructive—but fortunately shy—bear that broke into our yard the summer before last was a singleton, and that was bad enough. I would NOT want to confront a mother bear, with not one, but two cubs to get elevated over.

In my June 24 post here, I mentioned our neighbor who was keeping a few beehives.

Hal, our neighbor, discovered not one but three bears attacking his hives on his game cam. He said one bear was holding a big honeycomb in his paws. “It looked just like Pooh Bear,” said Hal, “munching on the comb with a big smile on its face.”

Sounds like a fun story…but as I mentioned in that post, the next day, when Hal tried to tend to his damaged hives, his bees attacked him. 

He was stung about 20 times. The thing is, our little corner of the Foothills is not a place to have a medical emergency. The closest medical help is the fire station about 9 miles away; the hospital is an hour’s drive, and that’s if you break the speed limits.

The happy ending is, that Hal recovered…and he’s now got an electrified fence around his hives.

The most serious wildlife episode recently happened to our other “next door” neighbor—her house is about 100 yards from ours.

She has three dogs, Aussie-Doodle mixes. The two burly adult males are good watchdogs, while the third is a five or six-month-old puppy. They all freely wander around her property.

A lot of country folks depend on their dogs to deter wildlife, but it didn’t work this time.

As our neighbor related, a coyote went straight for the puppy, but one dog managed to protect the pup. Then the coyote(s) went after the other adult dog and badly mauled him. The vet said the nature of the bites indicated this poor dog had been attacked by at least two coyotes.

I’m delighted to report the injured dog is healing. But our neighbor, who immediately reinforced her backyard fence with large steel panels, no longer allows any of the dogs out of her yard.

Before this, I’d only ever heard of a cougar attacking adult dogs. And while I’ve never felt afraid of coyotes, this incident does give me pause.

And More Bears…

I’m also happy to report that I’ve had only two minor bear encounters this season. 

While I was cycling through the county park, just a few feet away from me a bear strolled across the narrow, forested park road, about 3 miles away from our house.

As soon as it saw me, it scuttled into the woods and disappeared. No danger, no drama, the way I like it.

Taking my evening walk earlier this week, I saw another bear about 40 yards away, crossing our lane. I stopped immediately, just it saw me. The bear just looked at me for a long moment, then, like the other bear in the park, it strolled into the woods. 

Needless to say, I turned right around and headed back home…checking over my shoulder frequently!

In the local bears’ non-hibernating months, from April to November, I never go too far into our woods without John. But after hearing about all this bear activity close by, I’m super cautious just going out to my compost piles.

Now if only all the neighborhood bears would just trek the 3 miles to the park’s woods and stay there!

This post is from my June 2025 newsletter, This Little Farm Life…it’s where you’ll also find monthly wildlife stories and book recommendations!