Monday, March 12, 2018

Don't Be A Homestead If...

If you spend much time on homesteading facebook pages, or youtube channels you have come across a few posts like that. I understand there is currently some drama on homesteading youtube due to an off-handed comment by a YouTuber. Some Don't be a homesteader comment that I have read recently:

Don't be a homesteader if you like to shop...Hmm I like to shop, I live 20 minutes from town and over an hour from decent shopping. But I have the power of internet shopping at my fingertips.

Don't be a homesteader if you like to wear makeup...I have a decent collection of makeup and enjoy getting dolled up from time to time. Is makeup part of my daily routine? Nope, but I can slap on war paint with the best of them. When recording videos for my podcast's youtube channel I like to look nice.

Don't be a homesteader if you don't like the smell of animals...Animals are stinky do I enjoy the smell? Nope, but I understand it is part of this life and I deal with it. You don't have to love every aspect of homesteading to be a successful homesteader.

Don't be a homesteader if you are a thug...What?

Don't be a homesteader if you are attached to your cell phone...I have all the worlds knowledge in my back pocket, of course, I am going to use it. I have used my phone to diagnose animals, to text my vet, and to find the nearest feed store that has the meds/tools/whatever that I need. The Wanderer plugs his headphones into his phone and listens to podcasts or music while working on chores

Don't be a homesteader if you are going to run your pets to the vet all the time....My animals deserve proper medical care. End of discussion.

Don't be a homesteader if you have trash pick up...We live in an area with trash pick up, so we use it. We work hard at eliminating waste as much as possible, we try to recycle, reuse and we compost.

Don't be a homesteader if you have to use fabric softener....the Wanderer will be so mad when I tell him we have to throw out of the bottle of Downy.

I could go on and on, because these posts go on and on, hundreds of comments. So how about this, let's not be so judgemental of our fellow homesteaders. We are all at different parts of the journey and we are all bringing our on strengths to the table.  We all have different goals. Don't be a homesteader if you know this life isn't for you if you don't find it rewarding if it is not your calling in life. Don't be a homesteader if you don't want to be.



Tuesday, March 06, 2018

Should YOU start a blog, podcast, youtube?

Blogging, podcasting, youtube seem to be all the rage lately, especially among the homesteading community. I follow several homestead podcasts and youtube channels. I do not follow as many blogs. It is much easier for me to turn on a video and watch it while doing something else, or turn on a podcast while driving to town. I love blogs, I love reading blogs, I wish I had the time to do both.

So should you add one or more of these to your already busy homesteading life? Do you have something to share? Of course, you do. One of the benefits of the homesteading community is that we all have our strengths and weaknesses and we can all learn from each other. Beekeeping videos posted by fellow homesteaders has become our current obsession. There is no 1 right way to live this lifestyle, everyone's voice and experience are important and beneficial.

But do you have the time? Time is money after all. Blogging can take at the minimum a few hours every week to write a single new post. The podcast I record weekly with my sister (Haunted Family Podcast) Takes at least 2 hours just to record a single hour-ish long episode, that doesn't take into account the time we spend each week researching our episode. we have now added a youtube channel. Most of our youtube videos are just auto uploads of our latest podcast episode. Finding the time for us to get together and record a video is difficult, especially since we live over an hour away from each other.

You will also need equipment for youtube or podcasting that you would not need for blogging. We record on a budget, my sister uses a Blu Snowball microphone and I use a condenser microphone with boom arm that I found on eBay. We use Skype and Audacity for recording. Currently, our Youtube videos are recorded on either a cell phone (iPhone 8) or my Canon Powershot. We need to upgrade soon and that is an added cost.

Don't let the cost or time commitment scare you away. If this is something you have been considering then make that leap. You will not regret it. Your story needs to be heard.