I've been asked many times about 'the way I live',  and about homesteading as a way of life. I've gotten comments about how poor we must be or how primitive we live, and some strange looks at my choices for me and my family.

Then there is the other side of the coin, people who comment on how it used to be, how much better everything tastes, the fond memories of 'back in the day'.

Truth is we are far from poor, and no it's not primitive. We have selectively made choices as a family to enrich our lifestyles and provide us with the things we think are important in life. These are choices that we all make every day. 

Homesteaders generally make the choices they make for a variety of reasons including the quality of their food supply, for religious or educational reasons, the lack of a desire to join the 9 to 5 crowd of rushing from place to place, importance on family and the quality of life for their children and a desire for more personal freedom.

There has always been and will always be a segment of the population that is more resourceful than the rest, that is happier relying upon themselves and their wits to survive. There will always be those that refuse to conform to whatever the standard of the day is, those that don't follow trends or subscribe to the next big movement in society.

This special breed of men and women is the same breed of human being that came as pioneers to this country, who settled the east coast, and migrated west in search of independence, freedom, land, jobs and the ability to build a self-sustaining lifestyle.

During periods of history, to encourage the exploration and expansive of the new territories gained westward, the US Government started giving away land parcels to homesteaders, who would venture into the wilderness, build homes, plant crops and establish towns and trade routes for the rest of us.

It was and is that same kind of unique need to open new doors, seek new ways, and find new answers, not to mention the 'intestinal fortitude and bravery that keeps us exploring and venturing into new fields in technology, medicine and space.

Sometime during the 1970's the term homesteading and the back to basics movement was born, and gained popularity among environmentally and politically concerned citizens, not to mention the who protested the draft, or the Vietnam War, and the simplistic, self-reliant lifestyle gained popularity.

Those times are marked by the creation of the counties most popular homesteading magazine and cultural icon, affectionately known as "Mother"  or the Mother Earth News.

Mother addressed many of the curiosities of people who were emotionally or environmentally tied to the earth and limited in financial resources. We asked questions and in Mother we found possible answers, ideas and advice.

People have changed over the years. Society  as a whole has changed. The interest in the back to the basics movement did not. Homesteading as a way of life has not changed in spite of a constantly evolving society where money dictates the path of a man's life.

Many things have changed in the last 30 years. The rules by which we must live, the job market, zoning restrictions, environmental restrictions and laws, our core values as a society have changed and yes, even "Mother" changed, catering to a more financially affluent and city dwelling audience (much to my disappointment).

Other magazines have come across the scene and they address different issues that interest or concern me. Some of the more notable ones are listed below.

So here we are in the year 2007 and on what appears to be the downside of an uphill climb politically, environmentally and spiritually for many reasons.

The movement towards survival, or homesteading is increasing, and interest in making more out of less is growing as much out of economic necessity as it is a moral division between 'us and them'.

Homesteaders have often been called survivors, and are often associated today with militant groups, those that seek racial, cultural, religious or spiritual segregation. And in most cases nothing could be further from reality.

The right to make our own choices without government interference, to live as independently and as responsibly as is humanly possible, without doing harm to either man, mankind as a whole or the environment we live in and to raise our families in as healthy, safe a world as possible while insuring that they are prepared for anything life throws at them seems to be the 'real voice' to the homestead movement.

Homesteading as a way of life is draped in a world of history, rich in tradition and lessons learned from the past. It is about knowledge, teaching and keeping alive the ways of our elders with roots dating back to the pre-biblical era

The first human beings on this earth were 'homesteaders' or pioneers and I imagine that the last ones will be too.

Good Living. . . Comes Naturally!

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