Homesteading after 40…is it a midlife crisis or the perfect time to start? For me, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I’d love to tell you that homesteading is in my blood and that from a young age I wanted chickens and gardens; but that would be a lie. Frankly, as a teenager, I had dreams of running off to New York city and starring on Broadway. But alas, and thankfully, that dream never came to pass. No, my homesteading dreams started much later in life. I can’t really call it a midlife crisis because the seed was planted in my thirties, but it wasn’t until my forties (yes, I’ll be 45 in March of 2017) that it began to sprout and grow. Each year the dream grows bigger and I know I’ve outgrown my “backyard homestead” so we are making shifts so that we can soon be on property.
Our first set of chicks. Check out that water and feed bowls…yikes!
My youngest holding up our very 1st carrot harvest.
Our first breeding pair of meat rabbits…turned out they were both bucks. You learn quick!
For me the fire really for a backyard homestead really got lit after watching some food documentaries (Fresh and Food Inc) and reading everything I could by Joel Salatin. I think that had we started a homestead journey in our 20s it would have ended quickly; we moved around a lot for my husband’s job and I started and quit things every 3 or 4 months. That’s not to say that I think you HAVE to wait; no I am envious of the younger folk that get this so much earlier in life!
Homesteading after 40…I often wondered if I was the only one that started later in life. So I asked some of my readers on Facebook how many of them started homesteading after 40; I was pleasantly surprised by all the answers. There were homesteaders that started in their late 30s, 40s even 60s!
Then I took the question to some of my fellow homesteading bloggers and asked them to share their experience as midlife homesteaders. So what did they think about homesteading after 40? They’ve got some great experience and advice to share!
Homesteading After 40 Midlife Crisis or Perfect Timing
Lee Ann Perez of One Ash Homestead: I started at 55 full time homesteading. We are rural- 13 acres. I retired from my full time job (early) to live this awesome lifestyle. my husband was already working the farm while I worked. at the same time our daughter was graduating college and the three of us opened our dairy and started our homesteading supply company One Ash Farm and Dairy Supply Co. online. The idea of working with and creating a business with family every day, being more self sufficient, and not working for “the man” anymore were the things that drew me to it. Advice– stay in good shape, eat well- homesteading is hard tiring work and you need to be healthy. be flexible, this isn’t the typical 9-5 job. Things happen 24/7 and you have to deal with them. Do research- don’t get into something you aren’t able to commit to. For instance, we have a dairy. The cows require us to be here twice a day, every day. No vacations, no holidays. We have helped many startup homesteaders that can’t maintain that reality. Best thing about starting later- for us, we have done the travelling, the spending, the acquiring of goods, so it’s easier now to live on very little vs. how it would have been 20 years ago.
Cheryl Aker of Pasture Deficit Disorder: I was 43 and my husband was 41 when we bought our homestead. When we got married, we weren’t set on having land and animals. But we wanted room to garden. My husband got into woodworking and we wanted room for him to have a shop. We kind of wanted room for a greenhouse too. Living in a subdivision, we would have to have a really large lot to do all those things.
We moved back home to Texas in 2010. We started out wanting to develop and live on a piece of family property, but that didn’t pan out. If we were going to buy land, we didn’t think what we wanted in a piece of land existed – pasture, trees, good soil, good access – or if it did, it would be WAY out of our price range or too far away to be able to commute to jobs in the city. We had even settled on a house in a suburban subdivision; but seven days before closing, the national bank we used to do business with yanked our financing. We were devastated. But eventually we started looking at land again, because by then, we realized we truly wanted a homestead. In the spring of 2011, we fell in love with what is now our property, but we couldn’t get the financing because big banks don’t want to finance raw land. Finally, about six months later, we found a local bank willing to give us a chance! And so our adventure began…
We started growing herbs in window boxes and planters when we first started dating. And we’ve had small gardens ever since we were married, no matter where we lived. We had been dabbling in learning to can foods – we started with making jam. You don’t have to live in the country or on acreage to do those kinds of things. Over time, we realized that wanted to expand those skills and start raising and preserving as much of our own food as we could. We feel such a sense of accomplishment when we put up our own food.
Since we ended up with some acreage, adding animals just seemed like a natural progression. And we love being surrounded by critters! (We have cats, dogs, chickens and cows.) When you have pets and farm animals, you experience the circle of life up close and personal. Sometimes it’s fun and joyous, sometimes it’s hard and heartbreaking. But it’s always real and true.
My best advice is be patient – while looking for the right property or with any project you take on. It takes a LOT of time to do things right and get them just how you want them. And most projects are going to take twice as long and cost twice as much as you expected.
The best part of starting this later in life, is that we had plenty of time to figure out it’s what we really want – we’d been through some ups and downs in life. This is where we want to spend the rest of our lives. If it’s something you have a passion for, it’s never ever too late to make that dream come true. It’s also how I got started with my writing, and then blogging. I’ve even had some articles published in national magazines. And now I’m finishing up my first children’s book. All of that came from starting our homestead.
The name of my blog is Pasture Deficit Disorder (www.PastureDeficitDisorder.com) because that’s what we suffer from every time we have to leave here. We are truly building a life we don’t need (or want) a vacation from. We recently took a week’s vacation and never left the Pasture…and it was pure heaven!
Lesa Wilke of Better Hens and Gardens: I was probably homesteading from the day we bought our first home (early 20’s). As an engineer, manager, and eventually project manager for a large corporation, I was relocated ten times over a span of twenty years. During those years, I became increasingly concerned about our food supply; so with each move, I tried to shift closer to my vision of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and real foods. Over those years, my partner and I built homes, patios, decks, and barns; grew vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees; and raised chickens all while being employed full time.
In 2000 (at the age of 40) we bought ten acres and in 2005, we finally moved onto those acres and named them Bramblestone Farm. The farm is located in Northeast Ohio, so we experience a full range of beautiful seasons. We currently have a large garden, various fruits and brambles, 25 chickens, 14 goats Nigerian Dwarf goats, six honeybee hives, and two cats. The chickens and goats free-range on about four fenced acres, controlling the bugs or weeds, and supplying (hopefully) eggs or milk.
Our lifestyle changed after 40 because we decided we were no longer willing to be relocated by our employer. When considering making a change, be sure to research your options very carefully, and realize that it doesn’t need to happen overnight. If you plan carefully, and take one small step at a time, you’ll still be amazed at what you’ve accomplished when you look back. For us, the best part about starting the journey later in life is that we’re able to afford more. Perhaps we’re not as young, but we can buy better tools and help because we’re financially stable.
Janelle Veldkamp of Homestead in the Holler: My husband and I moved our family from our acreage in Colorado to a 230 acre old dairy farm in the Ozarks the year that we both turned 40. It has been a dream of ours to live a simpler, more self sufficient lifestyle. We were working towards this kind of lifestyle on our acreage, but we wanted to be full time homesteaders. We are both very interested in permaculture and off grid living, both of which can be done anywhere, but our dream was to do this on a large scale.
Our children are still at home and were part of the draw to the homesteading life. We want our children to know homesteading skills and have the opportunity to grow up on a farm. The best part about starting this journey a little later in life is that we were financially secure enough to buy some land and work towards living off the land as our sole income. It is a lot of work to revive a farm and get an income stream going, but so worth it. Past life experiences, such as doing our own remodeling, landscaping and cooking from scratch, have also helped us in this homesteading lifestyle. Our advice to someone looking to homestead after 40 would be to jump in and do it! But plan ahead and save some money before getting started. It takes money to set up a homestead and it takes a while to start generating income, a little cushion helps tremendously. You only live once, love what you do!
Janelle and her husband are building a permaculture farm in the Missouri Ozarks. You can read about their adventures at Homestead in the Holler.
Homesteading after 40 – Midlife Crisis or Perfect Timing….only you can know that answer to that! For us homesteading after 40 was the perfect time to start! The point is just GO FOR IT – there’s never going to be a better time than right now!
I love this discussion, thank you. I’m 45 and have been dreaming of starting a homestead for about 3 years. Here’s my question or dilemma, how about single Mom’s? I’m a single Mom of 2 and wonder if that’s possible. Curious if you know of any. Thank you.
I’m a 42 yr old mom of 2, and My first steps are learning to can..my boys think i’m nuts, but they eat my food..lol
Mine weren’t so sure in the beginning either; we make believers out of them!
Lisa I am a single mom also. I work full time to support my son so being a full time homesteader would be hard for me. So I do have chickens, garden and can. I would love to do more so I plan on it when I retire.
I am 42 btw..
Im 64 and would love to homestead. The only problem is Im single and have nobody to help. So if antbody is interested in sharing in a homestead you can contack Me at 9168681253. Im Tony.
Tony, where are you located?
Hi all,
I just turned 66 and have dreamed of homesteading. I don’t think it’s something to go into alone
at any age. I’ve researched agricommunities and ecovillages in various locations such as the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Rutledge, MO.. Living nearby and being a friend to the group appeals to me. Though many places appeal to me I don’t think I’m brave enough yet to locate far from Virginia where I’ve lived all but three years of my life. And to be too far from my brothers (one in WV and the other in RI) wouldn’t be easy. Also, I don’t want to be too isolated from urban areas being a suburbanite all my life until personal economics has driven me further out from the DC Metro area of Virginia. I’d prefer to live in suburbia if I could afford to.
There are a good many communities in Virginia. There is the Fellowship for Intentional Community (www.ic.org) which is a good resource and has a directory of communities searchable by various criteria including by State. I want to talk to other like minded individuals to go it together for mutual support. I’m currently looking for a modest house with some land in rural central Virginia mostly. I like the Richmond area outskirts also. I would offer parking to owners of tiny house on wheels looking for somewhere to locate.
Where are each of you thinking of homesteading at? Tony let me know where you are thinking of.
Luther
I am 56 years old with a 12-year-old boy. We finally have 3 acres 20 miles from my job. I work 8 to 5 M-F and my son rides the bus to school. I have a used RV in place with electricity. I will rent a trencher next weekend and dig a 160 yard trench from an old well that I have permission to use until I can afford to drill for a well myself. I have a cute potable building next to the RV. We will pare down to what will fit in there and move into the RV in a couple of weeks. I borrowed money for all the infrastructure (including the RV) with the equity in my home. When we get out, I will paint and fix up my house. I plan to have enough to pay my loan and pay for some good plans for a small, metal home (30×30 with loft for my son). Homesteading, here we come!! Chickens, goats, garden, solar energy, the whole nine yards.
I’m 54 and wanting to do this so bad. We had farm animals and gardens when I was a kid and miss it so bad. Canning right now from buys at the farmers market
I’m 55 yesterday, I inherited a 1/2 acre plot with a small house, I’m 1/2 way there planted my first garden and have chickens , raise Jack Russell s,but here in ny Long Island they frown upon goats so I’m in between, but I am in the process of buying 2.35 acres with a cabin in VT .if everything goes according to plan I will eventually move there with my chickens, and get some goats and increase my garden.
Sounds like an awesome plan. All we can do is take it one day at a time. I am a single Mom and my daughter is an adult with down syndrome. I am trying to find land and sell my home in town. So one day I will be there too.
I’m rooting for you! You are one brave woman and I really hope you get to live your dream.
I’m a single older mom with some substantial health issues so am disabled.I’m doing it.my little girls dad died so I was left wondering how to live sick,alone,make ends meet on disability and survivor benefits,and have a happy life.I signed papers on our place at 47 and now will be paid in full in 2yrs.that wasn’t enough,I just bought the property behind us and make first payment July first.we have all the things picture in your mind when planning.chickens,goats,emu,a substantial orchard with 9 different apples,cherries,nectarines,peaches but the best was the almonds I collected this past fall.we have all the berries you can get.being very low income and having the health issues I hadn’t thought it was possible.I did know that if we didn’t try it wouldn’t happen.my reason for buying the property behind us was my picture wasn’t complete.you can’t be a hillbilly without a milk cow?so now we have a place to have that to.the saving begins and with a healthy self discipline will have soon enough.I really don’t know how I have pulled it off On my own and being On such limited income.I’m thinking a good name for our place would be ONE TREE AT A TIME.you always hear the saying,if I can do it so can you?you really can.just do it
Idk how you’ve done it either ; but get it girl!!!❤❤❤
I’m so proud of you and truly inspired!
Absolutely! I am 38 and have 2 boys. My oldest is autistic. You can do it. Involve the kids as much as possible and have fun in every moment. I won’t lie I have had bad days where it seems impossible and I cry. But it’s just a bad day you pick yourself up move on and be proud of your accomplishments. And sit in awe of all the kids will learn. A homestead opens up a whole new world for kids. The learning is endless. Good luck and God bless
GO for it, a lot of single parents are.
My suggestion would be run, don’t walk to get your children on a homestead! My husband and I didn’t make the plunge until we were in our late 60’s and I regret everyday not going into it sooner. We bought 1 acre and thought, “Since we are old people, let’s not give ourselves heart attacks by trying to manage a large parcel of land.” Silly us! We could have gone with 3-5 acres and managed quite well. Since we are both disgustingly healthy, and our Dr. Does not see heart attacks very soon in our future, I started out with chickens. I had never raised livestock in my life, but since I managed to raise seven children, I thought if the chickens stayed alive a year I would progress on to something else. One year to the day, I added Khaki Campbell ducks. One year after that I added Heritage Breed American Guinea Hogs. Believe me, research each item you want to add, then go for it. For your children, nothing could be better for them. Being responsible for the care of something other than themselves, they will come to have compassion for animals who rely on them for their existance. They will appreciate the rewards of their labors. They will be educated (mostly from their own research) on why some animals will produce more than others. I respect and appreciate the concept of team sports; however, being a team player on a family farm, regardless of its size, will build the team player concept just as well. As a small child I remember watching my Great Grandmother (age 65) crocheting all day long because thats what old ladies did back then. Now I crochet in my sparetime (being an old lady of 65) after I have fed and watered all the animals, tended my garden, canned what I have on hand, mowed what needed to be mowed, took care of the four dogs, checked fencing for animal escape routes, etc. Our Dr. Even suggested this could prevent us from heart attacks, LOL!
I am a single mom of five! You can do it!
Great post Tiffany, I think this is an under-discussed area of homesteading. Thank you for including us in the post!
I have to admit, I’m slightly jealous of everyone with a husband thats on board with your dreams and plans for your homesteads. Ah what to do if 2 people that love each other dearly have different ideas about just about everything?
Truth be told Janine, it has taken my husband years to get on board; it still is more my “thing” than his.
Find the common ground. Work from that. You don’t have to live on a big farm to homestead I do it all on an acre. Start small work your way up. Maybe seeing how being more self sufficient you can become will bring even more common ground…. Good luck and god speed
Do what you can,. Garden and can some of it. Try things he likes also. Have a few chickens and collect eggs. Take up a few doable things and do that much. Who knows? In time he may be the one who wants it most! If not, love him and do your little homestead within your limits. Luck to ya!
Well, I am 51 and just bought my first homestead property last June. It is 10 acres within the Kansas City city limits but it is zoned agriculture. It needs a lot of love as the previous owner dumped a bunch of junk around the place but it is already coming together. I find that I have come full circle from growing up on a similar sized property with horses, goats, chickens and a very large garden. I left it all behind for a big career but I have felt for some time that something is ‘off’. Being there, with the tumble-down stone cottage (under renovation) just makes me happy even when my muscles are screaming at me. I guess I need to start a blog to document the progress, the pains, the triumphs, tears and joy. My husband is pretty much on board except for living in the stone house so we will probably rent that out and build a home on the homestead in a few years. First things first. I had more energy at 40 but I am not dead yet though this just might do it. Ha.
Oh! I would LOVE to hear about your homestead! VERY interested in the Urban Homestead!
You go girl!
I know how you feel, I bought 2 acre fixer upper in 2015. It’s a work in progress and very worth it.
My husband is 63 and I am 58. We moved to a small off-grid cabin on the Northern coast of Oregon. It was more my dream than his, but he has worked so hard to make it happen. There are many challenges and a learning curve for sure. Changing from the American norm of a large house and all the trimmings to more a minimalist style. It is amazing to learn how little you really need to be happy. The move allowed me to go part time as a Nurse and devote more time to art and gardening. It is more work, but I think as one gets older it is important to keep going as long as you can and never give up your dreams. It’s bot over till it’s over!
YES!
That’s wonderful to hear, there may be hope for us.
Finally moved onto our property this year. Hubby and I are both 53. Starting from scratch on raw land. Living in a 5th wheel. Has been my dream since my 20s. It’s going to be a long slow process but I have to do it. I would love to see more posts about late in life homesteaders.
Congratulations! It is never too late to live our dreams!!! 🙂
Hi Laura, im 65, single and a woman, bought my 2 acre fixer upper at 63. I shoulda done it earlier. BUT, timing is everything. It looked like I was never going to be able to retire. With my son’s help I did, from the corporate world. You still work. Sometimes harder physically it’s worth it. Outside of feeding the kids (animals) I don’t have to do anything, if I’ve worked too hard one day, I can take the day off the next. If the weather is nasty I don’t go anywhere. Ive gotten a lot done in 2 years, and will do more. Ke3p plugging, there’s more of bus late bloomers than you think.
HI- just reading this at the end of 2018 and wondered how u are doing at this point? I’m now 60 and have some physical issues. HOw hard is it to do this without someone else – especially someone physically strong (a man possibly)??? i’m not looking for a big farm just the basics
Oh my word! Your story could just as well be ours. 50+sers who are tired of the rat race and in search of a more simple life my husband and I set up a homestead in the Northwest province of South Africa.
It was hardgoing setting up but its all coming together nicely. We have a veg garden(a greenhouse and a hothouse, and chickens for eggs and meat. I knit,crochet,sew, make soap and can produce. What a life! Soooo glad we took the plunge. Homestead onward!
I was 49 when we bought our 13 acre hayfield in 2011. We are moving right along and this year I am getting our business plan down on paper and quitting my regular job. It does take a lot of work and infrastructure to get you there. 2016 was the first year to show income from products raised on the farm, and 2017 should be better. You can see our progress from our blog, http://www.powellacres.com I love it!
First off, I LOVE this post, it’s so spot on. I spent most of my childhood summers on aunts & uncles farms in ND & WA & that’s where the seed for this lifestyle was planted, but was never able to make this happen until about 6 yrs ago when my boyfriend bought the place we have now, that was when I was 61 & he was 60. We have 10+ acres, 5 of which is woods, the other 5 is our “homestead” where we have 16 hens, 1 rooster & 3 Nigerian Dwarf wethers & a small garden.
LOVE this post! I have been wanting to move to a place that had a minimum of 1 acre, but no more than 5. Well, land is VERY expensive here!! Some of the places we were looking at were at the top of our price budget, but the house only had 1 or 2 bedrooms! Hello! There’s 6 of us! Would have no problem adding on, but with the prices being so expensive, there would be no money left for that, let alone anything else!!! I’m 49 and thought that it was too late, but after reading this article, maybe there’s hope yet! Thanks!!
I am incredibly grateful to see this post. I thought my husband and I were the only people, older than 40 to head for an off-grid homesteading lifestyle. I have wanted to live like this since my 20’s but simply had children to raise and bills to pay. In 2014 we fell in love with a piece of property, offered what we could, and low and behold if they didnt sell it to us. The 25 acre property already had an old cabin, a original pioneer homestead built in 1887. It had (4) old solar panels), a tiny backup generator and a wood burning stove and needed a lot of work. We sold our beautiful home in town and moved into the old cabin with the hope of building a safer, more reliable, off-grid home on the property. We are surviving a very cold winter with ALOT of snow in the old cabin and our timber frame/SIP (structural integrated panel) home is about half way done. It is a lot of work! We are hauling wood, hauling gas to fuel the generator and traveling in and out in a Jeep Wrangler with snow mobile tracks in place of the tires. We are incredibly happy! It is so beautiful living in these high mountains. After the home is built we hope to build a green house, a barn, and eventually have chickens and a few alpaca. We are not young people but we are living a dream; a dream of a lifetime. My husband is 64 and I am 57. Its not easy but TOTALLT worth it. Awesome to know we are not alone!
I love reading stories like this!
I think that I have always had an agrarian lifestyle in mind, certainly long before I knew what that meant! I am now 51 and will be 52 this coming June – my husband will turn 60 in the fall and he has slowly, but surely decided that living in a more simple way is best for me and our relationship. We live on just shy of two and three quarter acres and most of it is old pasture from the previous farm from years ago. My dream is to leave behind my job once I get to 25 years and be more mindful of the food that we grow and making a difference in our area. We are lucky to be close to “town” while living on a very large lot. At one time there was a piece of property across the street from us that now has approximately 20 newer homes. It’s very sad – every single home has a strip of grass in the front yard and certainly no back yard! Thank you for this post, I was beginning to wonder if I was getting too old to be starting this homestead thing 🙂
Also LOVE the post! And I also am returning to my roots as a “farm girl.” However, would love to hear MUCH more from over-50 SINGLE WOMEN who are making it happen…especially ones who aren’t “retired” [read: must work]…looking forward to reading more! Great job! <3
Thank you so much for writing this incredibly inspirational post! I am a divorced mother of two teen children and have been living in a massive metro-plex for twelve years. I will be 52 in August and have been wondering if my dream had passed me by. Just this past month, I bit the bullet and made arrangements to move back to the farming communities in Nebraska. I have family there as a cushion and, as a single mother, I do not have a lot of capital. We plan to rent in a small town until we find the place that suits our needs. I am hoping to start a cottage soap making business and my kids have ideas for things they want to accomplish. My daughter (16) is an accomplished artist and wants to pursue that while learning to be a vet assistant. My son (14) wants to learn to drive a tractor. What boy doesn’t?
After reading this article and the comments that follow, I know I am not too late and our dreams can still be a reality. I also just purchased a 1979 Chevy pick up with only 35k original miles on it. It may be a gas hog, but it will serve the purpose for a farm vehicle. I find it funny the things that make us happy, all right – giddy, at this age. I don’t think, as much as I may have wanted it (or thought I wanted it) in my younger years, it would not have made me as happy then as it does today. It may be a form of midlife crisis or maybe it is just a rebirth of the senses. Either way, I am embracing every moment and looking forward to our new simpler lifestyle. It will be an amazing journey teaching my kids the skills of canning, gardening, sewing, spinning, raising animals, and loving the land like my mother and grandmother taught me.
Well you just made my night. CS Lewis said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”.
You made my night! CS Lewis said, You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”. Glad you are going for it!
Love this post. We are currently urban homesteaders on a standard 50×100 city lot with 4 ducks, a beehive and a dog, and are now contemplating the next stage of moving out of the city onto a bit of acreage. Great inspiration to take our homesteading life to the next level!
Love this. I’m a 48 yr old USMC( reserve ) vet. My awesome twin girls are off to college and my soon to be X wife is off to someone else. For the past 20 + years I’ve deferred my interests/ wants for the 3 woman in my life. NOW it’s my time. Been gardening, canning, and researching damn near everything to do with homesteading. Think I’m gonna out grow my 1 acre suburban lot soon. Looking to find acreage in eastern Va. This post gives me hope. Thank you!
YAY! This makes me happy. My husband and I have talked about having our homestead for a few years now. I always had this little voice thinking, “you must be crazy, by the time we start we will be old and die before we figure it out.” It hasn’t discouraged me, I want to start now. We would if not for a few looming family issues. sigh…so, we wait. This is SO reassuring that we will be fine. It’s all about what is in your heart. <3
Oh, by the way, we are 52 and 48 now with 3 girls, 16, 15, and 8.
Looking to start this month with a few chickens at 49. Next is to find some property. Fingers crossed.
I’m so glad I came across this post. I’m 55 and all my life wanted to live on a farm but never made that leap. Now with the nest emptying out (well maybe) the desire the past several years to have a little farmstead is getting strong and stronger. The problem I have is my husband isn’t on board with it as it would require us to sell our house in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ and move two plus hours north to find cooler and open land to do this on. It would also mean he would have to commute on the weekends until he retires and he’s not thrilled with that either. I had thought about getting a few chickens but we currently live in a development that has an HOA and can’t have any livestock and growing a garden in 110 degrees is nearly impossible. So I keep researching and having discussions with hope that he will finally agree and I can make my dream come true.
Just a thought:
Would it be possible for hubby to telecommute or transfer to a more homestead friendly area?
Not sure what his job entails, or if this is possible, but it never hurts to ask, do a bit of research to see what might be possible.
Beth – I’m a 61 year old widow living in Tucson, and right now I’m leasing a house but growing stuff in elevated beds I’m building myself. I moved down here this past June from my hometown of Prescott, and I love the year-round growing season our area affords us. I think you’d be able to do a homestead there in the Phoenix area. Yeah, the heat is bad, but you can always find a way to make it work. I can’t wait until I can find my own place down here to “expand”.
Hi Beth–I have friends who have killer gardens in the Phoenix area. Ask around and you will find those who do garden in your area. Also you can grow things like citrus, avocados and olives in you area that colder region cannot. Also there is cheaper land on the outskirt of the Phoenix area that is very doable. Don;t give up hope-your husband can work in Phoenix and you can have a small homestead. Gardening in the desert is a just a very different process than in humid cooler regions.
We are in our early 60s. Gardening year 1 included needing my gallbladder removed, so 6 weeks of limited activity. The week I could get back to working the garden we had a major hail storm and lost everything but the onions and carrots. Hubby shot a big deer, so we had venison in the freezer. Year 2’s garden has been great, High fire danger has meant no hunting yet, but this is a good way to live.
I was a bit down and out checking out pins on Pinterest and seen the graphic below the article and clicked through. I was procrastinating doing some outdoor work and was fighting with myself. I’ve had this urge for homesteading and self sufficiency since I was in my 20’s. I am over 40 now and that urge is getting stronger and stronger. My kids are getting older but time is passing so quickly that I have been struggling to get started. I keep thinking to myself that I am just getting too old to do it. Hence, this article landed in my lap and why I am here.
I would like to thank you for this article and the pick-me-up I so needed!
Ahhhhh… YES! I am 49 and we are closing on a home and 8.59 acres with the intent to homestead. Thank you for this. I have wanted this for years and as I see my body not quite so young anymore, I wondered if we could do this. YES! YES, we can! Thank you!
At 67 I purchased 5 acres of property with house in western South Dakota and June 2017 at 68 I moved onto it . I had prior to this time 7 acres in metro Phoenix so can not say I am new to homesteading but now able to pursue it more fulltime. I work part time as a home health and hospice nurse to pay off bills but heck I love it. Plans include garden, meat goats, and bees. Also my husband sells on ebay and I make dog beds for sale. I was born and raised in South Dakota so know winters can be tough but so can 110+ Phoenix heat be tough. My goal was to retire in South Dakota on an acreage and I did it. Forgot to mention I have a great role model. She is a dynamic 79 year old woman who does homestead in northern Arizona off the grid and started doing it at 62. She has built her house, built barns, and has a wonderful place. I am following her lead.
I’m 61 and hubby is 62. We bought this 50 plus acres last Dec but had a house to finish and as we are both artists had jobs to finish. I was able to move in Oct but hubby didn’t get here till July this year. It was hard living here by myself and trying to handle everything. The place was so overgrown especially with 16′ blackberries that it still is a problem as they keep growing back. Now talking about biting off more than you can chew….. I left a 1,900sq ft house for a 3,650 one. It actually works quite well as it is easier to clean and keep clean than our old house but still blew my hopes of a wood cabin but the land ore than makes up for it. As it works out we each have our own rather large studIo. But, needless to say have not touched a paintbrush since getting here. We have 2 orchards that were not fenced and the bounty last year went to the deer and bear. The top priority was getting them fenced,the garden tiered and fences, the barn built and fencing for the goats and chooks. We almost made our target we got everything done except for one orchard that is harvested and the garden is tiered as it is on a slope but still need that fencing up. I have canned apples, pears, Asian pears, grapes, blackberries, plums and would have done the Elderberries except the Blue Jay was quicker. Canned cider, grape juice, apple juice, pasta sauce, 2 types of salsa, grape leaves, every jam you can think of, apple sauce, apple butter and more. I am going to be making our own cheese soon and already make yogurt and most other homesteading skills. We had to butcher an attack rooster and also one of our sweet layers who lost hip mobility due to the new Roo being overly eager. Still need to collect firewood, sort through the left over wood from the barn, prune the orchards and chop down the entry back berries that are on both sides of the street. Get more Alfalfa and straw load, haul and put in the loft before we can somewhat relax. Not a day goes as planned, there is always something and needless to say it is hard work but we are having the time of our lives. I love our property, love our neighbors and will never go back to city life. I don’t care if your 90 just follow your dream. Too late is when you are 6′ under.
Love your post. Amaizing how ones priorities change being on a homestead
I’m so envious of all of you. I want some land so bad, but my husband is not on board. I am 59 and my husband is 62. He doesn’t want the work or take the risk. Our house in the city is paid for and his health is not the best. I focus on what I can do. Not on what I can’t. I have a small garden area on the side of the house. I can the produce from this small garden, and I have neighbors in my area that have apple trees and apricot trees that don’t like to can, so I have been able to get that fruit for free. I also have learned how to dehydrate fruits and vegetables, make my own cleaning supplies, and am learning how to make tinctures.The Lord willing, if at some point in the future I am able to purchase some land, I like to think it will be a little easier for me because the skills I am teaching myself now will already be in place.
I don’t have land, I have a backyard. Start where you are with whatever you can do (sounds like you are).
Feelin’ a little old! We bought our property when I was 56 and started ranching at 59. Love it! I feel younger, smarter and more fulfilled than ever before. Your never to young to start!
Thank you so much for all the comments! Here I thought I was the only single “senior” that wanted to have a bit more than just a “garden”! I may just go for it after all!
Just turned 52 here in central NH. Each year I get a little closer to independence! Hopefully by 55, when I can retire from my day job, I’ll have everything set in motion!
I will be 54 in July, my husband is 53. we close on two acres next Friday & I’m so ready to make a change! I’ve been “practicing” as a homesteader with a straw bale garden & some water-bath canning. I’m going to try pressure canning once I have veggies to can this year. I’m also taking a course on Permaculture design so I can learn how to optimize what little space we have!
As a 52 year old man, I recently made the decision to homestead my 1 acre. I had spent my earlier life preparing for this life and didn’t even realize – my property is paid for and monthly bills are minimal. I actually had dreamed about homesteading for years earlier – researching with a purpose. This year, I cleared and prepared a compost site that is located close to my garden, as well as the future site for my chickens. I built a raised bed garden and just planted tomatoes, simultaneously planting indoors and directly in the garden, learning which method is best for me, while ensuring I have tomatoes this year. I also planted cucumbers, again, testing and learning. I am developing garlic plants, and will plant them soon. I have basil, oregano, onions (red and white), cilantro, spinach and romaine to go in yet, and I love it!
I would love to share my experiences with a woman, but I that takes a special kind of woman. I don’t know, but this is my story so far. I’d love to develop it further in a happy and healthy way. peace.
My husband and I have finally made the plunge and purchased 14 acres in Ontario Canada. We can’t wait to move in September and begin our homesteading dreams. This is something we have wanted to do for many years but children,careers and finding the perfect place took most of the time. All of your posts have been very inspiring. I am thinking of sta ting a blog about our adventure once we move in. We are both new to the homesteading idea and are looking forward to the adventure it will bring.
It is always uplifting to read so many experiences. My husband turns 70 this fall and I am 58 and disabled with arthritis. We both dreamed of and pined for a place of our own. We both worked and saved our money, but four failed attempts to buy devoured our savings and left us financially drained and unable to continue to pursue a place of our own.
We realize that sometimes your dream doesn’t have to die, it just needs to change. We rent a run down country property with less than an a half acre of land. We have neighbors very near on both sides. Our landlord allows us to do anything we want, “as long as it’s legal”. We have all manner of raised bed gardens and expand every year. What we don’t grow we buy locally, including meat. I can year round. We hope to add chickens next year, but both neighbors have multiple dogs that run loose.
Is this our ideal? Not even close. But it is our ‘homestead’ because, like all those who went before us and all who will come after us….we make do with what we have and praise the good Lord for it.
Just found this site. My husband and I married when he was 50 and I was 44. Kids grown. We bought land and built from scratch our farm. He was a lifelong farmer and professional hpuse framer. We both worked off farm jobs. It was really tough. Slar and wind for power. Raised purebred cattle and produced maple syrup. I did animal rescue. It all ended 2 years ago. Severe health issues forced us to sell. I am now making do on a tiny village lot. Apple trees went in this Spring. Gardens. Trees,shrubs and flowers for wildlife. I can,make yogurt and butter. My husband makes maple syrup from our front lawn trees. I will continue to make the best of it,he will not. So so sorry we ever had to leave our farm. Would be back there in a second.
Oh how fun to read these. My husband is 58 and I am 53. I have always canned and put up veggies and fruits and preserves since my early 30s no matter where I have lived. We live in MN on 2 acres. I am disabled but my husband built many waist high garden beds. We have 16 laying hens for eggs and several fruit trees. My husband Deer hunts and we fish. No matter your age or experience enjoy what God has blessed you with. Our 3 grandsons enjoy coming to putr house and have named all our chickens and lkves to get veggies from the garden. There are many degrees of homesteading. Enjoy. Age is a numerical value. Not a limitation. 💚😀
I say better late to the party than not come at all! 😉
I loved this article. By career my husband and I have always been in the food industry, me a chef and hein food safety. Always had gardens and a few chickens. 46 we started increasing our food production and self sufficiency. At 50 we decided we did not trust food regulation And our health to the government.
We bought a 5 acre farm and planted an orchard, berries, and first meat birds. Since that first year we have crops, garden, a hoop house, doubled our hens, raise heritage large black hogs, heritage turkeys, llamas, barn cats, and 2 livestock guard dogs. No one is joking when they say homestead is hard work everyday year round. Luckily my husband is good at carpenters, electric and plumbing. We irrigate, have a small CSA for eggs and meats. Our oldest daughter raised beef in ND.
We raise almost all of our own food.we purchase milk from a local dairy farm and make butter, cheese, yogurts and ice cream. All this and we still have pt jobs to defer costs.
We have our place for sale to move to SD where we can become full time homesteaders with more acreage and possible add a dairy cow. Simple to us means self sufficient, not a gathering of stuff or the need to shop, or a lot of travel, we focus on our 3 grown children and grandchildren to visit and share food and relationships. At 57 we are all in and fulfilling a farmgirls heart.
I’m 50 years old married with three boys. I grew up on an old fruit tree farm. My Dad had a large vegetable garden and my aunt lived a few acres away, she was a farmer with everything! It was a great way to grow up. I now live smackdab in the middle of the suburbs in WV. We own three lots and a large original farmhouse. I call myself the driveway farmer! I have all of the local ladies learning how to garden. I have rows of corn and vegetables in galvanized pots growing on my property. I mixed all my vegetables in with different plants and flowers and it looks amazing!! I grow all my plants from seed and give them as gifts to neighbors and family. I just wish I could figure out how to hide chickens and a few cows in my neighborhood!! LOL
Stealth chickens I can help with – https://www.imperfectlyhappy.com/secret-backyard-chickens/ But I haven’t figure out how to hide a cow. lol