Inflationsteading, a new trend
“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent [sp], the most virtuous, & they are tied to their country & wedded to its liberty & interests by the most lasting bonds.”
Thomas Jefferson
One answer to the growing inflation concerns is homesteading and urban-homesteading, also known as self-sufficiency. One homesteading group defined the difference between homesteading and farming as follows: farming is the production of produce such as vegetables, fruits, and animal products for sale, while homesteading is the production of those same goods only for one’s own consumption.
“Vegetable gardening (66%), herb gardening (51%), and canning and preserving (44%) were the top three things that most homesteaders are currently focusing on,” according to Homesteaders of America study conducted at the end of 2022.
Millennials are the ones most likely to delve into homesteading, with 15.4% of homesteaders polled “just started” and 25.5% having started in the past 1-3 years. The majority of these homesteaders (38.5%) are between the ages of 30-39 and 11.1% are 18-29. 91.1% of the polled population are active voters that range the full spectrum of political beliefs.
The desire for self-sufficiency in America is not new in the least. If anything, it was common in colonial times and in 19th century America.
Replaced fairly quickly by the economic advantages of specialization, Americans are now realizing that in a post-2020 Covid world, relying on a mega-economic infrastructure that can be shut down intentionally or unintentionally can endanger their families. Hence, millennials especially, who are desperate to save money to either purchase a new home or afford their current home, are more willing to explore options such as homesteading to reduce their expenses.
