# Homesteading > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Homesteading > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Homesteading.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homesteading > Source revision: 1295680802 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For other uses, see [Homestead (disambiguation)](/source/Homestead_(disambiguation)). Not to be confused with [Homestead principle](/source/Homestead_principle) or [Homestead Act](/source/Homestead_Act). "Homesteader" redirects here. For the neighbourhood in Canada, see [Homesteader, Edmonton](/source/Homesteader,_Edmonton). **Homesteading** is a lifestyle of [self-sufficiency](/source/Self-sufficiency). It is characterized by [subsistence agriculture](/source/Subsistence_agriculture), home preservation of food, and may also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and [craft work](/source/Handicraft) for household use or sale. Homesteading has been pursued in various ways around the world and throughout different historical eras. It is typically distinguished from rural village or [commune](/source/Intentional_community) living by the isolation of the homestead (socially, physically, or both). Use of the term in the [United States](/source/United_States) dates back to the [Homestead Act](/source/Homestead_Act) (1862) and before. In [sub-Saharan Africa](/source/Sub-Saharan_Africa), particularly in nations formerly controlled by the [British Empire](/source/British_Empire), a homestead is the household compound for a single extended family. In the UK the terms *[smallholder](/source/Smallholding)* and *[croft](/source/Croft_(land))* are rough synonyms of *homesteader*. Modern homesteaders often use [renewable energy](/source/Renewable_energy) options including [solar](/source/Solar_power) and [wind power](/source/Wind_power). Many also choose to plant and grow [heirloom vegetables](/source/Heirloom_plant) and to raise heritage livestock. Homesteading is not defined by where someone lives, such as the city or the country, but by the lifestyle choices they make.[1] ## As historical governmental policy Main article: [Settler colonialism](/source/Settler_colonialism) Further information: [Homestead Acts](/source/Homestead_Acts) and [Dominion Lands Act](/source/Dominion_Lands_Act) Historically, homesteading has been used by governmental entities (engaged in national expansion) to help settle what were termed unsettled areas, especially in the United States, [Canada](/source/Canada), and [Australia](/source/Australia). This resulted in the violent relocation of many Indigenous people. Guided by legal *[homestead principles](/source/Homestead_principle)*, many of these "homestead acts" were instituted in the 19th and 20th centuries and targeted specific areas, with most being discontinued after a set time-frame or goal. Renewed interest in homesteading was brought about by U.S. President [Franklin D. Roosevelt](/source/Franklin_D._Roosevelt)'s program of [Subsistence Homesteading](/source/Subsistence_Homesteads_Division) in the 1930s and 1940s.[2] ## As a social movement The attractiveness of [back-to-the-land](/source/Back-to-the-land) movements dates from the [Roman era](/source/Roman_Empire), and has been noted in [Asian](/source/Asia) poetry and philosophy tracts as well ([Agriculturalism](/source/Agriculturalism)).[3] In the 1700s, the philosophy of [physiocracy](/source/Physiocracy) developed in France and by the 1800s and early 1900s the philosophy of [Agrarianism](/source/Agrarianism) had taken hold in many places around the world. The ideas of modern homesteading proponents, such as [Ralph Borsodi](/source/Ralph_Borsodi), gained in popularity in the 1960s in the United States. Self-sufficiency movements in the 1990s and 2000s began to apply the concept to urban and suburban settings, known as [urban homesteading](/source/Urban_homesteading). According to author [John Seymour](/source/John_Seymour_(author)), "urban homesteading" incorporates small-scale [sustainable agriculture](/source/Sustainable_agriculture) and [homemaking](/source/Homemaking).[4] ## As an economic choice In homesteading, social and government support systems are frequently eschewed in favor of [self-reliance](/source/Self-sufficiency) and relative deprivation in order to maximize independence and [self-determination](/source/Self-determination).[5] The degree of independence occurs along a spectrum, with many homesteaders creating foodstuffs or crafts to appeal to high-end niche markets in order to meet financial needs. Other homesteaders come to the lifestyle following successful careers which provide the funding for land, [housing](/source/Housing), [taxes](/source/Taxes), and specialized equipment such as [solar panels](/source/Solar_panel), [farm equipment](/source/Agricultural_machinery), and [electric generators](/source/Electric_generators). Modern government regulation—in the form of property taxes, [building codes](/source/Building_codes), [food safety codes](/source/Food_code), [zoning](/source/Zoning) regulations, [minimum wage](/source/Minimum_wage) and [social security](/source/Social_security) for occasional labor, and town council restrictions on [landscaping](/source/Landscaping) and animal keeping—can increase the marginal cost of home production of food in areas affected by these restrictions. Careful choice of homesteading location is essential for economic success.[6] Potential benefits of homesteading include a satisfying [standard of living](/source/Standard_of_living) and a healthier, more rewarding lifestyle than more conventional patterns of living.[7][8] ## See also - [Permaculture](/source/Permaculture) - [Seasteading](/source/Seasteading) - [Urban homesteading](/source/Urban_homesteading) ## Notes 1. Niemann, Deborah (2011). *Homegrown and Handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living*. First ed. New Society Publishers. ISBN 978-0-86571-702-2. 1. Borsodi, Ralph (January 1934). ["Subsistence Homesteads, President Roosevelt's New Land and Population Policy"](http://newdeal.feri.org/survey/34011.htm). *Survey Graphic, Magazine of Social Interpretation*. **23** (1): 11. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120402000525/http://newdeal.feri.org/survey/34011.htm) 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-03-03. 1. ["Vital Cities: an interview with Jane Jacobs - Tools Ideas Environment - Whole Earth Catalog"](http://www.wholeearth.com/issue/1340/article/69/vital.cities.an.interview.with.jane.jacobs). *www.wholeearth.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170825183937/http://www.wholeearth.com/issue/1340/article/69/vital.cities.an.interview.with.jane.jacobs) 2017-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-08-25. 1. Anna. ["Why homestead?"](http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Why_homestead__63__/). *www.waldeneffect.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170825144747/http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Why_homestead__63__/) 2017-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-08-25. 1. Conover, Ted (August 2019). ["The Last Frontier"](https://harpers.org/archive/2019/08/the-last-frontier/). *Harper's Magazine*. [ISSN 0017-789X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0017-789X). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190715192304/https://harpers.org/archive/2019/08/the-last-frontier/) 2019-07-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-07-16. 1. ["The Ultimate Guide to the Best Fall Food Plot Mixes for Deer in North Carolina"](https://foresttofood.com/2023/06/29/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-best-fall-food-plot-mixes-for-deer-in-north-carolina/). *Harvesting Nature's Bounty, One Step at a Time*. 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-07-01. 1. ["Great Benefits of Homesteading. - The Elliott Homestead"](http://theelliotthomestead.com/2014/01/great-benefits-of-homesteading/). *The Elliott Homestead*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170825144907/http://theelliotthomestead.com/2014/01/great-benefits-of-homesteading/) 2017-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-08-25. 1. ["3 Priceless Benefits Of Modern Homesteading | Off The Grid News"](http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/3-priceless-benefits-of-modern-homesteading/). *www.offthegridnews.com*. 29 December 2014. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170825184352/http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/3-priceless-benefits-of-modern-homesteading/) 2017-08-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-08-25. ## Further reading - Cannon, Brian Q., “Homesteading Remembered: A Sesquicentennial Perspective,” *[Agricultural History](/source/Agricultural_History_(journal)),* 87 (Winter 2013), 1–29. ## External links - [Mid-America Homesteading Conference](http://www.homesteadingconference.com) - [Life on a Modern Homestead](http://floydhomestead.com/life-on-a-homestead/) - [State of Alaska Land Offerings](https://archive.today/20121213014259/http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/landsale/) and [Remote Recreation Cabins Staking Program](https://web.archive.org/web/20080323044544/http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/landsale/remote_recsites.htm) - [Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Homesteading](http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/H/HO023.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100615184430/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/H/HO023.html) 2010-06-15 at the Wayback Machine --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Homesteading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homesteading) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homesteading?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.