A Few Basic Homesteading Skills

A Few Basic Homesteading Skills

I was sent something very similar to this the other day. The one I saw on scanning through it was rather incomplete so hubby and I sat down and tried to think of all the skills that we had to learn when we were on the farm. The following list is designed to be added to as thoughts of more skills come to mind. We never seem to be able to remember everything all at the one time.

These are basic skills that everyone that is homesteading or intends to homestead should know and if not, then they should be learning then one by one.

I know that we all “homestead” in different forms. Some on acreage right down to those that live in tiny city apartments so some of the skills will be useless to the city apartment dweller and that is okay. If these people intend to move to the country at some point then all the skills become necessary at one time or other.

I would love to have a dollar for every time I have heard the saying “But I will never need to know that”. Those folks soon found out that they did indeed need to learn the skills. In many cases it comes down to what you can afford. If you are rich then you will be able to have others do the work for you but then you won’t really be homesteading will you.

For those of us that live off the land we do so because we love the lifestyle and the challenges that come with that. Most of us probably don’t have a lot of spare cash so maintaining what we do have becomes extremely important as does growing, raising and processing our own foods. After all is this not the reason that most of us homestead for anyway?

Even for the folks just wanting to live more frugally, they will find that many of these skills will be very useful.

To some of you, the list may seem overwhelming. It isn’t really. Simple solution is to break the list into smaller sections and tackle one skill at a time, starting with what “you” feel is the most important for you to learn first.

No one else can tell you in which order or what you should be doing or learning first. The decision is all yours.

All we can do is make suggestions that will hopefully help you make the right decisions. Questions are an awesome invention as it allows us to ask if we are unsure about something so, if you have doubts or do not understand something then all you need do is ask someone for help. Folks are very happy to help out when they know they can be of use and most folks love to share what they know.

I do not know why the original author of the original list was but to them I say thank you. Your list allowed me to consolidate and remember what I had planned to do a very long time ago and simply forgot.

Having a list like this to go by or remind us is a good thing and it reminds us also of the things that we still need to learn.

Homesteading is not something that you can read a book about or search the Internet for and magically you know all the answers.

I have been homesteading for well over 50 years now and I still need to learn so much more. I have added to the original list I was sent more as a reminder to myself, for the areas I still need to learn skills for, as a basis for others to begin their journey.

Basic Homesteading Skills
1. Learn how to safely use a chainsaw.
2. Learn how to grow a vegetable plant.
3. Learn how to sharpen any edge tool – knife, axe, hoe, chisel etc.
4. Learn basic firearm safety and gun proof your children and grandchildren.
5. Learn how to raise a chicken.
6. Learn how to read the weather.
7. Learn how to spin wool, cotton or flax into thread or yarn on a spinning wheel or with a drop spindle.
8. Learn how to use a garden shovel, spade or hoe without hurting your back.
9. Learn how to light a fire indoors or outdoors.
10. Learn how to go to a country auction and not get skinned.
11. Learn how to crochet.
12. Learn how to butcher small livestock like rabbits or chickens.
13. Learn how to hang clothes on a clothesline.
14. Learn basic tractor maintenance.
15. Learn the difference between trees and the unique properties of various types of wood.
16. Learn how to cook 10 basic meals from scratch.
17. Learn how to pasteurize milk.
18. Learn how to divine/witch for water with a forked branch or a bent metal hanger.
19. Learn how distinguish healthy plants and animals from unhealthy plants or animals.
20. Learn basic sewing skills.
21. Learn how to set an ear tag or tattoo for animal identification.
22. Learn how determine an animal’s age by its teeth.
23. Learn how to cut and glaze glass.
24. Learn how to drive a standard transmission vehicle.
25. Learn how to thaw out frozen pipes without busting them.
26. Learn how and when to use hybrid seeds.
27. Learn how to hand thresh and winnow wheat or oats and other small grains.
28. Learn how to train a working cattle or sheep dog.
29. Learn how to read the moon and stars.
30. Learn how to make soft or hard cheeses.
31. Learn how to live within your financial means.
32. Learn how to fillet and clean a fish.
33. Learn how use a wash tub, hand-wringer and washboard.
34. Learn how to make soap from wood ashes and animal fat.
35. Learn how to lay basic brick or build a stone wall.
36. Learn basic home canning and food preservation.
37. Learn how to save open pollinated seeds.
38. Learn how to de-horn livestock.
39. Learn how to use an awl and basic leather repair.
40. Learn how to make long-term plans for the future – plan an orchard, a livestock breeding program, or plan for stored energy sources.
41. Learn the mental skills necessary to jury rig anything with duct tape, baling twine and whatever is on hand.
42. Learn how to read an almanac.
43. Learn how to euthanize large livestock.
44. Learn how to cook on a cook stove.
45. Learn how entertain yourself and live without electronic media.
46. Learn how to shear a sheep.
47. Learn how to manage human urine and faeces without plumbing.
48. Learn how to swap, barter and network with like-minded people.
49. Learn how to make a candle.
50. Learn how to dig and properly use a shallow well.
51. Learn how to refinish furniture.
52. Learn how drive a draft animal.
53. Learn the mental and spiritual skills to realistically deal with life, death and failure.
54. Learn how to use non-electric lighting.
55. Learn how to butcher a chicken.
56. Learn how to restrain large livestock.
57. Learn how to use a treadle sewing machine.
58. Learn how to give an injection.
59. Learn how to properly use a handsaw, hammer & nails, screw driver, wire cutters, and measuring tape.
60. Learn how to recognize your own physical and mental skill limits.
61. Learn how and when to prune grapes and fruit trees.
62. Learn how to hatch out chicken, duck or other poultry eggs.
63. Learn how to use a scythe.
64. Learn how to skin a furbearer and stretch the skin.
65. Learn how to tell the time of day by the sun.
66. Learn how to milk a goat, sheep or cow.
67. Learn how to stomach tube a newborn animal.
68. Learn how to break ground and plough.
69. Learn how to use a wood stove and how to bank a fire.
70. Learn how to make butter.
71. Learn how to knit.
72. Learn how to make and use a hot bed or cold frame.
73. Learn how to deliver a foal, calf, lamb or goat.
74. Learn how to know when winter is over.
75. Learn how to plant a tree.
76. Learn how to brood day-old chicks.
77. Learn how to dye yarn or cloth from plants.
78. Learn how to haggle like a horse trader.
79. Learn how to bake bread.
80. Learn how to use a pressure tank garden sprayer.
81. Learn how to halter break a horse or cow.
82. Learn how to graft baby animals onto a foster-mother.
83. Learn how to weave cloth.
84. Learn how grow everyday kitchen herbs.
85. Learn how to make sausage.
86. Learn how to set and bait traps for unwanted vermin and predators.
87. Learn how to grind wheat into flour.
88. Learn how to make paper and ink.
89. Learn when it is more economical to buy something ready-made or when to make it yourself.
90. Learn how to castrate livestock.
91. Learn how choose a location for a vegetable garden or orchard.
92. Learn how to weave a basket.
93. Learn how to use electric netting or fencing.
94. Learn how to make fire starters from corn cobs or pinecones.
95. Learn how to use a pressure cooker.
96. Learn how to correctly attach 3 point hitch implements to a tractor.
97. Learn how to trim the hooves of goats or sheep.
98. Learn how to sew your own underwear.
99. Learn how to make your own wine.
100. Learn basic plumbing and how to sweat copper pipes and joints.
101. Learn how to reload ammunition.                                                                                                 102. Learn how to keep  Bees.

103. Learn how to change a spark plug.

104. Learn how to cook on an open fire.

105. Learn how to purify water.

106. Learn how to graft trees.
107. Learn how to propagate seeds.
108. Learn how to make and use a bow and arrow.
109. Learn how to erect a fence.
110. Learn how to hang a gate.
111. Learn to replace electrolytes in a battery.
112. Learn how to charge a battery.
113. Learn how to change a car tyre.
114. Learn how to repair a tyre.
115. Learn how to do an oil change in any vehicle.
116. Learn how to correctly set spark plug spacing’s.
117. Learn how to change all light bulbs – household and vehicle.
118. Learn how to prime a well pump.
119. Learn to fix water troughs around the paddocks.
120. Learn to Suture both animals and humans if need be.

Can you think of any other skills that you might need or indeed know? If so please place them in the comments section, thank you.