Do you have a homestead? Are you just in the dreaming stages of owning a homestead? We've been there! To inspire and educate you, we've collected 45 of the best homestead blogs.
Estimated reading time: 19 minutes
You'll learn about self-reliance activities, living off the grid, growing your own food, raising animals, making your own household products, and so much more.
Whenever possible, I've tried to link to the homesteaders' about pages so you can read more about their stories, their properties, and what they do there.
I've also noted particularly interesting YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, and other resources that they might have.
They're not arranged in any particular order, but we have a good smattering of urban homesteads, micro-homesteads, etc. amongst the more sprawling versions.
I hope you have as much fun devouring these homesteading blogs as I had putting the list together!
An Off Grid Life
We'd be remiss if we didn't include our own blog in this list! If you're new here, our family lives in a subarctic environment in Canada's northwest territories. Ours is a lakefront cabin with a few luxuries like flushing toilets and internet access.
We've been here since 2013, homeschooling and homesteading, ever since.
Our hope is to inspire readers to take action to become more self-sufficient and lead a more independent lifestyle. If you're worried about taking the plunge, we've been there.
But if two city folks—a former financial advisor and human resources executive—can do it, so can you.
Hidden Springs Homestead
Dianne lives with her family on 1.5 acres in Charleston, Tennessee. Living off the land wasn't new to her. As a child, her parents raised everything they ate on five acres.
Growing up, the simple lifestyle was not appealing to Dianne. After she got married, she enjoyed the convenience of grocery stores and restaurants for more than 25 years.
The desire to go back to a simpler way of life eventually took hold of her. After learning to can and preserve food, she found that buying the food she wanted to preserve was too expensive. That led Dianne to learn to garden.
Over time, she went back to school and acquired the skills necessary to become a Master Gardener.
She publishes gardening advice and food preservation tips as well as cute and rustic crafts at Hidden Springs Homestead.
Simple Living Country Gal
Tracy Lynn is the face of Simple Living Country Gal. She and her husband live on a 9-acre homestead in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
She shares her expertise in animal husbandry, particularly as it pertains to chickens and goats. Tracy Lynn also offers frugal living and organizing tips, which are useful to just about everyone!
MrAnimal Farm
Kristin and Justin live on a small farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia near Roanoke. They specialize in raising Nigerian dwarf goats and Silkie chickens and offer very affordable courses on both raising chickens and raising goats.
Their blog also has helpful gardening and frugal living tips that any homesteader will find useful.
Pioneering Today - Melissa K. Norris
Melissa and her family live on a successful homestead on 15 acres in the foothills of the North Cascade mountains in Washington. She's a fifth-generation homesteader but says her husband was a city boy who quickly took to the homesteading lifestyle.
They raise 100% of their own meat, from organic grass-fed beef to eggs, meat chickens, and pork. They also grow more than half of their own fruits and vegetables.
If you're too busy to sit down and read a blog, listen to her podcast, Pioneering Today.
Attainable Sustainable
Kris grew up in Northern California on an apple tree farm (with an eclectic mix of other produce and animals, too).
She began her site in 2011 to show women that they can begin living a more self-sustainable lifestyle whether they have acres, a backyard, or a little bit of patio space.
She now lives in Hawaii where she grows some of her own produce and raises chickens and ducks.
Kris is a Master Food Preserver, so you know she has the best tips on canning. She has a book, Attainable Sustainable, as well as a course called The 5-Gallon Garden.
Thrifty Homesteader
Deborah and Mike live on 32 acres where they built their own home, homeschooled their children, and have raised a menagerie of animals. They have chickens, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, and even a llama.
They also garden and have fruit trees as well. Deborah has written several books and speaks at sustainability events across the country. She's a wealth of knowledge, especially on goats and chickens.
And if you already have goats, sign up for her course on making cheese and dairy with goat milk!
Homestead Honey
Teri and her husband Brian have documented a fascinating journey at Homestead Honey. They began homesteading on a rental property in Oregon where they learned about raising many different types of animals( goats, chickens, ducks, bees, and pigs) and honed their homesteading skills over 13 years.
Then, they moved to Missouri where they lived in a 350 square foot tiny home for 6 years, homeschooling and homesteading together as a family. They lived without electricity for over a year and without running water for longer than that.
In 2018, they moved to Vermont and are now living in a 500 square foot yurt while they build another off-grid home.
You don't want to miss their posts on building an outdoor pizza oven and eBook on building a root cellar!
Oak Hill Homestead
Kathi shares her extensive knowledge of goats, chickens, gardening, and soap-making at Oak Hill Homestead.
As a military and pastor's wife, she has lived in places all over the country in more than 30 different homes. She knows how to make "simple living" work no matter what time of home you live in.
Common Sense Home
Laurie her husband, August, and their children live in Northeast Wisconsin. Their property features a greenhouse, a root cellar, a canning pantry, and a couple of ponds.
She covers gardening, preparedness, alternative energy, natural remedies, and so much more. Their home, designed by her husband, is Green Built and Energy Star certified.
They have an open house scheduled annually, so if you'd like to see the inner workings of a homestead to decide if it's right for you, it's the perfect opportunity.
Not So Modern Housewife
Bonnie at Not So Modern Housewife believes that anyone can homestead, whether they live in urban areas or on acreage. She writes about raising livestock, gardening, recipes, and being self-sufficient.
She lives on 5 acres, but she's not off the grid, as she likes having internet, electricity, running water, and other typical creature comforts many of us enjoy. Bonnie is a wealth of knowledge on raising pigs, ducks, chickens, and goats.
Abundant Permaculture
Justin and his family live on a 75 acre farm near Asheville, North Carolina. He is a film producer and is certified in permaculture design. Come for the advice, stay for the gorgeous pictures.
They have loads of tips on caring for chickens, and you'll especially like their post on How to Feed Your Chickens Without Grain. Their Family Vlog has a huge following nearing 1 million subscribers.
Life at Cobble Hill Farm
Staci and her husband are "living the good life" on a micro-farm in upstate New York. They live on just under an acre near town, which shows that you don't need a lot of space to lead a simpler, more self-reliant lifestyle.
Staci shares tips on raising chickens, gardening, meal planning, and frugal living. Specifically, she has written about how meal planning got them out of debt, and the best part is that she meal plans for only one week at a time. That makes it seem way more doable, doesn't it?
You can follow along in their homesteading adventures on their blog, Life at Cobble Hill Farm, or support their soap-making and skincare business.
Weed 'em and Reap
DaNelle at Weed 'em and Reap (don't you love a good pun?) shows you that small-scale homesteading can be done ANYWHERE! She and her family live on ONE acre in Phoenix, Arizona.
There, they raise goats, lambs, and chickens, grow a lot of their own produce and homeschool their kids. One of our favorite features on their property is the pond.
Their YouTube channel is amazing with nearly 700k followers. They post videos of their goats, turkeys, pigeons, and other critters, as well as their homesteading shenanigans.
As for Me and My Homestead
Jamie, her husband, and her children live on 5 acres in Idaho. They homeschool the kids, raise chickens and cows, and post some fabulous recipes.
Reformation Acres
Quinn, her husband Bill, and their 8 children live off the land at Reformation Acres in the heart of Ohio's Amish country. It's a 40-acre homestead where they raise meat chickens, pigs, sheep, Jersey cows, and a garden.
She has tips on everything from food preservation to homemade fly sprays and homestead management.
Farm Fit Living
Mindy is a millennial farmer who, along with her husband, runs a family farm in Kansas. They raise goats, sheep, cattle, corn, soybeans, and more. In addition to running the farm,
Mindy's articles focus on time management, farm management, and wellness. She hopes to teach others how to organize their time to fit in their dreams, fitness, and family.
Make sure you follow her Instagram where she posts pictures of their cute lambs, goats, and other critters.
Dogwood Pond Farms
Katherine and her husband live on 27 acres near St. Louis, Missouri. She offers plenty of gardening and natural living tips that you're sure to enjoy. One of our favorite features is their heated greenhouse. They also raise chickens, turkeys, and pet sheep.
The Prairie Homestead
Jill, her husband Christian, and their three children live on 67 acres in Wyoming. Both she and her husband are self-described "city kids" who purchased the land with zero experience and big dreams.
Now, they raise chickens, goats, milk cows, beef cattle, and pigs as well as a garden to supply most of their food.
Jill nails it when she says that you don't need to go into homesteading already knowing what you're doing. With hard work and a willingness to learn and keep going, you can do it.
They also have a podcast, Old Fashioned On Purpose, with advice from experienced homesteaders of all sorts.
Lady Lee's Home
Lee's story is fascinating because she got her love of agriculture and animals from being raised in a kibbutz (an agricultural commune) in Israel as a child. She first had her sights set on riding horses in the Olympics when she came to the U.S., but her dream changed.
Eventually, she and her family settled in central North Carolina on 20 acres. You can read about them buying their house here. Lee writes about gardening, preserving food, and delicious recipes.
The Peasant's Daughter
Jana at The Peasant's Daughter writes such a beautiful story about how she and her husband came to purchase an 1860s Victorian farmhouse on 3 acres in Canada just as she was ready to give birth to her first child.
In addition to beautiful recipes, she writes about keeping chickens and has a great Instagram where she documents their progress.
Grow Forage Cook Ferment
Colleen, her partner Joel, and her son live in Vermont. She runs a fantastic blog focusing on living seasonally, self-sufficiency, recipes, foraging, permaculture, wildcrafting, and more. She offers a free email course on foraging and herbalism, so make sure you check that out!
Original Homesteading
Cathy lives in western Wyoming, where she and her family (7 children) work together to manage several home businesses as well as a garden, dairy goats, milk cows, horses, and chickens. She writes about growing your own food, traditional life skills, and real food recipes.
Boots and Hooves Homestead
Mary at Boots and Hooves lives with her family on a ranch in Nebraska. She's originally from SoCal but fell in love with a country boy.
Mary understands what it is like to be a total newbie to the homesteading game. Her beautiful blog focuses on recipes, gardening, farm life, minimalism, and living a non-toxic lifestyle.
Wisconsin Homesteader
In 2019, Sadie and her family bought a 40-acre piece of land to begin their homesteading dream. She writes about the simple life, raising animals, and has documented a bit of their building process.
They have laying hens, meat birds, and a milk cow, and are sure to have plenty of adventures as they homeschool and work the land.
The Homesteading Hippy
Heather began her homesteading journey in 2006, made plenty of mistakes, and kept going. She and her family live on ⅕ acre in northern Indiana, yet they raise meat birds, turkeys, rabbits, and more.
Heather reports that the garden takes up about ⅓ of the yard, the animals get another third, and they inhabit the rest. If you're interested in homesteading in a small space, she's sure to be a wealth of information.
Rooted Revival
Kaylee and Lindy began their homesteading journey on a micro-homestead in Idaho on less than an acre. Now, they live on 2 acres in the Pacific Northwest, where they focus on creating a permaculture homestead.
Kaylee offers one-on-one coaching if you're in the area and also does garden designs.
I personally love looking at homestead layouts, and you can find the layout for the 1 acre homestead here. The before and after photos of when they purchased the property versus when they left it are incredible!
Healing Harvest Homestead
If learning about natural medicine and herbal remedies is your thing, you don't want to miss Heidi at Healing Harvest Homestead. So much of her content focuses on medicinal herbs and plants, DIY skincare, and natural cleaning products.
She now lives on a 26-acre homestead in the panhandle of north Idaho, but she started homesteading on a small property (¾ of an acre with an HOA).
You'll find her YouTube channel informative and entertaining, and she even has an online course and natural living community for you to explore.
Home Grown Self Reliance
Shawna at Home Grown Self Reliance focuses on helping women become more self reliant through homesteading. While she was raised as a city girl, her husband was raised on a farm. She says that living the simple life gives her peace.
Her blog, Home Grown Self Reliance, focuses on homesteading tips, preparedness, raising animals, and home remedies using herbs from the herb garden and essential oils.
Shawna and her family rent a 3.8 acre farm in Idaho where they raise sheep, rabbits, goats, chickens, cows, turkeys, and horses.
She also has a TikTok where she posts quick videos about her life on the farm.
Vintage Homestead Life
Maggie grew up in the suburbs but longed to live a country life. When she and her husband got the opportunity, they moved their family out in the country, even living off grid for a while as they began building their home. She wants to encourage her readers to "slow down a little" to enjoy life and take it all in.
Her blog focuses on country style recipes, homemaking, and rural living. They are in the process of building a house that looks vintage with the appearance of having been lived in for generations. We can't wait to see what that looks like!
Better Hens and Gardens
Lesa started working toward self-sufficiency while still living in suburbia and working a regular job as an engineer and manager. She and her partner Randy first purchased Bramblestone Farm in 2000.
It was a 10-acre property in Northeast Ohio that they turned into a passive solar homestead. There, they raised chickens and goats, had a garden, and kept bees.
They sold the property in 2020 and now live in Hilton Head, but she continues to write about their farm adventures and plans to have gardens and honeybees at what she's dubbed "Bramblestone South."
Tenth Acre Farm
Amy began her journey on a suburban micro-farm in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was just a tenth of an acre (hence the name), but that's where she began growing her own food. She's particularly knowledgeable about edible landscapes, herb gardening, and permaculture. She has a book called The Suburban Micro-Farm with solutions for all sorts of situations, like small spaces or sloping yards.
A Modern Homestead
Victoria, her husband, and her son live on an 8-acre homestead in Texas. She writes and makes videos about homesteading, gardening, frugal living tips, and cooking from scratch.
Victoria and her family recently completed their dream home with a floor plan from Homestead House Plans. You can get a full video tour of her home on her YouTube channel.
If you want to learn more about preserving food and eating frugally and organically, her blog and channel are excellent resources!
Souly Rested
Michelle and her family live in a 220-year-old farmhouse in New England. Among her many skills are tapping maple trees to gather that sweet sap and turn it into syrup. She's written the book on it. Really. She's written a book all about maple syrup called Sweet Maple.
Michelle also has a podcast called Simple Doesn't Mean Easy and also helps out with the Prairie Homestead's podcast (see above).
Her writing is absolutely beautiful, so don't be surprised if you find yourself down a rabbit hole reading about gardening, beekeeping, or kombucha when you thought you were just stopping by for a quick minute.
And Michelle's YouTube channel is full of delightful lessons, too.
The Elliott Homestead
Shaye, her husband, and children live in a cottage on 2 acres in Washington State. There, they raise a dairy cow, ducks, hogs, sheep, and laying hens while growing a garden for much of their produce.
The blog focuses heavily on food with delicious from-scratch recipes. However, the farm archives house valuable information as well. Their YouTube channel is a wealth of information on cooking, gardening, and homemaking.
Little House Living
Merissa is a wife and mother who writes about frugal and simple living, preparedness, homesteading, and farmhouse renovations. I remember finding her site way back when! She's been blogging for more than 10 years, so her site is a wealth of information.
Merissa also has a YouTube channel where she videos tours of her garden, food storage tips, and more.
Our Inspired Roots
Mindy at Our Inspired Roots focuses on home remedies, cooking from scratch, and growing your own food. She has plenty of tips for budgeting and saving money since her own struggles with finances lead to her desiring a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
Fresh Eggs Daily
Call Lisa Steele the "Mother Hen" or "Queen of the Coop." Either way, she knows her stuff when it comes to raising chickens, ducks, and geese.
Lisa is a 5th generation chicken keeper and a Master Gardener with a cookbook and a TV show that aired from 2019-2020 called Welcome to My Farm.
She and her husband live on 125 acres where they keep poultry and a garden. She also shares beautiful recipes and crafts that you'll really enjoy.
City Girl Farming
Kerrie grew up in Montana where she helped with gardening and keeping the animals. When she moved to Portland, Oregon for school, however, she missed the fresh food most of all from her formerly rural lifestyle.
After her cancer diagnosis, Kerrie was determined to eat locally and organically. That's when she built a chicken coop and started her blog.
Nowadays, she lives on a 38 acre farm where she can have an organic garden and raise all the backyard chickens she wants. She gardens, preserves foods, and uses essential oils instead of chemical-laden cleaning products. If you want to keep a natural home, her site is a great resource.
Hillsborough Homesteading
Lauren has a beautiful site with lots of recipes, herbal remedies, and tips for gardening, foraging, and canning. Her Instagram seems to show off more of her personal side, with cute glimpses of the animals and a look at their current building projects.
The Self Sufficient HomeAcre
Lisa Lynn started this blog to help others become more self sufficient while getting their hands dirty. The site is a wealth of information about ways to make money on your homestead and even has free farm business sheets to help you do so.
Steel Raven Farms
Leigh and Jared live on an 8-acre mini-farm in Georgia where they raise their boys, about 10 goats, chickens, and lots of pets. Their site seems to be relatively new, but they're covering topics on goats, homeschooling, and canning.
Salt In My Coffee
Anna lives on a homestead in Maine where she raises her two kids along with sheep, ducks, quails, and chickens. She has a large garden and plenty of posts about the food she grows. If you're the crafty type, check out her easy sewing projects, blacksmithing posts, and natural dyeing tips.
Summers Acres
Jon and Ann work from home as IT professionals while managing a homestead. While they're both from the "country" (West Virginia and North Carolina, respectively), they didn't know much about growing a garden and raising animals until the past decade. Of particular interest are their posts on fruit trees and their DIY projects, like building a chicken run and renovating their 1940s farmhouse.
Montana Homesteader
Annie, her husband, and children live on a homestead in Montana. She was raised in a farmhouse and was taught by her mother and grandmother how to cook from scratch, preserve food, and grow plants at an early age. When she moved out and began renting, she made a garden at every home she lived in.
In 2013, she and her husband bought their first fixer upper homestead on 4.5 acres. They completed lots of projects, like planting berry bushes, creating a 7,000 square foot vegetable garden, and adding beehives. However, in 2018 they moved to a new homestead.
Annie is a Certified Master Naturalist and has so many useful tips on foraging, beekeeping, farm animals, and gardening.
I hope you've enjoyed this list of homesteading websites. Make sure to follow them on their social media platforms to stay up to date on their projects, gardens, and families.
