by Quentin Morris

Created on: November 24, 2008   Last Updated: July 12, 2009

So you want to become a homesteader? Getting back to nature and making the land work for you is a great way to get out of the rat race, improve your quality of life and provide wholesome, home-grown food for you and your family. However, before you embark on this idyllic adventure it is worth considering just how versatile you have to be as a homesteader.

From raising animals, to tending crops, to creating a self-sustaining home, homestead farming will really put your skills of ingenuity to the test. To successfully make the transition to self-sufficient living it is important to invest in a range of areas, to ensure that you have an income all year round. This requires careful planning beforehand and a lot of hard work through the year but, by being versatile and creative, homesteading can really work.

Your home

Before you rush out and buy livestock, consider how you can make your home profitable first. Your bricks and mortar might have a high running cost in electricity and other utilities now, but with some investment they could actually make you money. Begin with the basics. Make sure your home is well insulated and that you do everything you can to reduce running costs from using energy saving light bulbs to fitting draft excluders.

With the basics in place, you can consider investing in sustainable energy sources. According to the climatic conditions in your area you can fit solar panels or wind turbines to generate energy yourself. Although these require an initial outlay, you can make the money back in ten-fifteen years. If you produce more energy than your household needs you can sell it back to the national grid at a profit. Once you've paid off your investment, your house will actually make you money. This ensures a modest but continual income through the year which can really make the difference when money's short.

Start a compost heap. Any uneaten plant based materials (including paper) can be composted, providing free fertiliser for your vegetables. Begin this a year in advance and by the time you come to plant out you'll have a good supply to get you going. You also need to prepare your plot in advance, mixing compost into the soil so it is in optimum condition before you start.

Crops

The key to successful crop growing is working with your soil type. Find out what the soil is like in your area and plan your planting accordingly. These are just some of the plants that can be grown in different soil types;

Sandy soil; This is good for early

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