How can you exhibit your homestead character?

The first homesteaders in the 1800s were faced with often insurmountable challenges. Their inexperienced caused multiple setbacks. Through hard work, perseverance, and quality of character, some thrived. Leading to the expansion of the American West.

Hi, welcome to the homestead education podcast.

Usually this is where I would talk about my week a little and I had actually planned on telling you about our weekend. However, our weekend ended up strongly effecting this week’s episode.

I had already decided that this episode was going to be about homestead character, but hadn’t written anything yet. Then I had something happen that really reminded me why I believe this topic is so important making it where my chat tied in nicely with my topic for this week. A while back I wrote a blog post called “A small town farewell”, that spoke of greetings and goodbyes amongst those of us that live in small towns. It’s a great story that tells how our community was there for us in one of our hardest times. I’ll link that in the show notes because I think the positives of this topic hugely outweighs any negatives that really drive in the point of have a quality character.

This led me to really think about the character traits that I feel like embody what I consider to be homestead character. I have added it into my curriculums, and I preach it in my content online, because even though I strongly encourage the building of hard skills, homesteading isn’t just about weather or not you have the ability to grow a tomato. And these thoughts don’t come from a soap box idea that if you want to homestead, you have to have these character traits. This comes from years of working in agriculture, following homesteaders online, attending homestead events and living and homesteading in a likeminded community.

Back to what I was saying about my events of the weekend. My kids are all very active in 4-H. This is an amazing program that I joined when I was 8 years old and continued in until I had graduated high school. As soon as my kids were old enough to join themselves, we began getting involved again. My husband and I are now leaders of a couple of different groups and look forward to being able to continue this tradition with our younger kids as well.

So many times I have seen 4-H be a catalyst to life-long success for hard working kids that are taught to give back to the communities that support them. 4-H teaches kids humane animal practices, record keeping, public speaking, community service, teamwork, accountability, and so many other life skills. For my homeschooled kids, this is often their socialization time as well.

Over the weekend, we had our swine weigh-ins. This is where all the kids that are raising pigs for auction that year bring their pigs to the fair grounds to get starting weights and show ownership of their animals. This is a well-organized event, because it has to be with as many pigs, kids, and parents running around. Most people work really well together and in a small town we all really enjoy having a chance to get together for the morning. Moms are drinking coffee in groups chatting, the kids run around and play after their animals go across the scale. The dads and teenage boys jump in to strong arm unruly pigs. It’s a great community effort.

Then there are those parents who are entitled. Who believe that their kids and animals are the only ones that matter, that everyone is there to serve them and that the rules that everyone else agrees to and abides by, do not apply to them. And in the case of this weekend, when a parent was asked to wait their turn and pitch in, became enraged and verbally violent to volunteers, and in front of a ton of kids. Of course this incident will be handled and not tolerated by our community, but it really made me think about how this personality effects those who that embrace what I am calling homestead character.

A group of educators came up with what is called the 6 pillars of characters. Those pillars are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. At this point you’re probably thinking, ok, she isn’t telling me anything I’m not already aware of. And I get that. But while writing my recent curriculum I really had to expand on each of these characteristics. I have been researching, having great conversations with other homesteaders, and doing a lot of deep thinking. I am a farmer or homesteader, not a psychologist or a pastor who has spent their life devoted to teaching or preaching the idea of quality of character. I have led myself down a few rabbit holes and will follow them as I continue to write, because I work so hard everyday to teach my kids these values, exhibit them myself, and surround myself with people that stand by these foundations as well.

Trustworthiness

With raising teenagers, one of our most common conversations is on integrity. Our definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking. Often with teenagers, it’s pretty basic. Did you feed everyone the right way when I wasn’t there to make sure? Where your helpful with your siblings when I was feeling well? This is conversations we have with them at home so that when they walk about that door, they exhibit integrity for the rest of the world. When we aren’t there to remind them, are they driving safely? Are they being helpful to others? Are they following through on tasks from their boss or coach?

I feel like this is something that young people sometimes lack in general. This isn’t me sitting on an old lady high horse, because I can think of moments in my younger years that I lacked the integrity I try to practice now. It’s hard to always see it that way too. I’m not going to lie. I have been in the grocery store when there is snow and ice on the ground, I’m tired from shopping with kids and after I unload my groceries, I have pushed my cart out of the way rather than take is back to the stall. I try to justify it by saying, well someone else is paid to do that, or its not safe to walk away from the kids. Really though, I’m just trying to convince myself that it was ok to lack integrity. It is not ok.

At the end of the day, all you have is your word. And if your word is worthless, what does that say about you?

How does this apply to the homestead?

You are working with animals who are completely relying on you. You are canning your crop that certain rules must be met or the food will become unsafe. You share fence lines with neighbors who can’t risk their young heifers being bred by your bull. It is so important to be someone that you, your family, and your community can trust and rely on.

That really comes down to the next pillar; respect.

Respect

Respect is not just for your elders, although you should probably do that. Respect comes in all forms. Respect for yourself, your family, your neighbors, your community, the animals you raise and the land that you live on. When you can be trusted and exhibit integrity, you are showing respect.

This really boils down to treating others the way you want to be treated. Use good manners, don’t hurt others and deal with your disagreements peacefully.

Many have a hard time with the concept of having respect for themselves. Make sure you are taking care of yourself and present your well. Be clean, don’t speak poorly about yourself or others. Don’t use foul language in company that may not feel comfortable with it.

A big one for me when I talk about having respect for yourself, is respecting who you really are. On my previous podcast episode, I talked about being confident in your passions. That also means respecting yourself enough to follow those passions. You are disrespecting yourself if you allow yourself to be unhappy.

As a homesteader, many of us are raising animals. And having respect for those animals and what they are providing to your family huge. Everyone has different practices when it comes to livestock management, and that’s ok! Abusing and neglecting those animals is not. With that I have some pretty strong feelings on certain management practices that I feel like can be both abusive and neglectful. I’m not going to go into that at the moment because I don’t want the mobs showing up on my doorstep. Although, maybe I’ll save that for another day.

I also believe in respect for the land that you live on and raise your food. Over harvesting of fields or treed areas can be damaging to your soil or cause erosion. Erosion is the runoff of soil and land from rain or wind. This is often cause from not having a dense enough root system in the soil. Also, I think that there can be a time and place for some herbicides or commercial fertilizers, although, overuse of them can be very damaging to the water systems and overall ecosystem.

Having respect for your community and neighbors is so important as a homesteader. Because these are the people that will be there if you lose infrastructure in a storm, if your kids need a hot meal while you’re in the hospital, or simply if you need to borrow a tractor.

Be responsible

Responsibility is a necessity and seems to be out of reach for some people. Really though, just do what you’re supposed to do. I find if you plan ahead, you’re more likely to make sure that all of your responsibilities are met. This does require an element of self-control and self-discipline to meet your responsibilities. Especially on a homestead. There are so many moving parts and so much that needs to be attended to in order to properly respect what that homestead gives back to you.

I do believe there is a learning curve on a homestead where your consequences can often be very detrimental. What matters is weather or not you are responsible enough to learn from those mistakes. Being responsible also means setting a good example. This is showing your kids what hard work and good character looks like. It shows your community how to step up and be there for each other, especially during a time when you cannot always rely on the systems that have been previously put into place to help those in need.

Fairness

Yes, I know. Life isn’t always fair and that is not what I am suggesting. What I am saying is, play by the rules. There are rules that have been put into place to keep our society functioning. There are also rules that different countries and communities follow, many of which are unspoken. And for those of us that grew up in the country, we know that you just don’t break those rules. Some of them are simple, like you always wave at a passing vehicle on a back road. Some are the very core of honesty and respect. If you give your word on something, it should be gold that you will follow through.

Although, as Thomas Jefferson said, “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”

So keep that in mind as well and use it as you see fit.

Caring

This one is just down right so important. Be kind. Forgive. And help those in need.

These character traits can show up in so many ways. Often when someone hears this, they only picture helping out at food banks or homeless shelters. This is just one piece of how you can be there for your community. My husband volunteers for our local volunteer fire department. These guys are there for everything in our community. From shoveling roofs in the winter to sandbags on the river in the spring. Its not just about fires and medical aid, but they’re there for that as well.

As I mentioned before, I am a volunteer 4-H leader. I put so much of my time into helping these kids raise their animals and showing them at fair. This is building character in our next generation.

Our community that we live in is there for each other in a way that I have never seen before! Every time there is someone in need, I can guarantee that someone will step up. I have been to so many BBQs, spaghetti feeds, and potlucks to raise money for something where I live. And I’m not saying I haven’t seen it in some of the other communities that I have been a part of, but where I am currently at in North Idaho is hands down AMAZING! Medical bills? Let’s do a fundraiser. Your business is struggling? Let’s do a fundraiser. And it’s so great, because its not just someone asking for money all the time. They get that there just isn’t money to hand out. People are so happy with donated foods and services here, its so special. I just hope that the rest of our country is like this. If it’s not, fix that in your community. Be the change, be the person that cares for someone else.

Why do we volunteer and donate wherever we can? Besides it’s just the right thing to do, it’s how we say thank you for the times our community has been there for us.

Citizenship

Ok so I might have just also covered citizenship when I said to volunteer and do your share. That’s ok though, because all it does it bring home my point that each of these pillars of character are completely tied together.

Its almost impossible to exhibit one of these character traits and not be at least touching on the rest of them.

However, make sure that you continue to be a part of your community. Constantly try to make your community better. Stay involved and stay informed. Vote every opportunity that you get. This is your community.

I’m sure there are many reasons why I have seen so many homesteaders stand on these principals. There is probably an element of Christian teachings and conservative values (not politically). It could be from long standing traditions in rural communities. Maybe its because we have realized that we have to rely on each so much more in current times. I guess I would like to think it’s all of the above.

So as your move through your week, please ask yourself if you are representing the homestead community or any thing else that you are a part of, with homestead character?

Can you be trusted?

Are you being respectful?

Are your responsibilities to yourself and others being met?

Are you being fair?

Do you care?

And, have you been a good citizen?

Following me on Instagram at homemaderevelation (I’ll link that in the show notes), because this week I’ll be posting beautiful graphics everyday to remind you of the pillars of homestead character.