Free Resources to Learn Basic Homesteading Skills

If you are interested in living of the land and being more self sufficient, you will need to be adept at many essential skills. Here are some of my favorite FREE resources for homesteaders.

The learning curve for homsteaders can be pretty steep. Without a solid knowledge base to start from, your homesteading journey is going to cost you a lot of time, money, and probably heartache.

The good news is there are a ton of wonderful organizations out there who provide FREE resources that will teach you valuable skills, whether it is raising your own meat, growing your own grain, installing solar panels, or any other number of useful skills. 

Local Library

You can access books, ebooks, and audiobooks for free from your local library. Maybe you are interested in herbal remedies and essential oils, or the best way to grow a vegetable garden. Guaranteed, your library will have something for you.

Libby

As a part of your local library you most likely have access to Libby, which is a free app for your phone, tablet, and can also be accessed from your computer.

Libby is a great way to access ebooks and audiobooks that your library may not carry hard copies of, but will have in an “e” format. I am especially a big fan of audiobooks! Why not learn how to grow your own food while also getting the dishes done?

Hoopla

Many folks might know about their library’s online collection, but they don’t realize they can also access Hoopla through their library.

Hoopla is available on desktop or as a downloadable app. Through Hoopla you can find books to help you learn new skills like the basics of sourdough bread, how to build a solid chicken coop, how to tap maple trees, and more! Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs is available on Hoopla and that is one of my favorite books when it comes to learning about herbal medicine. 

I especially love that you can download movies from Hoopla, too!

One thing to keep in mind is that you can only check out between 3-5 Hoopla titles a month, depending on what your libary’s subscription is.

Each day there is also a “collective check-out limit”. This means each day your entire library system only has so many check outs. This means that you should check out your Hoopla titles right away in the morning and not wait until later in the day.

Resources for Small Farmers, Animal Agriculture, and More

On the modern homestead you may have any number of farm animals, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, etc.  There are endless projects you might have as a part of your homesteading lifestyle. Here are a few great organizations that offer free webinars, workbooks, videos, and more.

ATTRA

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas is very similar to SARE (see below) in the general categories of its offerings.

One bonus they have is that they have a resource to offer internships or find an internship to take part in. If you have a legitimate farm, more than just a homestead, and are looking for consistent help on a regular basis and you already have some knowledge to share, you might be able to host interns on your farm. 

I worked at several different farms in my early 20s and I gained wonderful skills in self sufficiency, and also created a network of friends and connections who were interested in living the same way of life as me. 

Interns can be a great help, but you should take time to consider if an intern is right for you and your family before deciding to offer a position.

SARE

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education is a fantastic place to learn basic skills when it comes to homesteading and farming. Whether you have a few acres of land or hundreds, they have studies, webinars, workbooks, and more to help with farm finances, organic transitions, market gardening, and more.

SFA 

The Sustainble Farming Association of Minnesota is a non-profit group that works to bring local farmers together, and connect those farmers with consumers. If you happen to live in Minnesota or one of our neighboring states, you might even have in-person events close enough for you to travel to. 

They also have a fantastic resource library that is free for anyone to use no matter where you live.

Cheesemaking 

Would you like to make your own cheese? It is retally pretty simple (for some recipes anyway) and a great skill to learn. 

I have been making soft cheeses on our homestead for years, and you can find recipes for feta, mozzarella, chevre, and more, here on the blog.

Ricki Caroll over at New England Cheesemaking has a ton of free recipes you can try out if you are interested in more advanced cheesemaking like hard cheeses or mold ripened cheeses for long term storage. 

Best Free Resource for Beekeeping

The University of Minnesota has the Bee Lab. If you are ever in Minnesota I HIGHLY recommend visiting the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, where the bee lab is housed. 

You can find all sorts of wonderful information on beekeeping on their website.  Most importantly you can download their Beekeeping in Northern Climates handbook. 

Canning Resources

If you are interested in learning about the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning,  the USDA Center for Home Canning is going to be your best friend. 

You can also find my must-have guide to canning for beginners, which covers just about everything you need to know about food preservation, from fermentation to canning fresh fruits.

There is nothing quite like opening a jar of your own canned goods to brighten the chilly winter months. No need to go to the grocery store, just your own personal food stash made with simple ingredients. 

Podcasts

I love a good podcast. In fact I even have one myself called the Family Milk Cow Podcast, should you be interested in raising your own cows.

Here are a few of my other favorites that are a wealth of knowledge.

• Let’s Grow Girls
• For the Love of Goats
• Goat Talk with the Goat Doc
• Coffee with the Chicken Ladies
• Rural Woman Podcast
• Dirt Rich
• Trailblazher

Other Great Resources

Do you have a favorite website, YouTube channel, podcast, or other free resource you have used to build your own homestead? Please be sure to share them in the comments below, and good luck with your homestead plans!