Starting the Dream: November on the Homestead…

It’s been a dream for a long time—to create a place where I can share everything I’ve come to value about life on our little homestead. From growing our own food to preserving the harvest, cooking from scratch, and even butchering our own meat, there’s something deeply fulfilling about each step of the process. I’ve always loved the feeling of self-sufficiency and the joy of eating what I’ve grown or raised. Now, I’m excited to share this journey with you, season by season.

Since it’s November, the garden has been put to bed for the winter, and the last of our harvest is safely tucked away. The freezer is stocked with meat, jars of canned tomatoes and pickles line the shelves, and the root cellar is filled with hardy vegetables that will see us through the cold months. With the hustle and bustle of the growing season behind us, we’re shifting focus to indoor projects, planning for next year, and even experimenting with some new ideas to keep fresh greens on the table through winter.

Here’s what homesteading looks like for us this November.

Cutting Firewood: An annual ritual.

Cutting firewood is hard, physical work, but it’s often a more affordable and sustainable way to heat your home compared to electricity or other fuels. The process involves a lot of steps—cutting logs, splitting them, tossing the pieces into piles, stacking them neatly to dry, and finally hauling the firewood into the house as needed. It’s exhausting, repetitive work, but there’s something deeply satisfying about it. Each stage connects you to the rhythm of the seasons and the rewards of self-reliance.

And when winter settles in and the world outside is cold and quiet, there’s no better feeling than stepping into a warm, cozy home heated by your own labor. The crackle of the fire, the comforting scent of wood smoke, and the steady warmth from the stove make every step of the firewood process worth it.

Winter Preparations: Turning Inward for the Season

The frost has settled in, and with the first freeze, our garden beds have officially gone dormant. This is always a bittersweet time; while I miss the lushness and life of the summer garden, there’s something satisfying about knowing everything is ready to rest. In the garden, I’ve spread a layer of mulch and compost to protect the soil, and I’ll leave the beds alone until spring. It feels good to know that, while things may seem quiet on the surface, the soil is regenerating itself, building up nutrients for next year’s crops.

The freezer is now full of meat from this year’s harvest. Butchering isn’t easy work, and it’s not something we take lightly. I see it as part of the cycle of self-reliance—knowing where our food comes from and respecting each part of the process. Having that freezer stocked is both comforting and humbling, especially as we go into the colder months. We’re grateful for every meal, and every time we cook, it reminds us of the effort and care that goes into providing for ourselves.

Hydroponics: Bringing Fresh Greens Indoors

Just because the outdoor garden is done doesn’t mean we stop growing! One of the projects I’m especially excited about this winter is our small hydroponic setup. While traditional gardening has my heart, hydroponics lets us enjoy fresh greens like lettuce, spinach, and herbs all winter long without the need for grow lights or a greenhouse.

For anyone unfamiliar, hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water instead. It’s surprisingly low-maintenance once you get it set up, and it’s perfect for people who, like us, want to keep some level of self-sufficiency going through the winter. Having fresh greens for salads and cooking in the coldest months is a little reminder of the garden’s abundance—and it’s such a boost to see something growing when everything outside is asleep.

I’ll be sharing updates on our hydroponic system as we go, so stay tuned if you’re curious about setting up something similar. It’s a great way to dip your toes into indoor growing, even if you don’t have a lot of space or a green thumb.

Finishing Up Indoor Projects

With the garden resting and the harvest preserved, we finally have time to tackle some of those indoor projects that have been waiting all year. Winter is when we like to focus on improving the homestead in ways that often get overlooked during the busy months.

This season, we’re planning to:

• Build more shelves and storage for our canned goods and preserved foods, so everything is easier to access and organize.
• Fix and maintain tools that took a beating over the summer. Sharpening blades, oiling hinges, and repairing handles helps ensure our tools are ready for another year of work.
• Deep clean and organize the kitchen and pantry to make cooking from scratch even more enjoyable and efficient.

Winter might feel slow to some, but for us, it’s a chance to regroup, improve, and set ourselves up for an even more productive spring.

Planning Next Year’s Garden

There’s no better way to get through a long winter than dreaming about next year’s garden. This month, I’ll sit down with my seed catalogs, notes from last season, and a hot cup of tea to start planning what we’ll grow in the spring.

Gardening is as much about learning as it is about growing, so I always take some time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t. This year, for example, we had a great crop of tomatoes but struggled with cucumbers. So I’ll look into different cucumber varieties, maybe add some trellises for better airflow, and adjust our watering schedule.

Winter planning is also a good time to think about expanding into new areas. Maybe we’ll add a few more raised beds, or try growing something new. We’re also looking into more perennial options—plants like asparagus and rhubarb that come back year after year. It’s all about building a more resilient and productive garden over time, and winter gives us the mental space to think creatively and set new goals.

Looking Ahead

Starting this blog and sharing our homesteading journey is a new adventure in itself. I also setup a YouTube channel to present some visuals to our work.

Years ago I had a website ‘Modern Homesteading Today’ but we were so busy with our lives that the camera never got enough attention. Hopefully, this will change as we are nearing retirement.

There’s so much I’m excited to explore with you, from gardening tips and preserving techniques to recipes and DIY projects. Homesteading is about learning and adapting as we go, and I hope this blog becomes a place where we can connect, inspire each other, and share ideas.

For now, November is all about wrapping up the year’s hard work, enjoying the fruits of our labor, and turning our attention to new projects indoors. With every post, I’ll bring you along on this journey—a little slice of life on our homestead, one season at a time.

Thank you for joining me at the beginning of this adventure. Here’s to a cozy winter filled with planning, projects, and fresh ideas for the homestead. And as always, I’d love to hear from you—what are you working on this winter, and what are your dreams for next year’s garden?