Homesteading Activities and Links
Click the toggle for supplemental activities and content for each module
If you come across an excellent resource, let us know at hello@harborandsprout.com so we can add it to the list!- Watch this video on the Homestead Act from the Daily Bellringer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Leh6DCPWM
- Watch these videos from Clara, a nonagenarian cook that recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era:
- Fried Mushrooms - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qGjH3c6Uxc
- Dandelion Salad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51VhG8MKxJY
- Learn about Victory Gardens through this Smithsonian Gardens website: https://gardens.si.edu/gardens/victory-garden/
- Learn about the history of Soup Kitchens here - https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1660.html - then try making a Depression-Era soup from one of these recipes:
- 1938 Depression Era Potato Soup Recipe - https://diyjoy.com/depression-era-potato-soup-recipe/#google_vignette
- Depression Era Corn Chowder - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26412/depression-era-corn-chowder/
- 1930s Depression Soup - https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/149671921/1930s-depression-soup/#google_vignette
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- Watch these videos on apartment/townhome/urban homesteading:
- How to homestead in an APARTMENT OR TOWNHOME [5 things to start doing today!] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPaADlkZQu0
- How to Homestead Without Land| How to Urban Homestead | My Diary | E1Fall | Monthly Series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo4YvPPFjv0&list=PL-4h7GDC1GQ4CEz2K8QFysv4ZUnwn7xZU (This video is the first part of a whole series. Look for the ‘Start an Urban Farm’ playlist on the BECOMING A FARM GIRL YouTube channel.)
- Watch these videos about small land/suburban homesteading:
- Woman's Incredible Backyard Homestead Produces TONS of Food for Her Family – URBAN GARDEN TOUR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K48WGZYWsxc
- 10 Easy Ways to HOMESTEAD in the Suburbs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt1C1jEJszE
- Watch these videos about other land sizes:
- Why Smaller is Better: Sustainable Living on 1/4 Acre + a Small House – URBAN GARDEN TOUR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiN7-Yew7xU
- She Created an Affordable Tiny House and Homesteads - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-94bP4dyTc
Book Recommendations for This Section:
- The Modern Homestead: Learn True Sustainability at Home, Off Grid Green Living, Self-Reliance, Urban Gardening plus Backyard Homesteading Techniques by Sara Manchester
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- Watch “What is Permaculture (And Why Should I Care?)” from Our Changing Climate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXTXNSWOAqQ
- Watch “What is Permaculture? Here’s My Favorite Definition!” from Broken Ground - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLEVS_52Lbc
- Watch “What Is Permaculture? The 3 Ethics of Permaculture” from Gardening Know How - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5dahyWSu0o
- Read about how to create a “one-pager” - https://creativeclassroomcore.com/one-pagers-what-are-they/#what-is-a-one-pager
Book Recommendations for This Section:
- David Holmgren’s e-book, Essence of Permaculture, can be accessed for free here: https://permacultureprinciples.com/resources/free-downloads/#principles-poster
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- Webpage on Dyring Foods from New Mexico State University - https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_e/E322/
- Watch “DIY Rain Barrel & Drip Line Irrigation System” from Hobby Farms - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztQDEshRwvY
- Read about how to create a “one-pager” - https://creativeclassroomcore.com/one-pagers-what-are-they/#what-is-a-one-pager
- Watch these videos about Indigenous Groups in the Arctic:
- As Arctic warms, Indigenous communities there face dramatic changes to their way of life from PBS NewsHour - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp-eNd0VGzg
- The Climate and Us: What indigenous knowledge can teach us about land stewardship in the Arctic from Global Climate and Health Alliance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o30bpI6n8FM
- Indigenous Communities Are on the Front Lines of Climate Change from Hot Mess - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlGnve1cjOY
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- Watch “The Sun’s surprising movement across the sky - Gordon Williamson” from TED-Ed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm13Kq_E1ik
- Visit the website “Sun Mapping Your Garden the Easy Way” from gardenmyths.com - https://www.gardenmyths.com/sun-mapping-garden/
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- Read “The Self-Sufficient Life—What You Need to Know About Homesteading” by Liz Froment - https://www.acg.aaa.com/connect/blogs/4c/home/homesteading-the-self-sufficient-life#:~:text=What%20is%20Homesteading%3F,around%20self%2Dsufficiency%20and%20resourcefulness
- Listen to the She Said Homestead Podcast Episode on Romanticizing Homesteading - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-09-romanticizing-the-homestead-lifestyle/id1729946722?i=1000646881882
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- Take a Look at These Depictions of Agricultural Tasks in Ancient Art:
- Male statue with its base. The "Muscophorus" from The Acropolis Museum - https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/andriko-agalma-me-ti-basi-toy-o-moshoforos
- Relief depicting cattle farming from The Met - https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/551094#:~:text=depicting%20cattle%20farming-,Old%20Kingdom,at%20full%20screen%2C%20or%20downloaded
- Landscapes of Nicolas Poussin Depicting Idealized Nature:
- Landscape with a Calm - https://magnoliacosta.art/blog-eng/2020/11/28/nicolas-poussin-landscape-idea
- Autumn or The Spies with the Grapes of the Promised Land - https://www.nicolas-poussin.com/en/works/autumn/
- More Realistic Interpretations by the Brothers Le Nain:
- Family of milk seller - https://www.wikiart.org/en/le-nain-brothers/family-of-milk-seller
- The cart - https://www.wikiart.org/en/le-nain-brothers/all-works#!#filterName:all-paintings-chronologically,resultType:masonry
- The well - https://www.wikiart.org/en/le-nain-brothers/all-works#!#filterName:all-paintings-chronologically,resultType:masonry
- Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” - https://www.artic.edu/artworks/6565/american-gothic
- Thomas Hart Benton’s “The Woodpile” - https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.70063.html
Links to E-Books Mentioned in This Section:
- The Prairie by James Feinmore Cooper - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6450
- O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.261773/page/n3/mode/2up
Note: It's important to note that the books discussed in this lesson contain language and depictions that may be considered offensive or inappropriate by contemporary standards. This includes outdated and derogatory terms for various racial and ethnic groups, as well as portrayals of alcohol consumption, profanity, and sexual situations. Readers should approach these works with a critical eye, recognizing that they reflect the social norms and prejudices of their time, and be aware that sensitive content may be encountered.
Video/Webpage/Resource Links:
- View This Webpage on Coping Skills and Resilience Building from Johns Hopkins Medicine - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/about/community-health/johns-hopkins-bayview/services/called-to-care/develop-battery-coping-skills
- Read This Article from Verywell Mind About the Problem-Solving Process - https://www.verywellmind.com/problem-solving-2795008
- Read This Article from HealthyChildren.org, then complete the Stress Management Plan PDF - https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/For-Teens-Creating-Your-Personal-Stress-Management-Plan.aspx
Literary devices, definitions, and examples: https://writers.com/common-literary-devices
The Modern Homestead: Learn True Sustainability at Home, Off Grid Green Living, Self-Reliance, Urban Gardening plus Backyard Homesteading Techniques by Sara Manchester
Essence of Permaculture by David Holmgren (can be accessed for free here: https://permacultureprinciples.com/resources/free-downloads/#principles-poster)
The Encyclopedia of Country Living: The Original Manual for Living Off the Land & Doing It Yourself by Carla Emery
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency: The Classic Guide for Realists and Dreamers by John Seymour
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: A Guide to the Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Mini Farming for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide to Remaking Your Backyard Into a Mini Farm and Creating a Self-Sustaining Organic Garden by Brenda Sanders
Heirloom Skills: A Complete Guide to Modern Homesteading by Anders Rydell and Alva Herdevall