homesteading

noun

home·​stead·​ing ˈhōm-ˌste-diŋ 

1

: the act or practice of acquiring, settling on, or occupying land under a homestead law (see homestead law sense 2)

Homesteading was a minor factor in farm formation; most farmers purchased their land.

—Richard Edwards et al.

Homesteaders still were receiving no training or farm development loans from the Bureau, and this became a major issue in Congressional debates over postwar homesteading.

—Brian Q. Cannon

2

: the act or practice of living frugally or self-sufficiently (as on a homestead) especially by growing and preserving food

While homesteading is full of … delicious homegrown food, and quality family time, it is also chock-full of chores and life lessons.

—Jenna Dooley

In Madison County, food preservation techniques and other homesteading skills remain a big part of daily life, said Koontz, and many locals stay closely tied to their land and what it can produce.

—Mackensy Lunsford

… an urban homesteading venture in which he grows vegetables and makes kombucha, herbal salves and more out of his home.

—Courtney Lamdin and Sasha Goldstein

Examples of homesteading in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stephenson’s clients are prioritizing accessibility, indoor air quality, biophilia and features that facilitate homesteading, like gardens to support self sufficiency and healthy eating. —Jamie Gold, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

Rosemary is also a go-to for Linda Ly of Garden Betty, a blog dedicated to gardening, homesteading and sustainable living. —Sarah Lyon, Washington Post, 21 June 2022

The answer likely lies in the increasing trend of home gardening, homesteading, and the desire for produce grown without the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers (never mind the rising costs of groceries). —Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2023

The United States expanded in its early years by acquiring or purchasing land, eventually transferring it to state governments or individuals through homesteading or land grants and encouraging settlers to relocate to the west. —al, 27 May 2022

Raban's Bad Land is a narrative history of the homesteading movement, illuminating a sliver of American history. —Michael Stillwell, Town & Country, 18 June 2023

By 1974, this process, known as urban homesteading, was recognized by the federal government. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2021

But this wasn’t news to small-scale farmers, homesteaders, or the organizations that support them, like western North Carolina’s Wild Abundance, a permaculture and homesteading school, and the nearby Organic Growers School, which supports local growers of all kinds. —Allison Braden, Outside Online, 20 May 2020

For newcomers to homesteading, Bogwalker offers sound advice: Go slow. —Chris Moody, Anchorage Daily News, 16 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

homestead entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1