There seems to be a large contingent of homesteader gardeners that are pushing some really low quality farming methods to the general public. I don’t say this lightly because I understand that they are doing what they think is right but at the same time they are ignoring everything that has came before and most of all discounting commercial farming methods that feed the world.
Commercial Farming has thousands of years to draw upon. These are the people that grow food for everyone that doesn’t farm. Whether it be a small farmer that grows a 2 acre plot of crocus to harvest saffron or a wheat farmer with thousands of acres to care for the methods they use have been proven over time. If their methods don’t work then they earn no money and the community goes hungry. Its not something to discount or laugh about.
Quite honestly I have grown to understand that these homesteaders are a community of story tellers more than they are professionals sharing their wealth of knowledge. You see them on YouTube quite a lot and they are very popular with possibly millions of followers but their followers seem to be grouped into two types. The first is a number of people who will never live in a rural setting and they are living vicariously through these story tellers. The second group are people that do have experience and you can see them continuously warning these people of bad decisions they are making. For instance I was recently watching one of these homesteaders rid their land of unwanted trees. Do they keep them for years of firewood? No they burn them in large piles and then when winter comes around they have no firewood so I see them burning lumber scraps in their wood burning stove and buying mill scraps from a local lumber producer to heat their home. Its insanity and nothing less.
At the same time I follow some female homesteaders on the other side of the world in a low income country that were raised on farms and homesteads as were previous generations of their family. I see them take literally nothing and a few hand tools and turn their land into a home they can be proud of.
This difference is dramatic and it is an honest comparison. You have people that are doing the work and then you have story tellers that are leading their flock by the nose.
Now I don’t discount everything that these homesteader story tellers do. Many times they do get things right but it is important to ask yourself the following questions before you invest your trust in anyone giving you recommendations about how you should live your life or perform work at your home.
Knowing Who You Should Take Advise From
Does this person have a long background in the work they perform?
Were they raised on a farm or homestead?
Do they have professional technical training or have they worked in this industry for profit making?
Did they learn these skills on their own by trial and error over many years.
What is their motivation for sharing skills with you?
Is Their Profit Motive A Drawback Or Benefit?
Lets be honest everyone has to make a living and if you are a homesteader living in a rural area your opportunities are often limited. This is not to say they are nonexistent but they may not be within your skill set. In a rural area there is always need for hiring people to perform work and professionals of many types are needed but if you don’t understand the need then you can’t provide it professionally. This is why we have seen a proliferation of everyone trying to be a story teller or teacher of the life. Yes we are doing it so you can too. In some sense this is not a bad thing but when you take advice from someone you must take the best advice that is based not only on that person’s thoughts but also about many years of previous generations struggling and learning and perfecting these methods. Are they teaching you a skill or selling you a Tshirt? Are they welcoming you into their life or are they on a stage performing?
Are They Telling A Story Or Teaching You Sound Practices?
The first thing you should evaluate when taking advise is how well your teacher is doing at the same tasks.
The old saying “Do what I say not what I do” can not apply when you are taking important advise from someone.
If you are looking for advise on Chicken Farming for Egg Production are you taking advise from someone that struggles to have enough eggs for their own family or are you taking advise from someone that produces so many eggs that they have trucks pulling up every morning to deliver their eggs to markets for hundreds of miles around.
This is the idea that you must get into your head when you are looking for real advise.
Is Listening To Their Story The Wrong Thing To Do?
I wouldn’t categorize watching these people on YouTube or Reading their Books as being wrong but you have to take their content for what it is. This is their story and this is what they are doing. If their story conflicts with sound advice of industry then thats where you need to put limits on the advice you take from them.
At the same time they could be very entertaining and that in and of its self is something. If you can take 20 minutes out of your day and watch a video then fine. However if you are looking for advise on something important to you then you need to do some real research.
Most of all its not wasted time to watch them but you have to put it in perspective.
Final Note
As you might think this how to is more of a warning. Its not that the people giving you advice in their videos are always wrong and only out to attract a following so they can generate money. Its that you can spend huge amounts of money and effort by following bad advise.
As you will notice if you have ever read the terms of this website the advice here must be backed up by further research of the reader. You should never use it as your only source of information.
This is what we all must do when we are looking at Infotainment. Take it for what it is. Primarily entertainment and possibly some helpful advise thrown in but it should not be relied on if you can’t verify its the best advice from other reputable sources.
The USDA is a great source of information about farming and food production. They also have information from research programs throughout the country and the world.
Companies that manufacture products for the industry including tools and materials are also a great place to find information and they often have associations that provide some of the best advice out there. If you wanted to learn about grading lumber and what products are best then places like the Southern Pine Association or the American Wood Council or a variety of other sources can be found.
Thats not to say that any group or individual can’t be wrong about something and you will always see information being updated and improved over time.
It is through growth and understanding and sharing ideas that information improves and can be used by professionals and others to do things reliably.
So don’t get caught up in the hype. When you see that wonderful person giving you advise understand how they are coming to the conclusion that its the best advise for you or even just the best advice that they can offer.