Many individuals assume that the majority of homestead work is done during spring and summer, which to an extent is true, but that doesn’t mean we should turn our Fall/Winter season into a time of sitting on our laurels and wait until the sun returns again.
I’ve compiled a list of things to help you get inspired to create your own to-do list for around your homestead. Because every family unit is different, my list may look different than yours and yours may look different than your neighbors.
- Read some books
- Water your gardens roots
- Plan your spring garden
- Learn to cook soup from scratch
- Research using medicinal plants
- Grill meat outdoors and enjoy cool weather
- Keep your animals fed and watered
- Research canning and try jam making
- Crochet or knit gifts for family
- Learn how to tie knots and teach kiddos
- Purchase dried elderberries and make homemade cough syrup
- Bake homemade bread
- Get your chimney cleaned before you really need it
- Research foraging in your area
- Make homemade bone broth
- Make homemade yogurt
- Learn to make sauerkraut
- Tackle small home repairs
- Mulch your perennial plants
- Check expirations dates & food conditions in pantry
- Watch First Aid videos
- Set goals for next year
- Bake some brownies or cookies
- Split any old firewood you had stored away
- Make homemade natural cleaners
- Purge your kids toy collection and donate to charity
- Deep clean kids closet of ill-fitting clothes and donate to charity
- Research cover cropping
- Get your fences repaired before predators get desperate
- Try making homemade soap
- Grow microgreens in your garage or spare room
- Bake a cake from scratch
- Research bee keeping
- Make a pie from scratch
- Research garden pests so you can be ready for spring
- Learn how to save seeds
- Learn to identify both caterpillar and butterfly/moth stages
- Make and set up chicken wire tree rings in prep for first freeze
- Take up bird watching
- Check your livestock supplies and winter prep
- Prune any fruit trees or berry bushes
- Check weather stripping around windows and doors
- Get cold frames set up
- Dust with DE around any potential openings around your home
- Top off rain barrels and mulch all drip hoses thoroughly
- Set up hoops and coverings for fall/winter garden
- Measure and purchase thermal curtains for bedrooms
- Install PVC pipe insultation on outdoor pipes
- Clean out gutters and compost any rotting solids
- Get your tires replaced if it’s time
- Get your car a check-up before bad weather hits
- Replace windshield wipers if needed
- Make sure your propane tanks are filled
I’ll continue adding to this as I come up with plans for my own homestead. Be sure to share photos on social media of whatever project you are working on to inspire other homesteaders in your area.
Suburban & Rural Homesteading Today 