Homesteading means different things to different people, from a vegetable bed to a small farm. This guide covers two government and university starting points: the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on starting small, and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) on home canning. It is general information, not advice on your land, your local rules or food safety for your situation.

This guide is based on the public sources listed below. We have not tested any book, tool or store. For poultry, see our guide to keeping backyard chickens.

What USDA says to do first

Source: USDA, farmers.gov, beginning farmers page (no date shown; latest dated item December 2025). Last checked: 17 October 2026.

  • USDA counts anyone who has run a farm or ranch for less than ten years as a beginning producer.
  • Plan from the ground up, including a business plan.
  • Contact your local USDA Service Center, where Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff can point you to programs that fit.
  • USDA says it has long helped new producers find land and money, and offers farm loans for beginners.
  • Build business and financial skills, and learn about producing, marketing and selling your products.
  • Each state has a Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator. Have your county, type of operation and land status (own, lease or plan to buy or lease) ready when you call.

The page is aimed at people running a farm business, so it may be more than a household needs.

Home canning: use tested methods

Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation, canning at home (page shows a 2026 copyright and no date). Last checked: 17 October 2026.

  • The page points to USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning as a source.
  • It lists separate articles on using boiling water canners and pressure canners, and on botulism, which it calls the home canning enemy. We did not read those articles, so we do not say which foods need which method.
  • It notes that fruit can be canned in plain water, because correct heat processing is enough to make it safe, and that changing ingredients in traditional preserves, such as reducing sugar, changes the process needed.
  • It flags some practices as unsafe, including dry canning raw vegetables.

Follow a tested recipe exactly, and read the NCHFP and USDA material before you start.

What to check before buying a homesteading book

  1. Who wrote it, and what experience do they cite? Check for sources and for advice that matches the USDA and NCHFP food safety guidance.
  2. What is covered, and for which country and climate. Rules on animals, building and selling food differ by place.
  3. Refund and access terms for digital books.
  4. Claims. Be careful with promises of independence or savings: results depend on your land, time and local rules.

What we could not confirm

  • Local zoning and permit rules, food safety details for each method, UK, EU and Australian guidance, and any particular book.

Sources: USDA, beginning farmers; NCHFP, canning at home.