Realities of Homesteading You Should Know

Picture a lifestyle where you grow your own vegetables, keep chickens, and preserve food – all while living in your suburban home in the Kitchener-Waterloo or Guelph-Wellington area.

A homesteading expert believes it’s achievable. But it’s important to stay grounded.

“Most people are being sold a dream version of homesteading that they see online. And it’s truly just an aesthetic and it’s not a reality,” said Aly Nickling-Riddle, who has been homesteading in northern Ontario since the pandemic.

Aly Nickling-Riddle and her husband Brian Riddle bought a 17-hectare property near Mattawa, Ont., during the pandemic to have a homesteading lifestyle. (Submitted by Aly Nickling-Riddle)

Nickling-Riddle is currently traveling across Ontario to show others how they can embrace homesteading as a way of life. Her workshop on Wednesday at Forest Heights Library in Kitchener is fully booked and has many residents waiting to learn more.

“I help people to understand the sometimes brutal reality of this lifestyle before they invest their time, their money and their lives into it.”

She mentions that interest in homesteading has surged recently.

“There’s been a huge push for more sustainable living. Social media is largely responsible for that,” Nickling-Riddle said.

“We are stunned at the amount of interest in the workshops. I have several throughout the next two months and they are all fully registered.. We’re really grateful and happy to see that people are trying to educate themselves before they make this big lifestyle shift.”

Nickling-Riddle has self- a guidebook titled Homesteading: Is It the Lifestyle For You? which includes chapters on setting realistic goals and expectations if you want to become a homesteader.

An alternative to the food bank

Homesteading isn’t new for Amy Ellard Gray from Guelph. She has years of experience growing her own food and raising chickens right in her suburban backyard.

“I grew up on our homesteads. It’s just that wasn’t really a name for it back then. It was kind of a hobby farm. We grew a lot of our own food. My grandparents did it and then my parents did it. And so I’ve always kind of lived that lifestyle,” she said.

“Being connected with nature, spending time outside, raising animals, growing food, canning, all that stuff was just part of my upbringing.”

Ellard Gray turned her knowledge into a business called The Hobby Homestead. She has thousands of followers on Instagram and You Tube who enjoy watching her videos about creating your own vegetable garden at home.

Amy Ellard Gray of Guelph has been homesteading all her life. She’s hoping to share her passion for the lifestyle with others looking to start their own vegetable garden. (The Hobby Homestead)

Her love for homesteading comes from dealing with food insecurity when she was in university.

“All of a sudden I was visiting the food bank. And I thought, ‘This is wild. Why can’t I just grow food here?’.. And I just started growing more and more as a way to improve my own food security for myself and for my family. We couldn’t grow much, but it was something,” Ellard Gray said.

As time went on, she began raising chickens too after moving into a house with more backyard space for gardening.

“There’s apartment buildings across the street behind us. My neighbour has a pool. Like it’s very much a suburban backyard. There’s a quarter acre lot with the house and garage and driveway and all that. But we filled every bit we could with gardens to grow food.”

She says her garden produces so much that she often shares what she grows with neighbors.

“When you bring them a carton of eggs or you bring them a bunch of fresh strawberries, even zucchini, which is something I think lots of vegetable gardeners try to get rid off because they’re so plentiful – but people who don’t garden find it just like precious gift when you give them your extra zucchini!”

Ellard Gray wants to inspire others by starting Little Free Gardens like hers right out front where anyone can come pick fresh veggies like tomatoes , zucchini , radishes , and salad greens.

“I’m really excited about this initiative,” she said.

“[It’s] A place where folks can come get some fresh produce if they’re watching their budget closely or simply want locally grown food without any hassle.”

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