Summary: Homesteading is not so much about moving out to the country to live off of the land--this focuses too much of the effort on the move. While I'm not saying don't consider the move, if it's right for you and your family, what's more important is developing the skills now. Think of the process of "trying on the lifestyle" associated with homesteading. Suburban and rural: the process is the same, whether you're preparing for a move to the country, or just living better where you are now. Some examples that should be a part of the process: Composting: just do it. Find out where to locate it so you sustain the practice Water: get a gravity fed filter system Power outages: earthquakes, storms, etc. Have a blackout kit. Foraging: blackberries, miner's lettuce, etc. Food storage: dehydrating apples when they're in season, biltong and jerky Learning to cook from scratch and make healthy food: easy sauerkraut, make dairy from farm fresh milk. Retained heat cooking: http://pocketsofthefuture.com/blog/?p=903 Chickens and your neighbors: good neighbors and the law. The importance of developing good neighbor relationships.
