"Frequently Asked Questions
What is Home 'n Stead?
A movement responding to our calling to return to a simple lifestyle on the land, for the purpose of reconciling families with each other, with community and with creation, and ultimately, with God, whose Spirit unites us all.
Why "Home 'n Stead?"
The purpose of this site is to promote and support families working, learning, playing and praying together, at home, on the land, and forming communities with other families doing the same. The name emphasizes the point that we would prefer to be working on a homestead with our families INSTEAD of out in diverse activities.
Why would fathers want to work at home?
- Because their children and wives need them throughout the day
- Because they are likely being strongly tempted to compromise Christian principles in today's work place, through influences of fellow-workers, clients and bosses, and through the motivation to make a decent living for their family in an economic system that rewards the unscrupulous
- Because they are likely exposed to a host of environmental toxins in their job, and in getting to their job
- Because they are likely contributing to the creation of environmental toxins in their job, and in getting to their job
- Because they are missing out on the smiles, hugs, tears and brawls of the family every day, and life is too short for that
- Because they will gain much closer relationships with their children and wives if they spend more and better quality time with them
- Because they may have much greater influence over the education and formation of their children if they are home
- Because when they go off to work, they give the better part of themselves to their work, and are left worn and tired for the time they spend with their families
- Because their work often does not provide the security and stability of true ownership of capital, as a homestead does, nor does it likely provide healthy physical and mental stimulation
Why would families want to live on the land?
- Because the homestead provides an array of opportunities to observe God's creating and preserving Hand, leading to greater knowledge, and hence love, of God
- Because the homestead offers opportunities for even the smallest children to be useful
- Because the homestead requires that all members of the family work together, thus forming bonds of mutual respect and need for each other
- Because the homestead offers a slower pace of life, with a quiet rhythm that allows man peace of mind and heart and ability to reflect and pray while he works
- Because the homestead provides the most healthful food that one can put on one's table
- Because the homestead provides the most healthful, and affordable, fibers and natural materials for making buildings, clothing and household goods
- Because the homestead provides the most healthful form of work, usually outdoors and varied to tone the whole body without stressing it with factory repetitiveness
- Because the homestead allows man to be proper stewards of the earth and frees him from dependency on and collaboration with businesses that exploit the earth and people
- Because the homestead provides a constant challenge to man's creativity and resourcefulness which stimulates prayerful learning
- Because life on a homestead emphasizes and encourages man's reliance on God
Why would families on the land want to form communities?
- Because communities are an expression of the Body of Christ
- Because families need a wholesome, stable environment in which to grow
- Because children need friends and potential spouses who share their values
- Because, in community, we learn to be concerned with the needs of others
- Because the general culture has become contrary to the needs of families who are trying to live on the land, so extra support is needed
- Because, as communities, we can help each other to learn the myriad of skills necessary to live on the land
- Because, as communities, we can gather together in prayer, thus multiplying the power of our prayers
- Because, as communities, we can share resources both for buying and selling in a cooperative manner
- Because, as communities, we can more readily share our extra resources, such as garden bounty, extra plants (such as strawberries and raspberries), seeds, seedlings, livestock, outgrown clothes, unneeded items, etc.
- Because, as communities, we can help each other with large tasks that require crews, such as barn raisings, and pool resources for commodities that may be shared, such as heavy equipment
Are these communities that you are promoting anything like a cult?
Absolutely NOT! These are nothing different than the original homesteading communities that formed in various rural areas over the centuries. A cult can't be a cult without a leader, and there is no leader. This is simply a grassroots movement for a Culture of Life.
Sounds great, but how could I ever AFFORD to leave my job?
It is AMAZING on how little is really needed to live a healthful and joy-filled life on the land. We need to make the commitment to leave the straw behind and search for the gold in our lives. Let go of all attachments and God will make the way straight.
There are so many GOOD reasons that fathers should be home with their families and live on the land, that we believe that the family who goes forth in faith for these GOOD reasons can be assured of God's Providence. It is our prayer that this site helps provide families with the motivation, courage and resources to do so.
How can my family experience some of the benefits of the homesteading lifestyle while still in the city?
See this article.
Can I take part in this if I am not Catholic?
You ARE Catholic if you love God. The Catholic Church is the Universal Church, the Church founded by Christ, and the Home for all who love Him. We are suffering deeply at the division in the Church, and long for the unity that Our Lord prayed for on the night before He died, "that we may be one in Him." As for various divisions of religion, diversity will certainly be respected, though we hope all are praying for and working towards spiritual unity. Ecumenical prayer gatherings among communities are highly encouraged.
How can we help?
Many people feel trapped into the existing economic system by overwhelming debt, attachment to a consumeristic lifestyle, lack of skills, high health and insurance costs, inability to buy rural land, fear of isolation in rural areas, and various other reasons. Our objective is to help families ease into a homesteading lifestyle through mutual support and the building of rural communities.
There are many things that we can do to help each other in this transition. This is an extremely difficult thing to do ALONE, but, TOGETHER, in Christ, we can accomplish this. With conviction that we are doing the BEST thing possible to heal our families, our nation, and our world of disease of body, mind, and soul, we can go forth, ASSURED of God's Providence.
Specifically, we ask everyone to pray. We ask everyone to share freely the gifts of knowledge of any homesteading skills that they have. We also invite contributions of gifts such as farm animals, plants, cultures such as sourdough starter or kefir grains, unneeded tools or machines, and even land to families who are trying to get started in homesteading. We will work to connect those in need with those who have on the Forum. We welcome and greatly appreciate financial contributions as well (see the Support Home 'n Stead page).