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Cultivate & Nourish

In a world where we can have everything we desire with a quick trip to the store or a click of a button online, it’s easy to forget that we have the skills, knowledge, and ability to live a more self-sustaining way of life. It’s not always feasible to be completely self-reliant, but we can all make strides to live a slower and have control over a more natural and simple life! 

If you’re ready to take the next step and challenge yourself to doing something simple and resourceful every day, join in on Homespun Seasonal Living’s Cultivate & Nourish Independence challenge!

Designed to be enjoyes at your own pace, this ebook was made to help you live more independently – whatever that means for you and your home.

Yarrow in bloom.

Enjoy taking on small projects and steps that will challenge you to make minor amendments to your lifestyle that yield big, feel good results! Each project is paired with a theme of self-reliant.

Project 1 – Grow

You don’t need to have rolling acres to grow your own produce. Whether you have a windowsill, a community garden, or a backyard garden, just the simple act of planting seeds and watching them grow is important. Learn more about foraging, seed saving, and compost in these projects..

A row of kohlrabi growing in the dirt.

Project 2 – Herbal Remedies

Herbs won’t cure every medical problem, but they can aid in relieving a sore throat, an upset stomach, or sunburn if prepared the right way. Find relief in natural remedies with herbal tutorials..

Project 3 – Cook from Scratch

There’s no worse feeling than when the local market or big box store is out of your needed ingredients. Let’s strive to make food in our own kitchens with frugality, creativity, and taste in mind. Lessons of cooking with fresh produce, foraged food, and local resources for dinner tonight, and for the future are contained here.

Hubbard squash sausage soup in a white cup with a spoon.

Project 4 – Preserve Food

Reducing waste is crucial to living simply, but it’s challenging. Canning, dehydrating, freezing, and fermenting aids in saving our most delicious resources for the future so nothing is wasted today. We’ll tackle easy techniques to capitalize on the season’s flavors in varied and nutritious ways.

Project 5 – Build Community

We’re stronger together. Very few people can be 100% self-reliant, meaning we depend on our local communities and networks to live. Learn how to find the opportunity to build local food systems, identify ways to trade and barter labor and supplies. This can be as simple as getting outside to and say “hello” to your neighbor!

Project 6 – Create and Reuse

The motto of self-reliance should be, “use it up, wear it out, and make it do”! We’ll do our best to scour our homes and exercise pure creativity! Together, we’ll get creative to live simply with our hobbies, homes, travels, and clothing.

Pressed flowers sitting on the open pages of a journal.

Project 7 – Self Care

Let’s be honest, “self-care” looks different for everyone. For some, we can re-energize with a movie on the couch, while others need time to create, exercise, and get outside. Whatever it is for you, this is dedicated to making time for the things we love to avoid burnout and fatigue from our journey in living simply and independently.

No matter how you approach this journey, I think you’ll find the challenge worthwhile to living a more self-sufficient, slow, and intentional lifestyle.