Sometimes adding a touch of modern helps our homestead thrive in so many new ways. It can ease stress and help the flow of the operation run smooth. I have found so many products this past year that have made these improvements (and more) to my homestead. This post is on my top five favorite must have products for your homestead! All products from Amazon!
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Starting a homestead is a big task, and though in its entirety it’s the best thing you will do or have done, it can add a lot of hiccups along the way. I am so thankful for certain things I have found or purchased to make those hard or redundant things easier for us. Without further ado let’s get into the life saving list!
5 Must Have Products for Your Homestead
Again each homestead product is found on Amazon, in addition to cheaper options or different options also from Amazon!
1.) Animal Proof and Child Proof Garbage Can
Homesteads are breeding grounds for lots of chaos oftentimes. There is lots of new things introduced to our lives that were not as big a worry before. My garbage is so full of moldy paper pots (failed experiment), animal products like fish guts, old canned goods, and so much more. With our old trash can I was constantly trying to find a place to put it that was easy for the whole house to find but out of reach for the dogs. This may sound crazy, but this was such an overwhelming part of our days. But finally I found a solution!
I call them child and pet proof garbage cans and they come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. I have three different ones. Our main trash can is my favorite but most expensive. The next can is for all our animal foods, which creates a space that is moisture free and unable to be opened by our animals to munch till their content. Our last one is in our bedroom/office space for paper products.
They are in order below, and let me tell you how much our lives have improved and our worries about our dogs specifically. This means less work in the kitchen when trying to gut a fish and keep the dog or child’s out of the trash bin! Also means I can rush outside without putting the dog away without coming back to a kitchen mess! All around, for general safety, because we can’t watch kids and animals at all times, this was the best idea we have ever had!
Kohler Stainless Steel Handsfree Can
Cheap Version of the Kohler (Touch-less)
My before and after:
2.) Fans for Vegetable Starts
We have all struggled with lengthy, weak vegetable starts that we started indoors. Starts that we plant in the garden just for them to die. This is happening because they aren’t acclimated to the conditions of the outdoors. My favorite fix for this was to purchase a few house fans to place on the starts! As they grow they get wind like conditions which helps grow the plants in strength and durability. Your plants will thank you so much for this and you will thank yourself as well! Below you can see different kinds for different uses.
I love the clip on fan the most because it just clips on to whatever shelf I put it on and can be moved around table to table. There is no need for leaving it extra space or finding something to place it on to reach the plants because it clips on to the tables and shelves. The industrial fan can be used in a greenhouse, placed at one end and can aide a larger space (be careful placing any seeds to close if it isn’t on a low setting). Each one can be seen for its purposes, and you can get creative as well! Choosing one based off of your gardening situation! This is one of the best must have products for your homestead. It’s truly been so much help- a lifesaver for us!
3.) Our Canning Buckets
Another homestead favorite is our canning buckets. We use the canning buckets durning preservation season. Having picked apples from six trees, cherries from ones, nectarines, and a whole gardens worth of produce there is always waste. Peeling potatoes, cutting the tops off of tomatoes for salsa, the huskies of corn all need a place to go. These products are still so rich in nutrients and too valuable to throw away. This is why we keep a few specific buckets for produce waste such as this to throw to animals or add to a composting bin. This saves our kitchen bowls from being full food waste, is easier to carry around and also is big enough that we make less trips to the animal pins.
A bonus of having this item handy is that you don’t always have to clean it out. If it’s designated for this purpose I simply rinse it with a hose in between uses and keep going. At the end of the season is the only time it gets a good bath. If we use it year round it gets cleaned more often. Time saving and efficient! There is a bunch in the links just below! All have different qualities and prices!
Grey 10 Quart Bucket (My Favorite)
Stainless Steel Bucket 4 Gallon
Cute White Composting Bucket w/ Lid
4.) Hanging Basket for Scraps
This next product is a hack that I found just recently and cannot wait to use it this year! I already own metal hanging baskets and many people do which makes this cheap and easy!
Using the hanging baskets, go into your garden and use them to collect any leaves, kale, lettuce, etc. that has gone bad or been eaten by bugs. Then simply hang it up in your chicken coop! They will love you forever if you do this!
Set of Three Black Hanging Baskets
5.) Indoor Greenhouse
This is for all my people out there who do not have the money or the space for larger greenhouse. This is an inside greenhouse, it’s small and inexpensive. If you rent, live in an apartment, or can’t afford a large greenhouse this is perfect for you! It’s a four shelf greenhouse. Which means it has a cover, space for grow lights and easily unzips for entire access. It’s a must have! Get one for each room while you’re at it.
With that this was my favorite must have products for your homestead! All to make homesteading easier and more attainable. They all have helped me so much and I know they can do the same for you. Let me know what yours are below, thank you for reading and God bless!
