How to Protect Your Family, Livestock, and Property — Homesteading Family

One of the most encouraging takeaways from the conversation is that we don’t have to go it alone. Knowing your neighbors, having a community network, and even connecting with like-minded folks online can increase your safety and resilience.

Tim reminded us that security isn’t just about defending, it’s about sustaining, and a strong, connected community is one of the most powerful forms of security a homesteader can have.

We believe that peace of mind comes not from stockpiling fear, but from faithful stewardship. When we take steps to prepare, we’re simply walking out our role as protectors and providers.

Start small:

• Walk your property and look for vulnerabilities
• Talk with your family about emergency plans
• Begin building relationships with neighbors
• Add one new security measure at a time

Where to Start

We know we can’t do it all at once, but when it comes to the order of importance as far as emergency readiness, here are Tim’s recommendations:

1. Food – Make sure you have good food! There are a lot of ways to preserve food, but do you have a place to store it securely?
2. Water – Water is essential and Tim recommends creating redundancy. If you’re tied to city water, perhaps you could create a rainwater collection system.
3. Power Generation – Having backup power sources is key on a homestead. Even if you’re on city power, it can still go down when storms roll through. Slowly implement ways to have your entire homestead on a backup power source (even if that’s just starting with the chicken coop!).
4. Heat – We shouldn’t wait until winter storms hit to think about having a backup heat source. Keep emergency blankets in the car (in case you get stranded), and have a backup heat source like a small propane heater.