Homesteading. A word that often conjures up visions of lush, vegetable laden gardens, or food stores chock full with jars of homemade jams and pickles. Hens roaming the garden adds an earthy texture to the vision, collecting eggs in the cute little wicker basket you bought just for that purpose seems so…country.

Sometimes, life can be like that. Although, many times, the reality can bring you back to earth with a bump, especially for those new to the homesteader lifestyle.

Homesteading does offer an amazing opportunity to reconnect with nature, and the joy that comes from exclaiming ‘I made that myself’, is so uplifting. However, the path to self-reliant independence can be fraught with ‘nobody told me that’ moments.

Awhi Tu Collective runs Homesteading Wānanga – Workshops to help limit those bumps because sharing is caring. We love those moments of fist pumping exhilaration related to self-sufficient living success, too. And every homesteader has experienced the ‘Oops, what did I do wrong’ moments.

To date we have taught people how to make their own cheese. (We can even send you in the direction of milk, straight from a cow, for that purpose). Our gardeners can show you how to make and use your own fertilizers. Preserving the produce of a good summer is always an excellent lesson that fills the pantry with yummy-ness, and seed collection is quite a meditative process if you do it alone, or a good old natter if sorting seeds with friends.

We have learned how to build Holz Hausen, or firewood stacks, to see us through more than one winter. How to create artful pieces using nature, because supporting our spiritual health is an important part of sustaining our bodies. We are also building our repertoire of waiata – Maori songs.

To stay up to date with the different workshops and wānanga that we run, check out our Workshops and Wānanga page.

See you at our next activity.

Nga mihi