homesteading

noun

home·​stead·​ing ˈhōm-ˌste-diŋ 

1

: the act or practice of acquiring, settling on, or occupying land under a homestead law (see homestead law sense 2)

Homesteading was a minor factor in farm formation; most farmers purchased their land.

—Richard Edwards et al.

Homesteaders still were receiving no training or farm development loans from the Bureau, and this became a major issue in Congressional debates over postwar homesteading.

—Brian Q. Cannon

2

: the act or practice of living frugally or self-sufficiently (as on a homestead) especially by growing and preserving food

While homesteading is full of … delicious homegrown food, and quality family time, it is also chock-full of chores and life lessons.

—Jenna Dooley

In Madison County, food preservation techniques and other homesteading skills remain a big part of daily life, said Koontz, and many locals stay closely tied to their land and what it can produce.

—Mackensy Lunsford

… an urban homesteading venture in which he grows vegetables and makes kombucha, herbal salves and more out of his home.

—Courtney Lamdin and Sasha Goldstein

Examples of homesteading in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To what extent Reconstruction legislation also effectively succeeded in opening up this homesteading option to Blacks remains to be researched. —arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024

The fine print: Some say the term homesteading comes from a time when settlers were moving west, displacing indigenous Native Americans from their land. —Christine Clarridge, Axios, 22 July 2024

All three do outside consulting on various aspects of gardening, homesteading and raising chickens, which led to Occidental College recruiting Jordanne to teach a popular class in regenerative gardening and sustainable animal care, with occasional input from her siblings. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2024

Flathead Valley, Montana, known for its rugged beauty, offers ample land suitable for homesteading and self-sufficient living. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

homestead entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1