Mistakes We Made This Year… and What We Learned From Them

If there's one thing we have learned over the years of growing food, raising livestock, homeschooling a big family, and trying to run an efficient, peaceful, productive home, it is this: Mistakes are part of the homestead. All of us make them. Even us.

And the truth is, the people who get really good at homesteading are the ones who have made the most mistakes and kept going anyway.

We are sharing some of our biggest mistakes from this past year, what they taught us, and how you can turn your own “oops” moments into real growth and wisdom.

Why Mistakes on the Homestead Matter

Homesteading is not a sterile, controlled environment. It's real life, muddy, unpredictable, full of weather swings, animal behaviors, family responsibilities, and garden experiments that do not always go as planned.

But here is the hopeful truth:

Mistakes are often the very things that make you a better homesteader.

When you approach them with the right mindset, they become your greatest teachers.

The danger comes when we beat ourselves up emotionally, identify as the mistake, such as “I am a bad gardener,” and start believing that, or avoid facing the issue altogether.

Instead, we can see each mistake as a step forward in building the wisdom, intuition, and resilience that make a homestead work smoothly.

The Three Types of Homestead Mistakes

From these stories, we noticed three kinds of mistakes that appear again and again on homesteads.

1. The Big, Irreversible Mistakes

These come with permanent or expensive consequences. Examples include placing a structure in the wrong location, buying the wrong livestock, or missing an important breeding window.

The lesson: Be slow. Think deeply. Plan carefully. Ask for counsel. Study the land first.

2. The Everyday Minor Mistakes

These are things like minor injuries (that could have been avoided), scorched dinners, over-fermented jars of food, a ruined batch of jam or forgotten tools. They sting for a moment, and then you move on.

The lesson: Laugh, learn, and keep going, knowing it's part of the journey.

3. Avoidance and/or Compounded Mistakes

These are the mistakes you see but do not want to deal with yet. Examples include a freeze dryer that molds over or a livestock issue you do not want to face.

The lesson: Address the problem as soon as possible. The sooner you face it, the easier it is to recover.

How to Handle Mistakes and Grow from Them

• Do not beat yourself up. Mistakes are not a sign of failure. They are a sign of learning.
• Do not identify as the mistake. Instead of saying, “I am not a good gardener,” try saying, “I am becoming a better gardener because I am learning.”
• Move quickly from emotion to action. Once you have taken a breath or grabbed that cup of coffee, shift your focus. Ask: What lesson does this teach me? Can I fix it? And, how do I prevent this next time?
• Give others grace, too. Everyone in your home is learning. Avoid discouraging comments such as, “Well, last time you messed that up.” Instead, say: “What is your plan this time, and how can I help?”

Mistakes Make You a Better Homesteader

If you are making mistakes, take heart. You are walking the same path every seasoned homesteader has walked. We have made mistakes in every category imaginable, from gardening to livestock to preservation to building projects.

But those mistakes shaped the rhythms, systems, and wisdom we now share with you.

So do not quit. Do not get discouraged. Keep learning, adjusting, and growing.