A ten foot tall wave of water is crashing into your neighborhood at 550 miles per hour–are you ready? I am not a meteorologist, but I do know that our way of life is evolving rapidly and thankfully, most of us will not get wet.
Are these two words “Homestead” and “Tsunami” even relevant in the metro area? I feel like these words are mind expanding, allowing us to see the much bigger picture and apply the elements to our daily lives.
I think Merriam-Webster describes “Homestead” the best: “the home and adjoining land occupied by a family” and the word “Tsunami” is described as “a series of extremely long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean.... This force creates waves that radiate outward in all directions...” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In 2023 Joel Salatin, world-renown farmer, lecturer, food and farm advocate, decided to use these two words, Homestead and Tsunami, put them together and create an amazing book. For some of us, this makes perfect sense right now and for others, you may be curious about such a book titled “Homestead Tsunami”. The impetus for this writing is the fact that self-reliant living is gaining in popularity with Covid, food shortages, and a feeling of chaos. As Joel says “A shaky economy, crime-ridden cities, fragile supply chains, empty supermarket shelves, increasingly invasive government regulations, dysfunctional mental health, kids addicted to social media–all make thinking people want to disentangle from the system”.
In The Sampson Independent Cameron Vann writes a very interesting blog titled “Homesteading gaining popularity in recent years” 1/22/2025, in which Cameron, echoing Joel says that factors such as rising cost of living, job instability, resilience against supply chain disruptions and a desire for financial freedom are driving people to homestead.
The book begins with a foreword from Amy Fewell, The Fewell Homestead, homesteader and herbalist and founder of Homesteaders of America, in which she says “there is abundance on quarter-acre homesteads”. According to many sources, the average metropolitan yard size is right around a quarter-acre. Joel says in chapter 13 of this book “even the most novice, rudimentary backyard garden is more productive per square foot than the most advanced, intensive commercial produce operation.” This is encouraging information to all of us in the Metro Homestead area.
Homestead Tsunami is not all about growing food in your backyard, in Chapter 7 – “I Like Me”, Joel talks about an active lifestyle that just really makes you like yourself. Joel says “accomplishment drives worthiness”. “Feeling needed and contributing to the family and society is the foundation for developing self-worth”. Who doesn’t need a good dose of self worth? Who doesn’t need a boost?
More evidence of the Homestead Tsunami Joel writes about: “In 2020 1 million backyard flocks of laying chickens germinated in America”. He goes on to say, “If they laid only 50%, that’s 3 million eggs per day” A Tsunami of eggs–take control of your food supply, don’t complain about egg prices, get some chickens, produce your own supply.
Overall, if you haven’t read one of Joel Salatin’s books, it is time to start! Let me tell you, Joel says what he means, means what he says in a relatable, story telling kind way. I have met Joel-in a hot, sunny field in rural Ohio at the Food Independence Summit. He was wearing overalls, a straw hat, and a smile. Joel demonstrated how to cull chickens with a mobile, rented processing unit. He is humble, confident, full of joy, and brilliant. Joel said the funniest thing–a lady in the crowd said “I am thinking about raising rabbits for meat on my small homestead” Joel asked “Do you like to eat rabbits”? The lady said “No, I just thought I would try something new”. Joel laughed and said“ Why would you grow something you don’t like to eat”? The overall message here is grow what you like on your Metro Homestead–and read this book to find out how to do it!
