Hey, @papa-pepper! For us homesteading was an end to a means, having our grown children and grandchildren close to us, being close as a family unit. Three of four sons work from home. Grandchildren are homeschooled. So we spend a lot of time together. We support each other and we have developed very close ties that most outsiders don't understand. Why would we want to be so close to family? It is hard to put into words. We also want to be self-suficient so we don't need to depend on store for our food. Our way of life is tranquil and the children and grand kids know where their roots are.