Facebook groups and why you should use them
Two words, Y’all: Facebook Groups. If you’re already using Facebook groups for help on the homestead, good on ya! If you aren’t, here are great reasons why you need to be!
Table of contents
Ways you can use Facebook groups to get ahead when homesteading.
This is the golden age of technology; we’re all in Facebook groups. Well, of course, you are – but take it one step further. How about a group for your specific area?
EVERYTHING changed when I took my mother-in-law’s advice (NOTE, not a homesteader, just a logical thinking woman) and joined Facebook Groups. Not only groups that were in my area of attempted expertise AND in my area, in general.
In addition to that, the folks in these groups were a total wealth of knowledge.
What I know before finding Facebook groups
Food and nutrition were important and that we wanted to raise our own meat, vegetables, and fruit, that I knew. We wanted to raise our children in that environment.
Well, friends, EASIER SAID THAN DONE. Our grandparents or parents to didn’t tell us why our tomato plants look like our neighbor’s kid came over with a brown marker and colored the stems and leaves solid.
A whole new schooling
Are you trying to restore a plot of land? Looking for the best cover crop? Post in your Facebook group and the answer will appear – Peanuts. If your sweet potatoes constantly infested with those nasty little red beetles, t
Are your potatoes not growing potatoes? Try mulching them with pine needle and watering every other day. There are so many countless questions you can ask and some of the best answers to find on these pages. Forget about us bloggers – the real MVP’s are on Facebook Group Pages!
How to fully utilize your Facebook groups
I suggest joining pages that are specific to your area. One of my biggest problems for a long, long time (and the sole reason why I started this blog) was that I was struggling to find information specific to my area.
I have found SO MANY BLOGGERS that are up north or just in areas that snow or get considerably colder than where I am. And don’t get me wrong, they are AMAZING and I have greatly reaped benefits from their content. But I’m in Homosassa Springs, FL – West Central Florida – Zone 9a/b, depending what website you wish you believe. It is just simply a different world down here.
Florida blogs I’ve found
Adventures in Florida Homesteading – Eastern Coast of Central Florida, Zone 9b – a lot of really wonderful stuff on her blog but she stopped posting in 2013…and oh how things have changed since then.
My Maple Hill Farm – Once a Florida homesteader but it seems they relocated to North Carolina in 2016
The Days are Counted! – Jacksonville, FL area (about 3 hours NE of The Green Acre Homestead)
The Wannabe Homesteader – Ocala National Forest Area – My most recent find – MY SAVING GRACE! Now, The Wannabe Homesteader’s blog is up-to-date and I recently started following them on Instagram and I look forward to getting very useful information from their site.
But I was still just CRAVING information for my specific area – Homosassa, Inverness, Brooksville, and Crystal River.
Don’t make my mistake
An angel came down and blessed me in the form of my mother-in-law when she added me to the Facebook groups.
If you’re in Central Florida and are struggling like I am, here are my favorite Facebook Groups for Central Florida:
Central Florida Vegetable Gardening – Closed Group
Central Florida Gardening Friends – Public Group – Only for Zone 9 FL Florida Urban Homesteading – Closed Group
Fodder – Closed Group [this group saved my sanity]
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Simple summary
Don’t be afraid homestead rookies! I am not far off from where you are. I’ve been a homesteader for 2 years and 4 months so far and I am telling you IT DOES GET EASIER.
You are going to learn so much in your first year, you will wonder where all that time and brain space went. If you’re off to a stumbling start as a homesteader like me, check out my post, Staying Organized on the Homestead!
