Raw Vegan Homesteading: A Plant Based Homestead

Those of you who have been following us on our homesteading journey know that we have some special dietary considerations for two of our kids. Both Joey and Elizabeth are pescatarians, and this brings a certain set of requirements for our meal planning. In this vein, today we're going to talk about managing a plant based homestead and upping it a notch with vegan homesteading.

A pescatarian diet isn't that difficult to maintain, and finding homestead protein options means simply having a good selection of fish on hand. Though we do keep a well-stocked fridge with emergency veggie burgers, these aren't our goto choices. Salmon and such, root vegetables and tofu are main course solutions that bring a flair of culinary delight and substance that replace the meat proteins in our diets.

But a vegan homesteading diet, one coming from a plant based homestead, that is a different story altogether.

Vegan Homesteading: A Plant Based Homestead

Whether at the extreme end of homesteading and off the grid living, or practicing the lifestyle with a backyard, vegan homesteading and raw vegan homesteading present life choices that require planting not only supportive carbs but protein provisions as well. 

Special consideration must be made to ensure a well rounded diet, all from the plot of land used for growing.

It's a fact of homesteading life that we plan to eat as much of their menu from our own land. With raw vegan homesteading practitioners, this means doing with an absence of livestock, whether for meat or from products like milk, eggs and honey. Therefore, a strictly plant based homestead is in order.

A thriving vegetable garden that can be a reliable food source for most of the year is essential for survival on a vegan homestead. There will be edible, native plants on most properties, but these foraged natives should be considered a treat instead of a steady food supply just to keep a balance in the environment.

Homestead Protein with Raw Vegan Homesteading

A vegan homesteading family must grow their own protein alongside of carb-producing vegetable and fruits. To make the most use of the garden space and reap the biggest harvest, you should know what types of plants are a good source of protein and out of these, which grow best in your zone.

Select your garden companions from chickpeas, lentils, potatoes, kale, mushroom, broccoli, quinoa, soybeans and peanuts. These primary vegan homesteading sources of plant based homestead protein are simple to grow, versatile in recipe planning and some can even be dried and preserved to bring a satisfying fullness top a raw vegan homestead lifestyle.

Preserving Homestead Protein

We are a canning family, and undoubtedly, many of you can as well. Though we don't preserve everything we grow, preferring to eat it fresh whenever possible, there is always a healthy selection of jars of goodness stocking our shelves. 

Apple sauce and apple honey, pickles, various forms of tomatoes and onions are a staple. With raw vegan homesteading, this concept is exponential.

Preserving homestead protein means knowing how each plant based homestead staple works with the preserving process. Lentils, kale, mushrooms quinoa and peanuts are easy to dry and preserve without electricity or refrigeration. These are shelf-stable, and will keep for months.These protein-rich crops grown in the summer and preserved in fall can provide a healthy raw vegan homesteading diet during winter when nothing is growing.

Potatoes are also easy to preserve, but by using a different method besides drying. After potatoes are harvested, you should allow them to air dry for a week. Then it's time to create your very own potato root cellar. Start by digging a hole in the ground large enough to accommodate your harvest. Place four inches of straw in the bottom and place a single layer of potatoes on top. 

Add a second layer of straw, then a second layer of potatoes. Keep this up until the hole is almost full, with a final layer of straw on top. Cover with a layer of dirt and a tarp. When you're ready for some potato soup of fries, dig out what you need during the winter.

A Plant Based Homestead: Raw Vegan Homesteading

As always, we love sharing our off the grid homesteading experiences with you all, and truly enjoy hearing from you as well. Do you practice raw vegan homesteading? Is a plant based homestead something you would want to have, and is homestead protein a concern for your family? Please join the conversation below with your insights and stories. Don't forget to subscribe for more daily homesteading goodness!