Aging Homesteaders Share Their Wisdom

We've made improvements to our mountain homestead over decades — but senior homesteading still demands a great deal of work.

Reader Contribution by Bruce McElmurray
Updated on February 22, 2022
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by Adobestock/Amilciar

From procuring firewood as a senior to dealing with aches and pains, this advice from aging homesteaders shows both the challenges and rewards can be great.

We have been homesteading in our current location in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Colorado at 9,800-foot elevation for almost a quarter of a century. When we started our homestead, we were much younger, enjoying good health. We still enjoy good health but are more than 25 years older. Because our nearest neighbor is one mile distant, we live a fairly isolated homestead life.

Aging Homesteaders Heating with Wood

We have made improvements to our homestead over the years, but it still demands a great deal of work and yearly maintenance. Our primary source of heat is a woodstove, so we require nine to 11 cords of firewood each winter to keep us warm. Our winters usually last 7 ore more months, so we burn a lot of firewood. We also average around 264 inches of snow each winter, and that requires removal so we can move about freely.

This is a pretty severe climate to exist in, especially as we have become older. I am in my 80s, and what I could do when I was 60 now requires more effort. Factor in what many of us seniors experience as we age — arthritis, which is painful and restricting — and tasks can be downright painful. A good example is when I was younger, I would set aside 2 weeks to get in our next winter’s firewood. Now it takes most of the summer working piecemeal. Strenuous work also requires a period of time to rest and recuperate between gathering firewood, plus a different approach.

Older Bodies Require Rest Periods

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