SANDPOINT — There are no requirements to start a homestead.  

You don’t need 20 chickens, a 3-acre garden or shelves lined with canning jars, despite how homesteading can be portrayed on social media. And you don’t have to do it all yourself.  

A local women’s homesteading group is working to break down those misconceptions through a support system that teaches women how to live more self-reliant lifestyles, regardless of their resources, space or experience.  

The Bonner County Ladies Homestead Gathering will host its first monthly meeting of the year Saturday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m., providing women with tools and resources to begin their self-reliance journey at any age or ability level. The meeting will be held at Cedar Hills Church in Sandpoint and will feature author and emergency planner Lindy Bryant, who will discuss age-related considerations when establishing a self-reliant lifestyle. 

“Our first topic of the year may not be as ‘fun’ as cheese making or foraging for native herbs, but many aspects of a homesteading lifestyle are physically demanding. Learning about aging on the homestead is valuable information for women of any age who want to thrive for years to come,” Bonner County LHG president Theresa Bettale said.  

The free monthly gathering is available to women 16 years or older, regardless of homesteading knowledge or experience. According to Bettale, the group aims to provide a support system for women interested in homesteading, no matter where they are on their journey. 

“Homesteading is all about your desire to live a more self-reliant lifestyle, using what you have in your hands right now, LHG officials said on their site. “The homesteading lifestyle is a journey, made more successful when traveled within a community of like-minded, supportive women.” 

Bonner County LHG is a local chapter of National Homestead Gathering, a national organization focused on empowering women through homesteading practices. Under no religious or political affiliations, the local chapter was founded in 2017 by Lorinda Barnes, who sought to build genuine female connections after her husband returned from the military and their family laid roots in Idaho.  

As Idaho’s first chapter, the chapter’s homestead gatherings saw a dozen participants almost six years ago, with one of the first hands-on events being a butcher workshop and learning about sausage making. Today, organizers say monthly attendance ranges from 30 to 50 women, and the North Idaho region is home to four additional chapters. 

Bonner LHG is made up of approximately 100 VIP members, who are referred to as “Very Invested Partners,” who contribute $35 annually to receive early perks and discounts on seminars and trips. VIP members are also tasked with voting on educational topics they’re interested in learning about, where Bonner LHG leadership will plan gatherings based on those requests.  

“This year, the strongest interest is in household and kitchen skills, gardening, heritage arts, self-reliance and safety, and making more at home in order to reduce waste,” Bettale said.  

To stay up to date on events occurring in Bonner County, women can sign up for a monthly newsletter. Gatherings allow nursing babies under a year old to attend, but prohibit attendance by anyone else under age 16.  

    Kimberly Allsup won a raffle for a canning quilt. Deb Foster is in the background.
  

    Annie Krsiean (patterned apron) and Noelle Zimel (yellow apron) at a pressure canning seminar.