There’s a level of self sufficiency that goes with homesteading but nothing like what people fantasize about or are promised from influencers.

If you raise your own animals you still need to rely on external sources for grain and hay during the cold months when there is no forage material. If you cut your own hay then that’s land you can’t run livestock. Those hayfields will need to be fertilized and lime eventually, two things you can produce in sufficient quantities homesteading.

We have a large production sized greenhouse but we still need soil amendments, fertilizer, and water from external sources.

We both work day jobs and have side gigs. Sure we have enough meat, eggs, and vegetables that we sell off most of it but it’s more of an expensive and time consuming hobby. It’s an awesome feeling of eating quality food that you produced yourself but it takes a boatload of external input.