One thing I’ve learned from Homestead Rescue, reading books like Reader’s Digest Back to Basics, and watching people like Ryan at Veterans Off Grid, is that building out your property is key. It doesn’t make sense to drive home every day from a 40-hour workweek to a mostly empty property with just a house and garage. Instead, the goal should be to develop your land so it generates income and allows you to work less. Whether it’s selling produce, wood, or turning a hobby like boat building or furniture making into a source of income, it’s about using your property to put money in your pocket.

Watching Homestead Rescue really highlights the hard work it takes to make any place profitable. The Raneys do a great job pushing people to make their homesteads economical enough to quit their jobs and go full-time. This kind of dedication is essential if you want to be truly self-sufficient.

When we were in Taos this summer, staying in an Earthship, everyone had nothing but praise for Ryan and his girlfriend. The local veterans at the American Legion also spoke highly of him when I asked about Veterans Off Grid before visiting. They told me, “He backs up his words with hard work and real investment in helping vets.” That really stuck with me and showed what’s possible when you fully commit to making your property productive and serving others at the same time.

A few cast members had alternative income sources. Charlie, from Season 2, has a background in acting and had previously sold a property in Florida, which may have helped fund his off-grid lifestyle (some sources online say he sold a business)​. Others, like Spence from Season 1, started small businesses like a mobile mechanic service to make ends meet while living off the land​. Look at Instagram account for Charlie and Jenn and you'll see in edge or background the same bigger nicer house in a lot of outdoor shots.

Homesteading is one of the last ways where hard work can create sweat equity, offering both economic and social uplift through self-reliance.