I’ve been curious about the homesteading movement for a long time, albeit from a non-tradwife perspective. For a few years I subscribed to Mother Earth News, whose pages of solar panel installations and gardening tips filled my head with pastoral fantasies. (It’s possible that growing up in rural Pennsylvania planted a seed of affection for farm life, even though I suspect I would be terrible at it.) So I have nothing against people who decide to abandon the corporate world, or soulless suburbs, to live close to the land. I’m just not so into oppressive gender roles and unpasteurized milk.
Tell me you never had actual chickens
For real. Actually keeping them healthy and happy is a large job. It isn’t just “give them food, water, and shelter then get free eggs”. It becomes more of a job when you have enough of them to actually produce enough eggs etc. to rely on.