How to Travel When you Have a Homestead

One of my biggest concerns when we started investing in our garden and adding animals to our homestead was how to manage this and not let it be the only thing I do. I love simple living and growing my own food, but I also love to hike and travel. How can you balance all these things and not neglect anything? Coming up with systems and feeling comfortable enough to leave my homestead was something I worked hard on. It’s not perfect, but after 15 years, I’ve got some tried and tested methods that have helped me and will share some of my top suggestions on how to travel when you have a homestead.

• It’s important to note that I don’t encourage you to leave you animals in an unsafe situation or not care for your homestead – but life happens and there are times you may need to be away from your homestead and having the best systems in place can help keep your animals and plants healthy while you’re away.

Start with Your End Goal

Before you start to build systems, start with your goals. Do you want to leave your homestead for a week? Do you want to be able to leave to go to work each day without worrying? Do you want to get away for the weekend?

Now look at your existing and future homestead – what are the things that would keep you from this goal?

In the garden, do you need something to weed? Do you need someone to water the garden or put in seeds?

If you raise chickens, do you need something to just open and close their door? Do you need someone to check on them once a day, 3 times/day?

For other livestock? How often do they need your attention a day? A week? Do you already leave them for work? Or do you like being home in case something goes wrong?

Do you trust other people to watch your animals? This was a problem for me when I got started – even people who knew what they’re doing would make me nervous. Starting with a few single night trips get me confidence. I also started asking anyone help to send me an update.

Build Systems on your Homestead

Once you identify your goals and obstacles it’s time to build as many systems as possible to help minimize the amount of work it takes to manage each task. Here are some ideas for specific obstacles, but you may need to get creative to address your own situation:

• Automatic Watering System for the Garden – Set up drip irrigation or soaker hoses on a timer.
• Mulch Heavily – Reduces the need for frequent watering and suppresses weeds.
• Self-Watering Containers – Perfect for potted plants or small gardens.
• Greenhouse or Row Covers – Protect plants from extreme weather while you’re away.
• Automatic Livestock Waterers – Ensure animals always have fresh water.
• Gravity-Fed Feeders – Keeps food available for chickens, rabbits, or other small animals.
• Solar-Powered Electric Fencing – Protects animals and gardens from predators without needing daily maintenance.
• Pasture Rotation System – If you have larger animals, set up a system where they can self-graze without needing frequent movement.
• Rainwater Collection System – Helps with irrigation and reduces reliance on manually filling water sources.
• Timers for Coop Lights and Doors – Helps regulate laying cycles for chickens while ensuring they get enough daylight.
• Motion-Activated Sprinklers – Deter pests from your garden without constant monitoring.
• Smart Plugs for Heaters/Fans – Control your greenhouse, brooder, or coop temperature remotely.
• Deep Litter Method for Chicken Coops – Reduces how often you need to clean while keeping a healthy environment.
• Automated Gate Openers – Helps with livestock movement and security.
• Plant Coverings or Shade Cloths – Protects crops from heatwaves or frost while you’re away.
• Keyless Entry for Barns and Sheds – Easier for farm sitters to access without losing keys.
• Scheduled Livestock Guardian Check-ins – If you have a farm dog, set up a system where neighbors or a camera check in on them.
• Designated Farm Sitter Binder – A printed or digital guide with instructions, schedules, emergency contacts, and troubleshooting tips.
• Compost Tumblers Instead of Piles – Reduces manual turning and keeps decomposition going while you’re away.
• Remote Temperature and Moisture Sensors – Get real-time alerts about greenhouse, coop, or barn conditions while traveling.

Invest in Community

Once you’ve simplified your homestead, the next step is to build community. You will need this community for both helping with your animals/garden but also being there if there is an issue and you will need to provide the same support. The more you give to others in your local community, the more help you’ll have when you need it.

We live near an agriculture school and we’ve often had students from this program housesit when we’re away. We’ve also exchange housesitting with friends. Currently we have a unique situation on our homestead where we house 2 sheep as part of a neighbors 4H project. She cares for the sheep and in exchange helps with our animals. If we’re away for longer, we will pay her to watch the animals, but we can feel confident that she know our animals and homestead.

We also purposely chose to move close to family. When we leave for a longer time, my mom who keeps a garden on our property, comes over a few extra time to double check our animals health and water – this gives me extra peace of mind and allows me to enjoy my time away.

We also leave detailed instructions in case someone else needed to fill in unexpectedly. This includes vet numbers, etc. We also insure that we are reachable most of the time or at least let our house sitters know what to do in an emergency.

In Summary

Not every solution is perfect but with some thinking ahead you can address many problems. Here is a summary of some of my suggestions for how to travel when you have a homestead:

1. Start Small & Build Confidence

Before taking long trips, test shorter absences. Start with a single night away, then a weekend, and gradually increase your time away as you refine your systems.

2. Automate as Much as Possible

Invest in tools like automatic chicken doors, self-watering systems, large feeders, and smart monitoring devices to minimize daily tasks.

3. Find a Reliable Farm Sitter

Build a relationship with someone you trust who can step in while you’re away. Train them on your routine and leave detailed instructions. Offering a small payment or barter system can help ensure reliability.

4. Join a Homesteading Community

Connect with other homesteaders or neighbors who can check on your property in exchange for you doing the same when they travel.

5. Use Remote Monitoring Technology

Install security cameras, motion sensors, and smart plugs for lighting and temperature control so you can check in from anywhere.

6. Grow Low-Maintenance Crops

Choose hardy, drought-resistant plants and use mulch to reduce watering needs while you’re away.

7. Prepare Emergency Plans

Leave a detailed list of contacts, vet info, and troubleshooting steps for your farm sitter. Make sure they know what to do if something goes wrong.

8. Set Up Rotational Grazing & Larger Feeders

If you have livestock, ensure they have enough food, water, and secure fencing to be self-sufficient for longer periods.

9. Travel During Low-Maintenance Seasons

Plan trips in winter or between planting and harvest seasons when your homestead requires less attention.

10. Keep Expectations Realistic

Accept that things won’t always go perfectly. With the right systems in place, you can travel while still keeping your homestead running smoothly.

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