I wonder where "homesteading" got to be defined as "gardening a lot"...or for that matter "not depending on other people"--I'm not sure that's desirable or possible. We bought 7 acres in the Ottawa Valley 18 years ago. It had a creek on it and no buildings. We built a house and shop, never had much production from the garden--but in the past years a Troy-Bilt tiller entered our lives at an auction, and spent so much money fixing it up that we had to start a new garden down near the highway where there's lots of light and better soil. Besides, it entertains the neighbours who are alwys pulling over to chat whenever they see us there.

That's part of the package. Rest of the package is that we both work, have two vehicles (most important part of our "avoid-divorce" strategy) and two teenagers (who seem to be neither avid woodhewers and gardeners, nor completely allergic to same), so we use the highways, schools, health care system, and family allowance cheques as much as anyone else. It's just a different place to live than in a town or city.

I still think we homesteaded though, cause we did it all from the ground up--with help from society, family, and the unaccountable continuation of the economy.

W-O