Let me tell you something about Delaware. This ain’t Montana with its wide-open ranges, and it sure as hell isn’t Alaska where the wolves remind you who’s boss. No, Delaware’s small—so small you can blink and pass right through it. But don’t let the size fool you. If you think you can’t live free, live smart, and live independent in this postage stamp of a state, you’ve already lost the battle. I’m sick of people whining about not having enough land or time or money. You don’t need a thousand acres to build a life worth living. What you need is grit, brains, and a refusal to be dependent on anyone, especially not the government or your big-box supermarket.
You want to homestead in Delaware? Then buckle up, because I’m about to slap you upside the head with some cold, hard truth—and fifteen damn fine skills you better learn if you don’t want to end up begging FEMA for a freeze-dried ration pack when things go sideways.
The 15 Essential Homestead Skills Every Delaware Survivalist Must Know
- Seed Saving – If you’re still buying seeds every spring, you’re part of the problem. You need to know how to save and store your own heirloom seeds like your life depends on it—because it does.
- Composting – Dirt don’t grow on trees. Make your own black gold with kitchen scraps, leaves, and animal droppings. Delaware soil can be stubborn—learn to feed it.
- Raising Chickens – Eggs, meat, pest control, and fertilizer—all from one critter. You don’t own chickens? You’re living soft.
- Canning and Food Preservation – Delaware’s humid summers mean a harvest can come in fast. If you don’t know how to water-bath or pressure can, you’re throwing winter food in the trash.
- Basic Carpentry – You should be able to slap together a cold frame, fix a chicken coop, or build a raised bed without crying into your cordless drill.
- Soap Making – You think store-bought soap is always going to be there? Learn to make your own with lard, lye, and essential oils. Smelling good is optional; being clean is not.
- Rainwater Harvesting – Delaware gets around 45 inches of rain a year. That’s free water falling from the sky. Capture it. Store it. Filter it. Use it.
- Firewood Cutting and Stacking – Don’t you dare go into a Delaware winter without a stacked cord of seasoned wood. Chainsaws, axes, and sweat—that’s how you heat your homestead when the power’s out for two weeks.
- Basic Animal Husbandry – Goats, rabbits, ducks—know how to feed ‘em, breed ‘em, and when necessary, butcher ‘em.
- First Aid and Herbal Remedies – The ER might be 20 miles away and full of people who touched poison ivy and panicked. Learn how to handle infections, cuts, and colds at home.
- Fermentation and Brewing – Not just for alcohol. Think sourdough, kimchi, kefir—living foods that feed your gut and preserve what you grow.
- Hunting and Trapping – Delaware has deer, squirrel, and waterfowl. If you can’t put meat on the table with a shotgun or a snare, you’re living at the mercy of the meat aisle.
- Solar Power Basics – The grid ain’t as stable as they tell you. A small-scale solar setup for lights and essentials can mean the difference between “just another day” and “total blackout meltdown.”
- Knife Sharpening and Tool Care – If your tools are dull, so are you. Take care of your gear like it’s a part of your family.
- Situational Awareness and Security – Just because it’s Delaware doesn’t mean you’re safe. Two-legged predators are everywhere. Locks, dogs, fences, and firearms—know how to protect your ground.
3 DIY Homestead Hacks That’ll Save Your Butt
1. 5-Gallon Bucket Root Cellar
Don’t tell me you don’t have a basement. I don’t care. Grab a 5-gallon bucket, drill holes in the bottom for drainage, bury it in a shady spot, and cover it with straw. Boom—instant mini-root cellar for carrots, garlic, or potatoes. Keeps your veggies cool and critters out.
2. Solar-Powered Motion Sensor Light Using Recycled Batteries
Old solar lights from the dollar store and a few AA batteries from dead remotes—hook ‘em up to a motion sensor and place them around your coop or garden. Instant predator deterrent. The raccoons in Delaware are smart. Be smarter.
3. Pallet Raised Beds
You think you need to spend $300 at the garden center for cedar? Think again. Delaware is full of free pallets behind warehouses. Pry ’em apart and build raised beds. Just make sure they’re heat-treated and not chemically soaked (look for “HT” stamped on the wood).
Delaware Isn’t Just a State—It’s a Standoff
You think just because you’re close to Philly or Baltimore that you’re insulated? You’re not. When cities burn, people run. You think they’re running west? Hell no—they’re headed east, toward quiet little Delaware with its cornfields, small towns, and unsuspecting homeowners with unlocked sheds. You better be ready to defend what you built, because no one else is going to protect it for you.
And don’t come crying to me that Delaware’s too regulated. Yeah, some counties have zoning. Some townships have noise ordinances. But if you do your homework and keep your operation low-profile, no one cares if you’ve got three goats and a hand-dug graywater trench. Stop looking for permission. Start looking for ways.
A Final Word to the Delaware Dreamers
You want the homestead life? Then quit scrolling Pinterest and watching survival shows and do the damn work. Delaware might not be rugged wilderness, but it’s got what you need if you’re tough enough to dig it out. You’ve got good rainfall, four honest seasons, and long growing days. The soil might be sandy in Sussex and heavy in New Castle, but that just means you learn to adapt. And adaptation, friend, is what this whole damn lifestyle is about.
Don’t wait for the collapse. Don’t wait for the politicians. Don’t wait for approval.
Start now. Stay sharp. Stay free.
TheDailyChristian 