Homesteading has a way of attracting absolutes. Do it all. Raise everything. Be tough enough. If you’re really committed, you won’t flinch.

I don’t believe that.

Real homesteading—the kind that lasts more than a season—requires something quieter and far more difficult: discernment. Not every household is meant to hold the same animals. Not every keeper is meant to carry the same endings. And drawing a line is not a sign of failure. It is often the clearest sign that someone is paying attention.