Food-Focused Homestead Life

Food System
Written By Steven Biggs

Gary Dickenson talks about his move from the UK to a remote homestead in northern Latvia.

Have you ever thought of changing your relationship with food?

Gary Dickenson put food front and centre in his new life as a homesteader. He tells us about his move from a seaside town in the UK, where he worked in marketing, to a remote corner of northern Latvia.

Dickenson says that the thing he best likes about homesteading life is the freedom it offers him.

Busy Homestead

It’s a busy homestead. Projects include:

  • Greenhouses

  • Smoking food

  • Canning

  • Wood heating

  • Maple syrup

  • Hugelkultur

  • No-Till veg plots

Thinking of Homesteading?

Here are Dickenson’s tips:

  • Before you make the leap, spend time on a homestead

  • Look ahead 10 years to think about where you want to be

  • Don’t buy into the romanticism of a homestead because it’s hard work

  • Plan, but let plans change

  • Act like a child and ask “why?”

  • Experiment and celebrate both success and failures

  • Build a network of friends for support

Check out the Baltic Homesteaders YouTube Channel

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Steven Biggs

Recognized by Garden Making Magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author. His passion is helping home gardeners grow food in creative and attractive ways.


He’s the author of eight gardening books, including the Canadian bestseller No Guff Vegetable Gardening. His articles have appeared in Canada’s Local Gardener, Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Country Guide, Edible Toronto, and other magazines.


Along with over 30 years working in the horticultural sector and a horticultural-science major at the University of Guelph, Steven’s experience includes hands-on projects in his own garden including wicking beds, driveway strawbale gardens, and a rooftop tomato plantation—to the ongoing amusement of neighbours.


When not in the garden, you might catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast or canoeing in Algonquin Park.

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