Simple Little Moments

As summer rolls in, it’s time to think of some new skills and hobbies to learn!

When the seasons change, it always presents an opportunity to reflect on life and your own personal skills. Taking notes from our great grandparents, let’s dive into some old fashioned skills you can start learning this summer.

Outdoor & Homesteading Skills

Gardening: Grow vegetables or herbs and learn to preserve them by pickling or canning. I personally haven’t tried canning my veggies yet, but we’re currently growing cucumbers, Swiss chard, peppers, green onions, blueberries, and blackberries. It’s turned out to be an incredibly fun hobby. Not interested in growing vegetables? Try planting low maintenance shrubs or perennial flowers to keep your space looking beautiful and inviting!

• Vegetable gardening for beginners
• How to start an herb garden
• 40 small garden ideas to try on a budget

Foraging – Identify edible plants, berries, or mushrooms. You definitely want to make sure to do this safely with a guide or reputable source because…poison(!). It’s so empowering to be able to name different plants and understand their purpose and potential uses in your own home.

• A Beginner’s Guide to Foraging

Fishing – Learn fly fishing or traditional pole fishing techniques. People find enjoyment in fishing for a multitude of reasons, including the tranquility of being in nature, the challenge and reward of catching fish, the social aspect of spending time with loved ones, and the potential health benefits. Fishing can be a relaxing and peaceful activity or a more active and adventurous one, depending on individual preferences.

• An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Fishing

Beekeeping – Start a small hive and learn the basics of honey production. I personally love the idea of beekeeping! This is an old fashioned skill I envision myself trying in future years, but for right now my focus has been to plant lots of bee-attracting flowers and shrubs.

• Beekeeping for Beginners
• Easy plants that attract bees

Animal Husbandry – Learn to care for chickens, goats, or rabbits if you have the space. My husband recently built us a completely repurposed chicken coop! It’s technically a “chickshaw” so it will be suitable for moving around the property and housing a small number of chickens. We’re getting 5 baby chicks this summer!

• How to raise chickens
• Beginner’s guide to raising goats
• The most difficult and easiest farm animals to raise

Traditional Food & Cooking

Breadmaking – Learn to make sourdough or other rustic breads. Although this skill can seem daunting or intimidating to start, it’s easier than it seems. There are tons of online resources for learning how to make sourdough bread, for instance. Breadmaking is not only healthier for you & your family since you’re skipping all the additional ingredients and extra processing, but it’s also wayyy cheaper over time.

• How to make sourdough starter
• Sourdough bread: a beginner’s guide

Fermentation – Try making sauerkraut, kimchi, or kombucha. Fermented foods offer several health benefits, primarily due to their rich probiotic content and the changes in nutrient bioavailability brought about by the fermentation process. These benefits include improved gut health, enhanced digestion, a stronger immune system, and potentially better mental health. More examples of fermented foods are things like: Yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Miso, Natto, Olives, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Cheese (aged).

Dutch Oven Cooking – Perfect for camping or backyard cooking. Turns out you don’t have to use a Dutch oven just for making sourdough bread! There are tons of different recipes to try using a Dutch oven. Check out this list of the 25 best Dutch oven recipes!

Butter Churning or Cheese Making – Learn the basics of dairy processing at home. Making your own cheese can range from very easy to quite complex, depending on the type of cheese. Simple fresh cheeses like ricotta or paneer are relatively straightforward and require minimal equipment and time. However, aged cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, or blue cheese involve more steps, specialized equipment, and a longer aging process. Making homemade butter is surprisingly easy and quick. While it requires some shaking or churning, the process itself is straightforward and doesn’t require specialized equipment. The main ingredient is heavy cream, and the process involves agitating the cream until the fat molecules clump together, separating from the liquid (buttermilk). 

• How to make your own cheese
• How to make your own butter

Pie Baking – Is there anything more summery than the idea of a freshly baked pie sitting in the windowsill? Pie baking is truly a classic summer tradition with seasonal fruit. Depending on where you live and the specific month might encourage you to try out different pie recipes. Try different fruits like apples, blueberries, rhubarb, raspberries or blackberries!

• 30 best summer pie recipes for picnics and parties
• 12 fruit pie recipes for summer
• Easy apple pie recipe
• Fresh rhubarb pie recipe

What will you learn this summer?

The change of seasons always presents an opportunity to explore new hobbies and skills. Summer is particularly unique because there are so many amazing old fashioned skills to learn, and many of them allow you to be outside enjoying the sunshine while you do it. Old-fashioned skills are experiencing a resurgence because they offer practical benefits, promote sustainability, and provide a sense of connection to the past and community. These skills empower individuals to save money, reduce waste, and create meaningful items while fostering a more self-reliant and fulfilling lifestyle.