I don’t know who needs to hear this but “No, you aren’t going to remember everything. Label it, keep notes, make a system, and stay organized.”

If my sister is reading this I know she’s thinking “I told you so.” I’m the kind of person who jumps right in. I take on new projects and figure out the details later. Jumping into “homesteading” exciting, staying organized wasn’t.

Now, a decade into this journey, the lack of record keeping is catching up with me, from wasted food and unknown plants, to mixed up animals. I no longer trust myself when I say “I’ll remember” because I won’t.

5 things I wish I would have done sooner

1. Label Animals and Record
   • Labeling animals doesn’t sound to nice, but it’s worth it. Larger livestock tagged, rabbits tattooed, poultry banded, hives labeled, and so on. Chances are it will save you time and energy in the future. Also if someone else has to care for your animals identifying them will be much easier. Once they have their name or number find a place to record details about them, from their age to any medical issues or medications taken.
2. Date and Label any Food for Storage
   • Save yourself the future headache, date and label all food for storage. Just throwing food in the pantry or freezer has cost me a lot of food. I’ve pulled out what I thought was mild spaghetti sauce only to find out it was a habanero chili mixture. It takes seconds to throw the label on before putting it away, and it’ll save you minutes of wondering in the future. A label now might even save your future dinner.
3. Record anything Planted
   • Don’t trust the little plastic labels to stay put. Don’t trust your memory. Make a diagram of your garden and write down what you planted and where.

So if you are like me and want to jump right in, jump in, but save yourself the future headache by labeling, keeping notes, and staying organized from day 1.