Skills Checklist, What to Learn First

In order. Don’t skip ahead.

• Grow something and keep it alive (start here, everything else builds on this)
• Cook from scratch with what you grew
• Preserve the harvest (water-bath canning first, it’s the easiest entry)
• Basic carpentry: measure, cut, screw, level
• Sharpen and maintain tools
• Raise chickens (or quail) from chick to laying
• Compost: turn waste into soil
• Read your land: water flow, sun, frost pockets, soil
• Basic plumbing: fix a leak, run a line
• Basic electrical/solar: panels, batteries, 12V systems
• Butcher and process (when you’re ready, no rush)
• Save seeds

You don’t need all twelve to start. You need the first one. The rest come one season at a time.