Homesteading is a labor of love that has no beginning or end. Rather, it is a continuum which takes up where you plug in, and will ideally continue after you leave. Anytime is a good time to start. What it takes is the desire, some interest, and a little common sense.
A basic tenet to Permaculture (which is applicable to many situations) is familiarizing one's self intimately with the systems which present. Especially with homesteading, they may be subtle and/or oblique, but their parts are surely specific, particular, and integral to the success and efficiency of the overall organism.
Attention to detail can not be overemphasized. Leaving things the way you found them and learning why they are the way they are is paramount to successful integration. The "why" may take some time to reveal itself - usually through neglect or some other presentation of a "break" in the system. As we learn to read these systems, they become easier to see. Our role as Homesteaders is to anticipate the needs of our environment and facilitate the efficient flow of its systems. This environment includes all the components, from animals to plants to the built environment, each other, and our selves. Behaviors, actions & reactions can only be good for one component if it's good for all of them.
The ecosystem which has been established is fragile. Inputs are most efficacious if deliberate and well thought out. For this reason, children, dogs, and those not initiated into the systems either do not make good visitors or need to be supervised.
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