Also, I'm shit at small talk. So when somebody says "other", is their political beliefs, I'm like, oh does that mean you Lean towards crypto anarchism as well?.......sadly It's usually communism.

I would bring up topics tangential to homesteading that are more mainstream to gauge their response.

Cooking - do you cook at home? what do you like making? what's your go to recipe?

Baking bread - see if they've made sourdough before. that'd be a winner imo, but yeasted bread would be cool too

Crafts - crochet, knitting. a potential homesteader would be interested in these skills.

Gardening - maybe they grow their own food forest, maybe they care for and propogate indoor plants