Get Your Farmer On: Urban Homesteading

For anyone who wants to live a little more sustainably, who wants to enjoy a little bit of farm life, but does not want to give up the convenience of living in the city, there is a solution for you. It is called Urban Homesteading or Urban Farming.

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Backyard chickens bring farm fresh eggs to some residential neighborhoods. In addition to providing you with fresh eggs, chickens are also wonderful for pest control and processing compost. Find out More about raising backyard chickens.

Please be aware that keeping livestock in urban areas is still a newly reintroduced concept. Not all areas allow for chickens to be kept in urban areas. It is important to check your local zoning laws and regulations. But, don't fret, if your zoning laws prohibit chickens, you can petition to have the laws changed as many residents of major cities are doing.

 Container gardens and other micro-gardening ideas such as square foot gardens are allowing for more people with less space to benefit from growing their own food supplies. A whole variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices can grow just as well in a container. Did you know that you can even grow citrus treees and tropical fruits in temperate climates? Yes, container gardening allows for these plants to be grown indoors during colder weather and then moved outdoors when it warms up. Find out More about sustainable gardening with container gardens.

Want to know more? The folks at UrbanHomestead.org have been documenting their homesteading journery for the last 10 years. The produce 99% of their own produce, yielding 6,000 lbs of crops off of just 1/10 of an acre. They conserve fuel and energy by using solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, rechargeable batteries, and line drying clothes. They conserve water with efficient plumbing options and the incorporation of grey water for watering plants. They raise a variety of small livestock animals and bees, composting their own manure to fertilize their plants. And, to make enough of an income to pay their taxes and survive, they set up a front-porch farm stand and hold classes to teach others how to incorporate urban homesteading into their lifestyles.