Life on a suburban homestead
Imagine waking up to the sound of chickens clucking in your backyard. You walk outside and they greet you, begging for breakfast. You feed the chickens and walk over to your raised garden beds. You notice several plump tomatoes are ready to be harvested, along with lettuce for the salad you had previously dreamt about having for lunch today. You gather your vegetables and water the rest of your crops. The sun is shining bright, warming your skin, your kids are giggling while chasing each other in the yard, and your chickens are happily enjoying their breakfast. Life is good. Life is simple.
Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash
You may envision the previous scenario on a rural farm with no surrounding neighbors. However, this particular homestead takes place in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by friendly neighbors and friends. Homesteading does not have to be complex. The purpose of homesteading is to live more simply. There is a common misconception that homesteading may only take place on a farm, with lots of animals, and fields of crops. However, old-fashioned homesteading has evolved into something much greater and is more assessable to anyone who owns land; it’s called suburban homesteading. Homesteading is based on living a self-sufficient lifestyle with little help from others. A majority of your food is grown on your land, even if you live in a residential neighborhood. Homesteading includes subsistence agriculture, renewable energy sources, home preservation of food, zero-waste living, and, depending on your skills, homeschooling is another common practice.
Photo by Tommy Johns on Unsplash
So, where do you start if suburban homesteading peaks your interest? The first thing you can do as a suburban homesteader is to start your own garden. Whether this is a small garden bed or several raised beds, you can decide what works best for you. Obviously, you have to consider the climate that you live in. There are many resources online that will help you determine what crops to grow based on the season. Another consideration is where the sun hits your yard. When planting, you want to understand how the sun moves about your yard and research which plants are better in the sun and which plants grow best in the shade. Another homestead practice you can begin is starting a compost. My husband and I started a worm compost last year. We used a large plastic bin and filled it with veggie scraps, wet shredded newspaper, soil, and worms. We store it outside in the warmer months and in our basement in the colder months. Composts are low maintenance and create wonderful soil for your garden. There are several different compost systems and many resources to help you decide which system would work best for you. Another consideration is to start raising chickens. I want to inform you that raising chickens is a bit more complex. Chickens have a lifespan of 5-10 years and are a long-term commitment. There is a lot of care that goes into raising chickens and it may not be the right choice for everyone. Please do proper research before deciding to raise chickens. Many cities across the US are allowing their residents to take part in urban agriculture by keeping backyard chickens. A few benefits of raising chickens are eggs, meat, and fertilizer. The last technique I will leave you with today is transforming into a homesteader's kitchen. This means cooking from scratch, using simple ingredients, preserving your produce, and learning how to store your pantry goods. You may preserve your food by freezing, canning, and dehydrating. All of these options are common homesteading practices.
Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash
There are many ways to begin your journey as a suburban homesteader. The term “Homestead” is very broad and not black and white. There are no rules to what makes a homestead, a homestead. If you want to begin your journey to a simpler, self-sustaining life, I encourage you to do your research and take the first step to becoming a suburban homesteader.
