What It Takes To Live As An Urban Homesteader

A lot of people are looking to take back some control over their lives. The pandemic showed how fragile the supply chain is and it canโ€™t really be relied upon. In these uncertain times, we need to be more self-sufficient and be able to withstand some rough waters to get by.

This is the reason many people choose to homestead and have a sustainable lifestyle. To some this means buying a farm in the country. However, it can also be done in an urban or suburban setting. The idea is to be resilient when times get tough just like our ancestors did. In this article, we will go over what it takes to live as a modern homesteader.

Plan out your vegetable garden

The most important thing about homesteading is growing your own fruit and vegetables. This takes some planning especially if you have never had a garden before. The idea is to replace what you would buy at the grocery store with your own vegetables and fruit.

Think about your family and make a list of what they like to eat and what you usually buy. Then focus on planting a lot of those fruits and veggies. You should also think about the best types of food stockpile you should be creating. Since you want to provide as much as possible for the entire year, some of what you produce will need to be stored well or be preserved.

This means growing an abundance of produce that you can eat fresh and then put up the rest of what you canโ€™t eat. Think of canning, drying, and storing in a cold room. Things like potatoes, squash, beets, and carrots can generally stay fresh over the winter in a cold storage area.

Work with what you have

You donโ€™t need acres of land to do this. You can easily devote a section of your backyard to a garden that will feed the entire family if you plant it well. Try doing succession planting and even interplanting techniques to get a lot of production out of a small area.

Your cold storage area can be a section of your garage if it is not heated so you can make your space work for you.

Instead of planting decorative trees for landscaping, plant fruit trees so you can enjoy the shade and also the fruit they produce.

Compost

Being self-sufficient means making use out of everything you produce. When you have a garden, there is going to be a lot of organic matter that will get thrown away. Instead of throwing things away, you should make a compost pile and create your own organic matter to feed your soil.

Think about feeding your soil so that the conditions are perfect for your plants to get the nutrients they need. Instead of buying fertilizer, you can help your soil make it naturally by composting your food waste. Apple cores, potato skins, and the ends of things like onions and cucumbers can all be thrown in the pile and result in a rich soil in a few months time.

 

 

Jeff Campbell