Your limitation – It’s your Imagination…

What to do? What to do? Okay, so you’re in agreement. You’re going to do this. But where to start. My advice; grow as you go. First off unless you have very deep pockets there is the cost attached to developing even a small property. Second be mindful of your neighbours. Not everybody will share your enthusiasm for the ‘urban homestead’ dream. I’m sure we have all heard tell of stories where neighbours rebel over people plowing up their front lawn to transform it into a producing garden space. Or the stories of a humble roadside stand drawing ‘too much unwanted traffic’. Again, my suggestion is to start slow. Make friends with the neighbours. The odd gift of a dozen eggs or some fresh tomatoes (or what have you) goes a long way in smoothing things over. While trying to make your urban homestead aesthetically pleasing may not be that important to you; it probably is to your neighbours. And last but certainly not least, is check out what the local bylaws are concerning your property. This information can be accessed online or you can call your local government office.

Of course most people are going to start with the garden. How much space you dedicate to your garden will depend on how large your lot is and what else you want to put on that lot. If gardening is going to be your primary focus then just focus on that; for now. Garden vertically and implement square foot gardening to save on space.

What to grow will depend on what your growing zone is. Farmer’s markets have never been more popular as people seek to support local businesses and know where their food is coming from. Cut flowers have become a very hot ticket at the market. Check out your local bylaws and see whether or not you can have a roadside stand. Sadly, curb-side stands have become a hotly contested topic of late.

Can you afford the space to put up a greenhouse? It doesn’t have to be huge to be useful. I found several options available on Amazon under $200.

If a greenhouse is feasible you could start seedlings. There is a real resurgence of gardening and seedlings are a big part of that as most people do not have the wherewithal to start their own. You could sell them at the farmer’s market, a local store, or online market place.

What about livestock? Well, here’s where things can get tricky. But it is doable. Find out what you are zoned for first and work within those parameters There is nothing more disappointing than achieving the dream only to have it snatched away. For a more detailed look at livestock for the urban homestead watch for that upcoming post.

Rabbits can be housed in hutches with small runs or in something akin to the chicken ‘tractors’. Wheels or not, they are ‘portable’ size makeing them easy to move about the yard. Kind of like little lawnmowers on legs. Waste is minimal.

Ahh the chicken. I’m sure that it is the dream of most (if not all) urban homesteaders to own a handful of these delightful little creatures that will actually provide breakfast. But chickens have become somewhat of a hot topic in urban neighbourhoods across the country. In B.C. you can keep backyard chickens in city of Vancouver but not in the suburbs of Chilliwack. Check the zoning bylaws for your property. You can access this information online or by calling your local government office

Chickens are going to be slightly more work. Decisions to be made before hand are how many and intent to free range or not. Whether or not to free range is going to depend on how much available space do you have. Can you adequately protect your gardens from the scratching around and frequent dust bathing. I can tell you that chickens can and will tear a garden up. I personally do so enjoy watching my hens roaming around the yard, living their best life; that I have chosen to use netting staked around each garden bed. Although they will happily fly up and over my 5′ perimeter fence they will not fly over the netting. I’m not exactly sure why that is. But I’m glad that both my gardens and my chickens can thrive together. Most people have chickens for pets with the added bonus of some fresh eggs. As for making money off those chickens…..? Well, that too is for another post.

Aquaponics. If space allows this is an amazing addition to an urban homestead. Raise your fish for eating while producing some of the best fertilizer. The footprint is small. No mess. No smell. Again, lots of info on YouTube. Something to consider.

Don’t forget the little things like bees and worms. Yup. Vermiculture doesn’t just produce beautiful compost. It also produces more worms which can be used as delicious treats for the chickens or sold to help someone else set up their own vermiculture composting system. Also handy for the fishing trip 😉

Add small things to your urban homestead that will pay off. Such as collecting rainwater. Set up a diy drip water system. Create and mange your own compost/fertilizer. Set up a clothesline. You can also check back for more in-depth posts on some of the afore mentioned topics.

In a nutshell my advice on starting your urban homestead would be to dream big but start slow. There will always be obstacles to the plan. But one thing that homesteaders have in common is ingenuity. Thinking outside the box and be creative becomes second nature. Every problem you solve; every solution you come up with will encourage you to keep going. This is a lifestyle that is worth working for.