O.K., I'm ready to take the plunge

**Jaded** · 07-29-2007, 06:36 PM

I'm going to leap into urban homesteading! All this started when I was mowing my front lawn, and thinking that this was truly the only place left in the yard that was full sun. I remember seeing on one homesteading site how they had "landscaped" their front yard with edibles, and I thought "I can do that!" So as I was mowing, I was thinking of what I would put there, and how I would protect it from marauding pests and neighbors. I'm not allowed to fence in my front yard, but I am allowed to "hedge" it, so I thought I could use some sort of edible hedge material, like the surinam cherries that pop up everywhere in my yard, and intersperse some edible hibiscus. Not that I'd ever USE all the cherries, but it would be a very pretty hedge, and it would feed the birds, so they'd leave my other stuff alone.

I've already planted lots of fruit trees in my yard, so I have that done. I'm going to start digging up and preparing areas for vegetable gardens. We plant most of our "summer" crops in the winter here, starting in September, so I only have a month to prepare. I also have to get my canning jars down out of the attic, and get new lids for them. I think I'll ask for money from my kids for Christmas. That's about the time I'll need the lids! LOL

I'm looking into building a solar oven, not only to save electricity, but also for times like after storms when there IS no power. You can buy a nice one for $175, but I saw some plans for building one that cooks 60 lbs. of food at a time. Not that I would need that much food, but it's a thought.

I don't think I'll ever buy a diesel car and start making biofuel, but I'm really looking at compostable toilets and composting humanure. I know...ewwwwwwww!!! But hey, it's free!!!

I found out when I lived in the country that I can't kill my own animals, so that's out. I can, however, trade other things I grow for meat products. I'm thinking about raising rabbits...just the pet kind...to sell to animal stores and such. I'll have to get a license, but that's for the future. Right now, I'm just in the "preparation" stagew.

Slowly, but surely, I'm gonna turn this little 1/4 acre into an urban homestead! I'm going to blog it on villageblogger, with pics, so we can all keep up with what I'm doing. Maybe I'll inspire someone else to do it as well!

**Darlene** · 07-29-2007, 07:23 PM

Go You! Gotta have a dream, go for it!

**Jaded** · 07-29-2007, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Darlene

Go You! Gotta have a dream, go for it!

Thanks! I just wanna be able to stay in my house, at the job I love, and not starve! LOL

**frugalfarmwife** · 07-29-2007, 09:30 PM

GOOD FOR YOU!!! And I hear ya on not killing your own livestock, but, we hire it out

LOL, I could just imagine your neighbors with chickens/roosters tho, could cause a bit of a ruckus!

kj

**rainbowgc** · 07-30-2007, 08:33 AM

For some interesting reading try mother earth news online
Erika

**FrugalMomof3** · 07-30-2007, 08:46 AM

Wow that's great, you have a great plan

**redmaples** · 07-30-2007, 09:01 AM

good ideas!
check out the path to freedom site
They are doing a lot, think it is just a quarter of
an acre too.

**Monner 1** · 07-30-2007, 09:14 AM

You go girl. If my husband and I were younger and my back was better and his knees were better we would homestead. It is a fabulous way to live and I have almost 3 acres of land. Some of it is swampy but we could definitely do it with 1 acre. I will be waiting to see your updates. I can live frivolously through you. Good luck.

**Dancing Lotus** · 07-30-2007, 09:34 AM

I think that sounds great. We are slowly working on the same. I have a garden area cleared and fenced in, now I have to build more beds and mulch. I hope to have that done by september. We have the usual florida pine trees in our front yard but I want to get them out so I can plant fruit trees. I cant plant them in the back because of power lines, septic system, and whats left is already covered with beautiful trees.

Good luck and I will be checking on your progress.

**bumplett** · 07-30-2007, 10:41 AM

Wow - everything sounds wonderful - with the exception of the raising rabbits for pet stores - nothing personal of course, but you may want to look into the "pet store" practices and the rabbit overpopulation issues (bunny rescues are overflowing) before you consider such a thing - I'm sure there are many, many other options of trades you could consider -

http://www.wisconsinhrs.org/Articles...%20Bunnies.htm

**Odilia** · 07-30-2007, 11:14 AM

Excellent plans!! Good luck with everything.

Oh, I wish we could hire out our small animal butchering! We've got places that butcher large animals (we're taking in a steer on Thursday, in fact), but no one around here will butcher small animals. I've been butchering a few chickens/week for a month, and I've got to butcher several ducks in the fall. Sigh...my husband doesn't butcher small animals, either...

**Edna_E** · 07-30-2007, 01:33 PM

I'm inspired! Actually, I have for several years been extremely interested in the homesteading lifestyle. I am currently housesitting for a 3 year stint, however, so can't make major changes to someone else's property, but am working on planning my own. So, please, share your insights - it sounds like you're doing great!

**mommy4ever** · 08-09-2007, 12:15 PM

I've been thinking about this too. I'm not sure where to start, but I know I want to. I did start in the back yard. With 4 + 3 kids, I do need to maintain yard for play. But I do have 2 4x8 beds for veggies, and 3 - 3x3 beds for berries. 2 are strawberries and one raspberries(which i need to pick today at naptime!).

I have one apple tree

but there's only 2 apples on it this year. Last year we had 4 5-gallon pails full. There are some branches dying, so I'll need to prune it. Need to call the nursery.

In the front, I have 2 flower beds. One is SUPER dry, and grows nothing do to a house over hang. the other is growing wild flowers for the most part. I have a pine and a birch. I hate the birch, and would love to lose it and replace with a fruit tree. Which I think I'll do in the spring. The pine is beautiful and provides shade to the picture window, but I could see it being replaced though.

I think next spring I'll start to replace some of the lawn with edibles. Just a small section at a time.

**Jaded** · 08-09-2007, 09:21 PM

That sounds like a plan! I've been thinking, and I think I'm going to do herb/veggie gardens in the front. I'll grow lots of herbs, and things like sweet potatoes (pretty vines), carrots (pretty flowers) and radishes (interesting leaves) in and amongst. I'm trying to think of something else I can slip in that will look like it belongs in an herb garden. Maybe amaranthus?

On the sunny side of the house, I have a spot where I could grow a small about 4 x 4 plot. I'll probably put bush beans in there. I'm thinking of a trellis all along that side with pole beans. Hope I don't eventually get neighbors that steal!

I have a bush called Spinach Bush that is edible, and is lovely, and has pretty white flowers. I'm going to make that the centerpiece of the whole herb/veggie thing.

I wish I had the design capability to make a knot garden. They're so pretty!

I'm thinking I want to get a wild plum bush for the front yard too. They are so pretty when they bloom, and then there are the plums. I'd love to take out the palm trees in the front, but unfortunately, they are the only shade I have for the corner bedroom that is right in the path of the afternoon sun.

In the back, I used to have a small place where I grew plants to sell that has been covered with black plastic for years. I'm thinking that would be the best place to start the veggie garden for right now. It's about 10 x 8, I guess. I can enlarge it some by putting a few things inbetween the small citrus trees.

I have the plan, let's see if I can make it work! LOL