Comments on: PUTTING THE HOME INTO HOMESTEADING

By: madeline duffin

madeline duffin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:02:14 +0000

in july of this year, i bought a coop from ontario and had it shipped out here to alberta. Now in the depth of snow outside, the two hens are safe and warm in the deep litter of hay and a heat lamp inside their house. My son and i transformed our front and back yard using sheet mulching techniques and started to grow most of what we ate during the summer and grew enough to sell some produce to a local resturant. My house is one of the few in this city that is growing a garden in front instead of a lawn. As more snow is falling tonight, i can remember how lush the garden looked in the summer and how it will be again next year.

By: Ciaran

Ciaran — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:31:23 +0000

Just today, I finished planting broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and celery. This is the second year I have planted winter crops. Having the fresh vegs in my backyard saves me from going to the local supermarket for fresh produce and coming out with oh, so much more than I need. The less I shop, the more I stay at home. The more I stay at home, the more opportunity to work on our homestead. A lovely little cycle that I am just beginning to truly learn. I am grateful for people like you who share what they have learned and let others know it is possible to feed yourself and your family out of the backyard. Thank you!

By: Brenda

Brenda — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:20:11 +0000

I do the same as many of your other comments. Even though I work full time all the while wishing to be on a farm somewhere, I live in a subdivision in the city so a garden is out of the question as it goes against association rules. I found away around it by planting what I call my "itty bitty" garden in my flower beds( in the back yard of course) and in pots on my patio. I bake my own bread, love, love, love to can and preserve food and to make many of the things we need. I can't stand to shop and would love to be 50 miles from the nearest store. I'm not sure when I started to feel this nagging inside to live a more self reliant lifestyle but I can tell you this, I am a 40 something and NO ONE in my life~family, friends or coworkers feel the same so I am isolated but it's ok, I enjoy a challenge. I am starting small but feel that someday I will have some space for at least a small garden and some fruit trees. I have learned to be content with where I am. Life is too short to dwell on the things we don't have and as for now I will continue to garden and make the changes in my life.

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:27:35 +0000

Well, we live in the city and planted our first full garden this year with the help of my wife's parents. We expect to quadruple the size of our garden next year. I think where this endevor of ours is going to buying a microfarm outside of of our hometown (Fargo), with enough room for growing food and possibly critters. We have changed our eating habits dramatically this past year and now we are changing our impact habits. So far, we love it.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:21:28 +0000

I live in a suburb, in a condo with no yard space, and none of my friends are interested in sustainable living. Despite my limitations I am determined to live as "Little House on the Prairie" as possible!

I cook much of my food from scratch, including baking some of my bread (could still do this more often).

I recently got a freezer which should help with the above.

I use natural, mostly homemade cleaners.

I avoid wasting water, electricity, gas and other resources. I have a dishwasher (came with the condo) but prefer to use the two dishwashers on the ends of my arms!

I avoid using disposable items as much as possible. Nine times out of ten I use a rag and throw it in the wash, and I save the paper towels for really grungy cleanup jobs.

I'd rather make something or buy it used than buy something new.

I have a patio that's mostly in shade, but I plan on learning how to grow at least a few herbs on the fence.

Susan

By: V Schoenwald

V Schoenwald — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:51 +0000

I live in an agri area in a small city. I am not off the grid, but I have done all that I can to conserve elec and natural gas, and have a combined elec/gas bill of $118.00 a month. I run oil lamps, watch the utilities, cook and bake outside if the weather is decent,ie. no snow. I grow 60% of my own families food, barter for meat with what I can, can, make yogurt, bread, will try making soap next spring. I am on SSI and am WAY below the poverty level, but I do not starve at all and enjoy home with all my heart, it is my cave, my hide-a-way, I have very little to do with my neighbors as most are druggies and live a horrid and disheveled lifestyle which I cannot do anything about, as they do not want to change. So, I am very content with home. I hook rugs, sew, barter, and read. Where I live, it is cold in winter, and sometimes the spring gets weird also, but I run cold frames and am getting greens and lettuces now and if the weather holds, I will do so until Christmas, then start again at the end of Feb and start seeds again in my frames. I love what I do. I do not go without.

By: amber

amber — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:53:57 +0000

We live in the city and we compost, you would be amazed at how much less trash we take out each week. The compost helps me to make beautiful raised planting beds on top of the the asphalt which is my back yard!

By: Terri Alice

Terri Alice — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:55:49 +0000

My partner and I live on 20 acres in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. We are off grid and working towards water harvesting for all our irrigation needs. We have an enclosed raised be vegetable garden, which we are planning to expand. Until we can do that, we supplement what we grow by belonging to our local CSA.
We are committed to keeping the native landscape in tact and planting more natives for the wildlife. We drive as little as possible, and opt out of consumerism as much as we possible can. We are vegan for ethical and ecological reasons. We are retired teachers and
former So Cal residents (Riverside). You all are an important part of our sense of a larger community. Thanks

By: viggie

viggie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:33:42 +0000

What would the Ingalls do lol...too cute.

By: Charles

Charles — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:05:47 +0000

Spot on Farmer D! What a wise and beautiful philosophy.