Five Ways to Homestead in the City or Suburb

Many people would love be less dependent on the day to day grind of life but can't or don't want to leave the city. There are many good reasons to live in an urban area and a living lightly and being self sufficient isn't an impossible feat. In fact in many ways it's easier to live lightly because there's such a large community to share resources with (while still being self sufficient). Even if you plan on moving to 20 acres one day but are stuck in the 'burbs or city there are some things you can do now to get started. Another benefit is you get to see if the extra thought and work involved I really for you.

1.Grow and put back some of your own food.

Even a small apartment patio can yield nutrituos food. You may not have an orchard and farm running but at least you're cultivating some skills and knowledge. As a society we're in danger of forgetting how to sustain ourselves through the land and not by driving to the grocery store. If you want a larger patch look for a community garden or start one.

2. Keep chickens for eggs.

If you have a yard and room for a small coop (and they don't take much room at all) a pair of chickens can produce fresh eggs year round. Chickens thrive on scraps and high quality feed. Let your chickens roam and eat bugs and you'll have a healthier yard. You'll also have more nutritious eggs produced in a cruelty free manner.

3. Compost.

Even if you don't have a larger garden, you can start composting indoors or on a patio with a worm composter. Take your vegetable and fruit scraps, grains, and washed egg shells and let the worms do their work. You'll end up with organic compost that can be sold or bartered with whereas before you only had landfill material.

4. Offer a trade or service to people in your community.

This is also a part of homesteading because it's provides income and a social network for security. Any handmade object of quality that can be produced at home or locally can fall into this category.

5. Consider small scale production of animals.

Rabbits and squab (pigeons) don't require much space. They can be traded or sold and double as a hobby. You might also look into breeding small exotic pets and adding that as income stream.

Taking even a few of these suggestions will go a long way towards becoming more self sufficient. As a bonus it preserves skills that will undoubtedly be needed in the future. If you have children it is extremely important that they know how to provide for themselves while also networking with the community.