URBAN HOMESTEADING

Posted by Bec Pollock on Jun 3, 2011 in ECO-LIVING | 0 comments

You may have noticed something in the air… maybe a neighbour, or someone in your street, has a burgeoning garden full of fruit trees, berrries and garden beds? Perhaps a family member gives you fresh eggs from their chickens, or if you are really lucky, fresh honey from their bees!

Does a colleague ask for your lunch scraps at work to take home to their worm farm? Could be your kids growing carrots and pumpkins at school? Or your husband wants to put up a greenhouse, or make a woodfired outdoor oven?

Or it’s you… keeping chickens, growing your own organic produce, composting and worm farming, perhaps making your own soap and toiletries, or herbal remedies, maybe cheesemaking, fermenting, preserving, butchering, knitting, bartering and homesteading… all in your own backyard!

Urban homesteading is not a new concept, but it is regaining favour with people in towns and cities around the world. Returning to traditions and rituals that have been lost to the last generations… but those that bring us closer to the essentials in life, to what really matters.

Reconnecting with food and it’s production, researching natural remedies and relying less on modern technology, embracing simplicity and living with purpose, and exploring the crafts of self sufficient living. Though achieving self sufficiency is not likely in our suburban backyards, it is also not that desirable.

Urban homesteaders usually want to connect with their community, to be able to share and barter, not to stand alone, isolated or ‘off-grid’. It’s about making the most of where you are, adapting in place if you will, rather than running away for a tree-change or farm-change. It’s about being able to enjoy the benefits of living in towns or cities, whilst experiencing the joys of doing (some) of it for yourself.

It’s not all joy, of course, with plenty of hard work, mistakes and failures, as well as balancing ‘everyday life’ responsibilities with this ‘hobby’. However, the satisfaction of picking your own vegetables for dinner, warm eggs for breakfast, or learning a new skill is worth it.

There are a lot of skills that you could learn; those I’ve mentioned, as well as cooking from scratch, beer and breadmaking, organic gardening and permaculture skills, hand making your own clothes, homewares and presents, using homemade natural cleaning agents, and homegrown/ home made tools, plus pest control, equipment repair and maintenance, as well as frugal living, like being resourceful, making do, meal planning and using up leftovers. It depends on how much time, energy and backyard you actually have!

You don’t need a huge house and garden, but if you change your perspective, think outside the box, you might find you have more space than you realised. Front or side yards, vertical spaces, or perhaps your roof. Look for dwarf fruit trees and produce suitable to container growing.

If keeping backyard livestock, consider bantam sized chickens, perhaps Nigerian Dwarf Goats, or even a worm farm will make use of kitchen scraps and give you castings and worm juice for your garden. You can keep preserving gear in your laundry, or a bar fridge for cheeses. Try knitting or crochet for handy lap-crafts. If you want to create an urban homestead, get creative!

Whatever level of urban homesteading you desire or achieve, this enjoyable past-time can add many benefits to your life, such as financial savings, security, community building, health and wellbeing, education and entertainment, family time and personal satisfaction.

This simple living, back to basics, homegrown lifestyle is on the increase because people are benefitting from it in many ways, but so is the planet, as it helps less carbon emissions, reliance on fossil fuels, pollution and waste.

You too can take advantage of all the wonders that urban (or suburban) homesteading has to offer, whether on a small scale, or the whole hog. There are quite a number of books, blogs and articles to delve into. There are various workshops and courses to do in Canberra, or join a suitable community group, and perhaps you can find a mentor. Someone who can show you how to preserve, grind grain, knit or upcycle clothing, grow tomatoes or handle chickens!

You can read more about Urban Homesteading on eatatdixiebelle’s!

Bec Pollock, AKA dixiebelle, has been living in Canberra for three years now. Her claims to fame include Kid Wrangler, Wife Extraordinaire, Part-time RN, Wannabe Urban Homesteader, Novice Permaculturalist, Earth & Communities Supporter, Ambling Prepper, Laptop Activist, Rambling Blogger… read more of her musings at www.eatatdixiebelles.blogspot.com or at local ACT blog, www.everydayecointheact.blogspot.com