How to Homestead

People are increasingly interested in leaving the city behind for a more self-sustaining lifestyle. Creating a homestead means assigning a role to all aspects of the property and home, and then integrating them into one functioning unit. In principle, the homestead sounds bucolic and relaxing, but homesteading requires a great deal of planning and effort.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Goats
• Rabbits
• Sheep
• Bees

The House

1. Equip the house with a basement for storage. The basement should be a walkout so that you can move supplies and equipment in and out easily.

2. Install a root cellar for storage of produce. You must dig down at least 10 feet to achieve a stable temperature zone for summer and winter storage.

3. Plan to include a large kitchen in your home. More than a place to cook, the homestead kitchen must accommodate the canning and freezing of produce.

4. Add a back porch to the home. The porch can function as a place to relax and a place to perform dirty chores when it's raining.

Trees and Shrubs

5. Ensure a source of vitamin C by planting rugosa roses. After you've finished enjoying the blooms, make tea from the rose hips.

6. Include nut trees for shade and several bushels of nuts each season. Plant English walnut, pecan and the Chinese blight-resistant chestnut. If your property includes mature oaks, use them for fodder.

7. Choose fruit trees resistant to pests and diseases. You can plant Barlett and Garber pears, as well as Rome Beauty and Winesap apples.

8. Cultivate a berry patch. Include blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Propagate your plants over the years and sell "U-pick" berry excursions.

Vegetable Garden

9. Make the soil as fertile as possible by maintaining a large compost pile. Include all disease-free plant waste, farm animal manure, leaves and spoiled hay.

10. Grow vegetables for canning, freezing, dry storage and eating fresh. Start with carrots, tomatoes, lima beans, bell peppers, winter squash, potatoes, peas and corn.

11. Save a patch to plant soybeans for a guaranteed protein source. Soybean plants give high yields, so use the excess to enrich animal feed.

Livestock

12. Care for a small herd of goats. You can keep eight goats for the cost of one cow and reap milk, cheese and meat.

13. Raise rabbits for their meat and their pelts. A 50-by-100 foot pen can hold 200 rabbits and their offspring.

14. Keep a few pairs of sheep. Sell or slaughter the lambs and shear the wool. You can purchase a spindle and create artisan wool yarn to sell.

15. Become a beekeeper. One hive can produce up to 75 lbs. of honey per season and the bees are beneficial pollinators as well.

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[Vanessa22]

on 2/3/2009 Great article. I intend on raising goats and rabbits someday. :)