How to Be an Urban Homesteader

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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It might sound strange, but in these days of ecological awareness and abstracted business practices, many urban dwellers are ready to try going out on a limb to change their lives and their communities. Farming isn't just for country folk anymore: attention to sustainable lifestyles has others getting into the mix. The concept known as "urban homesteading" is gaining popular currency in America, and for these "pioneers," a number of good outcomes are likely.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Step1

Cultivate rooftop or community gardens. Taking advantage of every possible space for growing herbs and vegetables is a large part of taking up an urban homesteading philosophy. Tools like raised beds and public irrigation can help make your space functional for feeding neighbors and expanding local solutions.

Step2

Organize co-ops for livestock and other rural necessities. You may not be able to keep livestock, even chickens, in an urban environment, but you can barter or contract with a livestock owner outside of the city to essentially provide your own meat. You can learn slaughtering, dressing and cutting skills, and harvest your own meat for daily consumption.

Step3

Use available indoor space for home brewing or other organic projects. If you can figure out how to safely create and market your home products, you will have "capital" you can use to negotiate with co-ops. Try a variety of cottage industries to see which ones fit with your urban situation.

Step4

Look to the community for support and labor. Others may be willing to follow where you lead, and getting your neighbors together means better opportunities for collective bargaining. Young people can learn valuable skills participating in gardening or other "homesteading" projects.

Step5

Use urban systems to your advantage. Although urban homesteaders face many challenges, one possible advantage is the public transit system. Using the public transit system to avoid high transportation costs takes brains, but in some cases, doing away with "personal" transport makes you an effective homesteader and steward of the environment, especially with fuel prices going through the roof and the earth responding to greenhouse gases. Take this element into effect when deciding on your transport needs.

Tips & Warnings

Take counsel from established urban homesteader associations. Websites for organizations like the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board will yield valuable hints for how to succeed in your pioneering, and resources including necessary contacts for community support. Use these to your advantage.