How to Start a Backyard Hobby Farm
A little farm in your backyard provides high-quality produce for your kitchen and a rewarding hobby. Unless you have a lot of land, and a lot of time, you might not be able to be self-sufficient, but you can have new-laid eggs, most of the fruits and vegetables you need and even fresh fish. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Garden tools
- Pond liner, gravel, rocks and aquatic plants
- Chicken coop and run
- Animal feed and equipment
Instructions
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Draw a plan of the space you have and make a realistic estimate of how much time you can devote to the project before deciding which plants and animals you will raise. Research the needs of each plant or animal as you make a list and check the soil and climate in your area is suitable. Also, check local restrictions, especially on livestock. Some localities have restrictions on what you can keep. You might be able to spend weekend afternoons and a couple of hours every weekday, which is enough time to maintain chickens, fish and a variety of fruit trees and vegetable crops. Don't over-commit yourself.
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Map out where you are going to raise each animal, plant fruit trees and grow vegetables on the plan.
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Dig a pond, if you plan to raise edible fish such as tilapia. You need pond liner, gravel, rocks and aquatic plants. Pond heaters and pond filters may be necessary, depending on the type of fish and the climate.
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Build animal accommodation such as a chicken coop and run. These are not difficult to make yourself but to save time, you can buy inexpensive premade units.
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Purchase all the animal feed and equipment you require, such as grain, straw, a shovel, supplements, food bowls and water dispensers. Obtain the details of a specialist vet in your area.
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Prepare the vegetable beds by digging through the soil, removing rocks and weeds, and adding compost.
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Locate your animals, trees and seeds in the appropriate places. Animals need daily care, including feeding and habitat cleaning. Plants require varying levels of maintenance depending on the species, which may include weeding, watering, thinning out, pest control and pruning.
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Tips & Warnings
Ensure you learn how to spot disease in not only plants but the animals as well.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
