So much is being written these days about homesteading and more often than not it is about Urban farming/homesteads. Many people are digging up the lawns and planting gardens, building chicken coops that look like children's play houses, and even bringing in miniature or dwarf goats.
Even though I am in a rural area I have land the size of a city lot. As I continue to search the web for information and ideas, I am learning a great deal. Most of it from city folk ;D
I've subscribed to a magazine called, "Urban Farm". I sampled it by purchasing an older issue and downloading it on to my computer. I just love all the great information. So, I am going to give it a try and subscribe for the year. I got a few good links from it and one I particularly like:
http://www.goatjusticeleague.org/Site/Introduction.html
They prove that you don't need acreage to raise a couple of dairy goats. When you breed them and have a few kids you can sell them. I would want to have someone nearby who has a buck that I could use for breeding. I've also learned that bottle fed kids behave more like pets (more domesticated) than those nursing from Mom. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The author of an article in the magazine suggests milking in the morning and allowing kids to have the rest of the day until they are weaned.
One of the articles also suggested that city farms should raise rabbits as a small livestock and build housing like a chicken tractor moving them around your space. Building a wood slat floor will enable manure to drop down onto the grass and the grass pokes up through the slats for the rabbits to eat! Ingenius.
I like what the Path To Freedom family does with their miniature goats. They have harness and leash for their two miniature goats and take them walking. They have been a true inspiration to me with this small space challenge.
Another article gave step by step instruction on building your own self watering containers. My container garden which is on my wood deck has grown this year. I have kale at the moment and some herbs. I have purchased winter squash seed especially suited to containers along with eggplant for container growing. I will add cherry tomatoes for my salad garden which has been planted up in the wooden window boxes hubby made for me.
The more I learn, the more confident I feel that we can build our small homestead successfully right where we are.
We will get bees at some point. Not sure when, but local honey is a must for my honey infusions. I thought my next post would have been more of an herbal medicine topic but when I found the Urban Farm magazine, I just went with it!!
Even though I am in a rural area I have land the size of a city lot. As I continue to search the web for information and ideas, I am learning a great deal. Most of it from city folk ;D
I've subscribed to a magazine called, "Urban Farm". I sampled it by purchasing an older issue and downloading it on to my computer. I just love all the great information. So, I am going to give it a try and subscribe for the year. I got a few good links from it and one I particularly like:
http://www.goatjusticeleague.org/Site/Introduction.html
They prove that you don't need acreage to raise a couple of dairy goats. When you breed them and have a few kids you can sell them. I would want to have someone nearby who has a buck that I could use for breeding. I've also learned that bottle fed kids behave more like pets (more domesticated) than those nursing from Mom. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The author of an article in the magazine suggests milking in the morning and allowing kids to have the rest of the day until they are weaned.
One of the articles also suggested that city farms should raise rabbits as a small livestock and build housing like a chicken tractor moving them around your space. Building a wood slat floor will enable manure to drop down onto the grass and the grass pokes up through the slats for the rabbits to eat! Ingenius.
I like what the Path To Freedom family does with their miniature goats. They have harness and leash for their two miniature goats and take them walking. They have been a true inspiration to me with this small space challenge.
Another article gave step by step instruction on building your own self watering containers. My container garden which is on my wood deck has grown this year. I have kale at the moment and some herbs. I have purchased winter squash seed especially suited to containers along with eggplant for container growing. I will add cherry tomatoes for my salad garden which has been planted up in the wooden window boxes hubby made for me.
The more I learn, the more confident I feel that we can build our small homestead successfully right where we are.
We will get bees at some point. Not sure when, but local honey is a must for my honey infusions. I thought my next post would have been more of an herbal medicine topic but when I found the Urban Farm magazine, I just went with it!!
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