Grumpy Acres Farm Group
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"I don't have a homestead, I live in a city"… Urban Homesteading
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"I don't have a homestead, I live in a city"… Urban Homesteading
As people say “Hi” and announce their presence on Freesteading, I am seeing a lot of them posting that they live in a city, or an apartment and not a homestead. Many are doing what they can, where they can; tomatoes on a balcony, chickens in the backyard. I say “KUDOS!” Making the best out of what we have, and separating ourselves from the controls that have been put on us is integral to pursuing a life done free.
For everyone that isn’t on a rural homestead, or is contained(for now) on a small suburban/urban lot, I want to share something with you: The Urban Farming Guys: https://theurbanfarmingguys.com/. They are what they call themselves as “Urban Homesteaders”. They had started a ministry in one of the worst crime ridden and run down areas in Kansas City MO. Yoda and I met one of the people that worked through a dog class we were taking. I got to go down and see what they were doing first hand. Almost every square inch of the property that was not a building, or infrastructure was given over to gardening. Aside from their from their own plots, they had beds that community members could garden free of charge. They provided assistance to anyone that needed it.
Also on this city lot, they had a massive aquaponics setup and raised tilapia year round, even in the dead of the Midwest winter. They had a solar array that provided a majority of the power they needed, and they collected over 40K gallons of water a year for their “homestead”. They ended up expanding to several additional lots. Last time I saw them they were doing rabbits and had even purchased a miniature cow for milk. They even rented space in an underground storage area and started a vermiculture business selling worm casting compost; selling it in 1000 pound lots. They took the permaculture ethos as far as one could within a large urban area. The impact they have had on this neighborhood is profound. Former drug addicts and copper thieves, now work with them to rehab houses and grow food for the community. It is amazing.
Their website is a bit dated. Last I heard they had branched out to several different cities and were still at work in the KC area. I need to take a trip and see if they are still at it. This whole thing just goes to show you how much is possible if we build our communities, even in a large urban or suburban area.
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This discussion was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
Grumpy_G. Reason: Additional info
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This discussion was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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28 Replies
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Hi. I too live in the city. On my north .60 acres(Haha). Would love to see pics of other gardens. Mine was was almost a total wipeout(mainly cause of the high temps.) I might get one or two cucs, tomatoes, or okra every few days(but grateful) Started to call it my manna. Theres always a fall planting, or next year..
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On my north .60 acres(Haha).
I love it, thinking like a land owner!
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My wife and I also have about .45 acres of land. I have used up almost my entire backyard. We have 6 goats (3 male and 3 female, each set has a different pen), we have 13 laying hens and a rooster (a recently added 4 chicks), we have 4 turkeys (future food), 18 meat birds, 6 ducks and a 1500sq ft garden. I have been adding plots in my front yard. I made a 100 sq ft fruit patch and will be adding two 20ft by 4ft grocery row gardens to the front yard. I have water catchment systems around the house too. You would be surprised what you can accomplish once you set your mind to it.
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Awesome!
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That’s amazing what everyone has accomplished and I love the idea that we can connect to help each other out regardless where you live and I appreciate the community that they are building here.
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Recorded a video with Tag and Spags last night (dropping on our channel at 5:30PM CST today as a premiere) and Spags gave the analogy of what we are creating with this movement is sort of a “reverse parasitic” relationship; as we connect we inspire and empower others to become more than they are.
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I love it. I think what’s important is that you do what you can where you can. Our goal has always been to be more self reliant and I see the same thoughts shared here. I love it.
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Our goal has always been to be more self reliant
That’s how it all starts…
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Okay, I’ve got a big roll of 1/2″ hardware cloth… is this okay to use for making some back yard rabbit cages with?
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Actually, it’s perfect. the holes are small enough the rabbits can walk on it, without hurting their feet, and their refuse will fall, through. Just scrape the bottom of the cage from time to time and you are golden. Brace the bottom well, so it doesn’t sag. Here’s a pic of ones I built years ago, when we were living in suburbia. They are made from recycled pallets and an asphalt roofing sheet. I used a scraper to rake the rabbit poop off the roof of the bottom cage of the double decker. I used them for about 8 years, before I sold them.
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Right on. I will have to scrounge around for some scrap wood or pallets to use. Any other tips or recommended reading for other considerations during construction? I’d be putting them in the shade against the fence in the back yard, most likely. I’ve got squirrels, opossums, cotton-tails, and aggressive grackles in my neighborhood, but no coons (that I’ve ever heard of, at least) and very few stray cats.
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As long as they are high off the ground, and have proper latches, you should have no problems with predators.
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Oh yeah, you were telling me about the 5 gallon bucket sprouting thing for greens for the rabbits. Do you have any pictures of that? I was having a hard time seeing it in my head.
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Here is a good video showing how to do it:
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Sweet, thanks!
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Hi! I’m Bruce (aka The Weather’d Soul)
I am Stoked that I found this thread because it speaks to my Suburban Farm 😅
6500 sq ft with 1530 of that in house, fully landscaped front and back. But, I have been working a garden with 3 semi raised boxes (1) 8×6 (1) 6×6 and (1) 5×5 that shares a space of about 20’x20′.
It has one side yard that I am trying to design as a livestock run (Chickens or Rabbits) and I use my shed as a Seed Starting workshop and area for over-wintering my peppers (current experiment).
The entertainment part of the back yard has slowly been becoming a edible container garden with every bare spot of soil reclaimed as valuable vegetable growing area.
I have a 300 gallon pond that I have recently started a broccoli plant in a large Terrcotta pot and hoping the ecosystem and fish do their job (so far/so good).
We (my wife and I) compost everything except cooked food, but looking forward to using that as feed for our future livestock.
We compost in DIY pallet compost frames, I have problems keeping them up to heat, but learning more every day.
Hope to learn more here and in other communities!!!
I also have a podcast tracking my efforts in making this my Suburban Homestead
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Aw, pallet compost bins…I remember using those when we were in suburbia. Moisture, airiation and mass are the keys to keeping the heat up. You’ll know you are doing it right when the neighborhood possum decides to set up house inside your pile on those cold winter days 🙂
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Hello everyone! So happy to find this thread. My people are here. 🙂 I live in the suburbs on a small lot with an even smaller north-facing back yard that is limited by a lot of hardscape (neighbors are very close).
For five years I have been learning to grow as much of my own food as possible and have tried to maximize the area by building mini raised beds (each is about equivalent to one garden row in varying widths to fit the spaces) along the front edge of the flower beds (that I have planted fruit trees in) that run the full length of the fence on three sides of the back yard. There’s about 60 linear feet of growing space total in the mini beds. Planted 10 trees instead of flowers along the fences at the end of 2017/beginning of 2018; several are grafted with multiple stock for a variety and different harvest potential to cover as much of the year as possible. Several are three- or four-in-one varieties (multiple cherries on one, multiple apples on another, a variety of stone fruits on yet another, etc.), to hopefully eat throughout most of the year. Several provided a decent real harvest this year (2022) for the first time, others are finally just getting started with meager offerings. I’m looking forward to next year. So grateful for what God blessed me with this year.
I also use several Greenstalk vertical planters, one 100-gallon water trough, two 30-inch large, round planters, and several 15-gallon containers, among other smaller ones and grow bags. Never enough space to grow all I’d like, but thankfully, in this area of the Central Valley in California, most things grow year-round. A lot that are seasonal for other parts of the country have become perennial for me, or at least multi-season. I have jammed perennials and multi-season plants into every conceivable space (including converting an old three-tiered fountain to growing space, and hanging strawberry plants because there’s no room on the ground to grow them (when I tried that, snails and slugs ravaged them continually anyway).
Last year I got four bantam Cochin hens for eggs. One or more of them have gone broody a lot this year, which has been disappointing due to the decrease in egg production. I might be able to have two more, but would definitely be maxed out at six total, space-wise. Earlier this year I also added Japanese jumbo Coturnix quail for eggs (including a few males in case I need to raise meat in the future). Really grateful to have their eggs as the bantams have not produced as hoped. I really like the quail eggs. I call them one-bite wonders. Great taste and creamy texture. Plus, I was told that by volume, the nutritional value of one jumbo quail egg is equivalent to two regular chicken eggs.
My biggest challenges are squirrels who damage or pilfer anything/everything possible (unless I pick it early to ripen inside and not on the vine/tree), and the summer heat, which this year was quite protracted and oppressive (it peaked at 108.5 and 107 here, but the official numbers for several days in the overall area were 115 degrees). The early and often on-again/off-again ups and downs in the temperatures this year set the garden back in so many ways. I expect this may be an ongoing issue with the grand solar minimum and everything else that’s happening with strange weather. Several things that did really well last year, or at least better, have either not done well at all this time around, or have been marginal at best, and a few were just complete duds.
I’d enjoy trading tips, tricks, work-arounds, resources and things learned with those who are interested in the dialogue.
God bless, Kim
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Excellent story, thanks for sharing
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Thanks, I hope there will be lots of continued conversation in this group.
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Check out Mark at Antioch Urban Growers, also in Kansas City- he is a great one too. He is at I35 and Antioch on the north side. Someone who is living it out not just doing stuff because its trendy like some of the other nursery owners in the metro area. He feeds the homeless, has aquaponics in his set up, built a rocket mass heater for his greenhouse. Hes the real deal too. When you shop at his nursery you are supporting the community not just a business.
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How did I miss that one?!? I’ll go check it out this evening. Great find, thanks.
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Hello! This thread is certainly a good description of how we live. We have acreage that we will “retire” to eventually, but are still in the city. We have an acre, but it is heavily wooded, so most if our plants are in containers. Everything from starting pots to old trash cans, kiddie pools, molasses buckets etc. We focus mainly on subtropical perinneals. Some need micro climates that I can provide at home, but can’t monitor daily on the acreage, so they accumulate here.
We have 3 hens that we let out of the coop in the mornings and they forage for yummies most of the day. Insects turned into eggs. That’s the way to eat bugs!
There are a surprisingly large number of folks doing similar things. Our city allows chickens at home with a few restrictions. Our h.o.a. does not, but several neighbors also have chickens and it’s pretty common knowledge. AD
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Not sure if I’ve introduced myself here. I live in Kanawha County, WV. I have a pretty standard suburban lot. I started with some chickens and ducks about four years ago. Now I am trying to learn the suburban permaculture thing. LOL I am very bad with the “perfect in the way of the good” thing and need to completely understand something before I try it. However, and I am chipping away at it some.
I am trying some indoor hydroponic type things, sprouts mostly right now. I have so many irons in so many fires it is hard to keep up with all the things. 🙂
I really want to connect with more WVians. I am a member of the state group.
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Sounds like you are headed in the right direction. One thing to remember when it comes to “perfect” being the enemy of “good enough”. Strive to always do your best; at the end of the day though, always remember, the chickens don’t really care if that corner is square.
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😊
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Now might be a good time to get some empty mineral lick tubs. They work great as large planters. I realize that it may be hard for most urban folks to find them, but if you know of a cattle farmer/rancher near you, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Some will sell them for a couple of dollars, some will give them away. I asked a fellow I know who has cows if he would sell me some. He laughed and told me how he had a bunch he was trying to sell. No one wanted them. He put them at the end of his driveway with a sign that said “free” and they were all gone the next day. He gave me a bunch about a month later for free.
There’s a guy in OK that has videos about how he uses them as self wicking planters.
Anyway, just something to think about that could help you out.
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