Homesteading in the city or suburbs

How about defining our fill-in-the-blank homesteads next? A suburban or urban homestead.

What would a suburban or urban farmer look like? Regardless of why you live in the city (or suburbs), you aren’t planning to move to the country soon. Although you enjoy the benefits of city living, you still have a strong sense of homesteading.

What’s the good news? It’s possible to have your cake and eat it too!

You can easily incorporate any ideas for the apartment homestead. This is useful for creating your own suburban or urban farm. A small yard can also give you some extra options.

Suburban (or Urban) Homesteading Ideas:

1. Plant a garden – You usually find at least a small spot to plant vegetables. This is true regardless of how big or small your yard is. Grow heirloom varieties that aren’t in your local stores (this year, we grew Yukon Gold potatoes instead of the usual Russets. It was delicious!). Learn which vegetables thrive in shade and sun. Even a small garden plot can be maximized with creativity. You can always grow a variety of edibles in containers and pots, like the apartment homesteader.
2. A compost pile – of course, the second thing on my list is composting. This is an excellent way to reduce waste and give your garden the fertility boost it needs. Creating your compost pile means that you need to keep the food scraps after every meal. If you want to try a homesteading project, keep this in mind. The pile shouldn’t attract animals or stink. It should be made from equal amounts of greens and browns.
3. Get poultry – but remember, it doesn’t have to be all kinds of poultry. You can start and get some chickens! The first point in my homesteading guide includes dedicating some time to try something new. You can start small – get a couple or more chickens and see how you can handle them. They are straightforward to care for, and you will be happy once they start laying eggs. Being self-enough is quite a big step.
4. Start cooking – authentic green living begins from within. It’s the part where you know you want to care for yourself and your body. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive project- you can start cooking meals daily. Whether it is Kombucha or homemade bread, cooking is a rewarding hobby. It will make you smile when you’re done with it. There are many starting points here; you must make sure you are ready to take on a challenge. Plus, imagine what it is like to surprise your loved ones with freshly prepared food on the table!
5. Start preserving food – whether you’re trying to produce and keep food in the city or the suburbs. There is one thing you should focus on – food preservation. This has already been in the back of your mind for longer. I am encouraging you to try it! The reality is that when you grow your food, you usually end up with a lot more. You often grow more than you can consume. You typically end up with more than you can eat. The reality is that when you grow your food, you usually have more than you can consume. You often produce excess food. You typically end up with more than you can eat. In these cases, the smartest thing is to preserve the food for later. You can do that by freezing, dehydrating, canning, pickling, fermenting, or drying.
6. Find a creative outlet – what is the first thing that comes to your mind when I mention homesteading? It is knitting! Add crochet and sewing into the equation. You have a lovely little skill set that you get to use all the time. This is an essential green living aspect since you can create things the entire family can use. Quilts, blankets, and everything you can imagine can now become a reality. It’s one of the best indoor creative skills you can obtain. Start today and work your way through a piece step by step.
7. Cleaning products – other than trying to grow your food, you should also try to make your own cleaning products. Ingredient awareness has increased over the past several years. As a result, many people have now turned to making their cleaning products at home. So why don’t you do that, too? Using something without chemicals is excellent and even saves you money. Also, you will be more at ease knowing what is included in your home products.
8. Be the fixer – the homesteading guide would not be finished if I didn’t include this. As I mentioned, being enough starts from within, so you should learn how to fix things around the house. Practice and start small – with things like changing a lightbulb or driving screws. You can continue fixing and polishing furniture. Before you know it, you have a broad palette of skills to show off around the home! But remember that homesteading isn’t about doing everything yourself. Calling a professional to get the job done in specific situations is okay.
9. The art of foraging is a specific skill. It would help if you had some honing to get things right. It is incredibly worth it. Green living is all about finding creative ways to be more self-enough. You can start with whatever you have in your yard. This be wild strawberries for jam. Or it can be some herbs for specific ointments. You can forage many plants, making a great addition to your new lifestyle. Homesteading lets you get as creative as you can. You can even use some plants and dye some organic fabric.

Your skill set seems minimal, but fear not! I believe you can eventually obtain all the skills on this list. Even if you live in an apartment, you can still do quite a few things. Homesteading is an excellent way to strengthen your skills and connect with nature. Start today and see how it feels—you will be amazed!

I would love to hear your thoughts about this. Please share your opinions in the comment section below.