That's a phrase I used to say to myself ALL the time. And it might be something you also become regularly disappointed about. As you may have read in my previous post (Why I'm a Wannabe Farmer) I have future dreams of farming. But at the moment I'm stuck in a 3 bedroom terraced house with a 45sqm garden.
Why can't I be on the farm already? It sucks I don't have enough money to move. Why don't I have more land? These were all repetitive thoughts swirling through my brain. And then the 'Aha' moment.
But I DO have SOME land, even if it's just a backgarden. And that's where my urban smallholding began.
Work with what you have
Though you might continue to dream of a small farm, working with the garden space is well worthwhile for two main reasons. Firstly, it helps you feel like you're not wasting time and that you're not in limbo waiting for the future. Secondly, it gives a TONNE of experience. I've grown veggies and kept chickens for years, but until I started going all-in and trying to create an actual homestead, I honesty didn't realise how little I knew. Steep learning curve. And it's better to find out your crap at growing cabbages, or to learn about chicken respiratory diseases BEFORE you go all-in on a LARGE scale.
Vegetables
- Maximize Space
- Making the most of every opportunity is crucial if you're working with a small space. Shove vegetable beds wherever there is room and use vertical space too. Cucumbers and gourds can be grown up and around archways so they don't sprawl across the ground. Beans can be grown up and along fences, and guttering can be attached to walls and fencing so that crops like lettuces and strawberries can be grown up the garden instead of across the ground.
Strawberries growing in a vertical trough.
- Making the most of every opportunity is crucial if you're working with a small space. Shove vegetable beds wherever there is room and use vertical space too. Cucumbers and gourds can be grown up and around archways so they don't sprawl across the ground. Beans can be grown up and along fences, and guttering can be attached to walls and fencing so that crops like lettuces and strawberries can be grown up the garden instead of across the ground.
- Quick Crops
- In general, I favour quick growing, fast turnaround crops in my small space. Cabbages, for example, just take too long to get to maturity and take up space I could be growing salads, carrots or beets in. Longer maturing crops like potatoes could be grown in large sacks or dustbins instead of taking up valuable vegetable bed space.
- Greenhouse
- A greenhouse is an invaluable tool on any homestead, helping to get seeds started earlier, sheltering crops from frosts and offering the chance to grow less hardy vegetables. You don't have to go large; my greenhouse is only 3 feet wide. I've used shelves from IKEA to maximise space instead of using standard greenhouse shelving.
A greenhouse is one essential component. A polytunnel would be even better.
- A greenhouse is an invaluable tool on any homestead, helping to get seeds started earlier, sheltering crops from frosts and offering the chance to grow less hardy vegetables. You don't have to go large; my greenhouse is only 3 feet wide. I've used shelves from IKEA to maximise space instead of using standard greenhouse shelving.
- Raised Beds
- You could till up your whole backyard ala Curtis Stone style. But with a small, backyard homestead I prefer to use raised beds that are easy to maintain and allow a huge variety of different crops to be grown. They're easy to make, ideal if your starting out with poor soil and are simple to maintain.
- Fruit
- Many small gardens cannot host lots of fruit trees. That, there is a lie! Grow cordon trees instead. Grown at a 45º angle to reduce vigorous growth, you can pack a huge number of fruit trees into a small space. I have a pear, apple and plum but am intending on seriously boosting the number of trees I'm growing. Meanwhile, utilise fencing for soft fruit - I invested in some upright growing, thornless blackberries that take minimal space and offer succulent fruit from July to September.
Thornless, upright growing blackberries are ideal for small spaces.
- Many small gardens cannot host lots of fruit trees. That, there is a lie! Grow cordon trees instead. Grown at a 45º angle to reduce vigorous growth, you can pack a huge number of fruit trees into a small space. I have a pear, apple and plum but am intending on seriously boosting the number of trees I'm growing. Meanwhile, utilise fencing for soft fruit - I invested in some upright growing, thornless blackberries that take minimal space and offer succulent fruit from July to September.
Livestock
- Chickens
- Chickens are the obvious go-to animal to keep in a back garden and there are many reasons; they're easy and cheap to keep, they provide eggs and meat and come in a variety of sizes. If you're not allowed roosters in your area, consider buying in day old chicks to rear so you can cull any boys for meat before they start crowing.
Monkey, one of my Poland bantams.
- Chickens are the obvious go-to animal to keep in a back garden and there are many reasons; they're easy and cheap to keep, they provide eggs and meat and come in a variety of sizes. If you're not allowed roosters in your area, consider buying in day old chicks to rear so you can cull any boys for meat before they start crowing.
- Quail
- Quail are quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Very quiet and simple to keep, they're mature in just 8 weeks. At that stage you can cull the boys for the freezer and keep or sell the hens for eggs. There's a lovely variety of quail species available too.
- Rabbits
- Rabbits are another great backgarden animal; more often thought as a pet rather than for meat. BUT, people have been eating rabbit for centuries so why shouldn't you? Quiet, simple to keep and easy to breed, they can give a lovely alternative to all that poultry meat. Their poop is good for the garden and if you can find a local taxidermist they'll often buy the white pelts to provide a little extra income. Rabbits are on my list of to-do's for 2018!
- Insects
- There's a rising trend in Europe for interest in insects as providing protein and a sustainable food source. Mealworms, for example, are extremely high in protein. People have actually also been eating insects for centuries and in many parts of the world, they're considered a delicacy. I have a mealworm colony for feeding my various birds, but I'm also intending on roasting and eating some myself - they supposedly taste like peanuts.
Insects are being looked at as a sustainable, nutrient-rich food source.
- There's a rising trend in Europe for interest in insects as providing protein and a sustainable food source. Mealworms, for example, are extremely high in protein. People have actually also been eating insects for centuries and in many parts of the world, they're considered a delicacy. I have a mealworm colony for feeding my various birds, but I'm also intending on roasting and eating some myself - they supposedly taste like peanuts.
Bear in mind that with all livestock, especially in an urban and, therefore, smaller premises, hygiene is essential. There's no 'other' field to move chickens to when land becomes boggy, and space to quarantine new or sick animals might be limited. I end up with chickens in my living room ALL the time. Poop builds up at an astonishing rate too, as does spoiled bedding, so you'll need somewhere to dispose of it. Parasite build-up can also occur more dramatically because there's less space to move animals around on.
It IS very satisfying to rear livestock and it can be done in an urban setting. But costs and work can be higher simply because strict space management is needed to keep everyone healthy.
If you have farming dreams, start today!
Honestly, starting a backyard homestead was the best thing I ever did. Whilst I still long for my 40 acres in the country and dream of all the many things I can do, working with the space I have has taught me many lessons. It's extremely rewarding too, so whether you dig up your lawn and sow row upon row of veggies, or just prepare some starter cut-and-come-again salad trays, start today!