Blessings From Home

Can you homestead in the city?

I was wondering if some of you would mind sharing with me your thoughts on homesteading in the city?

Planting is something I realize you can do anywhere, but I was wondering if there were any of you "cityfolks" with farm animals in your backyards? I know first things first, you have to check city ordinances. Here where I live, you can have things from goats all the way to chickens, no rooster ofcourse, for a permit fee of only 10 dollars/year.

Some things have come up and we may be buying a house instead of renting, but we'll be buying in town for right now, which means we'll probably be living in town for a while. And I'm just wondering if it's possible to raise something like chickens and goats on a small piece of land the size of your backyard.

a farm in the city

{ 09:38, Saturday, March 8, 2008 } { Posted by Handmaiden }

Over thirty years ago we lived in the city, and animals were allowed. We had a large back yard and had a little house and a chicken run made out of chicken wire over a wooden frame. My friend had a smaller yard, but had space on the side of her house between the house and the fence. She made a pen there and was able to use the fence and the house as bounderies for her chickens. Rabbits are also good for back yards. I would suggest that you buy alfalfa hay and give some to the chickens for good greens since they can't forage Good luck-handmaiden

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{ 10:24, Saturday, March 8, 2008 } { Posted by a1health }

Sara,
I have a friend who has a goat in their backyard that keeps their grass trimmed. We live in Atlanta, which is a very large city.
Blessings,
~Farrah

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{ 04:42, Sunday, March 9, 2008 } { Posted by Citygal }

Janette over at Blessingsbaound (sorry, I don't know how to link), has this youtube clip on a family in California who live in the city and grow all their food. It's mostly vegetable, but it looks like they do have some animals there as well. Here is the link for the clip. Their website may have more info. for you. Just copy and paste the link into your browser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q&feature=related
It's a fun clip to watch anyways!
Rachel from New Zealand

Edited by Citygal on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at 04:42

Homesteading in the City

{ 09:04, Sunday, March 9, 2008 } { Posted by jennickless }

We live in a small city but have strict restrictions. We are not even allowed to have chickens. We are still going to try though. We are working on a design and plans of how many chickens etc, etc...to bring to our city council to try to get permission for 6-8. That way we would have enough for our family of four. We have .33 of an acre. Since we have such restrictions, we have tried to be as eventive as possible. We grow most of our own vegetables and herbs. We have an Apple tree, strawberries, raspberries and blueberry bushes. We have incorporated this into our landscape to please the neighbors. So it does not look like we are "farming". There are other things you can do. We collect rain water and have multi fuel heating options. We also grow potatoes at a freind's house that is close by. This year in addition to potatoes we will be growing our onions there. We do not have enough room at our house. We are also growing sweet potatoes. I used to long to get back to the country so that we could have our own animals, but now I am enjoying doing what I can here on my little plot of land. I am watching our seedlings grow and becoming very anxious to rework some of our gardens. We are fortunate to live where rural areas surround us so we can get local meat/vegetables from area farmers. So if I can't have my own at least we are supporting our local farmers.
Good luck and have fun!

Jennifer

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{ 12:31, Sunday, March 9, 2008 } { Posted by homesteadinthemaking }

Sara,
Your journey sounds so much like ours. One minute we are doing one thing then the next it is something else. I have since learned that I am not in charge of where we are to live. God is!! I think he is teaching me patience.LOL
As homesteading in the city, homesteading for me is not about where as much as a state of mind. It's living a simple and frugal life. Which can be done anywhere. I don't know your family size but we have 10 laying hens and are getting way too many eggs for our family of five. I think about 5-7 would be enough to make do. We don't like the goats so I want even comment on what type of space they need. You can plant a garden and put food by almost anywhere. I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Trixi

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{ 09:50, Monday, March 10, 2008 } { Posted by gabbie427 }

In our town, if you own farm animals, you must have over one acre of land per animal, and there are a few who have donkeys or something like that in the city, but not very many. Usually the neighbors throw such a big deal over it and have petitions made up and so not many are in town now, unless they are on just the outskirts of town.

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo