Making it on small acreage

[valmom]

Not everyone lives in Ohio- there is a very nice strong New England contingent, too!

Sounds like you are off to a fantastic start. We have 5 acres, 8 horses, chickens, 2 Jack Russell Terri-orists, and used to have a garden. Until *someone* in the family decided that I didn't take enough care of it, so *they* would do the garden this year. We have a couple of tomato plants that I put in pots, a couple of pepper plants I put in pots, and actually a summer squash plant in a 5 gallon bucket that I am trying. That is our entire "garden" this year. I'd rather I had put one in, even if it wasn't kept up to *someone's* satisfaction.

 

[i_am2bz]

Homesteading books are available for starting on even a 1/4 acre!

Could you recommend any of those books...? I have 3/4 of an acre & would love to get ideas...don't see how it could be done, even if I plant right up to the front door & keep chickens in my bathtub!

 

[emilosevich]

2 Jack Russell Terri-orists,

I have a Rat Terri-orists, so find this really funny. there are quite a few people from Ohio on here aren't there

 

[Farmfresh]

Homesteading books are available for starting on even a 1/4 acre!

Could you recommend any of those books...? I have 3/4 of an acre & would love to get ideas...don't see how it could be done, even if I plant right up to the front door & keep chickens in my bathtub!

You don't really need a book in my opinion... You got folks that are doing this stuff everyday right here at your disposal!

Come on .... Ask us some questions, read some of these old threads, we got you covered.

 

[Ohioann]

Hello E, This is A from near Minerva and the Mill. Welcome!! With your poultry breed knowledge and experience you'll be a great addition to this group. To the group.... E won't blow her own horn but she has a great deal of knowledge about sheep, goats and poultry. She is an apprentice sheep shearer and works with poultry in her job at a well known sale barn !! A great resource.

 

[Kim_NC]

I'm fairly new here too. We're in NC. I grew up in PA.

Sounds like you've got a good start! Small acreage is fine...lots of potential! It's all in what you make of it.

 

[emilosevich]

Thanks A. So nice to see you on her. DH found this forum and now has me addicted

 

[emilosevich]

Homesteading books are available for starting on even a 1/4 acre!

Could you recommend any of those books...? I have 3/4 of an acre & would love to get ideas...don't see how it could be done, even if I plant right up to the front door & keep chickens in my bathtub!

Oh it can be done. When I was a child we lived in a trailer park with 1/4 acre lots and my parents still had a garden and rabbits. On 3/4 of an acre don't think big garden plant your crops right up along the house in your flower bed. Chickens and rabbits don't take a lot of space. A family of four could be fed by 5 hens and 4 rabbits. A Nigerian dwarf is a small milk breed of goat that puts out an unbelievably large amount of milk for it's size. They could easily be supported on you property.
I think sometimes it takes a little mind bending to support homesteading on smaller acreage. It can be fun. I have a little over and acre and a half of usable space and have found a way to support a calf. I agree with 2bz just ask questions. I don't think a book is necessary. Feel free to pick my brain or anyone else's for that matter.

 

[hwillm1977]

Homesteading books are available for starting on even a 1/4 acre!

Could you recommend any of those books...? I have 3/4 of an acre & would love to get ideas...don't see how it could be done, even if I plant right up to the front door & keep chickens in my bathtub!

You don't really need a book in my opinion... You got folks that are doing this stuff everyday right here at your disposal!

Come on .... Ask us some questions, read some of these old threads, we got you covered.

However, if you are like me and like to spend some time reading about stuff too (and then I come on here and ask to get opinions from people who have actually done the stuff ), I really like 'The Backyard Homestead' According to the back of the book you could 'From a quarter of an acre, you can harvest 1,400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of fruit, 2,000 pounds of vegetables, 280 pounds of pork, 75 pounds of nuts'

 

[Farmfresh]

From a quarter of an acre, you can harvest 1,400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of fruit, 2,000 pounds of vegetables, 280 pounds of pork, 75 pounds of nuts'

I have a yard 120 X 40 with a house in the middle of it. I regularly harvest 60 to 70 pounds of fruit off of just ONE of my dwarf fruit trees! I think most of those estimates are low.

The main thing holding most of us with small "homesteads" back is ZONING and city laws.

When my kids were small I raised meat rabbits in our detached garage. Three does and a buck kept us in all of the rabbit meat we could eat as a family of five and we used rabbit at the time almost exclusively when ever a recipe called for chicken. Currently I just buy my meat bunnies from a 4-H girl that I know, which has freed up my space for laying hens. Four of them keep us in eggs all year round with some planning and storing extras in times of excess. We raise grapes, cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines (some of the many varieties with the help of a single grafted tree) in addition to herbs and many veggies all here on my little tiny piece of land. If I can do it so can you.