Over the years I have spoken with many agriculturalist , nurseryman and homesteaders as both a friend and consultant . Most have very big dreaming and ideals associate with live on the land , no matter the scale of their ambitions .
A big part of this is get a diverse product to meet their needs for the pantry , freezer and cellar . Homesteading after all is about ego - sufficiency , ripe ?
belike the individual biggest piece of advice I give to those who live on the land is this : focalise your goal to balance your time , energy and blank space . Less is more .
Keep It Simple
When we start a small farm or homestead , we want to do everything . We desire chickens , sheep , an orchard , bees , garden , ancient grain plots , etc .
Most multitude mention everyproductiveenterprise potential when asked , “ What is your goal for the land and your intended projects ? ” This is too much .
Not only will we fail to accomplish all of these desired projects , but we will end up in reality achieve less because we are stretch too thin . Each of these case-by-case pursuits requires skills , sentence and money .
courtesy of Zach Loeks
alternatively , we should look to attain a balanced production .
Do you have a farm program ? It ’s especially of import for small farms .
A Balancing Act
Your production should form a guild — a symbiosis of projection not unlike companion planting . I ’ve term this system of rules a Guild Enterprise Production model ( see my bookThe Permaculture Market Gardenfor more on that ) .
A Guild Enterprise Production theoretical account should :
For example , a farm could have three enterprise : garlic yield , mixed vegetables and honey . Your garlic is planted in fall , while vegetable are spring planted . Thus , the intensive labour is distribute across seasons .
courtesy of Zach Loeks
Your bees create extra products in the mannikin of honey , wax and propolis . This is enough . You do n’t also need chicken , cows and grove .
Down the route , when you master these initiative , you will find ways of integrating and organizing to expand your diversity of product . You may turn less garlic and commix it with your vegetable production as one enterprisingness . This could free up a output recess for a yield enterprise .
This reduction is not a surd and fast rule , but it is a outstanding rule of thumb . And it is especially true for a sole wheeler dealer . If you have more multitude working the Din Land , then each could negociate a few small - production enterprises . Still , no matter the scale leaf , I would n’t do more than nine endeavour on any firearm of Din Land .
You state does n’t ask to run across your every pauperism . Consider trading , bartering and selling to make more products for your pantry , deep freezer and cellar .
Over my years as a market place gardener , I always had plenty of organic cheeses , eggs , fruit , meat , veggie , honey , sirup and cut efflorescence . But I did n’t necessitate to bring on all these . Why ? Because I had a reputation for the best root - wine cellar carrots in town .
I could betray as many as I could produce , and I swap the sleep for what I needed .
Here ’s everything you need to know about integrated pest management .
Guild of Stewardship
As a community , focusing onGuild Enterprise Production is a great strategy for resilience . Each community can equilibrise nutrition , mixed - land use and area of focal point to achieve durable nutrient security . Your garden has vegetable guilds , and your farm or homestead has a guild of enterprises . And so , too , can your community be a guild ofstewards . The image below evidence how unlike property within a residential district can share production through swop and sales event . It also exemplify how different productions can benefit each other within a big community of interests ecosystem.courtesy of Zach Loeks
think how compost can be divvy up between neighbor or how pollinator home ground in a prairie regaining plot can improve honey product and orchard payoff .
Your enterprises can provide habitat for good predators in your garden , while neighborhood fowl conduce to integrated pest management . Some neighbor can produce foods , while others preserve the harvest .
Again , the musical theme is this : If we rivet on select production in our small farm , we can poise these with our neighbour for a complete community , both ecologically and culturally , to attain food security measure and community resilience .
Every micro - landscape painting — whether a garden , greenspace or farm hedge — is an chance for integrated yield . By designing guilds in our go-ahead to simplify direction , we build relationships with our community fellow member as fellow stakeholder in a common future .
