Self Sufficient Living - Urban Homesteading, Small Scale Farming & Self Reliance

SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING: OVERVIEW

Self sufficient living means self reliance in learning to grow your own, make your own, sell your own and bake your own, for homesteading, urban homesteading or mini farms. Self reliance is the way forward. There is no better time to do this, especially with the presence of climate change, food safety and of course the looming Peak Oil.

Self-reliance, sustainable living and being self sufficient is not difficult for those who have the time and the will. Simply growing your own herbs on a window sill is one way in which one can be self reliant.

It's time we stopped thinking of large open spaces as being a prerequisite for self-sufficiency. We can be self-sufficient at home with

Backyard Gardening and be self sufficient, on just a fifth of an acre.

Urban Homesteading is becoming increasingly popular.

Sustainable Living is also very closely related to Green Living. And more and more people are wanting to learn more about living off the land and homesteading and how to leave behind a smaller carbon footprint. We are just custodians of this earth, and we have made quite a mess of things of late. We can all make a difference in our own way.

SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING: ORGANIC GARDENING, HOMESTEADING & LIVING OFF THE LAND:

You can practice total self sufficient living on a piece of land that is just an acre in size. These are called Mini Farms and you will be amazed at what you can do on such a modest piece of ground. So if you are just starting off with your homestead, and you cannot afford acres of land, take heart. You really don't need it!

Grow heirlooms seeds for that old-fashioned taste, and seed exchange with your friends and neighbors.

Cover Crops are discussed in detail; what to plant and how much seed per acre.

And while we are talking about growing plants on the land, companion planting is an one way to get rid of garden pests the natural way. Do you know how herbs can help health issues? No? Then you may want to explore the page Health Herbs. And can you eat flowers out of your garden? Yes, some flowers are edible. See our section on Edible Flowers for details.

Growing Vegetables Organically. See information on how to grow a number of vegetables in your own backyard the healthy way. Also see:

Growing Strawberries,
Growing Blueberries,
Growing Gooseberries
Growing Rhubarb
Growing Garlic
Growing Tomatoes
Planting and Pruning Fruit Trees
Growing Cotton
... These are just some of the many topics we have in this section...

Also protect your vegetables and plants by making your own organic sprays and Natural Pesticides. We also have information on Moon Planting or as some of you may know it as planting by the moon.

Enjoy self-sufficient living even if you don't have the right soil, space, live in an apartment with a small patio or balcony. Learn all about Growing Vegetables in Containers.

Liquid Fertilizer - Suggestions on what to use for liquid fertilizers in your garden and how useful stinging nettles can be.

How to Make Compost - What and what not to put into the compost heap.

Making a Compost Bin. - Materials, dimensions and plans for a 3-Bay, wooden compost bin.

See a video on how to make homemade rain barrels within 5 minutes. There is also information about collecting rain water and rainwater barrels safely for your homestead needs.

In time to come we will also teach you how to bale hay, how to thatch, how to clean your own chimneys and how to tan hides. Do you know how to milk a cow? These country skills and traditional skills are easy to master and are necessary for self sufficient living.

SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING: FARMING WITH LIVESTOCK, BEES & POULTRY

Raising Rabbits; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Raising Ducks; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Raising Chickens; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Building Chicken Coops; a far cheaper option. See our free plans.
Alpaca Farming; their housing, their feeding, and their care.
Bee Keeping; for beginners; everything you need to know to be a successful bee keeper.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats for Backyard Homesteading.
Cattle Breeds, including Dexter Cattle.

SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING: IN THE HOME:

Self-Sufficient Living in the Kitchen

Self sufficient living also means that you know where your food came from because you have grown it yourself. This also allows you to make perfect homemade gifts for friends and family. You know that no preservatives have gone into your bread, your jam, pickles and preserves, your cider, wine, beer, bottled fruit or tomatoes, because you made it yourself along with your own home canning, or even juicing vegetables at home, and leading a healthy lifestyle. Visit our Country Recipes for quick and easy instructions on how to make bread, and making your own jams and preserves. Learn all about curing ham at home.

When you have more fruit from the orchard than you know what to do with and you have run out of ideas for canning, jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys and freezing, why don't you think about Drying your Fruit. This can be done either in your oven or out in the sun with solar drying.

Thought about sprouting your own seeds? See our page Sprouting seeds in 6 easy steps.

7 Easy Steps to Homemade Country Wines for self-sufficient living. See our page on How to Make Wine and wine making instructions, tips and recipes.

Self-Sufficient Living and Homemade Cosemetics

For those of you who want to make your own cosmetics see our page on Homemade Beauty Products. Not only do we give you step-by-step instructions, but we also give you a number of recipes to use.

Self-Sufficient Living and Household Cleaning Tips

Self reliance also gives you skills you didn't have before and the knowledge that you are able to not only help yourself, but to help others who may not be so well versed in such skills. For those of you who are looking for some helpful hints and tips in both your kitchen and your household, look no further.

Self-Sufficient Living for your Pets

And don't forget your pets! Make Homemade Dog Food and find homemade dog biscuit recipes.

SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING: BEING FRUGAL

In times of economic uncertainty one needs to be as self-sufficient as one can to be able to save money. Thus for those who are interested in frugal living, this section will also be of interest to you.

Which brings me to my next burning issue. As well are rising fuel costs, how many of you are also shocked and dismayed about your rising electricity bills? Well, you are not alone, but that is small comfort when money is tight. However, you can reduce your electricity bills by as much as 80%, yes, that's right. And if you are wondering how, you can find the details here. Reduce your electricity bills! For more information on this topic and others related to green living see our section on Living Off-Grid.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING RESOURCES:

If you are looking for material to download on beekeeping, keeping chickens and poultry, building greenhouses or chicken coops, raising guinea fowl, country recipes, herbal remedies or hydroponic gardening, then you will be interested in exploring Self Sufficient Living.

Enjoy Simple Living gets to the heart of simple living. From voluntary simplicity and self sufficient living to home organization, money management tips, and more! Leave the chaos behind and live refreshingly natural.

Finally, if you are looking for more information on how to be self-sufficient, how to make cheese, candles, soap, grow vegetables, learn about organic gardening, livestock, poultry, being frugal, or just homesteading in general, then visit our Country Store. Here you will not only find books and free magazines on these subjects, but you will also be able to find kits and supplies for farming, gardening, camping and outdoor living, children's farming games, clothing, cross stitch and quilting, patchwork, country decor, and country gourmet food.

Have a look at this video of an amazing family in suburban California who manage to be self-sufficient on one fifth of an acre!

BESTSELLERS FOR SELF SUFFICIENT LIVING

&amp;lt;iframe&amp;gt;

Would You Like To Be Part Of This Blog?

Become part of the Country Blog! Simply tell your favorite story, share a recipe, or some gardening tips by clicking on homesteading today! Your story becomes part of this blog (which shows the site's most recent pages) and a permanent part of www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com for others to read! And I'll tweet your Web page at my Twitter account, too!

So come on in, share your thoughts, tips and recipes and become part of the fun!

You can Add your Own Comments and Pages!

We have lots of pages where you can contribute to throughout this website. We love hearing from our readers, and hope you will be one of those we hear from too. Look around our homesteading website. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us.

Do you have anything that you would like to add after reading this page? We would love to hear your thoughts. If you can add additional information to what has been written here you will be adding value to the website! No need to have any special skills - just type and submit. We will do the rest!

Give your Comment a Title

Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission.

Other Comments

Click below to see comments from other visitors to this page...

Charming Aussie Blog
http://carmeljames.com/myblog/

This is my (twin) sister's blog. Her name is Carmel James. She lives in a little artist's house in the middle of a large ...

Being Self-Sufficient Not rated yet
HI, I LOVE your website! Sometimes I get choked up when I am reading all the wonderful information.

I know that might sound silly but it's because ...

Our Free Monthly Newsletter

Please check back from time to time for new updates to our homesteading website or get our latest news via our free monthly newsletter. Sign up below. There is always new information being added, almost on a daily basis, just for you! We hope to see you again!

If you can't find what you are looking for, use the search engine bottom right, or click on our pictures that will link you to other sections of Countryfarm Lifestyles.