I never thought I would be writing a blog post on how to homestead in the suburbs of Florida. Homesteading, permaculture, food forest, worms, chickens, and gardening, were all something I wasn’t dreaming of doing. As a full-time realtor with young children and trying to run a business, I didn’t have time to garden or raise chickens. My fiance was ready to plant trees and put in a garden, but I kept saying, “no”. I was blind to everything right in front of me and was missing out on a great opportunity to spend actual quality time with my family, and provide for them in a way money never could provide.
Then it happened I grew my first plant, a succulent, to be exact, then I bought a cast iron pan, and began to go back to cooking from scratch. Soon I found that my newfound healthy lifestyle fell hand in hand with homesteading, and here we are on 1/4 acre and buying chickens.
So how do you homestead in the suburbs of Florida? Well, I am here to share my secrets and those of others making their homesteading dreams a reality right here in the beautiful sunshine state.
Research
When faced with a new surrounding like Florida, no experience, and well, let’s face it, complete a total cluelessness. You must seek out the answers. The best way to do this is to find an expert. Do your research, buy books, watch videos, talk with your neighbors, and most importantly, gain some hands-on experience.
I found some of these resources listed below incredibly useful whether you are a hands on learner or a watch-read-and-do learner these resources will most defiantly benefit you.
Local extension office (Google “county name and the words extension office”)
Library
Master Gardener in your area ( I use my uncle Jack)
Find Your Strengths
Before you think you don’t know anything about homesteading, you may find you already have some of the skills needed to get you started.
Do you love to cook? Learn to cook from scratch and preserve food. Create your own recipes and get creative with seasonal produce.
Have a skill for creating or building things? Start putting those skills to use by building your own garden beds, helping a neighbor out with a home repair, or finding a mentor in your area of interest to shadow.
Do you have a green thumb? Start a garden in your backyard or neighborhood. Don’t have a yard? Start a container garden and be creative with what you can grow. Push the limits and expand your gardening knowledge. Remember you don’t have to have a yard to garden. (How to container garden for beginners)
Develop a Homestead Plan
Every homestead begins with a plan and living in the suburbs of Florida is no different. You can make your dreams come true (no Disney pun intended), but you have to write them down. A plan is just a dream until you write it down and develop your goals.
Know what you are working with – Here are some things to ponder when planning your homestead. You may not have all the answers yet, but use this list to start the brainstorming process.
- Draw a layout of your homestead.
- Map your land, where will things go?
- How will you use your land to its fullest potential?
- What are your local city and county laws and regulations for homesteading, animals and planting?
- How will you fund these projects and their costs? (Eliminate Your Debt)
As you can see in the picture above I have very little yard to work with but we are utilizing and plan to max out every square inch of our property.
Make the Best of What You Have Now
We can’t all start off with a 20-acre farm, so be resourceful and make the best of what you have now. My family lives on a 1/4 acre lot and we have managed to plant 10 different fruit trees, put in 4 above-ground garden beds and 1 inground bed, and are expanding our compost pile. You will be amazed by what you can grow in a very small space. Don’t believe me try it out for yourself. This is my personal challenge to you.
Be resourceful and use what you have. Old fencing, metal, gutters the list can go on.
Need an animal shelter? Find free or discarded materials to build it yourself. (Facebook Marketplace)
Build relationships and barter skills, materials, and goods.
Think outside the box and push yourself to problem solve. There is a little engineer inside all of us waiting to get out.
Learn, and never stop. Become a perpetual learner. Once you have mastered a task, teach it to someone else and be ready for your student to teach you.
Most importantly you will find a community of homesteaders that you can work with and learn from and a group of friends that can help you when you are going to need it the most.
Homesteading is hard work but it is some of the most fulfilling and purpose-filled work I have ever done. So what are you waiting for? It’s time for you to turn your dream into a reality.
Great Resources
15 DIY Chicken Coop Plans by Easy Coops
Discover Beekeeping – A Beginner Beekeepers Guide
Local Harvest Organic Gardening Course
Answers To Raising Chickens – A complete guide to Keeping Chickens
*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Push Yourself to Achieve Your Homestead Goals
Many of us dream to live in the country or have a homestead. But what stops most of us from doing so is that it is just a dream. A dream is only a dream until you put it to paper and develop a plan.
Today, right now, start setting specific goals. Write it down, with time frames, dates, and accountability for yourself.
Celebrate your achievements along the way, no matter how small. If you grow just one tomato plant successfully, you better celebrate and have the best tomato sandwich ever made in your kitchen.
Push yourself to think outside the box. Homesteading isn’t a written science. There are many moving and changing factors, so be ready to make mistakes and get messy. You may find yourself with an early or unexpected freeze and need to decide to harvest early or think of some creative ways to keep your frost-tender plants warm.
Mistakes are learning opportunities, so embrace them and share them with others so they can learn with you. It doesn’t matter how hard you try something will inevitably go wrong. You may kill your first few vegetables or even your chickens. Each of us will face a struggle and learn new ways to handle challenges along the way. Give yourself some grace. Failing at something does not make you a failure if you are willing to try again.
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