Urban Homestead

[Roxann]

I live in a suburb near Detroit. I have attempted to make my personal space
(yard) as self-sufficient as possible. I have a reasonably large garden, rain
barrels, many method of heating and cooking as well as a large pantry
with both food and water stored. I have weapons as well as dogs.
I will be building an outhouse which will look like a planting shed even
when the door is open.

Since moving is not an option, what suggestions can members make to
increase my selfsufficiency. Please tell us about your urban homestead.

 

[phloydius]

A way to hide things is the method of choice right now. Key in an urban or suburban setting, I believe. Especially from the outside.

- When the power is out, and you have light, make sure no one outside knows.
- If you have a generator, can you make it as quite as possible. Setup the dig in site now, maybe a dual use site for something else.

Other things I'm working on in the urban settting: Worm composting (for the garden waste and kitchen scraps) and a regular compost pile (just leaves and grass clipings).

 

[Burbsteader]

Roxann, your place sounds similar to mine.
We just doubled our garden this year, and planted more berry bushes. What sort of trees, bushes and perennial food plants do you grow?

Do you have any meat animals or poultry? Rabbits are a great source of meat for a city dweller. Very quiet, manure is fantastic in the garden, and they can live well on a heavy forage/greens diet. I had to get rid of mine because my DH was too allergic.

If allowed where you live, chickens are also great for the city. I have 8 with my new batch, and once they are old enough I'll be able to sell the extra eggs and that pays for their feed.

My own weak spot is heating and cooking. I have several short term options, but nothing long-term sustainable, such as a woodstove. All of my options involve petroleum.

 

[phloydius]

Living in a Urban Lot...

Cooking:
I purchased a coleman stove "Dual Fuel" type a while back. One can of white gas will last about a week, if you cook one meal a day on the stove. I have enough stored for 6 months at this way, which is only 24 cans. The nice part about the stove, is that it can also use Unleaded gas as a fuel source. So if in a scenerio where we expect the gas needs to last longer than six months I can use the gas we have stored for the law mower and geny to strech it. We also have a grill, and purchase charcoal every time it goes on sale. We also have a fire pit, and our house has several trees and bushes. We save all the wood we cut, and use it to heat the house in the winter, so we keep a good wood pile in stock at all times (Since it is texas, winters are short).

 

[Cardinal]

Well, mine has a 6' wooden fence around it so no one can "see" into the yard without going through the gates to get there.
I just moved here, so the garden will take some time to get going, but I am using earth boxes anyway.
I will be planting dwarf fruit trees and some berry bushes, and will have some hens.
I am going to be using solar charged batteries for an alternate power source.
Generally keeping things low key and quiet.
I am thinking about a small above ground pool for water supply.

 

[Onebyone]

Hens are not so quiet when they lay an egg. They cackle very loud.

 

[Cardinal]

Hens are not so quiet when they lay an egg. They cackle very loud.

Yeah, I remember
But I checked the ordinances and I am allowed to have them, so I will give it a go.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

If you live in the burbs and don't have your own well then what I'd do at this point is start focusing on ways of making found water safe to drink.

That won't be solely a matter of filtering out microbial pathogens, but removing chemical contaminants as well. I'd start looking at the better brands of undersink carbon block water filters at your local hardware stores. They don't necessarily have to have a lot of water pressure to work well. In conjunction with a sediment filter you could put together a system that could make found water safe to drink better than anything other than distillation or reverse osmosis.

Yeah, I remember
But I checked the ordinances and I am allowed to have them, so I will give it a go.

What breeds are you thinking of getting, Cardinal?

.....Alan.

 

[Roxann]

If you live in the burbs and don't have your own well then what I'd do at this point is start focusing on ways of making found water safe to drink.

That won't be solely a matter of filtering out microbial pathogens, but removing chemical contaminants as well. I'd start looking at the better brands of undersink carbon block water filters at your local hardware stores. They don't necessarily have to have a lot of water pressure to work well. In conjunction with a sediment filter you could put together a system that could make found water safe to drink better than anything other than distillation or reverse osmosis.

What breeds are you thinking of getting, Cardinal?

.....Alan.

Alan, I have a Berky. Will that work? I also went out today
and bought some raspberry bushes ( the ones with the thorns)
as well as blueberry bushes. I know I need more fruit bushes
since my ancient cherry tree died. Any pointers
concerning blueberry bushes would be appreciated.

 

[Cardinal]

Roxanne, I seem to recall they need acidic conditions. Have your soil checked by your local ag dept, it is usually free.

Alan, I have raided RRIs and Rocks in the past, I will probably go with a half doz of them or so. Although I would love to have silkies again, just for pets.

Hey, are you guys all aware, that if you join the National Arbor Day Foundation ($10.00 for 6 months), they will send you 10 free trees?

http://www.arborday.org/shopping/memberships/memberships.cfm?trackingid=528

 

[A.T.Hagan]

Alan, I have a Berky. Will that work? I also went out today
and bought some raspberry bushes ( the ones with the thorns)
as well as blueberry bushes. I know I need more fruit bushes
since my ancient cherry tree died. Any pointers
concerning blueberry bushes would be appreciated.

I haven't looked at them recently. Some of the Berkies come with activated charcoal filtration. You'll need to read the literature carefully to see what they claim it will filter out. Take a look at some of the undersink carbon block filters and you'll see that they make some fairly specfic claims about what their product will remove from the water being filtered. The Berky should be able to do the same.

.....Alan.

 

[Mongo]

Big Berkey will work.

I suggest you get Joel Skousen's "The Secure HOme" - it's pricey (I paid $45) but worth every penny.

You cannot have too much stored water.
Outbuildings (sheds) are good.

Motion detector lights on all corners of house.
Good doors and locks - especially back, and garage-to-house doors - no glass, no hollow cores.

 

[Deb Mc]

Roxann,

Good thread!

Talk with your neighbors, even if in a roundabout way. Imo, surviving in an urban environment takes groups, not individuals. The better off your neighbors are (or like-minded others), the better off the area will be.

In other words, think of "anchor points" for the community - that, imo, should be a strategic goal along side preping for yourself and your family. Of course, not all will prepare, but if there are enough people who have made some preparations, are willing to help to some small degree, and are flexible enough to learn and spread that knowledge, then they will help to stabilize the community in general.

Fwiw...

 

[StevenB]

Roxann,

Good thread!

Talk with your neighbors, even if in a roundabout way. Imo, surviving in an urban environment takes groups, not individuals. The better off your neighbors are (or like-minded others), the better off the area will be.

In other words, think of "anchor points" for the community - that, imo, should be a strategic goal along side preping for yourself and your family. Of course, not all will prepare, but if there are enough people who have made some preparations, are willing to help to some small degree, and are flexible enough to learn and spread that knowledge, then they will help to stabilize the community in general.

Fwiw...

Well said, and wise words.

 

[Deb Mc]

Thanks, Steve!

 

[lisa]

Hens are not so quiet when they lay an egg. They cackle very loud.

Can you blame them?

 

[phloydius]

Talk with your neighbors, even if in a roundabout way. Imo, surviving in an urban environment takes groups, not individuals. The better off your neighbors are (or like-minded others), the better off the area will be.

I have been talking gardening with some of my neighbors over the past few months (it is very easy when you 'accidently' let them see you taking in some gardening supplies from the car while they are outside, and they say hi with some how are you doing... easy to strike up a coverstation).

Now that vegs are starting to come in, I'm offering them a couple of free veggies as a way to talk to them more (still have not done, planning phase), or currently those that have gardens (as I have learned from talking to them), I'm offering them little trades here and there....