Homestead Where You Are

What a hard lesson in patience I'm experiencing lately! Are you feeling that way too?

Learning to "homestead where you are" (as experienced homesteaders encourage us to do) isn't that easy. I am struggling at the moment to be happy where I am trying to do the best I can with what I have. But, when I go online and see all the amazing homestead hobby farms that other people have with their goats, pigs, and chickens, I get feeling "antsy" to hurry up and get out of the city so I can live out my hobby farm dreams too.

Our "city" homestead in Niagara Falls

My husband and I work from home on our home-based internet business which is starting to do quite well but we still need to save a bit more money before we buy our hobby farm as we do not want to have a mortgage on our new homestead property. 

So, in the meantime, I have to homestead "where I am".

So far, I've been able to grow my own flax seed sprouts indoors and plant an outdoor veggie garden each spring with tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peas, green beans, and radishes.  I've also cultivated a couple of blackberry bushes, rhubarb, and a mulberry tree. I've even grown squash and pumpkin (just from seeds that germinated in my homemade compost soil).  Obviously the compost bin didn't get hot enough to decompose the seeds but I'm getting better at what works and what doesn't as I learn how to control the moisture level, the heat, and the "brown to green ratio".

I've even started to raise my own red wiggler compost worms.   I started with about 100 worms and now I have thousands of them! I keep them in my basement (as it gets very cold here in Canada over the winter) months. 

I absolutely love composting and worm farming but I wish I could raise some baby chicks.

Although our city of Niagara Falls is one of the very few who allow backyard chickens, our lot does not quite meet the size requirements to have them.  How disappointed I was when I read the city bylaws the other day.

I probably could have a few rabbits because they are considered "pets" but hubby says no... Not until we get our hobby farm.  Having a Senegal Parrot and two Great Pyrenese dogs is enough to handle right now. We got the dogs to chase away coyotes from our future farm property but we definitely "jumped the gun" as we are not ready to move yet. About the only thing our Pyrs get to chase away from our backyard are butterflies and robins!...lol

I'm so very fortunate to be able to stay home with my husband and tend to family, garden, and pets, because my husband earns an income from the internet.  If you are interested in working from home click this link to find out what hubby is doing to support us from his online home business.