Planning, planning, planning

Some deep thoughts from a very long bike ride with way too much time to think!

Ok, it's true. I am a big planner and the nerd of the family. I like to spend time in Excel spreadsheets and really know my numbers. This is why when on my bike ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI) someone said, "you're just lucky to be able to afford to stay out of the workforce and live your [urban farm] lifestyle," I had to stop and think about how we grew the urban farm from idea to reality. Maybe it was part luck (isn't everything?) but we did plan for a long time.

So much corn in Iowa ...

After some thinking I did during the hours and hours I spent each day peddling roads along corn fields in Iowa, I decided to share my thoughts on how my family made this urban farm and homesteading lifestyle doable and sustainable, and perhaps I can help someone else find their path.

1. The most important thing we have done is get out of debt. For us this was the only way we could realistically live on one salary and allow me to leave my regular 8 to 5 gig. In our situation, we spent about 10 years paying off all of our student loans, car loans, and eventually even our mortgage. Basically my entire salary and a good chunk of my SOs salary went to paying extra payments each month. We were fortunate to both have steady work during this time (and for that I am very thankful) and we were also living the St. Vinney's Thrift Shop, save up and pay cash, one-car family, Dave Ramsey beans and rice, rice and beans lifestyle.

2.  Secondly, we live in a house that has a farmable yard. Of course, you can grow some food almost anywhere (patio, windowsill, straw bale), but it is helpful to have the right amount of space to accommodate how much food you want to grow. Ample sunshine and access to water is crucial (even for a very small space plants need to have good light). And if animals are in your plan, learn the rules of your town and neighborhood. If you rent, you'll want to make sure that your landlord is onboard as well.

3. This certainly isn't romantic, but health insurance is also really important. Anyone who has run their own small business or even decided to stay home with the kids knows that buying health insurance can be a big financial drain. Having a spouse with insurance has been a great money saver.

4. Lastly, it's important to know what you want out of life. Before you quit your job to live off the land, think about what things in life make you happy. For example, I have friends who like to eat out often. If you are growing your own food, will staying home to cook all that produce fit in with what you like to do? Trying out the new budget before you dive into your new life (and out of the work force) is really helpful while you're doing some soul searching.


This week at the urban farm

Beautiful Black Swallowtail caterpillar found in the urban farm this morning.

I came home to find that some of the pullets now have real combs!

Onion harvesting and curing is underway.

The pressure canner is my new favorite toy. I'm really looking forward to harvesting and processing tomatoes into sauce, whole tomatoes, and salsas. Tomatillos, too!

No time, no space

It has been really fun to talk with people about my urban farm. Friends and neighbors have had a ton of interesting questions and ideas, and they have all been super supportive of my small patch of country in the middle of town (hopefully they don't think about The Settlers commercial when they think of me!).

No, thanks

Several people have expressed an interest in starting a garden, but there are obstacles standing in the way between some of these friends and fresh fruits and veggies:

• lack of yard space for a garden
• fear of soil contamination in urban areas
• lack of time for all that weeding while working a full time job and/or parenting

What are some options for getting local produce?

Community gardens-- find one, get on the list. In some areas (like Madison) community gardens are plentiful. It may take a little digging around, however, since some gardens can have waiting lists while others will have open plots this summer (my current community garden has available space). Also, some apartment communities have plots for their tenants. If you don't have any local gardens or they are full, a good option for the go-getter is to create a new community garden. Churches or schools are good places to start. Another option is renting from a land owner. I noticed recently that a farm close to our local dog park rents small garden plots. A free option is borrowing land from a neighbor or friend-- you could propose to plant and work the gardens together or you could do all the work and share part of your harvest as a thank you for the space.

My community's garden, Bock Garden

Raised beds, hoop houses, greenhouses-- if you're concerned about your soil, a soil test (such as this one that tests for lead) can help you find out if you have soil contamination. Raised beds can be used to avoid the city soil all together, and you can even set them on concrete if you don't have a yard.

Photo from nonabrooklyn.com

Another option is building raised beds inside a greenhouse or hoop house. Hoop houses can be inexpensive to build, and these "indoor" options will extend your growing season, which is especially important in locations with short summers (this blog is a great example of growing under cover).

A cool hoop house with raised beds from the blog Greenhouse to Table

CSA option-- if time is an issue, you can do small, easy things like growing herbs or microgreens in your windowsill and, of course, frequenting your local farmer's market. But the way to get a full summer's worth of garden goodness at a fair price is to join a local CSA (community supported agriculture). CSAs offer a subscription service with one price for a season's worth of vegetables, and sometimes fruits, eggs, honey, or meat. The produce is local, sustainable, often organic, and you are supporting a local farmer. In some cases you can get CSA discounts through health insurance or your workplace.

Have fun planning out how to grow, buy, and eat all your summer veggies!