You’ve probably been a “homesteader” for many years and didn’t even know it. Homesteading isn’t about where you live, it’s not about having rural acreage or “living off grid”, at its simplest, homesteading is about living your values through your everyday choices and activities. One of the best things about homesteading is there is no universal definition, anyone can homestead anywhere. There are many urban homesteaders living in apartments or condos in the heart of cities across Canada that are finding innovative ways to produce food in small places. From community gardens to indoor garden towers and even microgreens, homesteaders are rising to the challenge of self-sufficiency no matter where they call home.

 

My mom was a farm girl that moved to the city after she married, some of my fondest memories are of her urban homesteading. Our yard was too small for a proper vegetable garden, but mom had small beds around the house where she grew a few veggies and herbs. She would buy bushels of cucumbers, beans, carrots, a cornucopia of vegetables from our local market garden for preserving. She always added a little something homegrown into the jars, whether it was a few of her tomatoes, dill or the apples from our tree, she made sure there was always something she grew herself. Although she wasn’t able to produce all the vegetables and fruits she canned, she was still an urban pioneer and was homesteading.

 My husband and I have been rural homesteaders in western Quebec for nearly 20 years. Just like mom, we have had to adapt to our surroundings. We use a variety of growing techniques depending on availability of space and what the environmental conditions are like. Some areas of our property had great soil allowing us to grow in the ground with other areas quite full of clay and rock leading us to incorporate raised beds and even large pots when space was tight as part of our overall growing area. Over time we introduced other controls like greenhouses, tunnel covers and irrigation fine tuning as we learn, grow and adapt to our ever-changing needs and environment.

Modern homesteaders bridge the gap between traditional rural farming and modern technology by adapting themselves and their growing techniques to suit their environment and lifestyle. My mom figured out how to incorporate homesteading into her new urban lifestyle, she adapted her methods and techniques to her surroundings. Homesteading isn’t something you should dream about doing one day when you have acreage, homesteading begins when you plant your first seed or jar your first pickle. As a veteran homesteader my advice to you is stop dreaming of “one day”, plant that seed right where you are and watch your homestead begin to grow. Happy Homesteading Everyone!