BECOMING SELF-SUFFICIENT IN AN URBAN SETTING

If you’ve been paying attention, you know that something is happening with our food supply. While I don’t fully understand it or can explain it, it does give me the push to grow/produce as much of our own food as I can.

I know a lot of our followers live in the city and don’t have acreage to farm on but are feeling the need to become more self-sufficient when it comes to feeding your family. So, what exactly can you do in an urban backyard or on a city patio?

5 things you can start on TODAY.

1. Grow some of your own food. You don’t need a large space to begin growing some of your own food. Even small pots and planters work for many things. Choose 5 things your family enjoys eating and start there. Many vegetables and herbs just need good soil, good drainage and sunshine. Some common foods that do well in pots and planters, or in a small garden are:

   1. Tomatoes

   2. Herbs - thyme, basil, oregano, mint, cilantro

   3. Lettuce

   4. Radish

   5. Peas

   6. Potatoes

   7. Peppers

   8. Squash

   9. Eggplant

   10. Cucumber

2. Raise small animals. A cow won’t work well in a smaller setting, but many smaller animals will do just fine in a smaller space. Think of the foods you enjoy eating and begin there. Chickens, rabbits and quail all require very little space to thrive and provide delicious meals for your family. Start small and grow from there. If we still lived in an urban setting we’d raise a few egg laying hens, have some quail, raise meat chickens once a year and possibly have a few rabbits I’d be raising for meat.

3. Fill your freezer. Filling your freezer is the most attainable for anyone with freezer space and money. If you don’t live near farmers and ranchers, there are still many ways to fill up your freezer.

   1. Purchase directly from farmers and ranchers, check out our favorites HERE.

   2. Shop sales at your local grocery store and buy meat in bulk. If it comes in larger packaging, split it up into freezer bags when you get home. You can also can fresh meat, directions for doing this HERE.

   3. Stop by your local farmers market or roadside stands to purchase from area vendors.

   4. Learn how to hunt. Find fellow friends and neighbors and ask them to teach you. Every hunter we’ve ever known is happy to share knowledge, all you have to do is ask.

4. Learn how to cook from scratch. This is an invaluable skill that will not only help you become more self-sufficient but will also save your family a lot of money. It might not save time, but it will benefit you and your family in so many other ways. Again, choose food your family likes. If this is brand new for you, pick 5 meals your family loves and learn how to make those. Five easy, healthy and satisfying meals I make almost every week. Our newsletter subscribers have exclusive access to our favorite recipes. Sign up HERE.

   1. Tacos - I go between chicken, ground beef and turkey to change it up from time to time.

   2. Meat and Grain Bowls - your favorite meat, rice, vegetables and seasonings. We do this in a large variety of ways, even with fish. It’s versatile and easy.

   3. Roasted chicken, potatoes and roasted vegetables. This is a weekly special in my kitchen.

   4. Roast - easy and filling. We cook a roast often with lamb, beef, pork or goat meat. You can serve with roasted potatoes, rice or homemade macaroni and cheese.

   5. Muffins - this is a great kitchen staple for you to learn how to make from scratch! They taste better, are healthier and are so much more cost effective. We love to make ours with sourdough starter and fresh blueberries.

5. Learn how to make some DIY products you normally purchase. I know this is not the norm, but I promise it’s a good, old-fashioned skill to have. I also know that I’m not alone in having a hard time finding what I need at the store in the last few years. AND I’m not convinced this is going to get better any time soon.

   Therefore, this might be a good skill to learn as you strive to become more self-sufficient. God has given us so many plants in our own prairies and fields that serve us well. If you don’t have access to herbs and flowers, oils are a good substitute. We have slowly become less and less dependent on purchasing items from the store to heal our bodies and that of our livestock. You can read more about our favorite medicine cabinet swaps HERE. Two accounts that I’m learning from right now, @unrulygardening and @amy.fewell

   By far the best remedy for almost any aliment if healing your gut - start with real food, find out what doesn’t serve your body well and cut it out. Fill your home with real, good quality food. I guarantee that doing so will help you go a long way in fixing a lot of the health issues you may have.

If any of this resonated with you let us know in the comments so that others don’t feel alone in their journey! What is one step you’re going to focus on the become more self - sufficient?