Little House Without the Praire

by Heather
(Illinois)

Hi, I am Heather...an Urban homesteader in northern Illinois.

My husband and I work hard to have our little homestead in the city...it is a work in progress...as it always will be.

This year we are growing potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, apples, plums, beans, peas, blueberries, strawberries, cauliflower, salad greens, zucchini, pumpkins, acorn squash, raspberries, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, and planting a few grape vines.

We also have four chickens...who are not laying yet but are vary fun!

My front garden is an herb garden, with medicinal herbs as well as plain old yummy ones.

This year I plan to start canning on large scale. We hope to save as much as possible for this coming winter!

I hand wash our clothing, and line dry all summer...Cloth diaper the kids, sew our diapers and some of our clothing as well. Cook from scratch, and buy almost everything second hand.

Plus my daughter just started her First year of homeschool...and is already reading (she is JUST five).

I feel like I have covered most of what we are doing...To me it's SO not enough...but one day...

Comments for Little House Without the Praire

Click here to add your own comments

Jun 19, 2010
 old man on the hill
by: david

Been doing a lot of planting last few days in between the rain. I have been making raised beds for some of my veggies and it seems to work out good, not have to do a lot of weeding and water only in the beds and not the whole garden.

I make the sides of the raised bed out of anything i can find. The last one I made, i used slab wood which looks nice.

Last year we canned a lot, or I should say my wife did most of the work.

I have a compost pile which I mix with horse manure, then put it in the raised bed, that way you don't walk on it and compact it down.

David
Jun 18, 2010
 Homesteading
by: cristy

I am so happy that there are more people out there who live like I do. I sew and Garden and make my own quilts & afghans. I have been canning and stockpiling when my budget allows me too. I have chickens for meat and eggs. My hubby hunts during hunting season. I do everything from scratch so I can try to depend less on the store.I love my life. I wouldn`t change it for anything.

craftycountrymomma.blogspot.com
Jun 14, 2010
 old man on the hill
by: david

I am retired and living on social security, which is not a lot as you all know. so I have always been interested in homesteading. So I have been gradually trying to be more self sufficient in the past few years.

I live on forty acres in Wisconsin and have a garden and woodworking shop, where I have made bird houses and feeders out of slab wood and have sold some of them with my wife who makes dolls.
May 29, 2010
 Great life
by: Daniel

I'm glad to see some more of us urban homesteaders. I myself am a urban homesteader and have several dreams to homestead in the country - some day. Your garden sounds great with a lot of different items. Good luck; I hope your harvest is plentiful. Plus all the extra work you are doing, I am proud of you. I hope we can hear more from you and your adventures. Dan from Spring Grove, IL.
May 29, 2010
 homesteading
by: Little Acre Ridge

This sounds great. You are living your dream. God will bless you as you strive to get closer to him through living a simpler life and more of a self sustaining one. I only wish more people would give it a try. www.littleacreridge.com
May 28, 2010
 Pittsburgh Urban Homesteader
by: grofys

It's such a different way of living, but once involved I can't see going back. My great grandparents were farmers, and I have been organic gardening since I was a teenager. I'm surprised how the whole homesteading thing just seemed to take off in the past few years. It's very evident that the world is a much smaller place when everyone shares experiences across the globe as if they're next door neighbors. After my son goes to college I am determined to live on a farm (probably renting), but I've been dreaming of it for a long time.
May 28, 2010
 Good Work!
by: Kim

Sounds like you are off to a fabulous start. Keep up the good work!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Urban Homesteader.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.