If you start small, slowly grow a fertile homestead Nvdaily

The interest in homesteads has been on the rise in recent years.

In fact, Homesteaders of America, an educational organization that organizes an annual October conference in front of Royal, found in a study of 2022 that interest has been upset since 2020 and Virginia is the state with the second most frequent homesteads in the country.

According to the survey, 59% of the participants stated that, due to concerns about nutritional safety, they started with homesteading, while 58% gave to eat healthier food, and 56% stated that a longing for a simplified lifestyle was their reason.

Whatever the reason, homeesteading is becoming increasingly popular. Elizabeth Baldwin, an agricultural officer of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, and Melissa Saffelle, a home stake, offers some tips on getting started.

“Different people define it differently. In my experience, I tend to become a self -sufficient, ”said Baldwin, who works out of the Page County Office of the extension service, which also serves Warren, Shenandoah, Frederick and Clarke Counties and the city of Winchester.

Baldwin found that many people start through gardening and said that homeesteading is time, space and money adaptable to use people in them.

fruit and vegetables

The women said.

Saffelle and her husband Carey started with a 15 -hectare Landette, she said and added that homeestaders can start with far less place.

“I think my top suggestions for the start of a homestead would be to find out which room you have to work with, and from there you can plan vegetables to plant them. If you have more space, you can also include fruit trees, ”said Saffelle, who is now operating a 300 hectare farm, Saffelle Cattle Co., as well as flowering game, a flower farm. “I have the feeling that people don't understand that they can plant vegetables in medium to large containers. The people who live in apartments could have containers with peppers or beans plant on their verands, peas and so on. It is more about simplification of the thinking process that you must have space or have to have this massive space in order to connect with your food or country, and you are not. You can have it worked for you. “

Baldwin repeated this feeling and found that all types of vegetables can be grown in small pots, large 5-gallon buckets or growth bags.

“You can mix and adapt vegetables in the same container so that they have different vegetables at different times,” said Baldwin, adding that containers need more irrigation because they tend to dry out faster.

Baldwin said that those with more space could consider an increased garden bed and added that gardeners can increase their production through vertical growth by using grids. Adding fruit trees or berry bushes could be a next step, she said.

Chicken

Baldwin said that interest in the upbringing of chickens has increased dramatically since the Covid pandemic. Baldwin found that chickens and rabbits for farmsteads, especially for those who have smaller properties, natural personalities, and said that she encouraged people to take into account the prerequisites for providing protection and feeding for the animals. For example, she said that chicken food could be expensive so that those who are looking for cheaper eggs could be disappointed.

Food preservation

Baldwin said that food preservation was another way for homeestaders to obtain self -sufficiency. Baldwin referred to the National Center for Home Food Preservation website as a trustworthy place. With proven and tested recipes, the website offers instructions for everything, from canned and freezing to drying, dialing, fermenting to the production of jams and jellies.

“Unfortunately you see blog posts and are not always the best information. If you are looking for this center, many of these recipes have been tested and you are ensured that you are safe and good to keep food and make it safe for your family, ”said Baldwin. “Start with a new thing, try it and learn. If people can or want to keep food, maybe buy it from a farmers' market this year and try to try them out or freeze. Before you try everything out at once. “