Small homesteads can be jam packed full of produce and livestock and allow a homesteader to be very self reliant, even when close to the city. Learn how to create your own small homestead layout design plan and see some inspiring plans to get your creativity going!
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Designing Your Homestead
A carefully planned homestead means that you can use the space you have most effectively. A careful homestead design plan will help save you time and expense later on in redesigning your backyard to suit what you want to achieve from your backyard homestead. Fall is a great time to start planning your homestead as the season is winding down and you can really get stuck in setting up garden beds and the rest of your homestead!
When designing your homestead, the first thing you need to do is to measure it and permanent structures on the property so you know exactly what space you have available and to sketch out a rough map of the homestead. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it’s just a draft of what is currently there. I like to use graph paper
The next step is to check out your local rules and regulations regarding your homestead; can you have livestock or bees? How far away from property lines do they need to be? Note this information down so you can build it into the design.
Decide what you want on your homestead. Do you want a small orchard? Chickens, ducks or bees? Do you plan to have a garden? Do you need space for kids or pets to play? Make a list of what you need and want on your homestead then begin to map those out in your design.
Planning Your Homestead Layout
As you start to map your homestead layout place your must-have elements first on your design. For example, for most suburban homesteaders, a garden to grow veggies is a number one priority. Look at your yard and determine where you get the most sun. Your vegetable garden should be put where you get the most sun in northern states. Southern states need to see about where shade will fall to provide some respite from the afternoon sun.
Livestock or bees should be positioned on your homestead in accordance with your city’s regulations. If you have no regulations great! Position those where it is most convenient for you! Play round on paper with where you want the garden to be, the coop and the hives.
Related Post: How To Start Homesteading
Small Homestead Layout Design Plans
If you are still struggling with how to plan your backyard homestead, take a look at these suburban designs from my permaculture design portfolio to inspire you to create your own homestead layout design plan.
The Big Suburban Plot
These days, large lots often mean large houses and a little yard. Small yards don’t mean that you can’t have a fully functioning homestead! Some careful planning can make the most of what you have.
This homestead layout includes:
- A permaculture fruit tree guild with berries and fruiting trees like pawpaw.
- Substantial flower borders with long season blooms.
- 2 garden areas.
- Beehives.
- Chicken tractor or mobile coop.
- Compost and leaf mold bins.
The Medium Suburban Plot
A larger backyard still offers plenty of space for pets or kids to play whilst a small food forest is productive in the backyard as well as the front yard and a geodome greenhouse
This homestead layout includes:
- Front yard mini food forest as a fruit tree guild.
- Dedicated composting area.
- Small livestock such as rabbits or chickens.
- Beehives.
- Permaculture keyhole garden bed.
- A greenhouse with a pond opens up opportunities to grow food in winter by growing undercover and aquaponics with fish.
The Small Suburban Plot
Based on a duplex home. this homestead layout design makes the most of raised beds which can be easily turned into mini hoop houses to extend the growing season. Beehives help to support your garden by pollinating the flowers and producing more fruit whilst the manure from the livestock when composted will help you to grow a fantastic garden.
This small homestead design includes:
- Perennial vegetable bed.
- Composting area.
- Rabbit hutch and run.
- Mobile chicken coop
or chicken tractor.
- Patio planters to grow herbs and strawberries.
or chicken tractor.
Homestead Planning Tips
Use what you already have on your property, if you already have established trees try making leaf mold compost or starting a food forest. If you have a pond see about adding some edible perennial plants
Learn to maximize the space you have by growing vertically by using trellis and planters up fences or make use of innovative planters like a composting planter tower
In Summary
To design your suburban homestead, you need to:
- Measure the land.
- Measure any permanent structures.
- Research your city’s regulations regarding livestock.
- List what you want on your homestead.
- Draft some designs.
- Put it into plans into practice and create it!
Don’t be afraid to do a bit of research and see if you can find homestead tours and designs that will work for you. The more you see the more ideas you will have to bring to your homestead to make them your own.
What is your biggest struggle in creating your homestead? Let me know in the comments.
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