Urban Homesteading. It’s a beautiful collision of farm and urban life in urban and suburban areas. Feed yourself from your own garden? Try to squeeze a few chickens into your postage-stamp sized backyard? You’re an Urban Homesteader! That’s why I was shocked to read about how one family has trademarked the terms “Urban Homestead” and “Urban Homesteading” and has gone after blogs, libraries, and organizations in the Urban Homestead movement.
Urban Farming Hassles
Urban farming. Depending on who you are and what you love, those two words either fill you with excitement or make you cringe. For those of us in the sustainable food movement, urban farming equals an opportunity to grow and produce food locally — often times right in our own yards or neighborhoods. For those of us who grew up on conventional farms, urban farming means the smell of dung, diesel, and the noise of chickens invading your picturesque urban space.
Balancing the needs of these two segments of the population can challenge even the most forward-thinking “green” cities, as Kansas City has recently discovered.
Creating Front Yard Gardens
I’ve always wanted a front yard garden. My shaded backyard is ideal for raising animals (and exuberant young boys), but not much food can grow there. Instead of food, I planted a trampoline, hammock, treehouse, slide, swing, fish pond, and sandbox.