If you ever thought about living on a self sustainable homestead, there are so many ways to do it and you only need about an acre of land. Here are some guru tips on how to create your own self sustaining homestead including raising dairy cows, managing grazing, rotating crops, growing food, water management, and more!
Dairy cows: Dairy cows manure is a great fertilizer and can help you reap a large crop harvest and they can also provide your family with milk and dairy products. When raising your own cow, you get the opportunity of knowing what your cow is fed as some prefer to steer clear of GMO crops and certain types of feeds. You also have the ability to treat your cow humanely, as opposed to the inhumane conditions of typical dairy farms. It is important to note that owning a cow is purely an option.
Grazing: Proper grazing management is essential for keeping the grass healthy. Grass needs plenty of time to fully grow before its grazed, or mowed down. Just a half-acre of grass can keep a Jersey cow fat and happy all summer. While you probably won’t have any leftover grass at the end of the season, if you do, you can use it to make hay. It’s important not to allow the grass to become overgrazed. If it does, cows will need to be moved right away. To prevent overgrazing, the cow will need a place to stay inside for the winter, while still allowing for fresh air every day.
Gardening: If you choose to get a cow, the other half acre will be for growing crops, otherwise you can utilize practically all of your land for food! You will need to separate the land into plots where you can companion plant, which will allow the plants to help each other grow. Another self sustainable option is aquaponics. Simply stated, aquaponics is growing fish to eat (aquaculture) and vegetables (hydroponics) together, where wastes from the fish are food for the plants, and the plants clean the water for the fish. Aquaponic systems range from simple, tabletop systems consisting of little more than goldfish and a few sprigs of basil, to elaborate, commercial scale systems which employ many people and produce tons of food annually.
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Crop Rotation: If you do get a cow, half of your acre will need to be dedicated to pasture, but it can be plowed every four years if you plan to rotate crops, or left as is. Most experts recommend rotating crops in strips of one-quarter at a time, resulting in freshly sown pasture that varies with age which provides the most productive land usage.
Collecting Rain Water: Harvested rainwater is storm water that is conveyed from a building’s roof, stored in a cistern, and disinfected and filtered before being used for toilet flushing, landscape irrigation, plant watering, and much more. It is a great way to help maintain water and your self-sustainable lifestyle.
Solar Panels or Wind Turbines: Solar panels and wind turbines are great electricity source alternatives, they are both sustainable due to the source of power being that of the sun and wind. They both operate off a battery that stores power for that cloudy or zero wind day!
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There are so many self sustainable alternatives, so find the ones that best fit your needs and find yourself living a much freer life!
