Homesteading Where You Are Part 3

    Welcome back wonderful readers! I hope this past weekend has done you well and to my United States readers, I hope you are having a wonderful Memorial Day. Today is the third installment of the Homesteading Where You Are series. If you missed Part One or Part Two, feel free to click back on those to catch up. Today we will be talking about one of the more challenging locations to homestead, but it's still not impossible. 

Urban

      Urban homesteading tends to be the hardest of the three to work with, just because it's not what most think of when they think of homesteading in general. Urban homesteading is going to look a lot different than rural, or even suburban just from your lack of space. This category tends to cover households that live in apartments, very large cities, or perhaps super strict suburban areas. These areas also tend to sadly be food deserts, which is why homesteading to the best of your ability will do wonders for you.

    So what exactly can you do as an Urban Homesteader. I'm sure as you've already guessed, animals are pretty much out. Raising livestock indoors isn't the best of plans and is against regulations in nearly all areas. This doesn't mean that you cannot learn some basic skills surrounding livestock. Buying books and building your personal library is a wonderful first step. There are multitudinous books out there by a large variety of authors that you can start learning from. There are also many many YouTube channels about homesteading. One of my personal favorite homesteaders is Justin Rhodes. I've watched his channel for a few years now, and it's always inspiring how far his family has come and the obstacles they've faced.

    So now you've watched a few channels and maybe even bought a few books. What's the next step? This part may be challenging for some families, but I suggest cooking from scratch as much as you can. Practice breaking down a whole chicken instead of buying only the thighs or breasts. See if you can find the nearest farmers market and go once a month to try new fresh produce. I know this won't be possible in all areas, but try as much as you can. 

    Now that you've broken down that chicken and bought a few pounds of carrots, potatoes, and onions to cook with it, use that chicken carcass and veggie peelings and scraps to make a wonderful and nutrient dense bone broth. How do you make bone broth? Simple. Take your vegetable scraps and chicken bones and put them in either a large pot or crockpot and cover with some water. The exact amount will be enough to submerge everything, plus a bit more. Add a small bit of salt and a splash of vinegar. I prefer apple cider vinegar, but I've done it with just regular vinegar before too. The vinegar helps to allow more nutrients out of the bones, but it's okay to omit it. cover with a lid and let it cook low and slow for at least 6-8 hours, though longer is better. Strain the broth once it's the color you like and enjoy. I personally enjoy a mug of it on a cold morning, and it also makes for an amazing soup base. Sipping on it when your down with a cold also feels amazing. 

    Now that you've dipped your toes into homesteading, it's easy to wonder what else you can do to keep it up. A common phrase in the homesteading world is Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without! Essentially, this phrase is telling you to use every last drop of something before buying a new one or seeing if you can do without going to the store to buy something new by using something you already own. It's a wonderful mentality to have and can help you save a few dollars in the long run. It also encourages you to take care of your belongings so they last as long as possible. 

    I do believe this will be the end of this mini series, and I hope I've encouraged you to start your journey into Homesteading, no matter where you are! Comment below with one of your personal favorite homesteading tips.

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