10 Ways to Be More Self Sufficient Without Having a Farm

There are many things you can do even on a small piece of land. Here's a few ideas to get you started!

1 - Plant a pair of trees. Are you looking for something for that shady area? Would you like to have a couple trees to break up the yard. Instead of planting purely decorative ones choose those with multiple purposes. Fruit or nut trees offer shade as well as food and some varieties take just a few years to begin producing. Depending on the space you have available there's both dwarf and standard trees that can work for you.

2 - Use edible landscaping. Is there a bare spot on the corner of the deck? Are you looking to dress up the patio with more green? Use containers to grow a wide variety of herbs and vegetables - you can be eating fresh tomatoes, peppers, mint and many other things which grow fine with just a little TLC. None of these take a great deal of room. For moderate climates you might even consider large containers with lemon, lime or banana trees in them. Plants offer greenery as well as food. If you check into planting tactics like companion planting, square foot gardening and others you will be surprised on how much you can grow in a small area.

3 - Buy direct from a farmer. You might not have room for a beef steer out back or a pair of pigs - but you can do the next best thing. Find someone who does have and buy or barter a half or whole beef, pig, lamb or other meat animal. Find creative ways to prepare cuts you may not ordinarily get in the grocery store. You'll need to invest in a good freezer - but in the long run can not only save money but also adjust to what "real food" tastes like as some say.

4 - Put up a rabbit hutch in back. This takes minimal room but can produce meat for the table. Two does with good management can produce 6-10 bunnies every other month. Figuring the minimum - raising six - means 60 fryer sized bunnies per year - roughly 300 pounds of meat from an area smaller than most garden sheds. This does take some effort and an investment - a few good hutches, feed, and a willingness to spend a few minutes per day watering and feeding them.