The current food system is both unhealthy and unsustainable. Modem agriculture is being challenged by relying heavily on chemicals, enormous government subsidies, soil-depleting techniques, and of cheap oil. Having your own backyard farm significantly reduces dependence on grocery stores and a delicate transportation system.
BACKYARD FARMING IN PERSPECTIVE
A backyard farm is the entirety of your food production efforts-plant, animal, and otherwise. Whereas traditional commercial farming grows one crop in straight rows over thousands of acres, backyard farming is infinitely smarter. This approach is not anything terribly new or cutting edge. These are things that our ancestors knew and practiced as a matter of survival.
REASONS WHY A BACKYARD FARM IS IDEAL
If you are doing food production on a smaller footprint, you probably will not be able to just haul in an excavator to dig you a pond, or create some a greenhouse in your front yard. However, your smaller, urban or suburban setup also comes with some built in advantages.
It is primarily very low-cost resources to run the micro farm or backyard farm. For instance, not much capital is need in land acquisition, land preparation and the overall tending of the crops. This is because very little or no money will be needed in running this venture. Fertilizer application and pest control for a backyard farm just requires the presence of other farm animals on the compound. It is relatively cheaper to get water to the backyard far as compared to the millions it may cost to irrigate a whole farmland.
Depending on the position and structure of the backyard farm, this beneficial venture could easily pass of as something very aesthetic. This means cleaning and pruning plants in such a manner that they are pleasing to the eyes.
Think about keeping a backyard farm as one of the recreational and relaxing activities to do in your quiet time. It can also teach younger ones at home basic farm practices and instill the farming and production spirit in them at a very tender age without necessarily owing thousands of acres.
WHAT GROW ?
It is vital to remember the goal of food production on a true self-sufficient homestead. It is not to commercially produce enough food for you to make your living off. On the other hand, it also is not about just growing a few exotic plants. The goal is to produce as much of your family’s food as possible. This context is important to keep in mind. One should grow plants that thrive well in most soils in order to make the cultivation and harvesting an easy task.
Tomatoes, garden eggs, okra, pepper and spinach are some of the vegetables that can be grown in the backyard farm. Potatoes, cassava and cocoyam are some root tubers that can as well be cultivated in the mini farm behind the house. Mushrooms are also one healthy plant to consider in the backyard farm.
Any fruit of one’s choice can be planted in order to provide shed as well as food to the inhabitants of the house.
Having a pair of good laying chickens can also provide eggs for the protein needs of the household. Grow things that will help you to be truly self-sufficient in that there is very little dependence on the market.
CONCLUSION
It is one of the most important things to do once you have the land and the resources to keep up. Allowing the small piece of land behind the building to just lay fallow is not the most ideal thing to do seeing as it will be providing some of the crops that we buy at very exorbitant prices when they are scarce of our of season.
Having your own farm prevents you from eating your favorite crops only when they are in season. They can just be uprooted from right behind the house.
If you have been looking at starting your own backyard farm, this is the right time to do so because agriculture is for everyone and the benefits of owning and producing your own crops outweighs whatever is holding you back.
tart your backyard farm today and change the narrative of always eating produce that may have been stored for days on end before reaching you. Remove the number of hands that handle your produce before the reach you and enjoy the freshest and juiciest crops from your own farm today.
” It is a profitable
hobby to have a
little backyard
Farm as it will
help provide
some Food For
the entire Family”
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