Hello Steemians!
This is probably my most comprehensive post ever. It's taken me a long time to write all of this (on my phone). Just thought I'd let you know that going in, in case you want to turn back now.
I'm going to show you the four corners of my plant-based homestead and talk about how in such a small space I'm able to grow so many trees/food.
Northeast Corner Looking Southward
Here I've placed the "garden" part of the homestead. I wanted to focus more on greens, although I do have a few trees in there. Here you'll find ginger, turmeric, a lemon sapling, two longan saplings, chaya (tree spinach) beefsteak tomato, yuca (cassava), spineless prickly pear cactus, and a few mango trees.
Same corner looking westward
At the northern and middle section of the yard, I chose to plant my banana circles. Here you'll find different varieties of bananas such as Nam Wah, Apple bananas, Red bananas, regular Cavendish, and I even have some plantains (cooking bananas).
Northwest Corner Looking South/Southeast
Here I've decided to plant mostly fruit trees, you'll see many Ever-bearing Black mulberry trees, most are young but two or three are giving fruit already. Besides them you'll see loquat, Hamlin orange, coconut trees, more prickly pear cactus, another mango, Katuk (close to house) jackfruit (2), soursop, pink guava, papaya.
Here are the two largest mulberries producing fruit (Pointing at mother tree, nearer is clone #1 which started as a cutting I took from mama tree)
Clone #1 fruiting after a couple short months
Mother Mulberry Girth of Trunk
Clone #1 Girth of Trunk
Northwest Corner Looking South
Southwest Corner Looking Northeast
Here I'm growing pineapples, star fruit, Moringa, mulberries, coconuts, and this is where the driveway is.
Southeast Corner Looking Northward
Here I have my most mature morninga tree, another mulberry, jaboticaba sapling, mango, and Barbados cherry. I'm leaving this area kind of open either for a small guesthouse or pool or something.
Southeast Corner Looking Westward.
This is where the shed is, as well as the carport. There is some sugarcane on the other side of the shed (the big one from yesterday's post)
The Well
This is a shallow well that uses a 1/4 HP well pump to suck up water from the table likely 20-30 feet down. I used to use this water before I got serious about rainwater harvesting, which I was prompted to do so by the drought of the dry season.
Rainwater Harvesting Barrels - 275 Gallon Potential
Right now I have the downspout from the roof of the lanai going into one barrel. I then have to use a bucket and bail water from the first barrel into the other 4. (I know, I need to make it more efficient and autonomous)
Current Mulch Pile
Picnic Table
Bonfire Area
As you can see, I'm growing so many things on just a 1/3 acre property. I'm able to do that because I purposely sought out a smaller home on a larger area of land. I have had people come over and tell me "I'd love to have this kind of place to grow what I want," or "I'd like to have more land." The truth is that I'd like to have more too because I'm going to run out of room to grow stuff one day lol but I tell people (especially down closer to the tropics) that if you can minimize the size of your house, you can utilize the size of the yard you have to grow more food. I don't care much about having a big house to be honest. I spend most of my time outdoors in the sun or under the lanai for those really hot hours. I mainly only go inside to eat or sleep.
I believe I have over 100 different trees/specimens planted on this yard. It's definitely possible to grow your own food and have your yard work for you. I watched a John Kohler (from Growing Your Greens) video a while back that really hit home. He said that way too many Americans have these big yards and all they have growing there is grass!!! What a waste of space!!! Plus, you have to mow grass! The more trees and food you plant on your lawn, the less space you have to mow! (Granted, there is a lot of other work like weeding, etc., but it's so much more rewarding harvesting sugar cane or tomatoes or bananas or mulberries than it is coming in sweating your ass off from just having had to "mow the grass.")
I've even heard of communities or neighborhoods in the USA that don't let people grow gardens in the front yard! What kind of stupid laws is our government coming up with, now? Why do people even obey them? We've become a society that is so obsessed with aesthetics and we've gotten so out of tune with where our food comes from.
Please don't think I'm boasting with this post. That's not my intention. We purchased this property for only $40,000 almost a year ago and are paying it off. All there was was a single-wide trailer and grass. Oh there was one pine tree. I've worked many days and put good money into the place so that it is what it is today.
So, I'm encouraging everyone, please start growing your own food. Find out what grows in your area and plant it! If you fail, don't worry! Find out why and try again! I never used to have a green thumb! Everything I used to plant died on me but I found out why and corrected what I was doing!
There may come a time when you can't find groceries at the store. There may be a time when your rice and beans and canned goods in your prepper closet runs out. The US can and could turn into Venezuela one day. Nicholas Maduro (hijo de puta) even recommended that people start planting gardens. Guess what? It's too late for that in Venezuela. The people on average lack the skills necessary to grow their own food and relied too much on their government and now they're living in a dictatorship hell (ask any Venezuelan with a brain.)
Do what you can to start slowly but get growing!
I'm also making this post to show people what's possible small-scale. There are people out there that think that they could improve upon what I'm even doing and grow things more efficiently on my plot. That's great! I'm just doing things the way I want to and it seems to be working out well here. My ultimate goal is to turn this small piece of land into a fruit forest.
Thank you for reading this rant of a post. I congratulate you if you made it through the whole thing.
English version below
Vous avez un terrain magnifique et bien rempli! J'habite au Canada et je ne peux malheureusement pas cultiver tous les merveilleux arbres fruitiers que vous avez chez vous et qui demande un climat sans neige :-) . J'ai la chance par contre d'avoir un terrain de 60 acres qui est traversé par une rivière et plusieurs ruisseau et je prends grand soin d'y mettre en place ma permaculture et mon homstead un pas à la fois. J'ai déjà un jardin de légumes vivaces, de plantes indigènes comestibles et de plantes médicinales bien en place. Cette année nous implantons des fruitiers tels camerisiers, framboisiers, kiwi, goji, sureau et plusieurs autres. L'an prochain ce sera des pommiers, pruniers et poiriers. Et bien sure, nous avons la chance d'avoir différents milieux sur notre terre tels une forêt de conifères, une autre de feuillus, dans champs humides et des champs secs. Je chéri la Vie chaque jours pour mon milieu de vie :-). Merci pour votre partage inspirant. Bon succès dans vos projets!!!
You have a beautiful and well filled plot! I live in Canada and unfortunately I can not grow all the wonderful fruit trees that you have in your area and that demand a climate without snow :-). I am lucky to have a 60 acre lot that is crossed by a river and several creek and I take great care to set up my permaculture and my homstead one step at a time. I already have a garden of perennial vegetables, native edible plants and medicinal plants well in place. This year we plant fruit shrubs such as camerisiers, raspberries, kiwi, goji, elder and several others. Next year it will be apple, plum and pear trees. And of course, we are lucky to have different environments on our land such as a coniferous forest, hardwood forest, wet fields and dry fields. I cherished Life every day for my environment of life :-). Thank you for your inspiring sharing. Good success in your projects !!!
I wish you all the luck in the world with your land, and hope that you can grow as much as you desire! My wife will have fun reading the French (she speaks French)
Some first class advice buried in here like new season potatoes, just dig around and be rewarded! Smaller house bigger, yard is awesome advice not only do you get more room to garden but a smaller home reduces real costs like power and heat but also life costs like cleaning time and helps control the seeming endless stream of clutter.
Another gem is, do what you can and start growing. The satisfaction of planting that first plant makes you want to do more right away and before you know it BAM fresh home grown food!
Thanks for sharing your journey, I'm new here and looking for good permaculture / regenerative ag steemians. Any recommendations? Also Followed you.
Welcome @overthewait. I'm following you now as well. I would recommend @islandliving, @canadian-coconut, @homesteader. I will come back with a bigger list for you! Here is another good place to start! https://steemit.com/trending/homesteading
Thank you very much. Have a great day! Well I guess it's night there right now so I'm have a good night!
Outstanding great to see other people are passionate about growing their own food.
Thank you :)
That's awesome! My garden this year has been a BUST so far but I keep learning and trying different things. Growing without pesticides or herbicides and have trouble with bugs. I do have PLENTY of zucchini though :)
Hmmm you gotta go with what works! I am doing so many mulberry trees because they are so easy to propagate and grow like weeds here! Also, I love eating mulberries! I don't use pesticides or herbicides and I've had problems with huge caterpillars eating papaya leaves. I've found that a strong jet stream of water from a hose usually does the trick.
that is awesome :) love it!
Thank you :)
I would love to have that setup..grow my own foods....what a dream...
You can :)
and I will :-) Thanks for the inspiration!
I hope you do! You're welcome!
This is the first time i see another mulberry tree beside my country and India . We grow in Romania those everywhere . I like very much what you did there . Good job !
Wow! I know plenty of people with mulberry trees here :)
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Congrats on making it to level 60 bud! I think you're going to be able to help me more than I ever thought possible. Muahaha. Muahaha! Muahahahahaha!
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