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Assignment 1

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Connie Flachs

Connie Flachs has started a homesteading project in her expansive backyard in the city. So far she has built a 4x4 foot raised bed and grown some vegetable seeds and herbs in containers on her front porch. She wants to balance food growing areas with open spaces for recreation. After watching videos of other homesteads, she brainstormed elements for her homestead, grouping them into structures, animals, and plants. This exercise revealed gaps in her knowledge and how much she has yet to learn about creating a sustainable homestead.

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+ Backyard Homesteading Assignment 1 Connie Flachs
+ My Homestead I am a new homeowner with an expansive backyard, especially for a house in a city! I have plenty of undeveloped space and, while I want to keep some of it for recreational purposes, like laying out in the sun, Im definitely interested in growing my own food.
+ What I Have So Far Ive built a raised bed (4x4 feet) and started some vegetable seeds. I also have a front porch where I can grow in containers (somehow I find this less intimidating than growing in the ground). Ive started some herbs and lettuce this way. I am single and have two lovely room mates who, while not at all against gardening, dont have the time or energy to help out. I have to remember that projects I undertake must be within my time and energy reserves. I want to make sure that there a parts of my property that allow for just hanging out or chilling, like campfires, lying in a hammock, or playing catch. Therefore, I want to leave some of my space undeveloped. Finally, I want to be as sustainable as possible, reducing and reusing materials. I hope this also correlates to less money spent, as Im on a budget!
+ Elements of My Homestead After watching the video describing Janet Barocco and Richard Heinbergs beautiful and efficient homestead I felt inspired. I hadnt ever heard of an energy garden nor had I thought of the idea for a zen garden that provides a relaxing and calming space. I appreciated that they were not anti-container gardening, as this is a method I enjoy! I began to brainstorm
+ Structures For Fun Animals Herbs Fruit Flowers Veggies
+ First Grouping For my first grouping I arranged my cards into functional structures, things that were more for fun, fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers, and animals Im considering. I find it much easier to brainstorm the multitude of foods I want to grow. As Im not well educated in the various aspects of homesteading, I dont know much about what else can constitute a homestead and therefore have a harder time coming up with ideas beyond things I can eat!
+ Animal Related Built by Humans Plants
+ Second Grouping As I switched around cards I decided to settle on a simple grouping. I divided my ideas into animals or animal related, plants, and human made things. The animal category made me realize that if I want to have certain organisms as a part of my homestead, whether they are worms, chickens, or bees, I have to create an environment for them. This point was brought home in the Suburban Permaculture video when they discussed their wild flower garden. Their wild flowers were beautiful but also provided a habitat and draw for pollinators, such as birds and bees.
+ Aesthetic Things Dirt and Grime Neutral
+ Third Grouping This final grouping reveals how little experience I have working with the soil. I chose to group my cards into those that will be aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, those that are icky or may require a shower after dealing with, and those that could be either or neither. I am aware that I may be proven wrong. A pond may produce scum that I may find gross. The bee hives could end up being beautiful structures that decorate my yard. Hopefully more education will help me assess these preconceived notions.
+ Reflection I realized that my largest category is certainly edibles. While I do want to grow a large number of things, I also want to incorporate elements that are aesthetically pleasing and create a beautiful environment. Furthermore, Im sure I am missing some important elements of homesteading that I hope to learn in this course. I did not have a category of sustainability. I suppose I could have placed rain barrel in that category. I would love to have included solar panels, but know they are not in my budget. Im eager to learn what other elements of a homestead can be sustainable and efficient. The most out of place card may be campfire. While I am sure that I would love a fire pit in my backyard, it doesnt seem as relevant as other elements. Im also not sure that it can be connected to much (although it could burn yard waste!). Overall, this exercise made me aware of how much I have to learn about how to create an efficient and self-reliant homestead. Im excited to begin the learning process.

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Assignment 1

  • 2. + My Homestead I am a new homeowner with an expansive backyard, especially for a house in a city! I have plenty of undeveloped space and, while I want to keep some of it for recreational purposes, like laying out in the sun, Im definitely interested in growing my own food.
  • 3. + What I Have So Far Ive built a raised bed (4x4 feet) and started some vegetable seeds. I also have a front porch where I can grow in containers (somehow I find this less intimidating than growing in the ground). Ive started some herbs and lettuce this way. I am single and have two lovely room mates who, while not at all against gardening, dont have the time or energy to help out. I have to remember that projects I undertake must be within my time and energy reserves. I want to make sure that there a parts of my property that allow for just hanging out or chilling, like campfires, lying in a hammock, or playing catch. Therefore, I want to leave some of my space undeveloped. Finally, I want to be as sustainable as possible, reducing and reusing materials. I hope this also correlates to less money spent, as Im on a budget!
  • 4. + Elements of My Homestead After watching the video describing Janet Barocco and Richard Heinbergs beautiful and efficient homestead I felt inspired. I hadnt ever heard of an energy garden nor had I thought of the idea for a zen garden that provides a relaxing and calming space. I appreciated that they were not anti-container gardening, as this is a method I enjoy! I began to brainstorm
  • 6. + First Grouping For my first grouping I arranged my cards into functional structures, things that were more for fun, fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers, and animals Im considering. I find it much easier to brainstorm the multitude of foods I want to grow. As Im not well educated in the various aspects of homesteading, I dont know much about what else can constitute a homestead and therefore have a harder time coming up with ideas beyond things I can eat!
  • 8. + Second Grouping As I switched around cards I decided to settle on a simple grouping. I divided my ideas into animals or animal related, plants, and human made things. The animal category made me realize that if I want to have certain organisms as a part of my homestead, whether they are worms, chickens, or bees, I have to create an environment for them. This point was brought home in the Suburban Permaculture video when they discussed their wild flower garden. Their wild flowers were beautiful but also provided a habitat and draw for pollinators, such as birds and bees.
  • 10. + Third Grouping This final grouping reveals how little experience I have working with the soil. I chose to group my cards into those that will be aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, those that are icky or may require a shower after dealing with, and those that could be either or neither. I am aware that I may be proven wrong. A pond may produce scum that I may find gross. The bee hives could end up being beautiful structures that decorate my yard. Hopefully more education will help me assess these preconceived notions.
  • 11. + Reflection I realized that my largest category is certainly edibles. While I do want to grow a large number of things, I also want to incorporate elements that are aesthetically pleasing and create a beautiful environment. Furthermore, Im sure I am missing some important elements of homesteading that I hope to learn in this course. I did not have a category of sustainability. I suppose I could have placed rain barrel in that category. I would love to have included solar panels, but know they are not in my budget. Im eager to learn what other elements of a homestead can be sustainable and efficient. The most out of place card may be campfire. While I am sure that I would love a fire pit in my backyard, it doesnt seem as relevant as other elements. Im also not sure that it can be connected to much (although it could burn yard waste!). Overall, this exercise made me aware of how much I have to learn about how to create an efficient and self-reliant homestead. Im excited to begin the learning process.