As an urban homesteader, I'm excited by what I do and so it's unsurprising that I'm normally talking about the positives for this way of life. However, with every situation there are negatives too. I'm a huge supporter of making the most of your lot, whether you've got an acre or only a few square metres. There is always something you can do. BUT - it's also a good idea to understand it's not all rosy and there can be challenges to face too.

In this week's Brimwood Farm video, I discussed 5 Challenges of Urban Homesteading. These are things that I've personally come across and have to contend with. You can watch the video below or scroll further for more information.

SPACE

The lack of space is the major controlling factor for urban homesteads, and creates a myriad of other problems. My homestead is only 45sqm and that can be challenging. Growing vegetables in such a space means I need to utilise all areas of the garden, including trying to grow vertically. And keeping livestock in this area requires a degree of micro-management to ensure everything stays fit and healthy.

NEIGHBOURS

I am extremely lucky when it comes to my neighbours because they put up with my cockerel noise and many of them buy my eggs and vegetables. But neighbours can be difficult if they're not onboard with your homesteading dreams. Many people don't want to look out of the back window and see you've pulled up your lawn for vegetable beds and have chickens running around your garden; they want a conservative strip of grass and some nice looking plants.

Whilst there's little most people can do if you're growing veggies, when it comes to livestock it's a whole other kettle of fish. Make sure you check rules and regulations for keeping lifestock, and try and get neighbours onside before your cockerel starts his morning crow.

POO

Do not underestimate the amount of poo livestock create. With almost 50 birds, I have to deal with _ A LOT_ of poo and when you're in a small space, mounting manure can be difficult. If you have acreage, you can create compost heaps and manure piles to rot all that lovely stuff down for the garden. But in a small space, you might only have enough room for a single compost heap and manure pile.

So plan ahead with what you'll do with the poop. There's only so much poo you can put onto raised beds before becoming overwhelmed.

ORGANISATION

It is crucial to be organised in a small space if you're going to be efficient. For example, this winter has been very wet and my chicken coops have been swampy. If I was on a farm I could just pull the coop across to fresh pasture. In an urban homestead, there's nowhere else available and so the management of coop flooring is important. So too is the attention to cleanliness and possible parasite build-up.

Likewise, I have to start some seeds off as early as January because I don't have space to germinate the whole season's plants all in one go. And, we try and eat a cockerel a fortnight - that means 27 birds per year. I haven't room to hatch them all at once, so that means I have to stagger the hatches of meatbirds throughout the year.

FRUSTRATION

Being on an urban homestead can be frustration because once you've got the bug, you'll just want more crops and more animals. When there's no room to fit in another 10 tomato varieties, or not enough paddock space for some milking goats, it can become frustrating. So be prepared for this challenge and remember to look back at everything you've achieved.

Thanks for reading,

Geoff