Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Healthy soil, like what you'll create in your backyard farm, retains water better than poor soil.
A thick layer of mulch helps conserve water even more. And in your small-scale farming practices,
it's easier to be wise and careful with your watering practices.
Our region experienced a severe drought in summer 2011, and by July we were under watering
bans. We were able to use gray water from bathing and cooking, as well as dipping into the small,
aboveground swimming pool we could no longer refill, to keep our garden growing well through-
out the rest of the season. Compared to larger ranches, like the one my in-laws owned which was
without water and lost the majority of that year's crops, our backyard farm produced more than
enough for a summer's bounty plus plenty to store over the winter.
Cost and Health Considerations
There are so many considerations to take into account when it comes to the ultimate cost of the
food we eat. Entire topics and documentaries have been devoted to the topic and I'll not reiterate
that here. What I want to share is my experiences with the cost of backyard farming.
I've found that we save a tremendous amount of money on our produce compared to what's
available in the local grocery stores. We tend to break even on the overall cost of our meat, mostly
because we get the hay for our goats from the ranch my in-laws own. For urban backyard farmers
who are importing hay or feed year-round, you might find that your meat prices increase slightly.
There are so many factors that go into what this adventure will cost you—property taxes; the cost
of living in your area; the initial investments in things like livestock, fencing, or other equipment;
and quite frankly, how “fancy-schmancy” you want to get with it. Do you need a top-of-the-line
chicken coop that costs more than your lawn mower? Then chances are you won't save any money
on your poultry and eggs compared to the prices you'll see in the grocery store. But I can tell you
that last year we put 38 chickens in the freezer at an average of 5
1
⁄
2
pounds each for about $.50 per
pound altogether.
Here's my secret in keeping the financial cost as reasonable as possible. I'm not a purist; I'm a get-
it-doneist. I don't tend toward that naturally, but my husband grew up on a country ranch where
they can make almost anything from duct tape and old barbed wire. So when we wanted a portable
chicken yard, he made one out of some old lumber left over from another project, old chicken wire
from our hatching-out pen two years ago, and a tarp that has seen better days. And you know
what? It does the job more than adequately, and the chickens don't care that it cost us $5 in nails
instead of $500 brand new.
