Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
We're not utilizing all our backyard space, as you can see from the illustration. With five very
active children, we left room for a soccer goal, trampoline, and wading pool. Our garden area is
completely fenced in to prevent trampling from the dogs and demolishing from our goats. The goat
pen takes up one back corner and the extra side yard gives us a run area for either dogs or goats as
needed.
The moveable chicken coop can be placed around the yard as needed. Chickens keep the yard
under control. When the fence line grows up, we pen the dogs on the side yard and turn the goats
loose. The garden stays active year-round supplied with compost from our bins.
If you don't have kids with a big trampoline and soccer goals taking up yard space, you can
increase the garden size. My dream would be to section off the front right corner of the backyard
for perennial edibles like asparagus, and berries along the fence line. Raspberries, blackberries, and
grapes would be perfect along the fence there! If we had a park nearby where the kids could run
and play, I'd probably be able to do that. What resources are available in your local area will help
determine what works best for your family.
Even with only a quarter-acre to work with, we manage to produce a wide variety of crops. Our
backyard flock of chickens provides eggs and some meat. The two milk goats provide the majority
of our dairy for cooking, baking, and drinking (the children especially love goat's milk). Two full-
grown dairy goats will also provide two to four kids for meat each year.
With only a quarter-acre we provide hay for the goats on a year-round basis. They eat very little hay
during the peak of the spring and summer growing season but eat a good portion each day during
the winter. I'd rather pay to bring in outside hay than pay to bring in outside milk and meat.
Half-Acre Lot
This illustration of a sample half-acre lot gives you an idea of what could be grown or raised in this
type of space.
1. Residence
2. Fruit trees
3. Beehives
4. Herb garden
5. Vegetable garden beds
6. Chicken coop (moveable)
7. Goat pen
8. Food crop (e.g., corn, wheat, barley)
9. Pecan or walnut tree
