So you want to start your journey on being self-sufficient. But there’s just one problem – you live in a tiny apartment in the middle of the city. You don’t have a front yard or a backyard. No garage either. How will you ever make it happen? There’s an answer to that: apartment homesteading.
Believe it or not, there are people out there who partly rely on their own produce for meals and other day to day needs. It’s not entirely impossible to be self sufficient while living in an apartment, but it does take some work.
Whether you’re starting your self sufficiency journey for personal reasons or on a path to preparedness, here are five doable ways to start apartment homesteading, little to zero skills required.
1. Start with spices.
Did you know that the inside of your apartment (or any home, actually) is perfect for growing spices? Spices are usually grown in tropical regions, making it a perfect first step to apartment homesteading. Ginger, for example, is very easy to grow.
You’ll need ginger root (like above) and a shallow plant pot. Soak the ginger root in warm water overnight and transfer to the pot, covering it with potting soil about 1-2 inches. Keep it in a warm space indoors, away from bright light and you should be able to grow shoots in a few weeks.
Ginger is slow to grow but has various uses. From flavoring dishes to making teas and even making candied and pickled ginger, you’ll get lots from your ginger pot!
Gourmet Chesnok Red Garlic Bulbs
Another spice you may want to grow indoors in your apartment is garlic. Garlic loves the sunny outside but it is possible to grow some indoors too. It’s just a matter of location! This post gives you a step by step how-to in growing garlic indoors and says to specifically place the pot on the windowsill, where it can get maximum direct sunlight. Remember to use garlic planting bulbs (like the above picture) as most garlic sold in supermarkets will not sprout well due to treatment.
2. Grow your own herbs.
Making your own herb garden indoors is another great entry-level apartment homesteading idea you might want to try. There are tons of indoor herb growing kits in the market today but then you’ll have to buy the potting mix and planter separately. Thankfully, there are a few which are indeed true starter kits and even include a very useful how-to. Check some out below.
3. Learn how to preserve food.
Preserving your own food is an excellent way to get started with apartment homesteading. Whether you choose to prepare for emergency and disaster, or simply because you want to do away with chemically-preserved food in the market, you can totally do it with the right tools (see some below) and knowledge.
MAGIC MILL Professional Food Dehydrator
Easy Fermenter Wide Mouth Lid Kit
Granite Ware Enamel-on-Steel Canning Kit
Preserving food is a science and one that should be taken seriously. You would want to be nourished and sustained by your preserved food, not poisoned. The right preparation and ensuring cleanliness at all times are both crucial. Learn how to do it by taking courses or reading books like below.
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning
4. DIY common household products.
Making your own soap, shampoo, moisturizer and other items you use on a daily basis will not only save you when SHTF. It will also cut your expenses significantly, not to mention ridding your body of all the additives they put into each product.
Pure Soapmaking: How to Create Nourishing, Natural Skin Care Soaps
Not sure how to get started? Try picking one product first, like soap! It’s relatively easy (you might have made one way back in high school!) and you can even turn it into a profitable business. Learn from books like the ones above or start with DIY kits like the products below. Pretty soon, you’ll be sourcing the ingredients and making them all by yourself!
Kiss Naturals: Soap Making Kit – All Natural, DIY
STMT DIY Signature Spa Kit by Horizon Group USA
5. Raise quails in your apartment.
12 Large Fertile Hatching Coturnix Quail Eggs
It may sound crazy but quails are legit livestock starters. They’re smaller, quieter and cleaner than chickens. They’re also quite cheap! You can even get fertilized quail eggs, hatch and raise them (link above). It is however, easier to buy a pair or two (depending on the space you have) and start your apartment homesteading journey from there.
You might want to read up on how to raise them if you’ve never raised chickens and birds before. Check out a great book on quail keeping in urban areas above. And if you’re not sure how to prepare and cook quail meat, definitely grab the book below!
Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail: Upland Birds and Small Game from Field to Feast
These apartment homesteading ideas are perfect for those who are only starting out. Don’t get too overwhelmed and take it one step at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be self sufficient and prepared for anything, even when SHTF!
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