So You Want to Work AND Homestead?
While living on the 8th floor of my high rise apartment 15 years ago, I saw a YouTube video of a family homesteading in the middle of Los Angeles and was totally inspired. From then on I have been working to be more self-sufficient and learn skills I was never taught since I was raised in the city. This began with a container of alpine strawberries and has progressed to a mini orchard, chickens, and some garden beds. I’ve always wanted to live in the country, but due to our jobs, my husband and I need to stay right where we are. Knowing this, I found ways to balance working, living in an urban environment, homesteading, and now raising children.
I am fortunate to have a job that allows for week-long breaks at changes of the seasons (winter, spring, and fall), so I spend that time doing bulk homesteading tasks like composting, mass planting, and preserving.
A few years ago, I heard my daughter tell her teacher that she loves living in an urban farm. This makes it all worth it, knowing that my kids get to eat nutritious home grown food, have farm skills, but can still see a concert or eat at a trendy restaurant in an urban environment. It makes me feel like I have the best of both worlds.
1. 6:30 AM The sun is awake, so I’m awake!
– Coffee in hand: the only non-negotiable step. Someday I’ll be able to cut down, but now is not that season.
– Release chickens that think I’m a celebrity! I let my chickens free range in the garden while I am at work.
– Quick garden check: admiring my plants and making sure nothing has been severely destroyed.
– Breakfast + lunch-packing + pre-work sprint
- Fast: eggs, toast, berries
- Faster: granola bar
My kids request a full breakfast, and we’re happy to give it to them when possible. It’s a great way to start the day and sets the tone for our family. We are fortunate to have joined 2 school communities that are less than a 10 minute drive from our home.
2. The Workday: Trading Boots for a Laptop (But There’s Still Dirt Under My Nails)
-Transitioning from farm brain to work brain
- Calls, spreadsheets, inbox avalanche
- I see my first patient at 8:15, and no two days are the same.
3. Afternoon Rush: The Two to Four Hours that Feel Like Nine, I like to call it my 2nd shift
-4pm School pickup chaos
- Snack negotiations, my kids eat at 5 so they’re super hungry while I’m making dinner
- Second round of animal and garden chores
- Collect eggs
- Tidy coop and harvest anything that is ready
- We have an automated irrigation system controlled from my phone, so I don’t have to water my vegetable garden
- Teaching responsibility and patience-my daughter balances piano, voice, and homework
The great thing about having an urban homestead is that my kids have very little screen time. They’re super busy with farm chores (I try to keep it fun), or they’re building towers in the backyard.
4. Evenings: Dinner, Dishes, and Kitchen Homestead Things
-The homestead dinner dilemma
- Sometimes farm-to-table
- Sometimes food delivery (benefits of living in the city!) because the tomatoes staged a mutiny
-Seasonal evening projects - Canning, seed starting, fence fixing
– You can do anything, but not everything, and definitely not everything in one season
Reality Check:
The more food you grow, the more dishes you wash. It’s the hidden fine print of homesteading. You’ll never see the bottom of your sink again, but it’s so worth it.
5. Nighttime Reset: Ending One Day, Setting Up the Next
-9pm Home reset
- Quick tidy
- Save scraps for the chickens in the morning
- Prep tomorrow’s meals enough to be able to make it with a toddler hanging off me
- Exhaustion, but loving this season and knowing that it’s fleeting
6. What This Lifestyle Has Taught Me
– Life is seasonal, even beyond gardening
– Kids thrive when they’re needed, give them a job
– I don’t want easy; I want meaningful
– I can’t do it all or be perfect, but I can try my best
7. If You’re Considering Homesteading While Working, Start Like This
- One skill per season
- One raised bed, not ten
- Start with chickens, end with chickens if you’re in the middle of the city
- Be okay with ugly learning curves
- Celebrate tiny wins
- Even if you’re not fully self sufficient, just a little bit makes a big difference
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