We began our homesteading journey to become more self-sufficient and to be more independant. During our ongoing journey we realized that there are lots of similarities between homesteading and prepping. Yes, there are those preppers that do go to the extreme with bunkers and enough guns and ammo to equip a small army and originally even I thought that that type of prepper might need to take off their tin foil hats before giving everyone who homesteads/preps a very negative stigma.
Then I began to consider rural, suburban and urban homesteading and prepping and the different needs of the three. An urban homesteader/prepper does not have the same concerns as a rural homesteader/prepper or even a suburban homesteader/prepper. Let's examine some commonalities and differences.
Then I began to consider rural, suburban and urban homesteading and prepping and the different needs of the three. An urban homesteader/prepper does not have the same concerns as a rural homesteader/prepper or even a suburban homesteader/prepper. Let's examine some commonalities and differences.
Urban Homesteading and Prepping
For the past few years I was an urban homesteader. I was constrained by the property size, neighbors, lack of growing spaces, paying City water rates, etc... As you may recall, two years ago I began fighting against the City of Tucson's Urban Ag Proposals which controlled, legalized through permitting and zoning change requests and constricted small farm animal ownership, gardening, hydro/aquaponics, greenhouses and even Farmer's Markets and lost that fight last year through apathy and the city excluding the largest group of dissenters - local 4-H and FFA families.
Those were the drawbacks that I found. The positives were readily available medical facilities, an abundance of stores including health food stores providing non gmo, organic foods and products. The availability of entertainment and especially trash services. Yes, I had a compost bin and I recycled, but outside of a small Weber grill, I had no way of burning paper or cardboard to add to my composting efforts and so I relied on the City for those services. Back East, the same trucks that hauled our trash were the same trucks responsible for snow removal, salting to rid the streets of ice and even street cleaning.
We relied on a City Police Department that was vastly undermanned and a good portion of requests for assistance were met with, "You may file a report on line at our website..."for everything from car accidents not involving injuries to thefts and robberies.
My own experience with my first armed robbery at work resulted in an 8 1/2 hour wait for the first officer to respond. I can understand having a few extra weapons and ammo on hand to protect yourself and your family without implying anyone need a tin foil hat. Please do not take this as my bashing on L.E.O.'s, as a former L.E.O., I have nothing but respect and love for those who are doing the job. Yes, as in every profession there are a few that should not be doing the job, but they are in a very small minority.
Those were the drawbacks that I found. The positives were readily available medical facilities, an abundance of stores including health food stores providing non gmo, organic foods and products. The availability of entertainment and especially trash services. Yes, I had a compost bin and I recycled, but outside of a small Weber grill, I had no way of burning paper or cardboard to add to my composting efforts and so I relied on the City for those services. Back East, the same trucks that hauled our trash were the same trucks responsible for snow removal, salting to rid the streets of ice and even street cleaning.
We relied on a City Police Department that was vastly undermanned and a good portion of requests for assistance were met with, "You may file a report on line at our website..."for everything from car accidents not involving injuries to thefts and robberies.
My own experience with my first armed robbery at work resulted in an 8 1/2 hour wait for the first officer to respond. I can understand having a few extra weapons and ammo on hand to protect yourself and your family without implying anyone need a tin foil hat. Please do not take this as my bashing on L.E.O.'s, as a former L.E.O., I have nothing but respect and love for those who are doing the job. Yes, as in every profession there are a few that should not be doing the job, but they are in a very small minority.
Suburban Homesteading and Prepping
I now consider us (me, my roomies and some of our neighbors) Suburban Homesteaders/Preppers. Being outside City Limits in an unincorporated area that has yet to be annexed (read devoured by the city), I am not bound by quantity or type of restrictions on the small farm animals I can keep though I am still limited by property size.
We are no longer as close to stores and have to grow and put up more of our own food in the pantry we built when I first moved in. We have a medicinal herb garden and have taken first aid classes and even created a few more first aid kits and stored them throughout the house. We are no longer covered by the City Fire Dept. and have bought several types fire extinguishers and placed them in appropriate areas.
Fortunately, we now have the County Sherriff's who respond to our calls. These men and women are very quick to respond to calls and usually you will get 2 or 3 units responding to each call.
The compost pit has doubled in size and is inside the chicken coop, under the rabbitry. We also have a 5ft x 3ft bbq/burn pit to deal with unwanted paper and cardboard and supplements our compost. We separate our recycling and what we can't burn or recycle we haul to the dump, less than a mile away at the end of the month. We harvest rain and greywater to use on our gardens beds, which was made difficult if not impossible in the city.
We still maintain a few extra weapons and ammo in the event that the Sheriff's are needed to backup the City Police and can not respond to our calls for assistance.
We are no longer as close to stores and have to grow and put up more of our own food in the pantry we built when I first moved in. We have a medicinal herb garden and have taken first aid classes and even created a few more first aid kits and stored them throughout the house. We are no longer covered by the City Fire Dept. and have bought several types fire extinguishers and placed them in appropriate areas.
Fortunately, we now have the County Sherriff's who respond to our calls. These men and women are very quick to respond to calls and usually you will get 2 or 3 units responding to each call.
The compost pit has doubled in size and is inside the chicken coop, under the rabbitry. We also have a 5ft x 3ft bbq/burn pit to deal with unwanted paper and cardboard and supplements our compost. We separate our recycling and what we can't burn or recycle we haul to the dump, less than a mile away at the end of the month. We harvest rain and greywater to use on our gardens beds, which was made difficult if not impossible in the city.
We still maintain a few extra weapons and ammo in the event that the Sheriff's are needed to backup the City Police and can not respond to our calls for assistance.
Rural Homesteading and Prepping
Though I have not yet been able to consider myself a Rural Homesteader/Prepper I can see a lot more skill and independence required as stores would be farther away, possibly smaller general stores of old. Fire/Medical and Law Enforcement would be required to travel further to reach us and we would have to take on a greater role in our own health/safety/well being. I picture a lot more possibilities of "freedom" to grow more food, have more and larger farm animals, more room to grow and more self reliance. I imagine stockpiling food for inclement weather situations, supplies for making repairs and more weapons and ammo for self preservation.
Our version of TEOTWAWKI
The End of the World as We Know It. Sounds ominous doesn't it? Lots of preppers use this term and I wanted to share my version if this term. Though many use the term for the end of days, a pandemic, a nuclear war, armageddon, etc. It doesn't have to be an event that impacts the entire world or universe.
Each of us has his or her own "world", close family, circle of friends, colleagues and neighbors. We can each experience a TEOTWAWKI event. So no matter where you are, you can and should homestead/prep for any number of natural or manmade disasters. We hope you will join us as the posts over the next few days will examine various aspects of homesteading/prepping and we begin with natural disasters.
Each of us has his or her own "world", close family, circle of friends, colleagues and neighbors. We can each experience a TEOTWAWKI event. So no matter where you are, you can and should homestead/prep for any number of natural or manmade disasters. We hope you will join us as the posts over the next few days will examine various aspects of homesteading/prepping and we begin with natural disasters.
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