Urban Homesteading PDX
A collection of stories from our urban homestead in Portland Oregon.
Our Stories
Follow along as we learn and explore urban homesteading in Portland, Oregon
Watering Fruit Trees
Watering Fruit Trees in a Food Forest Watering fruit trees in a food forest requires a little planning when building a backyard orchard. Applying water to a couple of trees with a single hose is simple. Once you have a dozen or more trees and countless berry bushes...
Best Tools for Weeds
The Best Tools for Weeds in the Garden The best tools for weeds in the garden is the one that you have by your side when you see the weeds. However, when planning to work in the garden select the tool for the task at hand. Picking the right tool is half the battle. ...
Cultivating Tools
Cultivating Tools for Backyard and Market Gardeners Always use a cultivating tool to aerate the soil in the garden beds. The microorganisms that live in the soil and help your plants thrive appreciate the soil aerated and loose. The plant roots can quickly expand in...
Straw as a Mulch
Using Straw as a Mulch in the Garden Using straw as a mulch in the garden is a great way to use your animal bedding. Of course, you can apply straw straight from the bale to your garden beds as well if you need a good mulch material. The straw will keep the moisture...
Best Garden Fork
The Best Garden Fork for Backyard Gardeners The best garden fork is the Hoss Tools option. Also known as a digging fork or a spading fork these heavy-tined garden tools are perfect for many tasks around the garden. Easily harvest root vegetables and use it to move...
How to Clear a Vegetable Garden Full of Weeds
How to Clear a Vegetable Garden Full of Weeds Efficiently and Organically Learn how to clear a vegetable garden full of weeds and then follow gardening best practices so it never gets so bad again. Weeding organically means you are going to be doing real mechanical...
How to keep garden watered while on vacation
How to Keep Garden Watered While on Vacation, Build Systems Have a thriving garden in your backyard, but want to go away during the heat of the summer? When considering how to keep garden watered while on vacation consider building a irrigation system. Of course,...
Best Duck Waterers
The Best Duck Waterers for your Flock The best duck waterers for your flock depend on where they are at in their growth cycle. A waterer that is perfect for ducklings in a brooder is different than the waterer you want to be set up for mature adult birds. Match the...
Community Garden Projects
Our Community Garden Plot
Duck Ducks
We love our ducks.
Home Garden Project
Our 1/4 acre property is home to fruit trees and bushes, raised garden beds, and diverse native plants intermingled throughout.
Enjoying the Harvest
Using what we grow to feed ourselves, friends, and family.
About
Hi I am John Johnson and an avid urban gardener in the greater Portland Oregon area. We raise ducks and chickens in our urban lot. We also have planted a large food forest including apple, pear, persimmon, quince, cherry, apricot, and pawpaw trees. Our favorite understory shrubs include blueberries, raspberries, marionberries, honeyberries, and jostaberries. We grow a substantial garden with both in ground garden beds and raised garden beds. These are stories from our adventures growing food and raising animals in an urban setting and the tools that we use to make it happen. This site is supported by affiliate ad revenue.
Urban Homesteading in Practice
What elements of urban homesteading are you interested in?
- Reducing Resource Use. By using alternative energy sources such as installing solar roof panels, riding a bicycle, using public transportation, harvesting rainwater, drying clothes on a line, and reusing greywater.
- Raising Animals. A backyard poultry flock of chickens, ducks, or even other animals such as rabbits or goats. Honeybees and worms in a vermicomposter are also popular urban homesteading animals to raise.
- Edible Landscaping. Growing vegetable gardens, backyard orchard fruit trees, medicinal plants, and herbs, and converting lawns from traditional grass to food forest gardens.
- Self-Sufficient Living. Connecting with your community to trade and share resources that can be repaired, recycled, or made from scratch materials.
- Food Preservation. Managing a harvest of vegetables or fruit is just as important as growing. Canning, drying, freezing, and fermenting are the most popular methods for preserving a harvest for consumption over many months.
- Composting / Building Soil. On-site composting of plant materials and basic kitchen scrap materials. Building soil spreading compost throughout food forest or practicing chop and drop methods or spreading wood chips to feed the microbiology of the soil. Developing a rich soil ecosystem over years of intentional actions to feed the life in the soil.