the Urban Homesteader
This urban homesteader has always been a funny mix of city girl & country girl – I love going out to interesting new restaurants, galleries and am constantly surrounded by friends, but at the same time I’m drawn to quiet moments in nature and constantly dream about a simpler life on a farm with my family and so many animals. We’d host dinner clubs, run a small clinic / apothecary where I could help people heal surrounded by nature, and live entirely off our own land (with BEES, you guys). While country living & small-scale organic farming is definitely in the near future, for now, I’ve settled on a compromise aka ‘urban homesteading’. I currently live in a tiny bungalow in the west end of the city with a big (by Toronto standards) yard in which I grow my own food & medicinal herbs and raise sassy little backyard chickens.
Homesteading, self-sufficiency and a the idea of a simpler life have been at the forefront of many of our thoughts lately as Canadians consider what life, post-COVID-19, will be like. Self-reliance, on both a macro (buying local) & micro level (growing our own food) is becoming more important than it has been in decades due to food shortages and on going supply-chain issues. The idea of growing our own food is one that has begun to resonate with more Canadians as the government’s response to the pandemic has hindered our ability to access affordable food. The last time our nation when through something similar was after World War I and II. In the 1940’s governments encouraged people to plant ‘victory gardens’ as a way to reduce pressure on the public food supply and to boost morale during difficult times. At one point these at-home gardens produced about 40% of the fresh vegetables in North America as people were empowered to grow food in their own backyards during unstable and fearful times.
While I’m by no means equating staying at home safe with our loved ones for a few years to the hardships endured during war I do think that we could all use a morale boost and some positive distraction from inflated gas and food prices. In addition to providing fresh food, research tells us that gardening can directly boost happiness and improve overall well being. There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, particularly gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health. Not only does it get us outside for fresh air and vitamin D – gardening can also directly improve health and happiness since studies show that the microbes we are exposed to from dirt can positively influence your mood. I personally feel amazing after an afternoon in my garden. I treat that time with my plants like a meditation and I love knowing that, come end of summer in the city, I can wander out to my backyard and feed my family with produce that I’ve lovingly grown myself.
Thank you for coming by. This month will be full of urban homesteading tips and if you stick around long enough you’ll get to follow along as this doctor transitions from garden-loving, illegal chicken raising city slicker to full-on country girl. I seriously can’t wait to meet my bees! I hope you enjoy the journey and are inspired to slow down, grow food and explore the healing power of nature right along with us.