Self-Reliance in the City
How to Fortify Your Homestead — No Matter Where You Are
Seven months ago, the world stopped. Schoolchildren were sent home, restaurants were ordered closed, and Americans frantically rushed to local grocery stores and saw empty shelves for the first time in their lives. Millions were suddenly spending a great deal of time at home, and routines were significantly disrupted. As events and activities were canceled en masse, many hoped that something meaningful would come out of this sudden and unsettling abundance of free time.
Faced with the new national pastime of sitting at home with time to think, I began to consider my values and the type of life I truly desired. I reacted to the scarcity and uncertainty of the moment with a strong desire to transform my home and lifestyle into one that was more self-reliant — not dependent on the many conveniences that we often take for granted.
The daydream of growing food, creating homespun goods, and living “off the grid” has no doubt crossed your mind at one time or another. Yet, this dream is just as quickly abandoned because it is too extreme to fit into your life.
But don’t give it up! Just because you can’t do everything does not mean you can’t do anything. I currently live in a two-bedroom apartment in a major city, and my little homestead has made huge strides in the last few months! There are many ways to boost your self-reliance that are very satisfying, sustainable, and will also come in handy if (God forbid!) you ever find yourself in another emergency where items are unavailable or it is necessary to shelter in place.
1. Grow Some Veggies — Or Find Someone Who Does
It is a beautiful feeling to bite into a fresh, juicy tomato from your own garden — and if you have even a small amount of outdoor space, growing some food is a great option. In the city, you will definitely need to supplement your harvest, and if you are like me you will not be able to grow much at all. (I have an aloe plant sitting on my window sill, does that count?) Never fear, there are many farmers in your general area just waiting to get some fresh local produce on your plate. In your city, you will likely be able to find underutilized programs that link city-dwellers with in-season veggies that are grown nearby. No more buying fruit and veggies that traveled several days to make it to your plate — requiring more preservatives, fossil fuels, and possibly questionable labor practices in order to do so. The benefits of participating in a CSA-type program are multifaceted: it introduces healthy foods to plan your meals around, you begin to eat in a natural way that coincides with the seasons and what is growing in your region, and the steady stream saves you from decision fatigue at the store and guarantees your homestead is always stocked with fresh ingredients. These perks mirror those of growing your own food — so for tiny apartment dwellers like myself, it is certainly the next best thing!
2. Learn to Preserve the Harvest
This next bit of advice is a little labor-intensive — but don’t despair! With many bars, restaurants, and movie theatres closed, this could be a great way to spend the day with a friend — and have something delicious to show for it!
Yes, I am talking about canning. This time-honored tradition may have been invented in 1800’s France to feed hungry soldiers, but it maintains its prominent position in the toolkit of self-reliance to this day. Canning is the natural conclusion of in-season eating: the bounty of summer and fall must be preserved in order to continue munching on wholesome local produce all winter long. I recommend shopping for a basic water bath canning kit (although if you have a large pot and some tongs you don’t necessarily need all new equipment) and watching some YouTube videos to get a feel for the process. There are many simple recipes available that will yield scrumptious results. So when you see a seasonal product (like summer peaches or apples and cranberries in the fall) you can stock up — and know that none of it will go to waste.
3. Bake From Scratch
Baking bread became a very popular “quarantine hobby” — and with good reason! Once you have tasted a loaf straight out of the oven, there is no going back. No urban homestead is complete without ample flour, yeast, and other ingredients of your choosing to whip up bread, biscuits, and pastries in a jiffy. You might think you don’t have what it takes to be a baker, but this could not be further from the truth! Try out different recipes and tweak things each time until you reach your desired result. You don’t need an electric mixer, a bread machine, or any other fancy equipment, and your recipe can be as simple or as complex as you like. I made noodles with eggs, flour, a rolling pin, and a pizza cutter. It was quick and painless. You will get the hang of it. And the next time there is a massive storm, shelter-in-place order, or just some company coming over, you will have neither the need nor desire to run to the grocery store for mass-produced bread ever again.
4. Stay Stocked
Nothing is worse than being ready to throw down in the kitchen…only to realize you are missing a crucial ingredient. A self-reliant pantry is a place of abundance, so you’ll need to keep the basics stocked up. The specific items your family will go through are unique to you, but there are many lists out there to get you started. A bulk grocery store is always an option, but it usually requires a membership. I have found plenty of all-natural bulk items available online, from cleaning products to a 9 lb. bucket of peanut butter. Stocking up saves money in the long run, and your home can function for long stretches of time without reinforcements!
5. Learn to Sew
Now, you certainly need not become the next Coco Chanel, but you can breathe a new life into your clothes with a few stitches here and there! We all lament the disposable nature of the products we buy — but it doesn’t have to be that way! Forage through your wardrobe for items you never wear, or hit the consignment shop with an eye toward well-made items with lots of potential and get your thrift flip on. If you’ve never sewn before, you are just a YouTube tutorial away from getting started on this extremely useful skill. Whether you are mending a much-loved sweater or taking in a shirt to get that perfect fit, once you know how to sew the power is yours!
Self-reliance is not an all-or-nothing game. You don’t need to pack up and move to the Ozarks: your apartment can be your sanctuary. As the world becomes more chaotic and everyone struggles to find a “new normal”, there is a unique opportunity to decide what yours will be.
Whether you only have a few moments to make a change in sourcing your food or are ready to take up a new hobby and learn some skills, you can be more self-reliant — one small step at a time.
