Choosing Your Homestead Location: Property Selection for Self-Sufficiency

Finding the perfect homestead location is a bit like finding the perfect apartment. You have a wish list. Reality has other plans. And you end up somewhere in between.

Chapter 5 of Backyard Farming: Homesteading by Kim Pezza is all about picking the right spot. And she is refreshingly honest about how it works. Sometimes you pick the location. Sometimes the location picks you. Usually it is a mix of both, because jobs and budgets have a way of narrowing your options.

Start With a Wish List

Before you start scrolling real estate listings, figure out what you actually want. Pezza suggests asking yourself some basic questions.

How large do you want to go? What do you want to grow? Is this just for your family, or do you want to sell at farmers markets? Are you going organic? Do you want to try companion planting?

Write it all down. It does not have to be perfect. But having a list helps you evaluate properties instead of just falling in love with a cute farmhouse and ignoring everything else.

The Dream Rural Property

Here is what I found interesting. Pezza says your rural homestead does not have to be some massive operation. You can have a small garden on a big property. Or a surprisingly productive setup on just a couple acres.

The smart move is to get a little more land than you think you need. Extra acreage gives you room to expand later. And trust me, once you start growing food, you will want to expand.

Trees Matter More Than You Think

If you want fruit trees, you need to plan for them early. There are three main sizes:

• Standard trees grow 18 to 20 feet tall. They need space.
• Semi-dwarf trees hit 12 to 15 feet. A good middle ground.
• Dwarf trees stay at 8 to 10 feet. Perfect for small spaces.

Plant them during dormancy for the best results. And check whether your variety is self-pollinating. Some trees need a partner nearby to produce fruit. Nobody wants to wait three years for apples only to find out their tree needed a buddy.

Livestock Land Needs

Different animals need different setups.

Chickens do well in open areas or slightly wooded land. The number of birds you plan to keep determines how much space you need. Ducks and geese need water access, so factor that in. Larger animals like cattle and goats need dedicated grazing area.

And fencing. Fencing is expensive. Seriously expensive. If you can find a property that already has outbuildings and fencing in place, that is a huge win.

Check the Soil and the Shade

Your food garden needs good soil. Sandy soil drains too fast. Clay soil holds too much water. Both can be amended, but it takes work.

You also want a spot that is not overly shaded. Some shade is fine, and actually good for keeping livestock cool. But your vegetable garden needs solid sunlight.

Evaluating the Property

Here is where people get tripped up. Not all acreage is usable.

Walk the entire property. Watch for swampy areas, wetlands, and flood zones. That gorgeous 10-acre listing might have 3 acres of usable land and 7 acres of seasonal swamp. Ask questions. Check flood maps. Talk to neighbors.

The House and Outbuildings

The farmhouse itself needs to be functional. If you plan to do canning and food preservation (and you should), you need a kitchen that can handle it. Think counter space. Think storage.

Check the condition of any outbuildings. Barns, sheds, and coops that are already standing save you a ton of money versus building from scratch. Pezza even mentions miniature barns that you can order from Amish builders, which is a solid option for small properties.

Self-Sufficiency Infrastructure

If you are going for real self-sufficiency, you need to think about infrastructure.

Wells. Rural properties often rely on well water. Get the well inspected. Check the flow rate and water quality. A bad well is a dealbreaker.

Septic tanks. If you are not on city sewer, you have a septic system. These need regular maintenance. And they can be expensive to replace.

Wood stoves. Many homesteaders heat with wood. It works great and saves money on heating bills. But here is a sobering fact from the book: roughly 200 people are killed every year felling trees for firewood. Always work with a partner. No exceptions.

Urban and Suburban Location Tips

The same thought process applies at a smaller scale. You still need to evaluate sunlight, soil, and space. Just in a tighter footprint.

A few things to watch for in urban and suburban settings:

Front yard gardens might seem like a great idea. And they are. But some neighbors and HOAs push back hard. Know your local rules before you plant.

City water is convenient but not free. Rain barrels are a great supplement. But check your local laws first. Some areas actually ban collecting rainwater. I know. It sounds wild. But it is true in certain places.

Companion planting becomes extra important when space is tight. Tomatoes and onions grow well together. Beans and corn are natural partners. The classic “Three Sisters” method (corn, beans, and squash) is thousands of years old and still works perfectly.

Working With What You Already Have

Maybe you are not buying new property. Maybe you are working with the yard you have right now.

Pezza suggests sketching out your property footprint. Know where everything is. And here is an important one: if you have a septic system, find your leach field and do not plant food crops over it. That is a health issue.

Obstacles Are Normal

Plans change. The soil is not what you expected. The zoning does not allow what you wanted. Your budget gets tighter.

That is all normal. And Pezza has practical advice for dealing with it. Reach out to your local cooperative extension office. Talk to nursery professionals. Hit up internet forums. Build a physical library of gardening and farming books.

The people who succeed at homesteading are not the ones who had a perfect start. They are the ones who kept adjusting and kept going.

Previous in the series: Urban Farm vs Rural Homestead

Next in the series: Garden Types and Growing Methods for Your Homestead

This post is part of a 12-part series reviewing “Backyard Farming: Homesteading” by Kim Pezza (Hatherleigh Press, 2015, ISBN: 978-1-57826-598-5).