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Grow more on your backyard farm with nuts, hops, herbs and more.
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Growing Other Crops beyond Fruits and Vegetables
When people think of backyard farming, they usually think of vegetables, and maybe a few fruit trees. Yet, there are other options available to the homesteader including growing herbs, grains, flowers, mushrooms, and even lesser known crops such as hops. It’s time to think beyond fruits and vegetables to the other crops you can grow in your backyard farm. If you are looking for resources on growing your homestead garden, start on our gardening page.
Growing Herbs
If you decide to grow nothing else your first year homesteading beyond fruits and vegetables, grow herbs. They take up very little space and using fresh herbs for cooking is hands down better than using dried herbs from the store. Start with the herbs you use the most often in your kitchen, and remember that many herbs such as basil, parsley, and mint can be used on their own to make pesto or as an addition to drinks.
Besides their culinary uses, herbs have been used medicinally for years. Even common herbs have medicinal properties. Many gardeners create a separate medicinal garden where they can select and grow appropriate crops. Herbs can also be used to scent candles and soaps, and make tea.
Creating a part of your garden that just incorporates herbs, or creating a formal herb garden such as an herb spiral can dramatically improve your garden. Herbs are also a great choice for growing in containers. An herb garden should be located close to your home so you are more likely to run out to the garden when you need something quickly to add to your dinner. Some of my favorite and most common herbs to grow in the garden include:
- Basil
- Mint
- Oregano
- Chives
- Dill
- Thyme
- Cilantro/Coriander
- Fennel
- Tarragon
- Sage
- Parsley
Growing Grains
With a little space, it is entirely possible to grow grains right in your garden. If you are limited to only a few small gardens or pots, grains are not for you. For those of you with a little more space, it is entirely possible to raise enough grain for baking purposes or as a feed for livestock. Consider wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, or flax as a starter grain crop. Once you’ve grown the grain, you will need to cure it, thresh it, and grind it for use in the kitchen.
Growing Edible Flowers
If you are reluctant to convert your landscaped flower beds to growing vegetables, consider growing edible flowers or eating some of the flowers you already grow. Many common flowers are edible, including dandelions, nasturtium, pansy, violet, and peony. A note of caution: be careful when consuming flowers as some of them are in fact poisonous (such as foxglove); always consult a reputable resource, and avoid eating flowers that have been treated with pesticides or grown near roads or other polluted areas.
Another favorite flower is actually squash flowers (both summer and winter squash). These flowers can be fried or incorporated into various dishes. There are also flowers, such as marigolds that are beneficial to vegetables and can be grown interspersed in your vegetable garden.
Growing Nuts and Seeds
Just like fruit trees, nuts can take a considerable amount of time and space to grow but can yield delicious nuts for many years. Some nut trees, such as almonds, can be grown as dwarf trees. You can grow peanuts as an annual in zone 5 or higher. Additionally, sunflower and squash seeds are often used for similar purposes as nuts. Many nuts have a long shelf life after harvest making them a great crop to store. A few nuts you might want to consider are:
- Chestnuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Hickory
- Macadamia
- Pecan
- Pine Nuts
- Pistachio
- Walnut
Growing Mushrooms
Growing mushrooms is entirely possible either on a small scale in your home, or on a larger scale outdoor colony. If you are just getting started, purchase a mushroom kit for your home or apartment. This is a wonderful homesteading activity for those who have limited space. Once you’ve experimented, you can purchase spawn, add them to a growing medium and keep moist and adjust the temperature until it’s time to harvest your own mushrooms.
Other Crops
There are several other choices when you are deciding what to plant in your homestead beyond fruits and vegetables. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, consider planting hops for making beer, hemp for making rope, sprouts for feeding poultry, or plants that can be used for crafting purposes such as cotton. You can also grow flowers or other decorative plants to bring color to your garden or home.
When space is limited
If you’ve always dreamed of gardening, but are limited by your space, you can start by planting in pots, window boxes, or small raised beds. If this still does not satisfy your homesteading urges, research community gardens or offer to trade work hours for produce in a friends garden. Many CSA’s (community supported agriculture) will discount your produce in exchange for time spent working on the farm.
Foraging
For those with limited space, lots of rural land nearby, or just a need to wander in the woods, you may want to consider foraging for food. Foraging involves collecting naturally growing foods from forests, meadows, or other wild places. Berries, nuts, and mushrooms are common foraging foods. Before heading out to forage, make sure you have permission, consider other animals that rely on that food, learn about any chemicals that may have been used on the land, and make sure you know what you are doing since many wild foods are poisonous.
There are many ways to incorporate other crops in your backyard farm beyond fruits and vegetables and it is worth considering these ideas in the early stages of backyard farming to ensure you have the space available. Backyard farming is all about experimenting and trying new ideas and adjusting as you go. If you are new hear, START HERE and join the community to share more about your own backyard farming journey, or join me on Pinterest for more ideas.
Thank you so much for your post. It was very helpful to me. I am a "newbie" in the area of homesteading and I am trying to soak up as much information as I can! It's so invigorating! Thank you again!
~Pam
Great outline. Another nut worth mentioning for small space and good yield within a few years, is the hazelnut. There are bush varieties (such as Precocious) which are hybrids between the American hazelnut (shrub) and any of a number of European hazels (small trees). They are hardy here in zone 5, and my Precocious shrubs reached about 10 feet in height 2-3 years after planting when they were 2 feet tall twigs. I got a great yield last fall, and we are still eating them. Precocious grows well with no pesticides or other special care, because it inherited its disease resistance from the American hazel.