Turning a Garden into a Micro Farm

Few of us have the land, the guts or the determination to become a full-time farmer. But it’s still possible to enjoy a slice of the homesteading life. In a smallish urban or suburban yard, your orchard might be reduced to a few container-grown fruit trees, with row crops squeezed into a couple of raised beds. In a larger setting, you might work in a dozen bearing trees, a dedicated plot for growing vegetables and trellises for grapes, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis and passionfruit.

The Next Step

Taking on several small farm animals will create an even more bucolic feel and establish a living rhythm to your day.

Backyard chickens are the gateway animal. Ducks, rabbits, pygmy goats, Babydoll sheep and honeybees are all worth the effort as well. They’ll eat garden waste, control overgrown brush and put fresh dairy products and honey on the table.

Most are sweet pets, too, often with engaging personalities. I’m not suggesting that you add butchery to your list of mini farm chores. If nothing else, your animals will provide hours of entertainment. And all but the honeybees will produce an unending supply of manure to improve the fertility and tilth of your soil.

Do check local zoning ordinances first, which may restrict the type and number of animals. For example, the City of Santa Barbara has among the most liberal policies for a city, allowing up to 15 chickens (no roosters) and rabbits in a typical residential neighborhood and up to four beehives on a lot less than 10,000 square feet. Livestock is allowed on lots of more than 1.5 acres with the required setbacks. In the County of Santa Barbara, you may have even more options, depending on your lot’s zoning designation.

Getting Started

Acquire animals with your eyes wide open. You’ll need to feed and water them at least once a day. Figure out their food and a place to store it, and know which medications and salves to have on hand. Line up a livestock veterinarian. Not all animals get along. If you raise different kinds, set up their spaces so they’ll peacefully coexist. And develop a backup plan for when you’re away. These animals can live a long time, too, so be prepared to care for them for 10, 15, even 20 years.

Chickens are enormously popular, with their eggs and manure as obvious benefits. They’re pretty good at pest control and relatively quiet as they go about their business. Their coop should offer shade, shelter from rain, protection from predators and one nesting box for every four hens. Laying hens need a run—figure at least 10 square feet per bird—to stretch their scrawny legs and peck the dirt. Avoid roosters. They can crow all day long, annoying you and your neighbors.

Ducks bear large eggs and don’t tend to uproot plants when they’re foraging for bugs. Big White Pekin ducks are a good choice. At about 10 pounds, they’re too heavy to fly away. To prevent them from nesting in your yard, house them in a coop with a human-size door so you can more easily collect their eggs. During the day, provide a pond, such as a sunken trough or cheap kiddie pool. The yucky sludge that accumulates in and around the pond will do wonders in your garden.

Rabbits are phenomenally cute and produce terrific fertilizer, while yarn afficionados covet their fiber. They are often raised in hutches, although they can be toilet trained and live indoors. Either way, they are naturally shy and should be handled gently. Yet they still need stimulation. Provide at least four hours of out-of-the-cage playtime daily and stock their living space with plastic baby toys, a phone book or a straw broom to chew. Indoors, they may live eight to 14 years. Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter is a terrific resource.

Goats are great for milk, cheese, butter, soap, fiber and manure. They eat weeds and are especially nimble on hills, clearing brush for fire protection. They’re also accomplished escape artists and need a strong, tall pen and a place to get out of the rain. Goats are herd animals, so plan on at least two. They’re friendly, exceptionally curious and can be leash-trained to go on walks. Pygmy goats live 10 to 14 years, while larger Nubians may live to 20.

Babydoll sheep are among the most adorable farm animals. An ancient breed from England, they produce milk for making cheese, and a fine wool. They’re adept at trimming lawns and fields and clearing brush beneath fruit trees, berries and grapevines, spreading small droppings of manure as they go. They are flock animals, so prepare for a pair or more. They may be timid at first, then more outgoing as they ease into their new digs. Expect your Babydolls to live about 15 years.

Honeybees may be endangered, but local beekeepers are passionate about building up local populations and encouraging others to take up the practice. Both the Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association and the Beekeepers Guild of Santa Barbara offer classes about the merits and art of keeping bees.

Aging Your Manure

Wait to apply chicken or duck manure to your plants. While still fresh, the slimy, smelly stuff is high in nitrogen and can burn roots. Don’t worry about separating it from the straw bedding. Add the bits and pieces to an existing compost bin or corral it in a square of chicken wire, then let it age for six to 12 months. Pour the duck sludge over your compost pile. Or dilute it, then water it in around fruit trees or vines.

Herbivores like rabbits, goats and sheep produce dense, nutrient-rich pellets that bear only a slight odor. Compost the manure/bedding combo for several months or strew it right away between vines, berries or fruit trees, letting the nutrients slowly leach into the soil.