One microfarmer barely owned any land himself, but rented small areas from multiple homeowners. It struck me how small his spaces were, while he maintained a thriving business.
He approached homeowners, and asked if he could rent spaces as small as 20 ft. There's risk in this of course, and daily legwork. But the idea of repurposing unused residential space is intriguing.
My own yard has much unused space. This year I was fortunate that blackberries took over and I've been harvesting pint-fulls. I sometimes ignore the fruit and nut trees, or don't harvest before vegetables bolt, because time gets crunched with jobs and family. (Hourly rates for tilling, planting and harvesting don't always pan out, until a crisis hits. )
Another post mentioned an ancestor's tightly-packed yard, which reminded me of my grandparents', that held them through the Depression. Fruit trees for canning, berries for jam, barberry hedge to deter pests, rain barrels... every inch was productive.
We can get caught up watching homesteaders manage many acres... but can be grateful for what we have, use it well, and be ready to use it more when more critical. If not owning much property, we can still be resourceful and find spaces that others are willing to loan out.
