Summer 2025
I am late with this issue, but it is summer, the busiest of seasons; therefore, I am giving myself some grace and focusing on the gratitude I have that this issue is finally complete. It is small but lovely. If you are a farmer or homesteader or home gardener, you know how the summer season can keep you so busy with baby chicks, weeding, planting, harvesting, battling broody hens, and more. It’s hard to sit and read, but I wanted to put together this special issue on being self sufficient in small spaces because the topic feels so important right now.
Here in the United States, deportation of farm workers, tariffs, and climate change are creating a perfect storm of high food prices, and we are just at the beginning of where things might go. It seems important for all of us to do things we can to become more self sufficient, even if we have a small space. Maybe you live on a city lot. Maybe you live in a rural area and have a large lot but do not know where to start. Maybe you have some space but only have the time and energy to work a small portion of it. My husband and I live in rural Maine on less than two acres. Honestly, we couldn’t handle any more, and we have learned over the years that you really do not need that much space to grow an awful lot of food. Still, I realize that not everyone has that much space, and you may need to start smaller.
Starting small is good. The important thing is to start. Most towns allow up to six hens. Raised beds are wonderful for growing a wide variety of food. If you have a large window, you can use an open shelf to build an indoor herb garden. And you don’t have to grow any of your own food in order to save money. You can visit local farms, Pick your own fruits and vegetables and then can your own food. I have learned that summer is a great time to get a sourdough starter going. And you can always learn to be more self sufficient by buying less and mending broken items.
In recent years, I have noticed a boom in international readership of the journal, so while I am always developing issues and themes with my own experiences in the United States in mind, I have heard from readers that climate change and economic insecurity are themes that resonate in many countries, and in this issue, we have more international writers than ever before.
In this issue you will find poetry about nature, stories about our connections to our food and our families, and I created a couple of resources with practical advice related to homesteading with a small kitchen and links to resource for being self sufficient in a small space.
I hope everyone reading this is finding some little bits of joy and togetherness during these challenging times.
In This Issue
The Crows Taught Me Patience by Goodness Nwajichukwu
It started with corn. I had planted four neat rows behind the shed, my own little patch of promise.
Just a Little Bit of Dirt by Xochilt Avila
Like my father, and those whose lives garland his family tree, I want to foster a connection with my own nourishment. Or at least with just the little bit that I can.
Quiet Wars (poetry) by Nma Dhahir
In four small rooms, I plant and mend, / A window box, a jar to tend. / Each herb I grow, each seed I keep, / A promise sown while others sleep.
Tips on Homesteading with a Small Kitchen by Crystal Sands
My husband and I have become quite efficient and processing the food we grow, but it has taken some time to get our small kitchen shaped into a space that functions fairly well for such a large operation.
A Bee’s Consent (poetry) by Daniel Barry
I made a friend this morning in the tomato tunnels. / she wedged onto my shirt for a while / and joined me for a walk.
Over the Rooftops (poetry) by Shane Behler
A mockingbird alights on the / fencepost and cries at me with her /
stolen song. Where did she come /
from? My eyes spark and I whistle
Gardening Has Its Limits by Dennis L. Divine
I was born with the gardening bug. When I was three years old in 1972, I told my mother that we needed to convert our entire front lawn into a vegetable garden.
Resource Roundup for Homesteading in Small Spaces by Crystal Sands
I have learned over the years that it doesn’t take a lot of space to grow a lot of food. While any animals you have, such as chickens, need enough space to be happy, you can grow a lot of carrots in a tiny space.
photo credit: LXS Photography, Unsplash