Mini Farming for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide to Remaking Your Backyard into a Mini Farm and Creating a Self-Sustaining Organic Garden

By Dion Rosser

Have you considered organic gardening but don't know where to start?

Or perhaps you're interested in growing your own non-GMO, 100% natural fruits and vegetables in your backyard or homestead?

What if you could provide 85 percent of food needs for your family and earn extra income while at it?

If you answered yes to any of these questions or if the possibility of growing all you can eat in three square feet fascinates you, then this book is for you!

Building a mini-farm in your backyard is an immensely beneficial and lucrative activity. Not only does it help you grow a self-sufficient food supply, but it also promotes sustainability and is eco-friendly.

Plus, farming can be profitable too! A successful grower can make a sizable additional income from small-scale organic farming.

Whether your yard is a quarter acre or a large patch, you can build a backyard homestead complete with chicken coops, sheds, orchards, barns, pasture, and gardens. All you need are a few inventive ideas for growing food in a small space!

The most important thing is to have the right seasonal planner that tells you what to do and when to do it in order to start and sustain a thriving garden!

This book will teach you everything you need to know about mini-farming, from the planning stage to building your first equipment sheds and fences plus even raised bed gardening.

Both beginners and those who have experience with gardening or farming will benefit!

You'll learn step-by-step how to grow all kinds of vegetables from asparagus to zucchini!  

Self-sufficiency from home-grown food is cost-effective in the long term. You'll enjoy healthier and more nutritious produce plus you get more control and confidence over what goes on your plate.

In the course of this book, you will learn:
- How to get started with backyard farming
- The basics of growing an organic garden in your own yard
- Creating a layout and designing structures for the farm
- Everything you need to know about how to raise bees, livestock, and chickens
- How to protect your garden from pests and diseases
- How to extend the growing season for your plants
- How to harvest and preserve your produce
- Tips and tricks on how to maintain your mini-farm throughout the different seasons
- and much more!

With a little effort and consistency on your part, you will not only be able to start your farm but maximize your farm and produce all the food you need even with as little as a quarter acre!

You'll go from beginner to a sustainable 21st century farmer in no time and become self-sufficient!

If you're ready to create an eco-friendly, self-supported source of food and earn some extra income too, then get his book now! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dion Rosser
• Release date: Mar 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393406297

Book preview

Introduction

Gardening is an extremely fulfilling activity that allows you to reap the fruits of your own labor. If you have a backyard and want to turn it into a mini farm but don't know where to begin, this is the right book for you. What makes this guide different from other books is that it will help you every step of the way, until you can harvest produce from your garden. This book is equally helpful for beginners and those who have experience with gardening or farming. You will learn everything from how to prepare the soil, choose the right plants, and set everything up to protect your plants from any pests or diseases. The best part is that you will be able to do it all organically.

Organic produce is not only good for your body, but it also allows you to maintain the integrity of the soil and underground water. You can utilize the space you already have to grow your garden effectively and feasibly. It does not require much investment; rather, it will help you to save a lot of money in the long run. You will see your grocery bills go down and save on food expenses. You can even sell your excess produce at the farmers’ market if you want to.

Organic produce allows you to protect the environment, since you reduce chemical usage. The produce obtained will also be free of any hidden additives or chemicals and pesticides that seep in when grown commercially. Foods with such hidden ingredients can harm your health in the long run. Instead, when you rely on organic materials, not only do you get healthier plants, pests and diseases are less likely to attack and destroy your crops.

Being able to grow healthy organic food in your own backyard can be a blessing. It is not as expensive as you may think, nor is it complicated. As you learn more about organic gardening, you will want to get started as soon as possible. So, without much ado, start reading and take the first steps toward a bountiful mini farm in your own backyard.

Chapter One: If You Have a Yard, You Can Farm

The first step to get started is to evaluate the backyard space you have available for the farm, as it will determine the various styles of farming you can use. You can choose from no-till lasagna gardening; raised beds; aquaponics; and hydroponics. Even with small spaces, there are many options available, such as container gardening and vertical gardening. Although livestock and beehives can be added, the best advice for beginners is to start small and gradually expand and include them.

Anyone can start a farm in their backyard regardless of its size. As long as you utilize the space well, you can grow a number of different fruits, vegetables, and herbs, which will sustain you throughout the year. You can even raise livestock if you want, but it is best for beginners to start small.

Once you have evaluated what space you have, decide which type of farming will be best. While you can go down the commercial route too with your small farm, the important thing to consider is sustainability. This will allow you to farm, raise, and grow everything you need in your backyard. Having five acres of land is ideal, but even a single acre can allow you to be completely self-reliant. Regardless of how much space you have, you can start a mini farm.

Benefits of Backyard Farming

Backyard farming has many benefits; some of them are mentioned below.

It Is Easy to Manage

It is easy to manage the plants that you grow in your backyard. You can conveniently go and check on or harvest the products whenever you want. You don’t need to call any professionals or farmers to check on your farm, since you can do it yourself. You have access to your own garden and can see if your plants are growing well or not.

It Is Better for Your Health

Your health improves when you consume more freshly grown fruits and vegetables. You can pluck them directly from your backyard whenever you want. It also allows you to maintain the quality of your products by ensuring that everything is done organically without using any pesticides or chemicals.

It Will Help You Save Money

When you grow your own produce or raise your own livestock, you don't have to spend money at grocery stores. Your grocery bills will reduce significantly. Organic vegetables, in particular, can be expensive to purchase, but growing them will cost next to nothing.

You Will Get More Exercise

Farming is an activity that keeps you active and gives you productive results. All the digging, planting, maintenance, etc. will help you burn a lot of calories. It is also good for your mental health and will keep you in a positive state of mind. Gardening is a stress-relieving exercise and also provides physical exercise.

You Will Contribute to Better Environmental Conditions

Urban farming helps to cut down on the fossil fuel consumption usually caused by the transportation, packaging, and selling of food. You can reduce your carbon footprint by being self-dependent for your food growth.

How to Grow More in Small Spaces

You may think that your yard is not big enough, but this is not true; if you have a yard, you can farm. Various techniques allow you to utilize the smallest of yards in the best ways possible. With some ingenuity and creativity, you can maximize the smallest spaces for greater yields. People in urban areas have started growing food successfully on their balconies as well, so if you have a backyard, there are a lot more possibilities to explore.

Here are some ways in which you can grow more in your mini farm:

Container Gardens

A container garden is a great option for someone who has limited outdoor space. The great thing about container gardens is that you can grow nearly any vegetable and many different types of fruit in them. As long as the conditions are optimal and the container is appropriately sized, you can grow plants.

If you provide the plants with adequate sunlight and proper watering, it is possible to grow some small fruit trees in containers as well. Some people grow blueberry bushes and lemon trees successfully in this way. Container gardening will ensure that you use every inch of space because all the soil in the containers is used for the production of vegetables or fruits. Growing space is not wasted in any way if you just care well for the plants.

It also saves you from the stress that is usually placed on your back from bending over ground plants. People who have back problems should consider using container gardening techniques. It is less physically straining and an accessible gardening technique for everyone.

Another benefit is that the containers can be moved around, which allows you to ensure that the plant is always getting proper light. Certain plants thrive well even under shade or with dappled sunlight, but others need at least six hours of direct sunlight. You can chase the sun with your containers if required.

You don't always have to buy containers for container gardening. Consider up-cycling and using things you already have. You can even use plastic totes as planters if you are not too concerned about aesthetics. Kitchen herbs grow well in steel pasta strainers. There are many such ways in which you can create your own gardening containers.

The important thing to remember is that any container should allow proper drainage. So, if you use a tin can or an old bucket, drill some holes in the bottom to allow excess water to flow out. If the container has enough space, almost any plant can be grown in it. You can use straw bales too, but these break down quickly and are messy. However, these are a viable option, and plants such as zucchini or pumpkin can be grown in them.

When you use containers, it is important to add fertilizer and water them more often since the soil will dry out faster in them. The nutrients get flushed out at greater speed, too, when compared to soil on the ground. Nonetheless, container gardening is a popular way to grow plants in smaller spaces.

Vertical Gardening

Plants can be grown upwards in so many different ways. In fact, most fruit or vegetable bearing plants grow in an upward direction. If you have a small yard, try options such as a hanging hydroponic garden, recycled pallet planter, or a traditional trellis. You just need a little creativity

Reviews for Mini Farming for Beginners

[John Kenneth Vertido · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book has a lot of great information. I loved this book and found it very informative this book had a lot of good information that can found in most sources.

[Ceb Ali · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very good overview of where to get started planning a small farm. Everything was brought down to the basics and now I feel comfortable preparing to do what I need to do to start a small farm. I thought the portion on animals was particularly interesting. Recommended.

[Ed Gary David · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. It had some good ideas about how to plan and execute a small backyard farm. It brought up things I hadn’t thought of. Good book! I would definitely recommend to others.This is a wonderful book for the beginner who wants to provide her family with a natural garden of vegetables, fruits and raising animals such as chickens for food. I enjoyed reading the book. It is a well thought out plan on where and how to start. I recommend this to any person who is a beginner or needs help getting started in providing for yourself.This book had a lot of good information that can found in most sources. There were a few gems of new information, such as growing dill as a companion plant for its insecticide component , the proper ratio of nitrogen, phosphate, etc for growing healthy vegetable plants, and brand name test kits for testing your soil for necessary additives. As a first book to start with, it prepares the reader for starting growing their own produce.

[Enmar David · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. It had some good ideas about how to plan and execute a small backyard farm. It brought up things I hadn’t thought of. Good book! I would definitely recommend to others.

[Tolits Mendoza · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I recommend this book for beginners! She gave great details on how to start your journey. I am starting my own garden and I’ve been taking notes from this book. I loved it!

[Laijho Marapao · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Farming is everywhere and it is the most common activity done by people in agricultural areas. No wonder why this is very popular in terms of starting a business. It may be difficult to do yet challenging and fun.
This book will help you learn the proper ways of building a mini farm for business including the techniques and strategies.
The book is easy to understand since the author used simple and common terms. Kindly consider this as your guide, this may help you.

[Antoniette Luarez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thanks to this book! I realize that having a small backyard isn’t a problem whenever I think of building my own garden. Little space doesn’t mean you can plant less. I thank the writer for providing also some techniques on maximizing your lot garden. Author has been decisive on his point as well. It’s even true that by putting up a backyard garden you get to enjoy cheap costing, reducing chemical waste, and, importantly, you are savoring all-organic crops.

[Ian E. Daguplo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My quarantine period will be no longer boring after reading this one. I am fond on gardening. And this one really help me a lot. This will be my guide now.

What I really loved this book was giving essential care for our plants, providing tips protecting from pests and plant diseases. I really loved also the planning and structuring design on how to improve our backyard.

Good job to Dion for creating this amazing book.

[Harvey Woods · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have really enjoyed this book to the point I actually stayed up all night reading it. I am definitely going to be using this book a lot in my New to Me ,Learning About Gardening. It's decently written, no major issues that I can see. Highly recommended!!

[Chelly Cruz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book gives you a basic understanding of everything you need to start your own mini farm. This is a good reference book for beginners.

[Linda Zapata · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Now that the world is facing a pandemic it is best if we double our efforts in taking care of ourselves. The best way is to go organic. This book encourages the readers to build their own farm without owning a huge amount of land. Everything you need to know about farming is here. From building the proper shed, having the right tools and even recycling and upcycling things that can be both benefitial to you and the environment. This book is like killing two birds with one stone, not only do you have a new hobby but it also help you turn into a much healthier and greener way of living. Automatic 5 stars for me!

[Fränjelä Iënäh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book introduces basic and new ideas about small lot farming ang gardening. Various ways of planting and taking care of your plants. It can either provide you food or can beautify your yard. I picked up this book to take my gardening to the next level and broaden knowledge about gardening.

[Anthony N. Luarez Jr. · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It can be your farming bible. If you are looking for a new hobby and though you don’t have a green thumb, this book can guide you. Plants are not just ornaments. We can save money and maximize your resources if you love mini farming and gardening. This is my stress-reliver and the harvest time is my reward.

[Hestia Selin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book covers almost every aspect of backyard gardening. This is a decent informative read if you're looking for all the stuff you can do. It's an excellent book for a beginner who wants to provide her family with a natural garden of vegetables and fruits, as well as raise animals for food, such as chickens. Reading the book was a pleasure for me. It's a well-thought-out strategy for getting started. I recommend it to anyone who is new to self-sufficiency or needs assistance getting started.

[Kimmie Camerino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you want to learn about pure farming or you want to start your own green business, this book is for you. It will help and guide you with the basic things that you need, market research, finance, and marketing strategy. Creating your own garden at home or in your free space can help you establish your own organic gardening which has numerous benefits.

[Scotty Voltaire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this book we are given the opportunity to learn how to make a sustainable backyard farming. Really enjoyed reading this book! Mini Farming for beginners is truly a great reference to the farming lifestyle. Highly recommend book.

[Cathy Malubay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I grew up in a rural community. When I was in high school we transferred to an urbanized city so there was no chance to plant since that’s my childhood hobby. Since the pandemic, we were able to purchase seedling and young plants and fertilizers nearby. I was very excited for it’s bringing back my childhood memory. I searched some books to help me refresh my skills in planting and found this book about mini farming. I was able to grow my plants in plastic containers. Another, the key is to plan and execute it efficiently. The area doesn’t matter as long as you prepared and planned for it. Happy farming and enjoy the fruit of your labor. This book is beginner-friendly and you’ll learn a lot.

[Shiela Latag · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book taught me a lot about how to start mini farming. It is well written and has lots of useful information included. I have already put some of the ideas in this book into place. I recommend this book.

[Julius Brigades · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found useful information for my home gardening, I really appreciate the choices for raised gardening which recognized that I wasn't going to till enormous, long beds. This is well worth the purchase!

[Karl Angelo Gil · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has a lot of excellent tips on building and maintaining a mini farm. As a beginner, the steps outlined in this book were very practical and helpful for me. I highly recommend it.

[Theodore Hurts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've already read your book about beekeepping I might add this mini farming in my venture it might harmonize with the beekeeping and generate additional income for my family.

[Romelyn Castro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, I've enjoyed reading this interesting book. It really guides the reader in venturing to farming starting from considering the space you have, to growing the mini farm that has been started and even to preserving the food. Every chapter is loaded of information that I won't regret reading this book in an hour. Since the pandemic has brought so much anxiety in our being, farming can be used to release the stress we're feeling.

[Leley Guiwo-guiwo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Building a mini-farm in your backyard is an immensely beneficial and lucrative activity. Not only does it help you grow a self-sufficient food supply, but it also promote sustainability and is eco-friendly.

After reading this book, a light blinked on my head. And I said, aha! this book is a friendly reminder that I can make a mini eco-friendly farm that I can use for my own good and also can produce a small entrepreneur in this idea. This book so amazing because it will help you to have an idea of what you can do in your small backyard.

[Jefferson Baniqued De Guzman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a student stuck in this lockdown I tend to find other extra activities and this is farming with the help of this book I immediately have a good grasp on farming . Thanks for this more power.

[Tony Simon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Since the lockdown started I always seek for other form of income and then I stumble in this book as I read it I found out that their is a potential of income in a little amount of land to start with. THank you Author for the information.

[Lyra Jhoana Marapao · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You have a huge backyard but cant benefit from it at all? Transform it into a farm and start gardening! This book will guide you in doing that.
This book is very informative as it leads you with the considerations before you begin your farming. This book will also help you in creating an effective and beautiful structure of your space. It wont be just a backyard anymore! How exciting right?
You can consider it as your hobby and you are earning at the same time. Who would have thought that this book can help you improve your place? This book is really amazing!
The author must be very proud because of contributing something in a way to improve one's life.

[Revi James · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's fantastic that the author wrote a simple, but important book like this one. I like how he proposed farming in a way that is accessible to anybody who wants to operate a simple and productive farm in a place you don't always use - your backyard! It outlines valuable knowledge ranging from various planting and raising approaches, to space management, and the benefits farming provides to one's health and the environment. Pest control is also provided. The greatest part is that you have a choice in anything and will enjoy the fruits of your labor. I should start my own farm now too!

[Joshua Montesino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Looking for more feasible living, a natural nursery, yet don't have a clue where to begin, longing for eating vegetables and less processed food varieties? The answer lies in your patio. Regardless of whether you live on a little parcel in the city or a land parcel outside town, there's a great deal to profit by having your own backyard farm, but in order to do these things you must learn first the basic skills in farming and this book will help you with that.

After reading the book, get ready to be astonished at the amount you can fill in a little territory utilizing the most recent backyard farming strategies. Consider beginning with a raised bed, or even an assortment of compartment plants. Everything necessary is a little imagination to exchange your exclusive standards and watch your nursery become rich with delightful plants.

[Maria Clarissa Navarro · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book will teach you everything you need to know about mini-farming, from the planning stage to building your first equipment sheds and fences plus even raised bed gardening.

Both beginners and those who have experience with gardening or farming will benefit!

You'll learn step-by-step how to grow all kinds of vegetable. It will also guide us to how to prepare our garden before we build it. How or what are standards to be performed in building a vegetable garden.

[Kyla Labastida · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think this book helped us to become more active and careful of farming. This benefited a lot especially to those people like me who wants to have their own farm or who has a lots of love and care in it as my father has a own farm in province. You can learn from this book all you need to do from the small thing to a big thing for you to have a mini farm on your backyard. Also this book will help those people who don't afford to buy a different vegetables and fruits and they can do more in farming especially in this time of pandemic. I've really really enjoyed this book and it's so interesting to read.