I've been experimenting with different layouts for a 5-acre homestead using a real piece of property as a design exercise.
The property is mostly cleared, with an existing house, driveway, and a few scattered trees. There's quite a bit of usable space, so I'm trying to figure out how to make the most of it.
Here's what I've included so far:
- Vegetable garden and greenhouse
- Orchard with around 20–30 fruit trees
- Chicken coop and run
- Barn/workshop
- Small pasture for livestock
- Pond for irrigation and recreation
- Room for future expansion
My goal is to create something that's productive, relatively easy to maintain, and enjoyable to live on.
I'm particularly interested in how experienced homesteaders would arrange everything. Should the garden be closer to the house? Is the pond taking up too much valuable land? Would you dedicate more space to pasture or food production?
If this were your 5 acres, what would you change?
I'd especially love to hear from people who've been homesteading for years. What layout decisions did you get right, and what do you wish you'd done differently?
by rbprepin
3 Comments
I might move the pond to the bottom left corner. Seems like the water runs that way.
My first suggestion would be to look at what you want to produce in general, that might be based on what your diet typically consists of and what you can grow and or raise in your local climate. Another consideration would be to place the features that require the most input closest to the house to minimize excessive walking to maintain that project; picking herbs, feeding chickens, letting pigs out, etc.. Ponds are great for irrigation with a windmill or solar powered pump, are you planning on stocking it? Orchards and pond could be farthest away IMO. Have you thought about food preservation methods?
In your case, I’d make sure to remember that “perfect” is the enemy of “good/great”.
What program are you using by the way?
What software is this?