NYC Homestead

If all goes well, in two weeks my husband and I will be the proud owners of 54.81 glorious acres in Pond Eddy, NY. Fifty-four plus acres of... trees and rocks. There's no house, cabin or shed, electricity or plumbing. There's not even a fully cleared acre. We've decided to devote the next five to ten years of our lives to slowly clearing and shaping our land inch by inch. We've also decided that we should keep our day jobs and work at paying off our principal as quickly as possible so that when we are ready to start the farm and B&B we're dreaming of we won't be drowning under the weight of debt.

While we may be running off to our land every chance we get, we will continue living here in our current "homestead": a teeny, tiny apartment in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan located a mere avenue away from the lights and chaos of Times Square.

Last year my husband and I spent 3 months living and working on organic farms in California and we came back with a new appreciation for simple living. We experienced the satisfaction of a lifestyle that is not only connected to the earth, but to oneself and the things one is capable of creating with their own two hands. When we first came back to NYC we went through withdrawal. Again: we live in a teeny, tiny apartment outside of TIMES SQUARE. We don't have a backyard for a garden or chickens; we're not even supposed to put pots out on the fire escape.

I have seen so many websites and articles that equate "green living" with consumerism and purchasing eco-friendly products. What I haven't seen enough of are websites detailing simple DIY steps anyone can take to bring their own two hands back into the picture; it's this notion of self-sufficiency that lies at the heart of a green lifestyle. I am not trying to say that I live off of the grid or even that I am an expert homesteader. I'm just a girl who wants to share a few tips, and hopefully get a few back in response.