1) The document discusses L.Silva's plans for an integrated backyard homestead in Escanaba, Michigan. L.Silva currently has four 8x8 box gardens and wants to expand. 2) L.Silva created notecards to plan out the elements of the backyard homestead, starting with 15 cards but expanding to 42 cards organized into categories of structure, food, and animals. 3) The structure category includes plans for a barn, shed, barrels to collect snow for water. The food category separates annuals like potatoes, peppers, kale from perennials like berries, fruit trees. Animals planned include dogs, chickens, goats, a barn cat, and alpac

1. Emerging Patterns
Jon Brand
May 22, 2015
L.Silva – Integrated Backyard Homesteading

2. Background
• I am living in Holland,
Michigan at the moment.
• I hope to move up to the
Upper Peninsula and live in
Escanaba.
• Right now I have four 8x8
box gardens, I am excited to
truly expand and make my
goals come alive.

3. Initial Thoughts
Before I began my assignment, I realized that this is something I
had already started to do in a notebook. However, I had to
focus more on the backyard homestead instead of the actual
farm I would like to someday have.

4. Skimming the Surface
When I wrote out my thoughts
onto cards, I realized that I was
having a hard time not
narrowing down my thoughts
into elements. I was not
actually diving down into the
roots but simply skimming the
surface with my thoughts.
I ended up with a tiny little list

5. Digging Deeper
I then focused more on pin
pointing specifics. My 15
notecards turned into 42.
I broke up my cards into 3
catagories.
-Structure
-Food
-Animals

6. Structure
• Structures had included
things like:
-Barn
-Shed
-Barrels
- Farmhouse
The barn would be necessary
to allow homing for the
animals that I would like for
the homestead.

7. Structure Cont.
• I would also like a
collection of barrels.
The hope would be that
because the Upper
Peninsula snows more
often than not, that I
could collect snow, turn
the snow into water,
and use that water for
plants.

8. Food
• Food was another
category that held many
of my elements.
• I was actually able to
break up my food into
two groups:
-Annuals
-Perennials

9. Food Cont.
Annuals
Annuals had a much larger list
• Potatoes
• Peppers
• Onion
• Kale
• Beets
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Basil
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Parsnip
• Eggplant
Perennials
• Berries
– Grapes
– Strawberries
• Fruit Trees
– Pears
– Apples
– Peaches

10. Food Cont.
• Many of the foods listed can be dehydrated and
used later.
• The food can also be used in combinations. I
enjoy making salsas and many of the things I
grow can be placed into salsa.
• Potatoes are my favorite thing to grow and the
Upper Peninsula actually favors growing
potatoes.
• I could use the beets for sugar instead of having
to buy my own sugar. It is healthier and cost
effective.

11. Animals
• The animals that I
would like are: 2 collies,
chickens, goats, barn
cat, and alpacas.
• I would like to use the
goats for dairy and the
alpacas for their fleece.
The chickens laying eggs
would also be
beneficial.

12. Final Thoughts
• After putting the cards together I noticed that
many of my ideas can be turned into obtainable
goals. All of these ideas and goals will eventually
lead to a bigger goal of having my own farm that
can produce enough for the local town.
• All of these ideas can be inter-connected. More
so, I noticed that I am somebody who primarily
focuses on food production and on trying to be
sustainable.

13. Final Thoughts Cont.
• I had created cards that had “future farm” or
“open land” but right now, those are out of
place. I am not prepared for that and by
beginning in my own backyard, I can move
closer and closer to that end goal.