Hi, I’m Shauna Bowden, and I’m excited to share my homesteading lifestyle with you! My husband and I purchased our 0.43-acre home in the fall of 1996. Built in 1951, our home started with just 846 square feet, a finished basement, and a tiny, unusable garage. But with a small house sitting at the front of a long, narrow lot, we had a HUGE backyard full of potential—and we were eager to make the most of it.

Over the past 29 years, we have transformed our space into a functional and sustainable homestead. We repurposed old bedding sheds into a dog kennel, tool & storage shed, and moved the garden to a better location. We’ve added a 20’x30’ chicken coop with a run, a firepit, a sandbox, an outdoor cooking area (complete with a dedicated shed for equipment), four apple trees, and another shed for our camping gear.

Looking ahead to 2025, we have exciting plans! We’ll be building an outdoor pavilion with an attached kitchen and transitioning our garden from traditional rows to raised beds. Countless hours of research have gone into these projects, and through my experiences, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge about homesteading in a suburban setting.

Now, I want to help others do the same! Whether you’re looking to start small or fully embrace the homesteading lifestyle, I’m here to share tips, insights, and inspiration to turn your suburban home into your very own mini homestead.

Let’s grow, build, and create together!