Designing A 3/4 Of An Acre Homestead Layout

NAVIGATION

Hi, I’m Ryan

Farming my backyard for vegetables, fruit, honey, and eggs is a project I’ve gradually expanded and refined over the past decade. Throughout this process, I’ve learned the dos and don’ts of designing a 3/4-acre homestead layout that provides for my needs while staying small and low-maintenance.

There’s just something so satisfying about growing my own food in my backyard. Learning how to make the maximize space, like on this ¾-acre homestead layout, is one of my favorite accomplishments to date.

Even in a confined space, raising chickens and growing crops on my own land has brought a new level of sufficiency and confidence into my life.

Homesteading on this small of a layout, though, does require a high level of creativity and intentionality with design and placement. If you’re wondering about the feasibility of farming your backyard, I’ll fill you in on all the ups and downs of a mini homesteading life.

3/4-Acre Homestead Layout

While I find it satisfying, farming a 3/4-acre homestead is a lot of work. That said, I firmly believe that if you enjoy being outside, working with different types of animals, and connecting with nature, you’ll be up for the challenge. Honestly, the biggest hurdle is figuring out where to start. Thankfully, I’ve taken care of that for you by drawing up a guide of the layout and features you can realistically expect to fit on your 0.75-acre homestead.

With this layout, you’ll have room for your main house, 12 raised 4’x8’ garden beds, a chicken coop, nine fruit trees, two beehives, one goat pen, three compost bins, a storage shed, and a driveway.

You could comfortably raise 20 chickens and 20 goats, give or take a few depending on the square footage you decide to dedicate to their pens and pastures.

With a homestead of this size, you have some wiggle room for raising small livestock like chickens, ducks, bees, and goats.

You’ll need to limit the different types of animals to the space allotted for pens, coops, and hives, and you’ll also need to limit the number of animals to keep the space functional, manageable, and healthy for your livestock.

How Much Will A 3/4-Acre Homestead Produce?

A 3/4-acre homestead can feasibly produce thousands of pounds of food and milk per year. Here are some ideas of what to expect and how to use your space.

What Three Quarters Of An Acre Homestead Can Produce

Main HouseKeep your living space small and designate spaces for potted indoor herbs.
Raised Beds12 raised 4’x8’ beds will produce around one to two pounds per square foot for a harvest of 380 to 760 pounds in a year.
Chicken CoopYour number of chickens will depend on the size of your coop and run. A 10’x10’ run could comfortably keep eight to 10 chickens, which in turn could produce up to 2,000 eggs a year if you have the right breeds and conditions. If you’re wanting more chickens, adjust the size of your coop and run.
Fruit TreesNine fruit trees could yield approximately 1,350 to 2,700 pounds of fruit in a year.
BeehivesWith two beehives, you’ll be able to produce an average of 60 to 120 pounds of honey per year.
Goat PenThe amount of milk your goats will produce in a year will depend on how many you have and what breeds they are, but you should be able to comfortably count on upwards of 200 gallons of milk per goat per year.
CompostYour compost bin can help feed your garden and your chickens to keep your homestead self-sufficient, but the output will depend on how many people are in the household and how many fresh foods they consume.
Storage ShedIt’s hard to run a homestead without the proper tools and equipment. Storing these necessary items in a sturdy shed will protect them from the elements and keep everything running efficiently.

Why A 3/4 Acre Site Is The Perfect Size For Your Homestead

If your dream is to use your own backyard to become as self-sustaining as possible like I did, a 0.75-acre homestead will work perfectly. Homesteading is all about using your instincts and ingenuity to work with what you’ve got, and I’ve successfully homesteaded a property as small as 0.1 acres. All that to say, don’t be discouraged with the size of your farm, and instead use my layout design to start growing your own vegetable gardens, raising your own animals, and providing your household with fresh, nutritious fruits, veggies, and more.

Is 3/4 Of An Acre Enough For A Homestead To Farm?

Farming with a three-quarters of an acre homestead design isn’t only possible, it’s cost effective and, frankly, a great use of your outdoor space. I’ve never met anyone who regretted putting their backyard to use in this way or who wished they hadn’t learned life skills like how to grow their own food.

Becoming at least partially self-sufficient is an amazing feeling, and one that has motivated me to keep moving towards a simple lifestyle. That said, if your 0.75 acres is in an urban or suburban area, make sure to check with your local guidelines for things like what livestock you’re permitted to raise before getting started.

What Are The Dimensions Of 3/4 Of An Acre?

Your 0.75 acres is a total of 32,670 square feet of precious real estate. This works out to approximately 127 feet by 257 feet. With this amount of space, you’ll want to follow my diagram pretty closely, strategically placing your gardens and livestock for a well-functioning homestead.

How Do You Lay Out A 3/4-Acre Homestead?

As you get ready to start measuring and building, take a look at my design side by side with a picture of your own property layout. I’d advise following my setup as much as possible, but your plot of land will be slightly different from mine. Make some adjustments on paper to account for the terrain and usability of your land before you start staking out your homesteading areas.

Here’s What I’ve Done

A tiny home that took up minimal acreage.
Open driveway
384 sq. ft. of raised bed gardening space
9 fruit trees
1 storage shed
Composting bin
2 beehives
Chicken coop and run
5 chickens (which later grew to 20 chickens)
Goat pen with 10 goats

How Big Should A Homestead Garden Be?

On your 0.75-acre homestead, keep your garden under 400 square feet. I love breaking this growing space up into easy-to-build, easy-to-maintain raised garden beds. I use three 2×4 boards (two full-length and one halved) to build these quickly at 4 feet by 8 feet.

How Many Fruit Trees Should You Plant On 3/4 Of An Acre?

Nine fruit trees is a great number for your mini orchard in your 0.75-acre backyard. You can have a few more or a few less depending on your food priorities.

How Many Berry Bushes Should You Plant On 3/4 Of An Acre?

If you want to choose a slightly faster fruit-growing option than fruit trees, planting two to three berry bushes per member of your household should be plenty of berries for your family. The nice thing about bushes is that you should have room for a few extra if you’d like to freeze or dehydrate your excess fruits, use them as gifts, or sell them for a little extra cash.

Fencing Your 3/4 Of An Acre

Regardless of what material you choose for your homestead fence, I would definitely opt for building one around your property to keep predators out and livestock in. Check into what fencing material is ideal for your local weather and soil conditions before you get started.

What Animals Can You Have On A 3/4-Acre Hobby Farm?

You can have small animals on a 3/4-acre hobby farm. If you’re a big animal lover, fight the impulse to try squeezing cows or horses onto your mini farm. Stick with small, low-maintenance livestock like goats, chickens, ducks, or bees. You’ll thank me later.

Raising Chickens On A 3/4-Acre Farm

If you’re going to start with just one type of livestock, I’d recommend starting with chickens. They’re about as low-maintenance as you can get, plus they’ll help peck up bugs and pests, provide fertilizer for your garden, lay a good amount of eggs, and even till the soil in your garden beds if you use a chicken tractor or moveable chicken coop.

Why Raise Ducks On A 3/4-Acre Farm?

Ducks are known to be even more docile than chickens and lay more eggs than chickens, so they really are a great choice in their own right. The thing about raising ducks, though, is they need a water source such as a small pond or pool to keep them happy and healthy. So whether or not you want to raise ducks will depend on the practicality of that in your landscape.

Raising Bees On 3/4 Of An Acre

Bees are ideal on a small farm like a 0.75-acre homestead because beehives take up very little space yet can produce a good amount of honey to provide a natural sweetener for your household all year long. On the downside, bees and their hives require some maintenance and monitoring, and you’ll have to take safety precautions as well.

Raising Goats On A 3/4-Acre Homestead

Goats are the largest livestock I would recommend raising on a homestead of this size, and I would start small with just two or three kids. You can always build your little herd as you feel comfortable given your size and time limitations, but there’s no need to rush into it.

Is 3/4 Of An Acre Enough Space To Grow Your Own Food?

Believe it or not, I’ve grown my own food on less space than 3/4 of an acre, so it really is possible. As long as you go into this enterprise with realistic expectations, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at exactly how much of your family’s food you’re able to provide from your own backyard.

How Much Food Can You Grow On A ¾-Acre Farm?

Your ¾-acre farm could produce thousands of pounds worth of food and milk in a year. The exact numbers will depend on types of produce, number and types of livestock, and innumerable weather and circumstantial conditions, so I can’t give you anywhere near an exact prediction. That said, here is an educated estimate on how much would be reasonable to expect annually.

Estimated Harvest From A ¾-Acre Homestead With This Layout

600 pounds of vegetables
400 cartons of chicken eggs
2,000 gallons of goat milk
2,000 pounds of fruit
90 pounds of honey

Can ¾ Of An Acre Of Land Sustain One Person?

Yes, 3/4 of an acre of land is enough to sustain one person fairly comfortably, with a harvest large enough to barter excess for foods beyond the homestead. If you want to live completely off your land, your diet might need to be somewhat limited, but it is possible.

Is 3/4 Of An Acre Enough To Feed A Family Of 4?

While 0.75 acres might be enough to feed two resourceful people, a family of four would definitely need to supplement their homegrown food on a homestead of this size. If you have several people in your household, look at your homestead as a means of cutting costs, living healthier, and supplying a large portion of your own food.

Can You Be Off Grid On A 3/4-Acre Homestead?

You can live off grid on 0.75 acres if your local area permits disconnecting from the water and electric grid. If you are urban or suburban, you will most likely run into restrictions around these things, but you are still free to limit your usage and get creative in going as far off the grid as you can.

Is 3/4 Of An Acre Enough For An Off-Grid Homestead?

As far as space goes, 3/4 of an acre is technically enough for an off-grid homestead, but you will need to decide if you want to reallocate space in the layout I’ve provided in order to fit things like an outdoor bathroom and shower.

Is 3/4 Of An Acre Enough To Be Self-Sufficient?

Yes and no — 3/4 of an acre is enough to be self-sufficient if your family size is two or less. You’ll still have some dietary limitations, but it’s technically possible. No matter your household size, I truly believe you’ll find the process of working toward greater self-sufficiency and food independence to be rewarding.

How Many Solar Panels Needed To Power Your Homestead?

For every 1,000 square feet of living space or powered working space, you will need 10 to 12 solar panels. Another variable to consider here is how much electricity your household generally uses, and if there are ways you can cut back on your power usage.

Can A 3/4-Acre Homestead Be Profitable?

This will depend on your ultimate goal with your small homestead. If your plan is to live as fully self-sustaining as possible, you will only have a small amount of excess to sell. Still, if your family doesn’t eat much honey, selling it can be fairly lucrative — especially once you’ve built a customer base.

You now have all the planning tools you need to get started turning your backyard into a productive homestead. Remember to consult this 3/4-acre homestead layout as you begin designing and building a mini farm of your own.

Your Turn!

How much are you or others you know willing to pay for local honey?
How do you involve your family or friends in your homesteading adventures?

By Ryan Mitchell on October 6, 2023 / Homesteading / Leave a comment

Tags: Homestead Layout, Land