NAVIGATION
Homestead Layout
Homestead Size
Designing Layout
Animals To Raise
What Can Grow
Be Self-Sufficient
Hi, I’m Ryan
I like to keep things simple. Simplifying my life led me to build a tiny home and become a minimalist, but simplifying my food and expenses led me to design a homestead that could be self-sustaining. This 7 acre homestead layout can help you do the same.
Getting back to the basics has become a recurring theme in my life over the past decade, and few things have felt more fulfilling to me than working a self-sustaining homestead, which I’ve modeled my 7 acre homestead layout after.
When I started farming on my own land, I first created a purposeful design to make sure my homestead would run smoothly and efficiently. There’s nothing lazy about homesteading, but if you put a lot of your effort into the planning stage, you’ll make less work for yourself later on.
7 Acre Homestead Layout
In case you’re worried about the work involved in setting up your 7 acre homestead layout, I’d like to encourage you with a study done by the Washington Post, which reported that farmers (and agricultural workers) have the highest level of happiness and meaning in their lives and in their work, while also maintaining the lowest level of stress of any other industry.
So, yes, homesteading is a lot of work. But it is some of the most rewarding work you can do.
If you use this homestead blueprint, you’ll be able to strategically design your property to run as simply and smoothly as possible. Following this diagram will help you set aside space for four different types of livestock, an orchard, some ground-level garden plots, even more raised bed gardens, a barn, a woodshed, around 22 solar panels, and a large compost bin.
Once you’ve mapped out how this design will look on your own land, you can play with the sizes and the numbers to suit your own needs, but I recommend around five to six ground level 10×10 gardens, 30 raised 4×8 garden beds, and anywhere from 40 to 60 fruit trees.
These numbers should leave you with plenty of room for a large goat pen for up to 40 goats, a decent duck pond for anywhere from 20 to 30 ducks, a chicken coop with room for a large flock of 45 or more chickens, a pig pen for up to 25 pigs, and as many beehives as you’re able to take care of.
Designing Your Homestead Layout
How Much Will A 7 Acre Homestead Produce?
Your 7 acre homestead layout will be able to produce around 20,000 lbs of produce in a good year. Here’s a breakdown of what you can reasonably expect.
Production Projections for 7 Acres
- Main HouseYou have enough land for a roomy home, but consider having a sunroom for growing indoor herbs.
- Raised GardensThirty raised 4×8 beds will produce around 1 to 2 lbs per square foot for a harvest of 960 to 1,920 lbs of produce in a 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.
- Orchard / BeehivesEach beehive will be able to produce an average of 60 to 100 lbs of honey per year, and with 50 fruit trees, you could also harvest anywhere from 7,500 to 15,000 lbs of fruit in a 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 count on an average of over 200 gallons of milk per goat every year.
- BarnA barn can store your feed, hay, and farm equipment to keep everything you need for your homestead safe from animals and the elements.
- Pig PenPigs don’t move around a lot, so they don’t require a lot of space and you can own as many as you’re willing to feed and care for. Just for reference, 25 pigs that weigh around 250 lbs would yield about 3,000 lbs of meat.
- Chicken CoopFour hundred square feet of coop space could comfortably keep 45 chickens, which in turn could produce up to 940 cartons of eggs in a year if you have the right breeds and conditions.
- Duck PondKeeping in mind that you’ll need to allow at least 10 square feet of run space per duck and also have an uncrowded pond, you could feasibly raise between 20 to 30 ducks, which could add up to 750 cartons of duck eggs per year.
- CropsFive to six 10×10 ground-level gardens can easily produce around 800 to 1,200 lbs of vegetables in a year.
- Solar ArrayTwenty-two solar panels can power a decent amount of space, but if your home, garage, and powered working space combines to over 2,200 square feet, you may need a few more depending on your level of power usage.
- WoodshedIf you’re planning on using wood for a firepit or a heat source, you’ll need a place to shelter it from the elements. The size of your shed will depend on the amount of wood you’ll need for the season.
Why A 7 Acres Is The Perfect Size For Your Homestead
The layout I’ve provided will help paint a picture in your mind of what your future homestead can be and how well a purposeful plan and design can work in the grand scheme of getting your homestead operational.
Is 7 Acres Enough For A Farm?
A 7 acre homestead design is more than enough space for a farm where you can grow all of your own food and be as self-sufficient as you want to be. Some people just want to enjoy working their land, eating homegrown foods, and saving some money on their food budgets. Others dream of complete self-sufficiency and autonomy. Both lifestyles are possible with this property size.
What Are The Dimensions Of 7 Acres?
When you’re laying out your homestead, you’ll have 304,920 square feet of land to work with at approximately 390 by 780 feet. I’ve worked a homestead as small as 0.1 acres, so 7 acres is a fantastic amount of space, believe me.
How Do You Lay Out A 7 Acre Homestead?
After studying my layout for a 7 acre homestead, apply the general setup and dimensions to your own land, making adjustments and personalizing as you go. It’s helpful to use some stakes and/or string to mark your property and help you visualize where everything on your new homestead is going to be.
Keep in mind that solar panels should stay fairly close to the house to ensure their effectiveness. No homestead is a cookie-cutter version of anyone else’s, but here is a closer look at what I’ve done personally with my own land.
Here’s What I’ve Done
- A small home with a large driveway
- A compost bin with worms
- Chicken coop and run with 20 chickens
- 10 solar panels to power my tiny home
- Lots of fruit trees to help create my favorite recipes
- Maple, oak, and dogwood trees for shade & privacy
- Predominantly raised garden beds (4×8 feet)
- Indoor herbs for fresh and dried use
How Big Should A Homestead Garden Be?
With a homestead layout for 7 acres, your entire garden space (ground level and raised beds included), should be under 1,600 square feet, unless you want to create more growing space by cutting back on your fruit or livestock options. Your compost pile should also be large enough to supply you with the fertilizer you need for your garden soil.
How Many Fruit Trees Should You Plant On 7 Acres?
This 7 acre homestead design will give you enough room for up to 60 fruit trees. These trees will be a longer-term investment in your homestead’s production and sustainability, so keep that in mind when choosing an exact number. The types of trees you’ll choose will depend on what grows well in your area and what your fruit preferences are, but I personally love apple and pear trees.
How Many Berry Bushes Should You Plant On 7 Acres?
Vining berries like blueberries would love to grow along your homestead fence, while currants and gooseberries don’t tolerate the sun very well and will want some shaded areas close to a structure or some trees.
Fencing Your 7 Acres
Building a fence around your homestead is a wise decision because it can help to keep predators out and livestock in. You’ll want to choose fencing materials based on your soil conditions and terrain, so do some digging — literally — to find what’s best.
What Animals Can You Have On a 7 Acre Hobby Farm?
Small to medium livestock are still best on a 7 acre farm, even though you’ve got quite a bit of space. Poultry, bees, goats, and pigs are all great options that won’t take up all of your growing space while still contributing greatly to your food production.
Always Start With Chickens
Chickens are one of the easiest, least expensive options when you’re just getting started. They’re also handy little creatures who can peck up unwanted bugs, aerate your garden soil, and fertilize your gardens.
Ducks Are A Great Second Option
Surprisingly, ducks are known to lay more eggs than chickens, and they’re remarkably docile birds as well. The only reason I still prefer starting with chickens is that ducks need a body of water to thrive, and not everyone has a pond to start with.
Adding a duck pond when you’re able is a great addition to any property, inviting more life onto your homestead in the form of bug-eating frogs and maybe even an occasional turtle.
Raising Bees Takes Up Hardly Any Space
Beehives don’t take up a lot of real estate, but their bees can still produce hundreds of pounds of honey for you while pollinating your fruit trees and flowers. Once you learn how to care for them, the process is fairly simple, but they do require some monitoring.
The Pros And Cons Of Raising Goats
While goat milk isn’t as popular as cow milk, goats take up a lot less room than cows and they’re easier to care for, so in my opinion they’re well worth the investment. They also make very cute weed-eaters, and if you’re into making your own cosmetics, goat milk does make for some good lotions, soaps, and lip balms that you could use, gift, and sell.
Pigs Really Don’t Take That Much Room
Pigs aren’t known for being very small (unless we’re talking miniature pigs), but they also aren’t the most active creatures. For that reason, you can raise hundreds of pounds of meat in a fairly small space. Pigs are also known for being easy to care for — if they’re fed and have plenty of fresh straw to root around in, they’re pretty much happy.
Is 7 Acres Really Enough Space To Grow Your Own Food?
In case you still don’t believe me, a 7 acre homestead layout is enough space to feed several people for the year. If you follow my blueprint, you’ll be supplied with all the vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk, honey, and meat you could want, and you could even choose to grow some poultry for meat (like Cornish hens) for some variety in your protein.
How Much Food Can You Grow On A 7 Acre Farm?
We’ve looked at different ranges of how much food you could expect to grow on your 7 acre farm, but here’s a more succinct breakdown of the numbers you could feasibly work toward. Keep in mind, I can’t ever guarantee your outcomes, as pests and weather conditions like droughts can severely affect your plants and animals.
Estimated Harvest From A 7 Acre Homestead With This Layout
- 2,400 lbs of vegetables
- 940 cartons of chicken eggs
- 750 cartons of duck eggs
- 3,000 gallons of goat milk
- 10,000 lbs of fruit
- 450 lbs of honey
- 3,000 lbs of meat
Is 7 Acres Of Land Enough To Be Self-Sufficient?
Even though some produce will need to be sold to cover expenses, 7 acres of land is enough for a moderately sized household to be self-sufficient. You might be surprised how well your land can meet your needs when you add in your own creativity and some marketing skills.
Can 7 Acres Of Land Sustain One Person?
I’m often asked about how many acres of land one person needs to be self-sustaining, and the obvious answer here is that 7 acres is more than enough to sustain one person. If you’re farming this square footage on your own, you’ll be able to sell the bulk of your produce for profit.
Is 7 Acres Of Land Enough To Feed A Family Of Four?
Yes, 7 acres of land is definitely enough to feed a family of four. With a household of this size, you’ll still have plenty leftover to make a profit, as 7 acres is honestly enough to sustain around eight to nine people fairly comfortably.
Can You Be Off Grid On A 7 Acre Homestead?
A 7 acre homestead layout is plenty of space for an off-grid homestead. You’ll have lots of privacy and space to spare for setting up everything you’ll need to substitute for traditional plumbing and electric.
Is 7 Acres Of Land Enough For An Off-Grid Homestead?
A homestead layout for 7 acres is spacious enough for an off-grid homesteadas long as your land is predominantly usable. When you’re in the planning stage, think about everything you will need in order to have suitable irrigation, septic solutions, and power.
When you’re not just hooking into your local water and electric, there will be extra costs involved and extra space needed to make all of these things happen, but many find the benefits of essentially unplugging their entire homestead and going for complete self-sustainability to be worth these changes.
How Many Solar Panels Needed To Power Your Homestead?
A good rule to follow with solar panels is to have 10 to 12 per 1,000 square feet of living space (or other powered spaces). For a homestead layout of 7 acres, 22 panels would power a moderate house and garage, and they might stretch to power your barn and any outhouses needed for an off-grid homestead.
If you’re powering multiple buildings that are spread out over your acreage, you might also consider having multiple clusters of solar panels in different locations to create some power hubs.
Is A 7 Acre Homestead Worth The Investment?
At the end of the day, I believe a 7 acre homestead is worth the investment because it will ultimately pay you back by supplying the majority of your food with some income on the side. That said, it’s important to consider costs and returns when you’re starting a big venture, so let’s look at some things to keep in mind.
How Much Does It Cost To Start A 7 Acre Homestead?
The cost for a building a 7 acre homestead will vary depending on your location and your building materials of choice. My best advice here is just to focus on one thing at a time. Once you have your land and your house, start with something like chickens.
A chicken coop doesn’t have to be pretty, and you can use scrap wood if you have it, but just build something to get yourself started for now. You’ll probably spend under $50 for five to 10 little chicks, and once they start laying and helping to pay for themselves, move onto another project.
Cost Considerations When Building A 7 Acre Homestead
- Land
- Building materials
- Possible hired help
- Tools and equipment
- Seeds, plants, bushes, and trees
- Livestock
- Continued maintenance
- Animal feed and care
Can A 7 Acre Homestead Be Profitable?
Feeling more confident in your homesteading abilities now that you’ve gotten some answers? Use this tested 7 acre homestead layout, and pick a starting place to reach your homesteading goals.
Your Turn!
- What are some ways that growing your own food has simplified your life?
- Why is the hard work of farming your land worth it to you?
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