Denver homesteaders Heather and Terrance Grady get about 80% of their daily meals from their impressive harvest each summer.
The big picture: In a 2022 Homesteaders of America survey , roughly 40% of homesteaders reported adopting the lifestyle within the last three years.
Why it matters: People are leaning into more self-sufficient lifestyles in attempts to improve their health and make more eco-friendly choices.
Zoom in: Heather and Terrance started with a small vegetable garden and a few chickens back in 2017.
- Now they grow berries, herbs, 27 varieties of tomatoes and just about every vegetable you can think of, including 20 kinds of peppers and 12 different veggies. They have an orchard and a flower garden, too — all in their average-sized west Denver yard.
Photo: Courtesy of Heather Grady
What they’re saying: The community aspect of local homesteading exchanges, the joy of creating your own food and the fresh taste, “those are the things that keep us tethered to it,” Heather tells us.