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sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - july/august 2011 - urban-farms - backyard homesteads: honey, i shrunk the farm

Backyard Homesteads: Honey, I Shrunk the Farm

Photography by Lori Eanes | Captions by Della Watson

Heidi Kooy adapted to San Francisco's hilly topography by constructing a terraced farm. Her two goats and four chickens live in an enclosed pen on the bottom level of the 25-by-40-foot backyard. Establishing her farmstead hasn't been a carefree experiment: Early on, she lost several birds to a respiratory illness. She chronicled her tear-filled first experience killing a sick bird on her blog. San Francisco's climate has offered challenges as well, but Kooy has learned that kale thrives in the cool, foggy city.