5 Ways to Create Wealth In Your Back Yard

1. Icelandic Sheep

The triple-purpose Icelandic sheep is a livestock dynamo—capable of providing meat, milk and wool. Joanne Dunlap, who raises Icelandic sheep in Northern Maine and serves as secretary for the Icelandic Sheep Breeders of North America, keeps a small flock (8-10 during winter months) says a good sheep will give her 2.5 lbs of wool every year. "I have so much wool I don't know what to do with it," she says. The sheep may provide upwards of 33 gallons of milk a year. _PM

For less than $1,000 you can have the makings of your own small scale sheep ranch. The Scots, Kiwis, and Icelanders can't be all wrong.

2. Laying Hens

A small flock of laying hens can easily meet a family's egg requirements. Cathy Payne, a self-proclaimed "chicken lady" who tends a backyard flock of 14 hens in her backyard in Virginia, says a "primo, optimum hen lays one egg every 23 hours." She also points out that pastured chickens, those allowed to wander outdoors, produce "unbelievably flavorful eggs" that are more nutritious (higher levels of omega-3 and folic acids) than those from conventionally raised birds.

In addition to collecting eggs, Payne also harvests her birds' droppings for use as fertilizer in her garden. And because they'll eat just about anything, she also uses her flock as a sort of living garbage disposal. _PM

Are you keeping count? So far, your milk, eggs, meat, wool, and fertiliser requirements are taken care of. Let's see, what else?

3. Honey Bees

With a beehive at full capacity, the yield for a beekeeper is remarkably bounteous. Working throughout the summer, tens of thousands of honeybees in one backyard hive can produce up to 100 lbs of honey. Andrea Azarm, who keeps an apiary in her backyard in Connecticut, says, "When the bees do well, the products are absolutely wonderful." In addition to the honey crop, Azram also harvests beeswax, which can be used to make moustache wax, lip balm and candles. __PM

Honey is a great sweetener, with a lot of quick energy. Beeswax candles are nice on those long winter nights when the power is out from an EMP.

4. Nigerian Dwarf Goats

Nigerian dwarfs usually weigh about 70 lbs, stand less than 2 feet tall, and are thus easier to handle and require less space than larger goat breeds do. In spite of their diminutive stature, the Nigerian dwarf goat produces between 1-3 quarts of milk each day. Alexandra Burmeister has raised Nigerian dwarfs on a small central Texas farm for three years, and says the breed is ideal for goat-raising newcomers or those with space constraints.

The milk the goats produce is rich, sweet and high in butterfat—6-10 percent. Extra milk can be used to make goat cheese or produce natural soaps. Though small and principally used for its dairy production, the Nigerian dwarfs grow chubby, making them a viable source of meat as well. __PM

Okay, the milk, cheese, and meat sounds fine, but what if my Nigerian goats don't get along with my Icelandic sheep? Having both seems somewhat redundant.

5. River Buffalo

... the river buffalo doesn't require lush, fertile grasses to produce great quantities of rich and creamy milk with a butterfat content of 8-9 percent. __PM

Hmmm. This sounds like more than a backyard project. And since I already have enough milk from the sheep and / or goats, I'll pass on the buffalo.

I'm surprised the PM article didn't mention dwarf cattle, which are much closer to back yard size than river buffalo. Other pint-sized livestock projects might include rabbits, miniature pigs, or midget turkeys.

Remember, the more food you grow on the hoof in your own backyard, the less susceptible you will be should the transportation system break down for one reason or another.

H/T Instapundit