If you’re interested in starting an urban homestead – an island of self-sufficiency in the big city — catalogs from garden seed companies will be a regular part of your print diet. There are many kinds of free seed catalogs available – and you should grab as many as you can.

Wherever people live, more and more of us are trying to grow more of what we eat – both as a lifestyle choice and, let’s face it, as an economic necessity. Getting a few free catalogs from garden seed companies is a good way to start an urban homestead.

Talk to a few of your neighbors who have succumbed to the gardening fever by the gardening fever. Their enthusiasm will be contagious – that’s a very health infection! — and they’ll probably be willing to share a few free seed catalogs with you. They could probably give you advice as to where you can find free seed catalogs of your own – local home and garden shops, gardening co-ops, grocery stores, and so on. Many free catalogs from garden seed companies can be downloaded from the Web, or ordered from seed merchants via e-mail.

The best way to build a self-supporting farm of any size is to select non-hybrid, non-GMO heirloom bulk seeds; many garden seed companies specialize in organic seeds of this kind. Preserved in their purity from a time prior to widespread use of pesticides and herbicides, heirloom bulk seeds aren’t the product of genetic tinkering by some well-meaning corporate scientist. They can be collected and re-used for generations without diminished yield or nutritional benefit. And, most importantly, they grow into food that actually tastes like food, with full-bodied flavor, delectable texture, and full-spectrum nutritional benefits.

Next time you’re at the local farmer’s market, or chatting with a friend who’s a gardening enthusiast, ask about any garden seed companies that might offer free seeds. The chances are pretty good that you’ll find somebody interested in helping you take the first steps toward food independence.