How to Conduct a “Resources Inventory” and Create a Digital/Printed Asset Map for Your Homestead

A successful homestead doesn’t begin with a flurry of activity, but with a season of quiet observation and documentation. Conducting a comprehensive Resources Inventory and translating it into a clear Asset Map is the single most strategic step you can take. This process transforms vague plans into a powerful, actionable blueprint for resilience and productivity.

Step 1: The Mindset Shift: See Everything as a Resource
Start by viewing your land through a lens of potential. A “resource” is anything that can be leveraged for your homestead’s health and function. This includes the obvious—soil, water, structures, and trees—but also extends to sunlight patterns, wind corridors, natural slopes for water drainage, existing wildlife habitats, and even piles of stones or fallen timber. Your skills, tools, and local community networks are also vital intangible assets to catalog.

Step 2: The Systematic Inventory: Walk, Observe, Record
Arm yourself with a notebook, camera, and a simple base map (a satellite printout or hand-drawn sketch). Walk your property methodically, season by season if possible, and document everything in a structured list.

• Land & Geology: Note topography, slopes, soil types (clay, sand, loam), rock outcroppings, and erosion areas.
• Water: Document all sources: wells, ponds, streams, runoff patterns, and drainage issues. Test water quality if needed.
• Structures & Infrastructure: List buildings, sheds, fences, water lines, electrical systems, and their conditions.
• Biology: Inventory trees (species, health, yield), perennial plants, wildlife (beneficial and pest), forage areas, and microclimates.
• Sun & Wind: Chart the path of the sun across seasons to identify full-sun, partial-shade, and full-shade zones. Note prevailing wind directions for siting windbreaks or turbines.

Step 3: Create Your Asset Map: From List to Visual Strategy
This is where your inventory becomes a strategic tool. You can create both a digital map and a printed master.

• Digital Mapping: Use free tools like Google Earth or dedicated apps (e.g., FarmOS, Planimeter) to create layered maps. Overlay your inventory data onto a satellite image. Create separate layers for water, structures, vegetation, and zones. Digital maps are easy to update and share.
• Printed Map: For a tangible, field-ready version, print your base satellite image on large-format paper. Use transparent overlay sheets or a legend of symbols and colors to hand-draw your assets. This map lives in your homestead binder, immune to dead batteries.

Your final Asset Map is a living document. It reveals connections and opportunities—the perfect sunny, sloped spot for a future orchard; the natural swale that could be enhanced for water harvesting; the cluster of sheds that could become a dedicated workshop zone. By knowing exactly what you have, you can plan effectively, waste less, and build a truly resilient homestead, one documented asset at a time.