Where the Backyard Sustainability Movement Started
Hillside Market was created for the person who has always dreamed of a backyard that grows food for their family, but didn't know where to start, didn't feel confident enough, or simply needed someone to show them a clear path forward.
That's exactly what we do. Through step-by-step DIY building guides, supporting resources, and a community of 19,000+ backyard growers, we are here to give you everything you need to build with confidence. No experience required!
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How Our Guides Build the Future of Food Independence
our story
It All Started in Carolynne's Backyard
In 2020, when grocery store shelves were emptying and food security became a very real concern, Carolynne made a decision. She wanted to grow real food for her family in her own backyard.
The first step was a greenhouse. But what she found was prefabricated greenhouses, overpriced, poorly built, and frankly, ugly. So she designed and built her own. She called it The Petunia and it changed everything.
It was more than a greenhouse, it was a movement.
The Education Behind It
Carolynne didn't come to this by accident. Growing up in rural Alberta, fishing, trapping, hunting, and living close to the land. This lifestyle is part of her roots. Paired with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Alberta and five years as a Crop Advisor, she brings a depth of real knowledge to every build, every guide, and every piece of advice she shares.
This isn't a hobby. It's a lifestyle backed by education, shaped by experience, and proven in her own backyard.
The Builds
The Petunia was just the beginning. What followed was a collection of 23 step-by-step DIY building guides. Every guide comes with detailed building plans, a done-for-you materials list, supporting resources, and access to the Hillside Hub community. No experience required. Just the drive to build something you're proud of.
The mission hasn't changed, but it's grown. Today, Hillside Market is home to a community of 19,000+ backyard builders, a growing guide library, and the newly launched Yardstead Society! An online space for those ready to take their homestead journey even further.
This is just the beginning. And we'd love for you to be part of what comes next.
OUR JOURNEY FROM THE BEGINNING
Our journey started with our first greenhouse build, the Petunia.
We reached our first major achievement and opened our Etsy store with our first DIY Guide of the Petunia.
Our store started to grow and we added 2 new guides.
We built our website and officially started selling on our own store.
We expanded to a library of 10+ DIY building guides.
We released a collaborative magazine collection called The Hillsider Magazine.
We expanded our collection again, now with a library of 20+ DIY building guides.
We launched an online collaborative resource bundle called the Homesteading Bundle.
We launched the final edition of our collaborative magazine collection, The Hillsider Magazine.
We officially incorporated.
I quit my full time job to invest everything into The Hillside Market.
Launched something entirely new, the Hillside retro Hear Collection.
Released all DIY guides in printed copies.
We trademarked Hillside Market.
We have launched our online community resource space, the Yardstead Society and are continuing to grow.
now it's your turn
One Mission. One Community. One Backyard at a Time
We believe that every backyard has the potential to feed a family, build confidence, and create a life that feels more intentional. That belief is behind every guide we've written, our growing community, and every milestone on that timeline.
Hillside Market was built to give you everything you need to get there. The plans, the resources, the community, and someone who has walked every step of this journey before you and has the foundation and the path to guide you through to success.
This is a movement.
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