7QT: Urban Homesteading Edition

1. We have chickens! Blogosphere, meet Bertie, Gussie, and Chuffy:

One day old, heading home

Named for characters in PG Wodehouse novels, these little ladies are living up to their literary titles and already have big personalities. Chuffy (brown) is a Speckled Sussex and clearly at the top of the pecking order. Until I met Chuffy I had no idea that a day old chick could have such an air of authority. Notice her coming right up to the camera and demanding an explanation for the new cramped quarters. Bertie (black) is an Australorp with frenetic energy and a bit of an attitude. Neither Bertie nor Chuffy likes to be held, but where Chuffy mostly squawks offendedly when I pick her up, Bertie moves quickly and with purpose and is hard to catch. And then there's Gussie. Sweet Gussie is a Buff Orpington who tags along behind the other two and is quickly becoming the family favorite. I've wanted a Buff Orpington ever since I heard that such a fantastically named breed existed, and Gussie has not disappointed!

The chicks were going to stay in a brooder in the garage, but I discovered a very active mouse living in the wall and since the chicks need round-the-clock access to food and we couldn't figure out how to keep the mouse from entering the brooder, we settled last minute on a spot on the front porch.

Sprout is as interested in the new pets as his short attention span will allow. We make him touch them gently and put the kibosh on "helping them fly" so he gets bored pretty quickly. Poppy is enthralled, and the one time she managed to grab Gussie it took some convincing to make her let go again!

Inspecting the future home and practicing chicken skillz

2. The garden is coming along nicely. Gardening is my favorite, and patience is not my strong suit, so I tend to plant early and cross my fingers, and for the most part this plan has worked.

 

For the most part the edibles and ornamentals are still separate, but this year I'm experimenting with combinations of perennials, annuals, and vegetables in one of the in-ground gardens (inspired in part by this book), while the raised beds are reserved for vegetables and herbs.


3. The coop will eventually be moved next to our garage, just around the corner from the rain barrel and the compost bin. Looking at that corner makes me feel like quite the urban farmer!

Under construction

Eric constructed the compost bin and we add kitchen scraps year round. In the summer we mix it just before mowing, and then fill it with lawn clippings and let the heat break down what's underneath. We repeat that cycle all summer and last fall I added 30 gallons of compost to our garden beds, and an additional 15 gallons this spring! 

4. Urban homesteading and backyard chickens are trendy right now, and similar to trends such as mindfulness and meditation, living local and eating whole foods, they are rooted in very basic human necessities. Silence, prayer, community, nutrition; recognizing both our place in order Creation, and our call to stewardship over it.

However, in order for "old truths" to be palatable to modern consumers they need to be wrapped in a progressive guise. And so we aren't going backwards and rediscovering what modern man forgot in his rush towards a "better life" - our decision to grow our food in the backyard is original and revolutionary.

Limited social commentary aside, Eric and I actually are trying to "go backwards" in a sense. We are looking around, trying to remember what the modern world has tried so hard to forget, and slowly learning how to implement those practices in our daily life. Rather than pining for the good old days, we are hoping to learn from the wisdom of our elders. The world looks and acts different, but truth is still unchanging.

5. On Memorial Day we had planned on grilling, but given the heat wave that was upon us, settled for a lighter meal and I headed out to the garden to put together a spring salad. Just getting to dig and plant and weed and tend is glorious to me - to then be able to feed my family with the produce is the icing on the cake. I added new radishes and the radish tops, mixed some fresh dill with cream cheese, and served home cured salmon (courtesy of Like Mother Like Daughter) with Ikea rye crackers. We're practically living off the land ;)

6. Last year I canned for the first time, and it was delightful to be able to pull out a jar of pickles or peach jam in the middle of a grey winter day for a little taste of summer. I experimented a bit with dehydrating and freezing peppers and herbs, and over the winter got a taste (pun intended) for what I would actually use, so as not to put too much effort into future compost. This year I am hoping to do a bit more all around, and put more effort into preserving herbs in oil and vinegar.

Not too shabby for a first timer!

7. I am quite proud of my garden, but it's often hard for me to say that out-loud. I've already brushed off several compliments this year, and I need to work on accepting praise graciously, and learn to be more honest in sharing not only my pride but also the joy that the garden brings me.

It's been a struggle to balance my desire to be constantly puttering about the yard with my obligations to home and family, and with not feeling resentful when tasks are interrupted. I want to find that balance so that I can more effectively pass on to my children the skills, values, virtues, and joy inherent in tending to God's good and bountiful Earth!

Find more quick takes here!