True Confessions of An Urban Homesteader

Lately I've been feeling a bit less than in the urban homesteading department.  We've had rain for almost a month solid, and aside from the 17 things we have planted not much is going on around the urban homestead yet this spring.  We don't really get to have fun in the garden here until around April due to our lengthy Northern Coast rainy season.  So today as I was feeling somewhat like an urban homesteading loser I came across this awesome post by Half Acre Homestead titled "At What Point Am I Real?"  Her post pretty much sums up the conundrum we as urban homesteaders can face when surrounded by the multitude of urban homesteaders, all trying to live self sufficiently.  It can be overwhelming, let's face it!  Being the main admin for the Take Back Urban Home-steading(s) page I'm inundated by hundreds if not thousands of incredible urban homesteaders every day on line through blogs, web pages, articles, etc. and it's both amazing and terrifying at times.  While I love all of the new ideas and information I'm amassing I have to be careful not to end up on "urban homestead overload."

This is our second season here on the homestead, and even though Ron has worked in horticulture since high school and has a green thumb the size of New York we're still figuring out what grows well here, how to grow it, what not to grow, and on and on.  We just got chickens, so we're obviously newbie urban homesteaders.  I'm finally coming to the revelation that urban homesteading is not a race, but a slow steady individual process.  Changing a person's lifestyle takes time, especially if you're going to do it right.  Some people take to it quickly and within a few months are transformed into urban homesteading super heros gardening, canning, raising chickens and spinning their own organic threads and fibers over night, while others, (like us), take a few years adding slowly to our urban homesteading repitoire over time.

  

I think one of the important things to consider when doing urban homesteading is priorities.  For us growing our own greens was at the top of the list, so we started our garden as soon as possible.  We live close to the bay and our soil was sandy and extremely nutrient deficient.  Last year our garden was the main focus, so any extra time we had went there.  This year it's chickens, and between building the coop and raising 6 little hens we have our hands full.  Some of our future goals include:  bee keeping, aqua culture, water catchment system, soap making, fiber spinning and the list goes on!  Since there are so many possibilities I think it's a good idea to make up a "urban homesteading planning" list.  If you prioritize your interests from "must haves" to "can wait" the process becomes a lot less daunting and you can actually get something done.  You should buy the books, find your favorite blogs and websites, and see them as resources for your individual lifestyle, but don't feel like you have to do everything at once.  If you start to feel too overwhelmed take a step back and look at what is the most important to you, then focus on that.

Here is my long and short lists of our urban homesteading priorities, and the "have done" "in process" and "to do's."

Done:
(garden)
pallet compost bins (2)
raised beds (9)
compost rich soil for raised beds
veggies growing/planted (14)
fruit trees (3)
blue berry bushes (5)
strawberries
raspberries
herb garden
chickens (6)
bunny (1)
frogs (imported to our pond)
wild birds (new to our property
since we planted flowers)

(home)
bread making
cooking with veggies/herbs
freezing
sewing
knitting/crochet/quilting

In Process Now:
chicken coop
green house

To Do This Spring/Summer:
(garden)
fruit trees (2-3)
rain catchment & irrigation system

(home)
canning
soap/shampoo making/bath salts

To Do (Future):
(garden)
aqua culture
bat box
bees

(home)
drying
spinning
dying fabric
  

So what are your top urban homesteading priorities?

What Kids Reap

When we first talked about having our own garden the main benefits we saw were sustainability, health, cost saving, etc.  Though these have definitely been major benefits we've reaped from having an urban homestead one of the things I didn't realize would be such an amazing plus is the experience our kids would have.  From the first time we planted our kids have been observing the process, absorbing everything, and loving every minute of it.  Urban homesteading has become a life style for the entire family.  It's been a great way for us to spend quality family time together on weekends.  Our week days are full of school, commuting, dance lessons, and the typically too full American work week.  But when the rains subside and we're all home we head out to the garden together and unwind from the busyness of it all.  There is nothing like working together as a family to complete a task, especially when the result is beneficial to everyone.

Our daughter loves the animals and is our little "mother hen" to the chicks  When I get up in the morning she is holding one on her lap, then when she gets home from school or dance class she heads straight to the chick's box and picks up Henrietta.  She makes sure the chicks, bunny, cats, and wild birds are all fed and watered every day.  It's teaching her responsibility and consistency, and she's learning to reap the rewards of her labors, which is so important for kids.  I think she's most happy when she's with the animals which is truly a wonderful thing.

Our little guy loves being in the garden, even when it's freezing cold and raining.  He loves watering, always has.  Yesterday he was using rainwater to water his strawberry plants and he asked me to take pictures of him.  He knows which veggies are sprouting, which have been planted, and where everything is in the garden.  He's also learning to help dad build things out on the homestead.  Yesterday he and Ron were working on the coop, yes, we're still not done with it.  We got him his own shovel, tool box and gardening tools so he can get plenty of things done out there.  He's always asking what he can do to help, and whatever he does is executed with much boy gusto!

The other day I made mention of getting a goat and my daughter said, "Mom, do we really need more animals out in the yard?!"  I know at times a 12 year old can't help but wonder why her parents are so crazy about gardening and livestock, but at least when she grows up she will be able to grow her own garden and understand what sustainable living is in a tangible way.

So how have your kids benefited from having an urban homestead? 

Humboldt County Seed and Plant Exchange

Today we headed out into the rainy weather for the annual Humboldt County Seed and Plant Exchange.  What is more fun for an urban homesteader than loads of people, seeds, plants, and Blue Grass?  We showed up for the last 45 minutes and people were still pouring in, grabbing seeds and plants and having a grand time.  There were educational tables, food and books as well.  I love this kind of community event, education, and sharing.

There were loads of bean and herb seeds.

Seeds!

There were so many people it was hard to squeeze into a spot for seeds, and this was right at the end!

A guy had a huge book table on topics from gardening to veganism.  Good thing I didn't have any money...I would have bought out the farm!

Dread lock blue grass and plants, only in Humboldt!

Some graduate students were giving away Baker Creek Heirloom seeds, and other heirloom seeds as part of their senior project.  We are supposed to bring back the seeds the plants produce for the next seed exchange...how cool is that?!

Urban Homesteader's Action Day

Tomorrow is our third urban homesteader's action day.  We're attempting to finish signing a petition to the Dervaes Institute to cancel the trademarks on the words Urban Homestead and Urban Homesteading.  We have 1829 signatures and need 2000, so if you haven't done so yet please head on over and sign!  Let's show the world that we are more than just a handful of bloggers upset about the trademarks.  We are a large community of urban homesteaders who will continue to fight for what is rightfully ours.  Go urban homesteaders!

On the Kitchen Table

The other day I realized our reading material is urban homestead/farm/sustainable living focused these days.  We ordered The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City  a few weeks back after the whole urban homestead TM controversy came out.  It's a great read and I'd recommend it to beginning through advanced urban homesteaders.  It's the go to "hand book" for urban homesteading.  I've been getting Real Simple for months now and it's a fabulous sustainable living resource as well as chocked full of organizational advice which any mom can benefit from.  Whenever I feel like I'm in need of some organization I grab a Real Simple.  We've been drooling over the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds magazine Ron picked up at work the other day.  Their website touts them as "America's top source for pure heirloom seeds."  Spring is around the corner and with the arrival of the chicks I thought this repro Little Golden Book Baby Farm Animals would be perfect for our little guy.  The illustrations are delightful and it's a good beginning reader.  

So what urban homesteading reads are on your kitchen table?

Happy St. Patrick's Day Garden Style

In honor of St. Patty's Day I snapped some green themed garden pics.  As an artist I find beauty in the garden all year long, even in the midst of frigid rainy weather.  This time of year the flowers are starting to peek up through the earth and I'm seeing splashes of color here and there.  The starts are growing and some of the seeds are sprouting in the garden.  Spring is right around the corner finally even though it's grey, cold, and wet out.  I hope you enjoy this "green" tour through my mid March garden.  Happy St. Patty's Day!

Chick Update

Lately the big happening on our urban homestead is the arrival of our chicks.  Yes we have things sprouting up and Ron's been out getting the garden ready for spring, building the coop, (when it isn't raining which has been a rare day), and trimming the trees, but these chicks are stealing the lime light big time.  When the kids get home from school both of them immediately grab one and it seems that one of them is always holding one.  I had no idea how much fun they would have with the chicks.  It makes me happy to no end seeing them with these little pets.  My daughter is gentle and very motherly with them, and the little guy is gentle with them too, although at times a bit unpredictable so I have to watch him like a hawk.  As you can see in the pic below this is one very happy little boy.

The larger chicks are two weeks old now and they look huge!  They're a bit less easy to hold now, but the kids still find a way.  Ron put a bunch of dirt and sticks in the bottom of their box and they're very happy little chicks in there.  They scratch and peck non stop and make happy little sounds.  Ron says, "They feel like real chickens now."  I'm wondering how long they will let the kids hold them.  Time will tell how long they will put up with being grabbed day in and day out.  It seems like the Cuckoo Marans are more tame than the Buff Orpingtons at this point.    

Last weekend we picked up two new additions, aren't they adorable?!  The one on the right is a Ameraucano and she is super tame and mellow.  We're all in love with her, putting it mildly.  The other one is a Black Orpinton and isn't quite as tame.  She's incredibly loud and the kids have named her "Peeper."  

The chicks had an outing last week to pre-school.  The teachers set up this little barn yard fence for them, talk about adorable.  The kids loved them and I plan to bring one back once they're bigger.  So, that's the update here on the Alexander urban homestead!  What's going on over at your place?