Five Ways to Start Your Homestead

You have that itch. Not THAT itch, the other one. You want to be more sustainable. You want to grow your own food or reduce your carbon footprint or just stop having to buy that same stuff over and over and over again at the grocery store. Maybe the idea of dragging your kids to the Food Lion another time is enough to make you want to never ever leave the house again. Regardless of your reasons, you're interested in making a more sustainable home.

Today I'm going to go over FIVE fantastic ways to start your homestead. 

Managing your homestead, especially on a suburban scale, is really about reducing your input and your output. How can you eliminate unneeded things on both ends? I prefer to begin at the beginning. 

1. Use reusable items whenever possible.

This is paramount in controlling out input and output.The less you bring in means the less you send out and the more independent your home can be. From diapers to napkins to toilet paper - if it's reusable it comes in and doesn't go anywhere. In my home the disposable items we use are paper towels and toilet paper. Paper towels are strictly for cat puke and turkey bacon (how do you make turkey bacon without paper towels?!).

2. Food sources
Being able to produce your own food is huge towards being self reliant. The key thing is to ask yourself what you eat and if you can produce it yourself in the room that you have. Beets are fairly easy to grow but if no one in your house will eat them I wouldn't suggest putting them in. If you're an omnivore, producing your own food can involve gardening, chickens and meat production.
There is always room to grow something. My love of growing my own food started with two herb pots in my kitchen window. Putting small seeds into dirt and producing something tasty ignited a drive in me. No matter what your space is - whether it be a window or a fire escape or a corner of your yard - you can grow something.
Do you have room for chickens? I love my chickens so much I recommend everyone that can have them run out and get them right now. They're pets that make you breakfast. Reliable, low maintenance, relatively quiet and incredibly entertaining. While helpful, a rooster is not necessary for egg production and has many drawbacks in a suburban setting. They're incredibly loud and don't just crow in the morning. They crow ALL THE TIME. I just rehomed one because he was so loud. He would also walk along my fence line pestering people as they walked past my house. As keeping chickens regains popularity, it's becoming more common for them to be allowed in suburban settings. Check with your locality to see if they're allowed where you are.
Raising your own meat in your backyard is not as crazy as it sounds. The chickens we use for eggs can also be eventually processed for meat and rabbits are a solid option to also.

3. ENERGY!
According to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey done by the US Energy Information Administration, 48% of energy consumer by homes in the US in 2009 was for heating or cooling. You can make huge cuts in your home's energy consumption by taking small steps like adjusting your thermostat either higher or lower as the season allows, applying extra insulation to your windows or doors, and changing your air filters regularly. Appliances, lights, and water heating make up the rest of your energy usage. Making sure the lights get turned off and unplugging unused appliances may seem small but can add up big.
In addition to the simple steps, alternative forms of energy are becoming more available. There are now solar companies that will lease your roof. While you don't own your panels (at least initially) you may have the option to purchase them later and it still reduces your dependence on the grid. We have panels installed through Solar City and are planning to purchase our panels (at whatever their current market value is) in five years. There are also likely local companies that specialize in alternative energy or solar panels. Most states even offer tax breaks or grants to establish alterntive energy or heating/cooling systems residentially. For more information about Solar City and to find out if you qualify, click here. (this links to my referral page with Solar City. If you sign up from there I may receive a credit)

4. Find your people
You can't produce everything. You just can't. But you can produce some things and your neighbor can produce some things and yall can trade. Or you can find an awesome local farm that grows and mills wheat (because you sure can't grow that in your yard) and either buy it to support your local economy or barter some volunteer hours. Chances are there are people local to you that are also interested in living more independently and, as the saying goes, many hands make light the work.

5. Find your Mister.

I hate to use gendered pronouns but honestly, it's what I call him. He's my partner and my cheerleader. He's my, "Sure. Why not, babe?' Most importantly, he can build stuff. A partner, whether it be your significant other or just a friend that's also into this kind of crazy stuff, is so important. He's my sounding board and his skills complement mine so much. While us homesteader types tend to want to do everything ourselves (that's why we're here to begin with, right?) it's incredibly sanity saving to have someone to be in this with.

These are my five steps towards starting your homestead. These can be daunting but think of it as baby steps. This year you plant a few things in pots and cut out most paper products. Next year you look into solar panels. Start small so as not to get overwhelmed and once one thing is habit add something else on.
Where are you in your journey towards self reliance? What are your next steps? This year we got back into the chicken game with a new flock of laying hens. Next year we hope to branch into meat production with a few meat birds and maybe a rabbitry.

5 things I've learned about chickens

My ladies have been home for a little over a month now and it has been fun! I've learned a lot from them- about chickens themselves and about MY chickens. I've never been much of a pet person. I mean, I have three cats that are my little furry babies but let's face it, cats aren't too needy and they're more roommates than pets. So here it is. My top 5 things I've learned as a new chicken mama.

1. Chickens are FUNNY! Seriously. I've heard people talk about "Chicken TV" and it's true. The way they interact with one another, the way they do their little T-Rex run over when they think you have treats, the way they fuss at you if you get too close...they're hilarious. Some days I want to sit out there and watch them all day. Other days, not so much. On that note...

2.Chickens are pretty independent. Yes, for most flocks, you need to feed and water them daily. My chickens have a pretty nice sized run with lots of yummy bugs and some greens growing. If I want to leave them alone in there I can and they'll be fine if I don't refill their food immediately or change their water every.single.day. I'd never let it go much further than that but they don't require too much babysitting. By the way they run over when I come near one might think differently but really, they're just nosy.

3. Chickens form attachments and relationships. Word has it that chickens are dumb. I've heard that (and said it) and I'm sure you have too. I'm finding the opposite is true. They know me and the kids. They know who brings treats. They know when I come down and they're free ranging in the back that it's time to mosey into the run. They make friends with one another too. I have two inseparable Buff Orpingtons and two inseparable Easter Eggers. They're besties. If one looks up and the other is too far, they'll yell, "Hey, wait up!" and T-Rex run over there. When I first got them, all four were noisy as hell. After talking to the woman I got them from I found that their rooster was too. They were calling for each other. They missed their man and were trying to tell him where they were! I felt so bad for them but they got over it. Now they're only loud when they want to be let out.

4. Chickens get up EARLY. Yeah, I know. "Up with the chickens". I didn't realize this meant 6 am, every morning. Sometimes 6:20 but always the number 6 first. They want OUT. I lock them in the coop at night to keep them safe but the moment they see the sun they want to get to hunting and pecking. Now that I'm missing a bedroom window this is especially difficult to ignore, so up I get to let them out and then immediately back to bed. Nothing worthwhile happens at 6am.

6. Chickens look like dinosaurs.  Maybe this is a me thing, but they look like dinosaurs. It simultaneously freaks me out and fascinates me. I could so imagine these things as ginormous flesh eating beasts, stomping across the wilderness and fighting and stuff. Especially when they are tearing up some poor defenseless (yummy) worm or fighting over a chunk of pancake. Chickens love pancakes. The way they run reminds me of a T-Rex chasing down a torch wielding Jeff Goldblum. What's up evolution??

There are a few other things I've learned, like that having them eat out of your hand isn't the best idea (owch!) and that putting the compost in the run doesn't work the way you think it would (they throw it everywhere!) but those are my Top 5.
Do you keep chickens? Any advice for a novice such as myself? What has surprised you about your ladies?

Something's Been Eating Me...

Or really, something's been eating my garden!

I've been blaming the chickens. I let them out of their run in the evenings to free range in the back yard and figured they saw something tasty in there and went for it. My romaine plant is but a stalk and my bean plants have been nibbled down to the stems. Luckily, those are the only two things that it's been going for. I was able to deduce through incredible detective work and sleuthery (you know, like being a sleuth) that is was NOT the chickens that was in my garden. 

There was a bag of sunflower seeds that I'd left out and when I came back something had torn it open - but the chickens hadn't been out! So I'm brainstorming ways to catch whatever it is, or shield my yummy stuff from him/her and mention this to Mr. Brown. He cuts me off, "There's a groundhog". 

He's seen this thing for months and never told me! He smokes and I do not so he spends a bit more time outside quietly than I do. When I'm outside there's usually a show tune or two along with a running dialogue between myself, Georgia, and the chickens.
It seems this fella was here last summer too but we had a dog then. The dog would run the groundhog off when he got too close. The dog then ate everything in my garden. Dog's gone now!

So now the question is - how do I keep this rascal from ruining my harvest??

Potato and Chicken Frittata with Carmelized Onions.

Let me start this out by saying I am not The Pioneer Woman. I try to channel my girl, Ree, while I'm cooking but I can't take pictures like her. Her food looks amazing. My food looks amazing in real life but not so much in pictures. One day when I have lots of money I'll buy a fancy butt camera and take nice pictures but for now, well, just know it looks good in person.

So, now that that's out of the way, what do you do when your egg basket looks like this?

 

You make a delicious frittata for dinner!

It starts right here, with a beautiful, well seasoned cast iron pan. 

To this beautiful piece of culinary equipment we'll add 2-3 T of butter (NOT margarine, butter.)

Once the butter has melted, add one onion, chopped. You're going to cook the onion until it changes from the Before to the After pic. This should take about 10-15 minutes over medium heat.

Before

After

 

 

 

Meanwhile, peel and dice three potatoes. Three smallish potatoes are good. If you have larger ones, just one may be enough. These are the ones I used. 

They chopped up into this

 The onions should still be working at this point. 

Since those take a little bit, I like to get everything else ready. Once they're done the train gets moving and it's best if everything else is ready to go in the pan so you don't burn the garlic. Burnt garlic is gross.

Make sure whatever chicken you're using is shredded and ready for adding. I recommend about 2 cups.

Crack and beat your eggs. If you don't have a weirdo cheese hating husband put in 1 cup of mild cheddar.

Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic.

Figure out your spices.

I like some tarragon in it, along with salt, pepper and a little Old Bay.

Onions nice and caramelized? Add your garlic and your seasonings. 2 teaspoons Tarragon, generous salt, few cranks fresh pepper, 1 teaspoon Old Bay. Stir until you can start to smell the garlic. Then you're going to add your potatoes and chicken. Stir that around to combine. Make sure that everything is pretty evenly distributed. Imagine the horror of a chickenless bite!

Once you're set and happy with your chicken and potato distribution, pour your beaten eggs over the top.

Let this set up for a minute. This isn't going to cook on the stove top but you want the bottom to set up a little before you put it into the oven. You can tell when it's ready to go in the oven by the little steamy geyser holes that start to appear on the surface.

Once the holes appear, pop it in the oven and let it bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until it doesn't jiggle when you move the handle. 

Then slice it up!

This is a hit with my usually picky husband and daughter too!

 I always top mine with shredded cheddar. If you don't have a weirdo cheese hating husband your cheese will be inside already where it belongs. 

Frittata is pretty forgiving. I had a delicious one at my Blessingway for Little that had summer squash, tomato and spinach in it. 

Have you had or made frittata before? What's your favorite combination?

Just Another Day in Paradise

We’re getting into a kind of routine around the Brown-stead. Get up with Little and wake up Big. Let the chickens out and do their chores with Big and with Little on my back. Send Big in to get ready for school while I weed the garden and stand around looking at things and breathing.

Like my boots?

During the day I play with Little, bother the chickens, clean, cook, all that fun stuff.

Take pictures of our shoes…you know, the normal.

We eat dinner, I get Little to bed, Mr. Farmer Brown and I go close up chicken shop and watch something stupid on TV.
Big plays outside with her friends.
It’s simple. It’s suburban. It’s mundane and boring.
It’s paradise.

There are eggs in paradise, right?

The Necessity of Anonymity

The Necessity of Anonymity

They’re running from me.

Our chickens are here! My ladies are lovely, although terrified of us. We have 4 laying hens that are about 1 year old. Two Buff Orpingtons and Two Easter Eggers. It’s funny that the two pairs seem to follow each other around.

Buff Orpington

Unfortunately, the town that I live in does not share my infatuation with small scale homesteading or, specifically, chickens. When I inquired as to why, I was told noise. BOOOOO stupid town that I live in. Unfortunately, the town is run by elderly busy bodies with very little imagination that are pretty set in their ways. It’s unlikely that by going to the town I would change their mind, instead it would put their beady little eyes on me and everything I want to do. So, instead of going before the town saying pretty pretty please, we decided to do what we wanted on the land that we own. (Insert further rant about “THE MAN” here)

Big feeds a chicken

All of this hopefully explains my “Farmer Brown” alias and why my beautiful girls are called Big and Little. I know some bloggers make up names but I find it confusing, especially as a new reader.  I understand that this by now way guarantees anonymity and that anyone who truly wanted to know who I was could easily find out. However, it makes me feel better. Seems foolish to do something not allowed and then go on the internet spelling it out, right?
So please, if you know me, please refrain from using my name on here or my girls’ names. Also, my picture was drawn by a good friend, Christine DeRosa who is ridiculously talented, right?
My ladies need names. Any suggestions? Whenever I think of them I hear Beastie Boys in my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naf5uJYGoiU