The Art of Quilting by the West Ladies of Tennessee

With warmth, hospitality, and southern charm, the West ladies offer great insight, encouragement, and a joyful picture of family unity. Their unique and creative DVDs are sure to provide fun skills that will inspire families to work together, learn together, and enjoy homesteading skills.

Pre-order your copy THE ART OF QUILTING from our urban homestead shoppe today!

Oh man, love that treadle sewing machine (I want one - wonder if there's any here LA?)  Quilting is another project,  as are many re-skilling ones, I hope to cross off my to do list.

Don't forget we offer the entire HOMESTEAD BLESSING collection Peddlers Wagon.com

These DVD make great gifts.

Homestead Blessings Collection Three -

The Art of Dairy Delights

The Art of Cooking

and The Art of Sewing

Homestead Blessings Collection Two -

The Art of Canning

The Art of Gardening

The Art of  Growing Herbs

Homestead Blessings Collection One -

The Art of Bread Making

The Art of Candle Making

The Art of Soap Making,

Don't forget to browse the online wagon and stock up on supplies for your homestead

The guy love wearing caps -- it's a must in their urban farmer apparel.  Um, that and camos.  Farmer Justin digs camo's and for a down and dirty guy camos make a lot of sense - you can wear dirty clothes and not look dirty (saves on laundry and water). Yep, Farmer J is one practical guy!    Oh, yeah right.  We were talking about caps. Well, you see, Grandpa wore 'em.   Like father, like son, like grandson.

So when we had these caps embroidered with the new logo, folks kept coming up and wanting one for themselves.

Well, now you can order your very own stylish khaki cotton twill cap with hunter green Path to Freedom logo.

They are now in stock,   ( BUY NOW )

Remember I said we don't have cable....

Yeah, well even Fairlght's got her own cap.  Little bit of farm girl meets home girl.

Look at the diva. Actually the diva has a bit of a beauty problem.  Yep, even goats are subject to skin disasters and need some pampering just like humans.

Actually she could use a bball cap these days.

You see, now that it's "spring" she got, um, winter itch.  It's better now (we applied some natural oils to soothe her dry skin)  But in the meantime she has a wee lil bald patch on the top of her head!

If you do meet Fairlight, just forget we ever mentioned it.  This is just between us you know.

She's rather embarrassed over the whole thing.

With warmth, hospitality, and southern charm, the West ladies offer great insight, encouragement, and a joyful picture of family unity. Their unique and creative DVDs are sure to provide fun skills that will inspire families to work together, learn together, and enjoy homesteading skills.

Their down-home Appalachian style and beautiful harmonies are music to the ears. And their obvious love for family and home is truly a blessing. - Review from Old Schoolhouse Magazine

New! Homestead Blessings Collection Three -

All available on now on PeddlersWagon.com

The Art of Dairy Delights

The Art of Cooking

and The Art of Sewing

Homestead Blessings Collection Two -

The Art of Canning

The Art of Gardening

The Art of  Growing Herbs

Homestead Blessings Collection One -

The Art of Bread Making

The Art of Candle Making

The Art of Soap Making,

Don't forget to browse the online wagon and stock up on supplies for your homestead

And if this song doesn't put you into a planting mood - spring is just around the corner!

Nothing says 'I love you' better than homegrown veggies

There's a slew of photos from last weeks work and happenings here on the urban homestead (from cheese making to brewing a spring garden tonic with weeds) in queue but first I liked to take some time remind folks that spring is just around the corner and you know what that means!

Seeds, Goods & Supplies

Over 90% of the vegetables we grow here at our little farm in the city are featured and sold on our online store FreedomSeeds.org (it's our first year so are aware that the variates are limited but, hey, it's a start!)

In addition our other online store PeddlersWagon.com carries goods and supplies for the modern day urban homesteader featuring items that we actually own and use around our urban homestead.

Some of the best selling items this year are the handy dandy Soil Blocks, 2010 Growing by the Moon Calendars, the sturdy Wire Vegetable Basket and Ollas - clay pottery that drips!

Though it's just a wee wagon full of goods I am sure there's something useful that you could use.

Purchases made through these stores goes directly into the non profit to continue to keep this site online and our outreach growing.

Show your "lovin''" appreciation by supporting this site (count the ways)

Thank you all.

Upcoming Engagement

This Tues, Feb 9 (7:30 PM) Jules Dervaes will be giving a presentation at the OC Fair Grounds.

Check our online calendar for details.

Hope to see you there!

It's been awhile but with the holiday's coming up I figured it was a good time as any to remind our readers how they can keep dispatches coming from the urban homestead via Little Homestead in the City (which is still by far the best, oldest and most comprehensive site/blog on urban homesteading if I may say so myself!)

I mean, over your morning cuppa, you wouldn't want to miss luscious garden photos, lip smacking meals or read about the crazy antics of our critters.  Not to mention some super cool projects that we hope to tackle in what we hope is the foreseeable future.  Justin has gotten raising fish stuck in his noggin!

Not to mention the (what's in store) improvements to the main Urban Homestead website (there's more stuff in the pipeline I assure you)

Pretty soon we'll see our 10 year anniversary online (gasp - please excuse me while I step away from the computer, mutter a silent scream, throw up my arms and shake my head in disbelief, ok I'm back)  and site and outreach growing!  So if you have found this site helpful, please consider supporting our non profit work --- there's a few easy ways you can help - visit our SUPPORT page to learn the details.

Fa la la la la.....

As we approaching the gift giving season please consider supporting this site so that we can take our work to the next level.

Suggested Gifts

from our online store....

Gardening by the Moon Calendar - 2010 are now in stock!

Metal Water Bottles

Homestead Blessings by the West Ladies DVD on canning, soap making, and more

Solar Ovens

Homegrown Revolution DVD

Trowel

Soil Block Maker

Wire Vegetable Basket

Kitchen Composter

To Go Ware

A slew of Kitchen Supplies & Low Impact Gadgets

Canning Kit

Soap Making Kit

and much, much more!

Giving Thanks

Field hand appreciation for your support this month from  EG $25, LM $5, MM $5, JH $10, LE $10

And a most hearty appreciation and thank you to those of you who supported and contributed in 2009.  We are extremely blessed and grateful for your support.

Ok, the "pledge break is over" (for now) stay tuned for more photos and musing from the urban homestead.

Now that your summer garden maybe overflowing with fruits and veggies check out our online store for all your urban homestead supplies preservation supplies

New on the wagon is Ball's FRESH PRESERVING KIT which contains all the essentials for you to start canning your garden's bounty.

"For someone who has never canned by herself before (and only "helped" can as a small child) this kit was a must have. I've already made tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes and am looking forward to making applesauce next weekend. The recipe book is great and it's wonderful not to have to hunt around for the right tools. Love it!"
by Jennifer Wadsworth

What a great review, JW, thank you!  Sounds like you really put your kit to work making delicious goodies.

Now, I will throw my two cents in.  Here on the urban homestead we really rely on our Ball water bath canner (two as a matter of fact) and Ball Book of Canning - it's a great, easy to read resource for all our canning efforts.

Food security at home

Old is new again.  Seems like more and more people are following in grandmother's footsteps and bringing back a revival of canning efforts.  Kitchens across the country are becoming battle grounds in homegrown revolutionaries efforts to eat closer to home and in season.

Preserving Time in a Bottle (or a Jar)   NY TIMES

The Art of Canning: A How-To  CIVIL EATS

Also

The West ladies are back - Jasmine, CeCe, Vicki, and Hannah - with three exciting new instructional and inspirational DVDs. The Art of Canning, The Art of Gardening, and the Art of Herbs are fun-filled programs that include homemaking skills presented in an educational and entertaining three DVD set.

The southern charm and hospitality of the West ladies will welcome you into this beautifully-photographed High Definition broadcast-quality series that audiences around the world have come to love so much. These three fun and useful DVDs will help to complement numerous homemaking endeavors

Pre Order the The Homestead Blessings Collection Two - ART OF CANNING DVD

Note: Pre-orders are expected to ship on approximately mid August

All profits from our online store purchases goes towards supporting this and our network of sites.  So if you need something for your urban homestead please consider Peddler's Wagon

Plant Pottery that Works

Ollas this season have been flying off the shelves (virtually speaking)  Good news is that the 1.5 and 1 gallons are back in stock so stock up while supplies last.  What's even better is we are getting returning customers who are wanting more for their garden and they have nothing but good reviews over using clay pot irrigation in their garden.

Other hot items are the soil blocks, hanging solar food dryers and the canning kits (temporarily out of stock and we'll be getting another batch at the end of June and just in time for your preservation efforts)

Order $50 and get a chance to win a 3 DVD collection of HOMESTEAD BLESSINGS (one more drawing to go!)

Guess what! There's ONE more sets to give away and we are only 25 more tickets away from announcing a third winner!!!

Here's how to enter and help support LHITC at the same time.

Guess what!  There's two more sets to give away and we are only three more tickets away from announcing a second winner!!!

Here's how to enter and help support LHITC at the same time.

Here on the urban homestead we have very few gardening tools.  We have our basic hand powered tools: shovels, rakes, shears, soil blocker, clippers and trowel.

The most used gardening tool here on the PTF urban homestead is the simple garden trowel.   After going through several cheap and flimsy trowels, Farmer D found a sturdy stainless steal one for a reasonable price way back in January 2003.  Ever since that time, this trusty trowel has been Farmer D's constant companion helping on all of his gardening and homesteading rounds.   This trowel has been everywhere and made its national debut in the Homegrown Revolution  video in 2007 and more recently the Mother Earth News article and the film's new website, DVD cover and tee shirts

Our trowel came in very handy around the homestead for transplanting countless plants, turning over the beds, etc., and was used for just about everything around here, including a hammer and a crow bar for moving concrete!

Here is the latest picture of the old trowel and the new one. As you can see, the old trowel has been worn down 1/2" from all the use!

Happy to say that after many close calls and  nearly losing the trowel over the years,  the original homegrown trowel has been officially retired!  The new one at least is easily spotted among any green vegetation!

Anyways, the guys finally located the trowel and a source to purchase some new ones after searching for a while.  Now you can start your very own one trowel revolution, get the trowel that started it all at PeddlersWagon.com

:: Field Hand Appreciation :: DR $100.  Thank you very much for your generous support.

Oh and I also want to say thank you, all 250 or more of you, who requested our seed list.  I am thrilled to know that we have some many readers.  One thing good to come out of all this is at least we now know your names.   Certainly makes this blog more personable.  Well, to me, at least.