Now that fall is just around the corner I can honestly say this was the COOLEST summer (ever), well, that I can remember. From June-August there were only two or three “really hot” weeks. So Cal gardeners, how did the cool summer affect your garden? Did you find it an easier or harder growing season?
On the homefront there’s a lot happening. Yeah, well guess it wouldn’t be normal if I didn’t say that everyone is busy. Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but tis a farm life. Fellow homesteaders would understand of even exhibit some of the symptoms! LOL
The little peepers are sure growing fast! They graduated from the kiddie pool to the big one last week and are eating greens.
“Momma duck” took the little peepers swimming today (under close supervision of course)! I know, you are saying, “but they are only 3-4 days all and that goes against all the stuff in books!” We are pretty radical in our approach to raising poultry
Khaki Campbell (a heritage breed) babies have arrived on the urban homestead. Khaki Campbell’s are an excellent duck breed for the urban homestead. Medium size, they are relatively quite, good layers (they don’t go broody) and are consider land ducks so all the need is a shallow tray of water to be happy.
We can’t sing the praises enough of clay pot irrigation, an ancient method of plant irrigation – considered the original drip irrigation system. And yes the ollas are 100% LEAD-FREE
On the food front… The figs are finally ripe so we devoured our first fig quesadilla of the season. I know, sounds odd but it’s soooo delicious!
For centuries every culture has been on a question for beauty but these days our obsession with beauty is proving not only to be toxic and deadly. Every year millions of woman get sick or die because of what they are putting on their skin and hair.
Though we haven’t posted much in the way of the ongoing impact our little film has had, we are happy to report that our homemade film is still growing strong.
Our short film, Homegrown Revolution (you can buy the DVD here) will be screening at home and abroad.
Raising chickens naturally and holistically has been a passion for Jordanne these last nine years. During those years she’s acquired a lot of knowledge and know how which is now available to help you naturally boost your backyard flock.
Besides our aquaponics project another new experiment here at the urban homestead this year is growing hops. We purchased the rhizomes in Spring and the other day I spotted some teensy tiny flowers!
The summer harvest is now just started to pour in and what a blessings. We are so thankful for the bounty that the earth provides. This week we revisited and revived our 100 Foot Diet Challenge
This week on the urban homestead, it’s Jane Austen meets Laura Ingalls. Apparently, the word’s out: the urban homestead is the place for tea! Jordanne and I hosted another tea party, this time for Jordanne’s friend who’s getting married this month.
I’m a little late in posting LAST week’s meal wrap up. Adhering to the old cliche “better late than never,” here’s the latest goodies that we’ve been enjoying
Farmer of food now turned fish farmer, Justin, checking on his aquaponics experiment. He spent a good 5 minutes or so floating the net back an forth, “Here fishy, fishy!”
My Halal’s Kitchen interview with Jules Dervaes, whom we can learn so much from about living a life free of the constraints of super-consumerism and significantly reduce our carbon imprint on the earth…
[the] Dervaes Gardens sits practically on top of a Pasadena, California, freeway and is only blocks away from the famous Rose Bowl. Outside are all the trappings of twenty-first-century life: automobiles, satellite dishes, supermarkets, car washes, and stores…
This episode of Two Beers kicks off with a short chat about Jules’ appearance on a reality show on the Food Network channel. It’s a lively and humorous discussion
As folks around the nation celebrate with friends and family, how about we all take this opportunity to share with one another what baby steps (or giant ones) that we have taken to become more independent from mass consuming culture and the corporate controls of our food, energy, fuel, water and our lives.
June is the tipping point month were things can either go up hill or downhill … and fast! So far, we are holding steady. Some things are growing well, while others not so much.
Now that the first summer planting flush is over, it’s time to get started on the second round of planting. Folks often ask us why is our small garden so productive. One of the main reasons is we have successful succession plantings. When one crop goes out, another one comes in.
The wonderful food from the garden keeps coming. What a tremendous blessings it is to enjoy such bounty that are grown just feet from our table!
We’ll wrap up a busy week with another pictorial dispatch from the homefront…. Word on the honey front is that we should be harvesting some soon – perhaps Sunday! Everyone can’t wait to try out Justin’s new “toy.” It’s a new stainless steel hand-cranked honey exacter – it’s a beaut.
Learning practical food preservation has been something I’ve looked forward to every year and have come to enjoy. Looking at the colorful jars that are stocking the cabinet you get a real sense of food security …
Whew doggie! It’s been a busy week here at the urban homestead. Busy with bees (getting ready to harvest some honey!), battling bad bugs, moving the tender greens to cooler spot in the yard and getting things ready for a major can-a-thon.
Beekeeping is slightly more involved than say keeping ducks or chickens. Sure the bees do most of the work, but you have to stay on top of your hive maintenance – no slacking. Besides, bees are independent – they don’t listen to nobody!
Taking stock of what we have here in the urban homestead’s pantry for our next co-op order, a recent comment from a friend got me thinking. Been doing a lot of that lately, especially when it comes to our food staples that we don’t grow. Now, I am all for choices but sometimes I think Ma Ingalls had it, well, “easier.”
The garden is growing into an edible jungle! And what a feast to be had – there’s fresh veggies and fruits to be savored and soon saved. As we head into summer our meals are changing along with the season. Here’s last week eats on the urban homestead for you to savor with your eyes!
It’s been awhile since we’ve done a pictorial dispatch from the urban homestead. So ya’ll ready for one? This one features a lot of the garden but that’s a focal point in our lives now – picking, packing, eating, selling surplus and pretty soon, putting up the harvests!
The FIVE winners, chosen by random.org, of our Homestead Blessings DVD giveaway are:
So how are you liking the new blog and boat load of new posts to boot (12 new entries in 18 days!)?
We took a bit of a break after the BIG revamp, but we are right back working on more improvements as we speak. There’s much more to come, but in the meantime, we’d [...]
Our family went on a brief jaunt to “Middle Earth” recently.
There’s lots to tell about the film festival (you can still catch a second screening of Homegrown Revolution on June 4 there in Palmerston North) that we attended, visiting the old (first) homestead where I was born (yep, I am a bonafide Kiwi – without [...]
Homegrown community! Come join us at Cottonwood Creek Park in lovely Encinitas CA on June 6
Funny thing has happened here on the urban homestead! With the recent shacking up of two scrub jays to raised their brood in one of the pineapple guava trees the mocking bird, who last year stole many a flower (potential fruit), is no where to be seen.
Urban Homesteading not just about bringing food, goods, services closer to home but making the home center your life. One of the steps backwards we have taken is bringing “socializing” home.
You never know when friends drop by the urban homestead for a visit – even better they never know what to expect!
Gardening is not a solo job – you rely on a realm beyond your understanding and faith that hard work will bring forth results. But there’s more to that than dirty fingernails and sore backs. It’s about giving back and we implement that practice by “tithing” our first fruits, returning them to the soil from which they came.
Lots has happen this week – we lost Amy, upgraded the blog and more. So we are taking a bit of break of sorts since it was a week of considerable stress and little sleep.
We do have some great post formulating that we are working as we hope to bring you more “homestead happenings”
Growing community, check out the updated list of upcoming events and film screenings of our little, homemade film ‘Homegrown Revolution.’
Homegrown, homemade – meals. Weekly eats from the urban homestead.
Ok, I am going to have to do a better job of taking photos of the meals. Funny how you get out of routine for just a bit and, well, it’s a struggle to get back!
Whew, we did it! Took us longer than we expected but it was well worth the wait and as about as close as an Amish barn raising experience we city folks get!
Jumping jimmy! We reckon the move just might happen this week so the blog will be down for some time (not sure how long – depends on if Jordanne can pull an all nighter or not) as the upgrades and move takes place.
Keep your fingers crossed that the move goes “easy peasey” and without a [...]
On a cold, drizzly, gray day in February two chefs were dropped off at the Urban Homestead.
See what happens when they have to whip up a tasty meal with ingredients from the garden and pantry in this “foodie’s” drama.
“Red Heads” we gals show off our aprons and the now growing “red” cabbages from the garden
Awhile back I posted about our urban homestead wardrobe and how aprons ( our “domestic armor”) were vital apparel. Not only are the feminine but they help with the dirty work that needs to be done here on the [...]
It’s spring! Well actually, this week it feels more like SUMMER!
And that means lots of fun culinary delights coming out of the urban homestead’s kitchen.
Combining edible flower, herbs and butter for a delightful treat to slather on biscuits or smother veggies.
Here’s a recipe for HERB BUTTER
Fresh From Our Garden to Your Table
Our front porch farm [...]
