Last January, while still residing at our 1/8th acre urban lot, a cameoing sun struck the soggy ground and I was bitten by the gardening bug. We had a couple bags of potting soil lying about and my very first batch of homemade compost was looking dark and loamy, so I mixed it all upContinue reading “The Hopeful Tomato”
Tag Archives: homesteading
A Dirt Farmer’s Success(ion)
I’ll go ahead and call it what it is…a mid-life crisis. Some dudes get the hotrod, maybe take up skydiving, cross-fit, or some other exhilaratingly risky hobby. Myself, I’ve purchased way too much land and plan to farm it with almost no experience whatsoever. Crazy? Probably. Now, you should know that I can operate aContinue reading “A Dirt Farmer’s Success(ion)”
Chicken Nuggets
This morning I got a call from the post office. They were calling to let me know that my package had arrived and was ready for pickup. Delighted, I hung up and let my boss know that I had to take an early lunch to go pick up my chickens from the post office. WhenContinue reading “Chicken Nuggets”
The simplest solution is the best solution
There are numerous ways to solve almost any challenge, but the simplest approach involving the fewest steps and the least energy, materials, and time is always the most effective, long-term, viable solution. -Ben Falk, The Resilient Farm and Homestead Our neighbors invited us over for dinner last weekend, where we enjoyed a feast of theContinue reading “The simplest solution is the best solution”
Food for thought: antibiotics vs. organic meat
We had a pig scare today. Big Boy stopped eating last night, and he laid down to sleep while the other 3 (Tugboat, The Corporal, and Number Two) fought over dinner. He’s a pig, so dinner should be the absolute best part of every day. Something was wrong. I went to bed feeling anxious, butContinue reading “Food for thought: antibiotics vs. organic meat”
The other side of the coin: celebrating 10 years
The day after we got the keys to the farmhouse, we bought a riding lawnmower with a 48″ deck. Buying that lawnmower somehow made me feel equipped, capable, and prepared for anything. Of the tedious and repetitive tasks on the homestead, mowing the grass is probably my favorite. One evening after work I was finishingContinue reading “The other side of the coin: celebrating 10 years”
Farm Dogs and the Learning Curve
When I was a teaching assistant in grad school, I found that success was made up of a series of small failures. The program director liked to encourage these missteps as just part of the learning curve. Couldn’t understand a word of Roland Barthes? Congratulations, you’re in the learning curve. Spent all night grading studentContinue reading “Farm Dogs and the Learning Curve”
Because I like bacon more
When we made an offer on the farm, we had the option of “babysitting” two beef cows and a geriatric haired dairy sheep until the beef are ready to slaughter in June (fate of sheep unknown). The former owner of our property broached this subject with me when I was at the house for the septic inspection,Continue reading “Because I like bacon more”
Bellfern Homestead 