Chickens!

Last fall, while we were in the throes of getting hens legalized, I was fortunate enough to hear Pat Foreman speak at the local library.  She is the author of "City Chicks" and a very entertaining speaker. 

This is a picture of us, along with "Oprah Henfrey" taken a few weeks before that talk, at the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello.  If you click on the picture, it'll enlarge and you can see the precious look on Oprah's face!

When I heard that Pat would be returning to the area to do a 2-day Intensive Workshop once the hens were legalized, I knew I had to attend.  Normally, I'm a cheapskate and don't part easily with my money, but having heard Pat speak and after reading the book, I knew I had to go.  Not only did I want to learn how to care for chickens before we got our micro-flock, I also knew it would be a blast to spend the weekend with Pat and her 'side-kick' Lisa.

And a blast it was.

We all met bright and early Saturday Morning at the conference center at First Landing State Park.

 It was a hands-on class.  From the get-go, we were immersed in hens!

Pat attempts to make a hen smile while teaching us Anatomy 101.

 The food was amazing... freshly prepared by "The Local Agrarian"

... featuring the only gluten-free dessert I've ever eaten that didn't taste like it was Gluten Free (they were some delicious brownies!)

We got to learn about raising chicks and their special needs.  It was also fun to play with them.  Notice how geeked out I am, in my chicken shirt and chicken hair accessory!

We also learned (and practiced) how to properly handle chickens and "Chicken Whispering" to calm them.  This was the most beautiful and laid back Rooster I've ever met.  He's a Dominique, which is a heritage breed featured at Colonial Williamsburg as well as my beloved Old Sturbridge Village.

Here he is perched on my shoulder.  We matched real well!

We learned about using chickens in the garden and composting.  We learned how to treat common health problems.  An umbrella theme to the class was how important backyard flocks are... they provide wholesome food and healthy soil while reducing dependence on oil and ensuring a local source of food in times of crisis. 

Overall, I am much more prepared to 'mother' our hens and I am very excited to get them.  It'll be another month before we are ready, but I'll be spending the day making calls to local Feed stores to see what breeds they'll have available to order.  (I don't want to start from chicks, or we could have had them by now!)

In addition, I met some new friends and that's always a good thing!

The coop is coming along nicely... it's almost all painted, so hubby will just have to put the roof on, attach the doors, and put up the protective screening.  Then I will add some curtains to the nest boxes to provide some privacy and we'll be good to go!

We are well on our way to achieving the first of my Homesteading Goals of 2013!

A Walk Around the Homestead

It's been a month, so I figured it would be a good time to take another walk around the homestead.  The point of this blog is to be a digital record for me of what I did when (an online garden journal, so to speak), and it's already proving helpful.  For instance, I've heard over and over again how this has been another warm spring.  But it's felt much colder to me this year.  Sure enough, looking over last year's posts, I can see that things were WAY farther along than they are this year. 

 I gave the roses a good pruning.  I still don't have much of a clue what I'm doing, but I haven't killed them yet.  I did learn that I need to fertilize them monthly.  I didn't last summer and they were much worse for the wear.

The daffodils and crocuses are out, and the tulips and hyacinth are poking their noses up, too.

 The peach tree has been pruned and the buds will be opening soon.

The catnip I planted last year hasn't grown much, but it stayed green the whole winter long.  Hopefully this will be the year it takes off.  Max will appreciate it.

 I tore out a ton of chocolate mint and potted it up.  They will be distributed to friends and taken to a plant swap later in the month.

This is the Tom Thumb lettuce I winter sowed.  It's just popping through.

 The anise hyssop is also sprouting.  Last year at this time I had a ton of plants.  Granted, I sowed them earlier, but right now it's just the lettuce and the anise hyssop.

I transplanted the chamomile into one spot in the garden.  It self-sowed last fall and I wasn't completely sure it was actually chamomile, but I've done a lot of research and eliminated all the similar weeds.  And I also discovered that it doesn't like the heat, so it will sprout in the fall and live all through the winter.  It'll die in the summer, and then come back in the fall.  I didn't get ANY flowers last year to dry for tea, so hopefully that will change.

The chicken coop is coming along!  It needs another coat of paint, then Stephen can attach the roof and the screening around the sides.  He's rigged up a handy coop door that we can close from the outside to keep the girls protected at night.  I anticipate he'll get a lot of that done this weekend while I am at a 2-Day Intensive Chicken-Keeping Workshop.

Abby has started crocheting and left out the scarf she's working on.  Of course, Max found it and is currently sleeping on it.  He got irritated with me when I called his name and made him look up to snap this picture.  She's learned all the basic stitches and is really doing well!

I'm looking forward to seeing the garden come alive during the month of March.  I've been planting peas and carrots and radishes and will continue to succession-sow them.  I've even planted the potatoes that were sprouting in the pantry, so we'll see if they produce.  Since I'm not planting broccoli or cabbage this spring (they take up so much room, and are so cheap to buy from local farmers that it's not worth taking up the space), I have more room to plant other things.  I'm hoping to get many more carrots, since they aren't so easy to find locally and since they dehydrate so nicely for use in soups and casseroles.  I'll also be planting more beneficial flowers this year, especially since the chickens will like them so much!

Convenience Canning

I'm not going to lie.  Canning involves work.  And time.  And money.  But it also saves work.  And time.  And money. 

It's been so nice this winter to be able to pop open a jar of veggies, heat, and eat.  Big deal, right?  Most people do that on a regular basis.  Except I can tell you the farm where my vegetables came from, and I can control the sodium in them, and they aren't stored in BPA-lined jars.  And I didn't have to spend time wandering the aisles of the grocery store.  My average weekly shopping list this winter has consisted of only a handful of items.  I rarely spend more than 10 minutes in the store.

It's also been nice to pack the kids lunches.  I've been opening a quart of applesauce and dividing it into 4oz canning jars.  Then I pop them in the freezer and every morning I put one in each of the lunches.  By the time lunch rolls around, the applesauce is thawed and everything else has been kept cold.  While their classmates are popping open a cup of Mott's, mine are unscrewing a jar.  A reusable jar that doesn't need to be recycled with a lid that doesn't need to be thrown away.  Applesauce that doesn't contain High Fructose Corn Syrup... or any added sweetener at all, for that matter.

So yes, canning is work.  But the benefits are worth it, and I've been reaping them all winter long.  In another 2 months, it will be Strawberry Season and it will be time to get back to work.  I can't wait.

A Walk Around the Homestead

Five days ago, the kids were out playing in the snow.  Today, it is 73 degrees.  Watching the 10 day forecast, I knew it was going to be a great day to be outside catching up on garden stuff, so I got all of my errands run yesterday so I could stay home and soak up the sun.  It's been awhile since I did a "Walk" post, which I like to do every now and then so I can have some record of things.  An online garden-journal if you will.

The crocuses and daffodils are popping through.  I suspected last year they were late varieties and this year confirms it... neighbors have daffodils that have blossomed now, and there's even another neighbor whose daffodils have already gone by!

The forsythia I planted last spring is budding.  I am looking forward to her cheery yellow blooms, although they will arrive earlier here than they did growing up in New England, when they were a birthday present from mother nature.

I had lost all hope for the rhubarb I planted last year, but I was VERY excited to see this little guy.  I couldn't pick any last year, because you're not supposed to harvest (lightly) until the second year.  I would love it if I could get just enough for some strawberry rhubarb jam.  I've been told it doesn't grow well here, though, so we'll see.

The Saturn Peach tree I planted last year.  Peaches produce on new growth, and take a few years, so I'm not sure if we'll get any this year, or not. Regardless, it will need to be lightly pruned in the near future.

The beautiful weather was perfect for turning the compost pile.  It was up to 120 degrees and really cooking until the snow came.  I was surprised at how much it had decomposed since I'd last turned it a few weeks ago.  There's not much left to go, and there were lots of worms, so I am looking forward to adding it into the garden.

This cilantro self-seeded and didn't seem to be affected at all by the snow.

The Lemon Balm clings to life.  I have a feeling in a few weeks it's going to start to really take off.

The Chives and the Garlic Chives are beginning to grow, despite the weed remnants from last summer.

This is celery that I grew last spring from the bottom of a store-bought bunch.  It's the greenest thing here.  Because it's a member of the carrot family, the Black Swallowtails loved it.  So, it stays for the butterflies in spite of the fact that it's not growing nice stalks for eating.

The bird house Stephen designed and built with the girls.  I enjoy watching the birds while I do dishes.  We have a beautiful red-winged blackbird and a pair of cardinals... and lots and lots of brown-headed cowbirds and mourning doves.

According to weather.com, we have now bottomed out when it comes to average temps.  February can be a brutal month, but it's also when things start to come alive here in Hampton Roads.  Last year, it was such a mild winter, I'd already planted peas and radishes by now.  I'm going to wait a few more weeks this time around!

The Haul

Yesterday afternoon was the larder swap.  We had 25 people show up, which was less than the last swap... BUT... it was fine.  It was less chaotic.  I got to chat it up with more people. 

At the last minute, I decided to make a batch of homemade peanut butter.  It's a good thing... it was my most popular item!  Here are the pictures I snapped of most of the goodies.  There were some late-comers and I never got a chance to photograph their stuff.

 Pecans, hand made soap, and eggs from my friend Kylene at Roses Ridge Farm

Hot mustard, Southwestern Spiced Turnip Relish and Apple Conserve from Courtney.  I am so glad I tried the turnip relish.  It was amazing...

 Lipbalm, Amish White Bread, Soup, and Room Spray also from Courtney.

 Banana Bread, Vanilla Orange Marmelade, Chocolate Sauce, and other goodies from Peg.

 Vanilla Bing Cherries and brick-oven bread from Jackie. 

 Apples and Pepper Relish from Paula.  The relish is like crack.  Seriously.  So good.

 Lisa's Banana Split in a Jar.  Good Stuff!!!

 Robin's Spiced Grape Butter (shockingly good), Pear preserves, Apple Jelly, and Pepper Jelly

 Donna Rae's Pear Cranberry Pie Filling.  It's going to make an amazing crisp!

Nancy brought so many goodies... Hot cocoa mix, ginger bread butter, Spiced Honey Butter (YUM!), Caramel Sauce, and more...

 Bread and Butter Pickles, Beets, and I forget what the last one was.  These are from Nancy's Mom.

 More of Nancy's things.

 Pecan's from Judi's tree, and Bay leaves, too.

 Seasoning Mixes.  I forgot who had these!

 Balms and Tinctures from Sandy

 Chatting it up before the chaos!

 When all was said and done, the tables were all full!

 My haul!  Lots of goodies to try.

This is my stuff on the table.  The kids decided they want to make their own stuff to for the next one.  They weren't alone.  So, at the next swap in June the kids will have their own swap on the other side of the room.  We're calling it the "Future Homesteaders Larder Swap."