Suburban Homestead Store
Ready or not, the holiday gift giving season is well on its way. But, instead of fighting the stores, dealing with overworked or angry salespeople why not give gifts from local farmers or crafts people? Farmers Markets and Farm Stands provide the gift giver with a wide array of fruits, meats, honey, flowers and farm items that can be made into attractive gift baskets. Local craft fairs showcase hand-made items from area artists and crafts people.
And, with LocalHarvest outlets and CSA’s you can give fresh made cheese and baked goods, homemade soaps and canned goods, or wool, yarn and spinning supplies. Check out the more than 10,000 farm products in the LocalHarvest store.
Better yet, give the gift that keeps on giving…give a chicken.
Or at least he did during WWI.
That’s right folks; the government encouraged every American to keep chickens for eggs and meat. Backyard chicken raising was touted as a patriotic duty as well as a business venture that would help bring back high quality small flocks.
In the early part of the last century poultry magazines were as popular as today’s tabloid trash. Our population was closer to its agricultural roots than they are today and poultry magazines offered readers an array of photos, stories, how-to and ads geared for the large poultry raising audience.
The premise was… Read the rest of the story »
I have always been a huge fan of Chicken Pot Pies. As a child it was the only thing I would order when my family went out to dinner at Marie Callender’s. There’s nothing better on a cold weekend than the aroma of chicken, vegetables and herbs simmering in savory gravy. When I traveled to Vermont a few years ago I enjoyed several versions of this down home comfort food along with copious amounts of apple cider and Vermont cheddar cheese. But, those are stories yet untold.
Unable to decide on which version I liked the best I fiddled around with recipes, incorporating parts of each into a recipe that is now a favorite at our home. The main difference in my version versus those I’ve had in the past is the consistency. I love hearty winter dishes that are chock full of root vegetables in a thick sauce or gravy. And, this one has it all…veggies, herbs, and gravy, topped with a flakey pie crust. The only challenge is… I haven’t figured out how to assemble the pie so there is enough crust to top every bite of the filling. And let’s be honest – pot pie is all about the crust to filling ratio. Isn’t it?
The recipe is versatile, too. Any combination of roots from turnips to parsnips to potatoes along with the standard carrots, onions, mushrooms, peas and celery will work. It’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken. It’s amazing how much meat you can get from a carcass when it’s simmered down. And, the broth you get is nothing like anything you ever tasted. Each batch will be different because it takes on the flavors of the baked or roasted chicken.
Pot pies are also a great way to use the occasional stewing hen after her egg production years are over. That may sound gross or sad, but we are homesteaders after all, and everything on the farm has a use. And, what better use than a savory cold weather meal to take the chill off a hungry family. Read the rest of the story »
Right in the Champlain Valley of New York, a new generation of farmer is helping to redefine agriculture in America. Local farms are at the forefront of a movement taking shape across the nation. Filmed at three upstate New York farms — Essex Farm in Essex, Fledging Crow in Keeseville, and Asgaard Farm in AuSable Forks — the documentary follows these unique farms through an entire growing season. This inspiring film is a co-production of photographer/director Ben Stechschulte and Mountain Lake PBS.
The weatherman is calling for high winds, like 60 – 80 mile an hour gusts, and lower temperatures over the next few days. That can only mean one thing…damage…and lots of it. Anytime we hear news like this we immediately go into batten down mode. We’ve been through enough windstorms to know the damage they can cause and the discomfort we will feel if not properly prepared.
Several years ago, on a cold January night, a storm blew through our area with the force that can be described as a gale. Brianne and I were living on the ranch at the time and the fierce winds uprooted over 500 trees, which knocked down power lines, broke the well pump, smashed windows, tore the roof partially off the barn and damaged a corner of our house. One tree even fell, front to rear, over my truck crushing it 6-inches. Needless to say, it was totaled.
We were pretty well stocked and prepared though. Living in an earthquake zone is a constant reminder that Mother Nature can strike unexpectedly. But, it was this particular storm with its power outage that lasted for more than a week that convinced me even more that we should never be without stores, water, light and a source of heat.
With the weatherman’s prediction we set about preparing. Read the rest of the story »
I spent quite a bit of time on my garden rearranging project this past weekend. There’s still a lot left to do, but I did manage to move the berry bed to the north side of the garden, digging up and moving some of the blackberry, boysenberry and Fall Gold raspberry canes. The rest of the canes were planted in a large black tub to winter over. In the early spring, when it’s time to plant I’ll repot them for my front porch farmer’s market or the sale my garden club has each year.
The fruit trees were pruned and given 2 pounds each of gypsum. I spread it around the canopy line and gently scratched it into the soil. Sunday’s steady rain storm will push the nutrients down to the roots to feed them all through the winter.
Our big storm slated to arrive on Saturday evening finally blew in on Sunday and should last for several days. I raked leaves and dug them into the new raised vegetable beds, a foundation of organic matter. Some were piled over the perennial bulbs for protection.
By Saturday afternoon, the only task left to do was to dig up and separate my collection of Iris bulbs. Admittedly this is coming late in the season, but in Southern California Irises can be planted or divided any time of year with great success. Last months hot east winds had battered the Iris foliage, turning it dry and brown; very unsightly. Read the rest of the story »
Hey Folks! I recently learned about a new movement that is making its way across the country.
Plaid Friday was born in the shopping districts of Oakland, CA as a quiet rebellion against the over-commercialization of holiday shopping taking place at non-local malls and big box stores everywhere. It celebrates local shopping, keeping cash within our communities, and harkens us back to a nostalgic time when shoppers and shop owners built relationships in addition to revenues; and when shopping was a leisurely and pleasurable activity.
I’m sure I’m not alone thinking that the future of our economy lays in a more locally-based economic system. And, I for one plan on embracing Plaid Friday in style; the hardware store has a great selection of cast iron cookware; a nursery down the highway carries a large selection of seeds and plants, perfect for the gardeners in the family, and I can pick up everyone’s favorite read, with tea or coffee, at local coffee shops and bookstores.
So, jump on board, folks! Don your favorite plaid shirt and hit your local shops. Spend Friday, November 25th closer to home, putting money in the pockets of local artists, boutique owners, hardware stores, bookstores, coffee houses and restaurants. These independent businesses need our help to preserve the diversity and creativity of the communities we live in.
Exciting News, Folks
A few weeks ago I was interviewed for a book on modern domesticity and the resurgence of the domestic arts — cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, you get the picture. Emily, the author, is currently conducting the research portion of the book and between the hurricanes raging in North Carolina and the wicked windstorms we on the west coast were having; Emily and I managed to spend almost an hour talking about the whys and wherefores of the renewed interest in domestic life and what my take views were.
In the end, it was a great experience. I’ll have to wait until next year to see if any part of our talk makes the final draft or ends up on the cutting room floor. I’ll keep you posted.
Adding to the news, I’m happy to announce that I will be the newest voice in the Mother Earth News “City Farming” blog community. I’m thrilled to reach out to new readers and share my stories and experiences as a suburban homesteader. I will primarily be writing about organic gardening and modern homesteading topics. My first blog post has been sent to my editor and once approved it will be posted on the MEN site.
Stay tuned as SuburbanHomesteading.com branches out. Hard telling where the future will lead us.
The Farmer and the Horse is a feature-length documentary film that tells the story of young farmers in New Jersey with an old-fashioned passion: farming with draft horses. Award-winning journalist and filmmaker Jared Flesher follows farmers Tom, Matt, and Aubrey out of the suburbs and back to the land. Way back.
The Farmer and the Horse is a film that digs into difficult questions about sustainability, self-sufficiency, and why we do the work we do. Flesher’s film goes beyond the usual platitudes of smiling organic farmers talking about the good life. Farming is hard work, especially if you don’t use a tractor.