What Does My Future Look Like?

It seems like my dream to become more self-sustaining is a dream that comes to mind more often all of the time. As much as I have enjoyed the many years that I have worked at my job, it just doesn't bring me a sense of contentedness. Like when I reach the end of my work week and all I want to do is "play" in the hoop house and check on the veggies under the low tunnel.

This past weekend we started working on things to get us to that self-sustaining lifestyle - or agrarian if you will. Actually if we were to back up a couple of years we have been working toward becoming more mindful of the food that we eat. While we still grocery shop at the chain grocery stores...I just don't always like what I see in the produce area. I mean it's fine and all, but after growing our own food for a little while AND actually cooking up stuff and EATING it...

O.M.G.

HOW could we let that happen?! Well, it was great last summer! We harvested potatoes and beans and kale and stuff from Mary's garden boxes and cucumbers and it was GREAT! We felt like we were living a little healthier too!

So much so that this year we are actively working toward getting a mobile chicken coop built. It is in the very super early stages of being built....

Yup - early stages - I wasn't kidding.

This will be for the chickens we'll keep for EGGS! Oh how I love a fresh egg...and OH how long it has been since I have seen a fresh egg. That's the thing about growing up with chickens, you don't appreciate it at the time because, as a middle schooler / pre-teen and all, why would I give a hoot about fresh eggs? Only recently have I thought about all of the eggs we had when I was growing up - they were quite literally everywhere. My mom's one weakness - the variety of chickens and other birds that we had on our property. Think Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds only without the hysteria.

That will not be me. I promise....I hope...

The coop will be ready to roll (literally) sooner than we think, but we still need to get the chicken fencing before we can get those chickies.

We watch Justin Rhodes of Abundant Permaculture and he is the "Apron-Wearing-Chicken-Ninja-Master." With the knowledge that I gained growing up with a crazy mom who wanted ALL the chickens and watching Justin Rhodes videos, I think we got this! Seriously, I don't think that it really has to be so difficult. Just need to get the home (chickshaw), the protection (electric poultry netting) and the food (bags of feed and kitchen scraps AND what's in the field). It's doable especially with all of the resources that I have at my fingertips I believe that raising chickens will be a snap!

However, I am going to cheat, just a little bit. I have found a source for pullets and they will be ready to lay eggs so much sooner than if we were to head to Wilco and pick up a dozen chicks - although that might happen "accidently." I have been keeping an eye on their ad on craigslist and will continue to do so until we are ready to bring the young ladies to their new home.

I'm so excited - I'm gonna be a farmer...YAY!

Another thing I've started would be this...

An old portable wardrobe frame holding my seed trays

I'm already crowding out the living room with seed trays...

There's still room...seriously - there is ALWAYS room!

I'm going to have myself a little plant sale. I have some cool flower seeds in the trays and I am thinking maybe some herbs wouldn't be a bad idea. Perhaps put together little herb gardens in plastic planters...hmmm...

We are treating each year as an experiment. How will we ever know what works if we don't try? I don't remember who said it, but one of the vloggers that we watch said "Try doing something even if it's wrong."

Indeed, even if it's wrong.

Here's my trying to do something. Last year I had the wild idea to try to grow celery. How hard can it be? Well, it didn't work last year. Alright, so there is a trick that I'm not getting.

Well, I've decided to try growing celery again. Aannnnd - so far nothing. Maybe I need to find out how long it takes to germinate. That might be helpful...ooh...just looked...14-21 days! What the heck?! Okay, so we are at 10 days. I'll quit getting my hopes up whenever I take a look. It doesn't help that my tomato seeds have germinated and the basil seeds too. I check daily...sometimes hourly...

Yes, I'm obsessed....check these out...

What can I say, I like progress. Wouldn't you know it, if you follow the directions on the seed packets the success rate is much higher! There are a lot of onions going on here. However, I like a success story when I can get it so I'm going to start ANOTHER packet of seeds once I get these in the ground! I'll be the crazy onion lady!

This week needs to go by quickly! I am taking a week of vacation to be a farmer-in-training type person. So many things to do. Hoping to do things right...but probably will do them wrong anyway.

Until next time get out and get your hands dirty!