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A Farm of My Own:  Homestead Where you Are  |
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Lindsay C
True Blue Farmgirl
117 Posts
Lindsay
Rogersville
AL
USA
117 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 10 2014 : 4:26:19 PM
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I was thinking of this very thing today. My homesteading for today was to get up and milk the cow before heading to my full-time job. Sometimes it's frustrating to have to go to that full-time job, but for now it's allowing us a way to pay the bills on our little homestead.
Lindsay
Farmgirl Sister #1452
http://crowsonshire.blogspot.com |
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Marilyn Hartman Sullivan
True Blue Farmgirl
1138 Posts
Marilyn
Oxford
PA
USA
1138 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2015 : 1:46:41 PM
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Just found this thread and I am hoping that there will be continuing posts. A while back I came to the realization that waiting to start something big just didn't make as much sense as starting something small! Little bit by little bit, I am making the changes that will hopefully someday bring me to a much more self-sufficient place. And in the meantime I am enjoying each little step. Small step the other day --- made some ant poison from things I had in the house. Mary Jane's been a huge inspiration, as have all of you!
Farmgirl #6318
"Where there's a will -- there's probably a family fight." |
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kitchensqueen
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
521 Posts |
Posted - Nov 28 2015 : 7:30:41 PM
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I'd love to see a revival on this thread too. Our house is on a small lot in town - we've got three raised beds for vegetables, apple trees, hazelnuts, blueberries and persimmons so far. Our town doesn't allow chickens or bees yet, so no animals. I make my own soaps (laundry, bar and liquid), health and beauty items, and cook from scratch. I sew, knit and crochet (though not particularly well - but practice makes perfect!). I make my own candles. We're focused right now on trying to lower our energy consumption, and our current big homestead project is installing pine shiplap paneling in the living room. We have one of three walls done currently. The fourth wall will get built-in bookcases with a window seat. My current smaller projects are sewing some infinity scarves for Christmas gifts and learning to make home made mascara.
Would love to hear what others are currently (or still) doing to homestead where they are, even if they don't have the dream farm!
http://www.apartmentfarm.wordpress.com
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3931 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3931 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 10:01:27 AM
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I still have a significant number of cherry tomatoes to do something with. I may try to pickle them with other vegetables and can them. I haven't had the chance to research this yet because DH has many projects he wants me to undertake and he won't even take the dogs out for their walks.
I live in a one bedroom apartment in Minneapolis. This city has more cooperative grocery stores than (I think) almost anywhere else, except maybe Portland or Seattle. I don't know. Many private and community gardens dot the city. We also have a group called Youth Farm which has inner city kids growing, selling and cooking real food. I have a nice sized garden where I grow herbs and vegetables. I buried a pumpkin in it this fall and am looking forward to harvesting them. I want to grow pole beans next year. I have three trellises against the wall made of pieces of a futon frame I scavenged from the alley. I want to move the morning glories because they can't climb the wall of the garage. I will move them to the fence where I have a strip of land to plant flowers and herbs. On the other side of that fence is my neighbor's glorious garden. She has really made it a show place and is very generous with her crop.
I have few indoor plants because all we have for ample light is the east window looking out on the backyard. DH likes to store his musical equipment there. (5 guitars, marimba, electronic drums) I would like to open that area up and have a nice container garden.
I like to bake. I have no room to knead dough so I make pan bread which is nice and dense. I make sweet breads, mostly banana and pumpkin. I do not eat much of my own baking and DH doesn't like sweets so I give most of them away. I want to make a cherry pie with a woven lattice top crust like my mom used to make.
I crochet, knit and sew but not too often because I do not have much time. I also have to move six other things to get to sewing machine. Most of the sewing I do is mending. I have plans to make or restyle some clothes for myself. However, DH wants me to make new cushion covers for the couch. <sigh> I told him I would do it if he took the dogs out for their walks.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 10:30:14 AM
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Maie - do you like sundries tomatoes? perhaps you could "sun dry" them n the oven? I have done this before with oil and herbs and they were scrumptious!!! Almost like a candy, but good for you :)
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3931 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3931 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 10:32:10 AM
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I do that but they get too oily. I have to change how I do it.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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kitchensqueen
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
521 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 10:36:09 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by churunga
I do that but they get too oily. I have to change how I do it.
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice.
Have you tried slicing them in half, tossing them with just tablespoon of olive oil, and laying them out on a piece of parchment on your baking sheet? They dry roast them in a very low oven - they should come out nicely dried without too much oil.
If you have a dearth of them, roast some at a higher temp with some fresh thyme and scallions to serve as a side dish with dinner - they are simply marvelous with cod poached in white wine. You could also do fish packets too - cod, white wine, cherry tomatoes, scallions, capers, olives, and thyme wrapped up in each parchment or foil packets. Easy in the oven or on the campfire.
http://www.apartmentfarm.wordpress.com
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3931 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3931 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 11:44:08 AM
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Thanks Amanda. Now about my tomatillos . . .
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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kitchensqueen
True Blue Farmgirl
521 Posts
521 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 12:20:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by churunga
Thanks Amanda. Now about my tomatillos . . .
Marie, Sister #5142
Farmgirl of the Month May 2014
Try everything once and the fun things twice.
You're welcome. :-) For tomatillos - salsa verde!
http://www.apartmentfarm.wordpress.com
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ClaireSky
True Blue Farmgirl
1792 Posts
Julie
Arcadia
WI
USA
1792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2015 : 1:54:28 PM
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I live in a small town that doesn't allow animals either. I buy fresh eggs from my Mother. But, in my back yard I have 3 miniature apple trees, 1 pear tree, 2 plum trees, a sweet cherry tree, 2 red current bushes, 2 blueberry bushes, and rhubarb. I also have 3 raised beds for vegetables. I pick wild blackberries. (10 ice cream pails this year) I also can chicken soup, chili, and sweet and sour chicken. I can or freeze my extras. Each year I feel that I could do better. Sometime I get a bit lazy with watering or weeding the garden.
Julie 
Farmgirl #399
May 2010 Farmgirl of the Month
Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog ... Charles F. Doran |
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A Farm of My Own: Homestead Where you Are |
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Homestead Where you Are
