Dandelion Urban Homestead

Day 1: Chickens for Meat

2010-06-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

This week has been quite the week indeed!

Firstly, Christopher and I have turned in all of our paperwork to become Certified Producers. This certification through both the state of California, and Sonoma County, will allow us to sell all of our produce at the Farmers Markets. It's a huge step in the right direction for the two of us and it's one more thing we can check off on long (and seemingly never ending) list of things to do.

Another check we can mark on the list is learning to raise our own animals for meat, more specifically, raising our own chickens for meat. This morning we went and picked up our first two CornishX chicks, (#1 and #2 is what we like to call them. One has one spot and the other has two spots, can you guess which is which?) from The Western Farm Center here in Santa Rosa. We got help and advice from the infamous JP, AKA "the Chicken Man" or "The Turkey Guy" who works at the store and is an all knowing chicken genius.

Originally I only wanted to raise a single Cornish X because I didn't want to be put into a horrible situation where we slaughter one, hate the process, then have to repeat the horror for any more. But, JP suggested that we raise two because they are "flock birds" and if they are singular they will stress themselves to death (literally). We're not into having our animals die on us for lack of friendship so we agreed upon two, JP also gave us the option of selling #1 and #2 back to him upon their "due date" if we decided that the task was just too much for us to handle, Thanks JP!

We are both having mixed emotions about the adventure at the moment. Christopher and I want to be able to provide for ourselves and also stop supporting the commercial chicken industry but, we're also very nervous and upset about taking these cute-little-yellow-fluffies lives from them. I'm pretty positive it will be the most difficult thing I have ever done so far in my 21 years of life to end their lives only at six weeks, myself.

So, while #1 and #2 are with us we're going to treat them with the utmost respect and care, right now they're both adorably peeping in our household for the next week or so until they're old enough to live outside. I really hope that these next six weeks don't move too quickly!

Until next time,

Samantha Rosebud

Along with our garden at home, we also farm in Petaluma

2010-06-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

The location in Petaluma is about a half hour away, we are being rented the land, all we have to pay is the electric bill for the pump (well water). So, far the first two months have cost around 35$. About two months ago we laid the irrigation and planted right away. The irrigation has 3/4 drip tube connected to 5/8th drip tape. The first patch of land we worked on had been tilled, the only tilled portion in our half acre. The tilled portion seems to have way more weeds than the rest of the area. The first planting was of cabbage (from transplants given to me by another farmer, Jill), fava beans (seed), pea (seed), peppers (transplants), and onion (small bulbs). The picture above is of five rows not tilled. The first three rows are peppers and eggplants from transplants. Most of the starts were grown from seed at our house. Potatoes cover the fourth row and the fifth row is left unplanted but we plan on growing melons and winter squash. There isn't nearly as bad of weed problem in this area compared to the tilled area. To start the row, we have been weeding the row, raking the soil as even as possible, then spreading a compost that is high in nitrogen. We then run the drip tape down the middle and put metal U stakes to secure the tape. We also have two long rows of tomatoes that consist of varieties like Nyagous, Pineapple, Yellow Pear, Sweet 100, Early Girl, and San Marzano. All of the plants except for the nitrogen fixing plants such as fava beans and peas have received fish emulsion with kelp to help the plants put on leaf growth and recover from transplanting.

How many pounds of food can you grow in 300 sq feet?

2010-06-06T20:50:00.001-07:00

I decided we should get a scale to start weighing most of the plants and eggs we gather from the garden and chickens (soon, ducks too). Another blog I was looking at displays their harvest totals on the side, I liked it so I decided to do the same. We're getting a late start, we've already harvested lots of greens, broccoli, cauliflower and more. The totals on the right represent what we've harvested since June 4th, 2010 to the present day. We're are gardening with about 300 sq ft. of space split between a narrow backyard and a small front yard. We have a coast live oak covering half the house and some of the yard. We have arranged for our chickens and ducks to scratch underneath the oak. This allows them to have shade on hot days in the summer and adds nutrients to both the tree and animals. I'll talk more about them in another post.

Bran Muffin Recipe

2010-06-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

When you are in need of fiber, bran muffins are always a great choice. They're easy and quick to make. Here is the basic recipe given in a great book I found at a Kauai bookstore called Kathy Cooks Naturally by Kathy Hoshijo. Thick book full of great recipes that are healthy and most of them are easy to make. Although, some recipes include tropical fruits, you may be able to supplement with fruit grown here in the mainland. This book is no longer in print but if you ever find a copy, I recommend picking it up.

Basic Bran Recipe

1 Cup Bran

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 Cup Honey

1 Cup Milk

Combine first 3 ingredients. Mix in last two. Pour onto oiled muffin tins and bake 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

This recipe doesn't make a lot, so if you want more than 12 full size muffins you may need to double the recipe. I also like to include fruit such as blueberries, gives it some flavor. It's always nice to top it off with some local honey.

Dawn and Dusk

2010-06-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

We decided to stop at a local feed store called Larsen's just to look around. We ended up with the great idea of getting ducks. There were a lot of ducks to choose from ranging from English Call Ducks to Rouens. Some attributes I looked into were: if they made good pets, make less noise/more noise, and if they are good egg layers. We decided on two Indian Runner Ducks, these ducks are on the quiet side, they can't fly (at least very well), and they are also good egg layers. The ducks were not sexed when we purchased them so there is a chance we could get two males. Hopefully, we will get at least one female, two male ducks might not get a long and we wouldn't be receiving any eggs. We decided on two because we like there to be at least two of the same animal, so they can bond and were told they would make less noise if there was another duck. A plus when you have neighbors close on all sides. We plan on growing some type of grassin the garden box next to them.

laying hens

2010-03-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Two of our chickens began laying in december. One of the hens was an Americauna (Pebbles) and the other a White Plymouth Rock (Peeps). So around 6-7 months for those two to began laying. Rosie, the Rhode Island red just began laying in March, taking her about 9 months. I believe it's a daylight issue coupled with the temperature rising. A week before she laid her first egg she had been acting different, talking a lot more and generally being weird :) I knew an egg was coming soon! All of their eggs are medium in size, tasty, with big yolks and healthy hard shells. Peeps has brown eggs and has established herself at the top of the pecking order. Pebbles has green eggs and Rosie has brown. We're averaging an egg a day for each of the hens.

We feed them a mix of organic feed from western farm center in Santa Rosa, CA along with oyster shells. Plus, we're always giving them scraps from cooking and the garden. I swear they eat better than us. I suggest buying in bulk (50lb bags) with both the food and oyster shells. You'll save a lot of money in the long run. To keep it form spoiling use a plastic trash can or any sealable storage container. What's handy with the trash can is you can tie a bungie cord from handle to handle to keep raccoons and other critters from getting inside.

the earth's tilt on it's axis

2009-11-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

The sun is beginning to shade out most of the front yard. We tore out the tomatoes, picked the rest of the red tomatoes and saved some of the green. The Jerusalem Artichoke is starting to die back and were going to harvest those soon. Finding time to harvest and process lately is difficult. Samantha and I are both anxiously awaiting our first eggs. The Chickens are getting close to six months old. We're hoping they lay before it gets too cold. We might supply a supplemental heat lamp during the winter months.

Didn't think the tomatoes were coming..

2009-09-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

So, it's late September and we're finally starting to get a steady supply of tomatoes. Next year I will definitely plan on getting an earlier start. Also, planting some varieties of tomatoes that will ripen sooner in the season. Sami and I like all the varieties we've grown but there are some we like more than others. The Pineapple has by far been our favorite tomato we've grown this year. Almost weighing a pound each, red and yellow swirls, a texture that also resembles a pineapple with a sweet taste to it. We've been sprinkling some of our dressing that we've made out of olive oil, basalmic vinegar, garlic, pepper and salt. Making your dressing at home is fun and cost effective.

Basic Olive Oil and Basalmic Vinegar Dressing:

2 Parts Olive Oil

1 Part Basalmic Vinegar

1 or more Garlic Cloves (We do a lot)

Pepper and Salt to Taste

the first summer squash

2009-07-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

So, I finally harvested our first summer squash. I know others have been harvesting for quite a while but because of our late start, yesterday was our first ripe squash. This year I'm growing a variety of called Costata Romanesco. A famous zucchini from Rome, Italy. It has green stripes and supposedly stays tender even when big (18"). This variety is thought to be the best tasting and best textured summer squash around. Sometimes it may be called cocozelle or ribbed zucchini. It is considered to be the "classic" zucchini. I slightly sauteed the zucchini and we ate it for dinner. This morning I through some fresh slices in a salad. It was our first zucchini of the year and it tasted wonderful.

Great Resource for Costata Romanesco growing and cooking tips-

http://www.harvestwizard.com/2008/09/costata_romanesca_squash.html

It's Hot!

2009-07-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Just thought I share some photos of the garden:

Kiwi, Fig, Blackberry, Blueberry

Corn (Black Aztec and Tricolor), Eggplant (Casper and Black Beauty), Wormwood, Zucchini, Tobacco, Echinacea, and others. Waiting for the beans to take off. I planted two varieties asparagus bean and Kentucky Wonder.

Comfrey

The Chicks

Pumpkins, Cosmos, Cucumbers, Onions, Cowpeas

Banana, Celery, Chard, Yarrow, Oregano, Basil,

Sweet Marjoram, Fig, Winter Squash, Onion(flowering)

Conserving Space in the Garden while Prolonging your Harvest

2009-07-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

By installing a trellis behind your garden box you can conserve space in the garden while also providing squash months into the winter. The idea is to plant the winter squash behind your tomatoes, peppers, etc, allowing them to climb up and fall down the trellis. Winter squash use there long tendrils to climb, so they need some sort of support. I chose to use a trellis.

The trellis can be any size but I would recommend at least making the trellis at least 2 feet above the garden box. I used two 8 foot long slats of 1/2" by 1" wood. I originally had planned to put the vertical stakes into the ground but found out that I had made it too short. So, instead I used screws to attach it. Make sure you make the stakes long enough so that they can be securely in the ground and still provide you with the needed height. Although, I set this trellis up for growing winter squash, you can easily grow cucumbers, or make it taller to grow beans and peas.

Direct seed your favorite winter squash varieties after the last frost date in your area. This year I chose Pink Banana, Acorn, Honey Boat Delicata, and Butternut. If your saving seeds and don't want squash to cross pollinate. Try choosing squash that don't belong to some same scientific name.

Here is a partial list of winter squash and their species name:

Cucurbita ficifolia, Malabar Gourd (Chilacayote), Gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima, Calabazilla

Cucurbita maxima, squash ( banana, buttercup, hubbard, turban, yugoslavian pie pumpkin...)

Cucurbita mixta, squash (green striped cushaw, white cushaw, wild Seroria squashes, silver seeded gourds)

Cucurbita moshcata squash (butternut, cheese, golden cushaw)

Cucurbita pepo (acorn, crookneck, scallop, small striped and warted gourds, spaghetti, and zucchini)

If the variety your looking for isn't up there, give me an email and I'll be able to tell you.

Plants are growing!

2009-07-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Samantha Hill

It has been a while since I last posted. I've been in the middle of moving to a new place and starting a new job. Thankfully, I found a job working in my field of study. Although, it's a lot of the same tasks as my last job like watering and fertilizing but it's at smaller level with an eco-concious attitude.

I now live in Santa Rosa (Zone 9), with a big front yard, larger than my last garden. I've already filled most of the space with veggies, beneficial plants, a few natives, a citrus tree, succulents, and some ornamental plants here and there. Along with a chicken coop that has been pass down from my parents.

In the next couple weeks I hope to start photographing more of the garden and sharing some advice as the garden grows through seed to harvest. I will be using only organic methods and mostly non-hybrid heirloom seeds except for a few exceptions. So, I hope you join me and share your thoughts. Your input encourages me to dedicate more time to this blog. It will be a learning experience for everyone including myself.

-Chris

Spring is Around the Corner

2009-03-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Just thought I post some pictures of my garden right now. I've decided to let most of the fava beans go to seed instead using them as a cover crop. I just don't have the room in my small lot and I think it would be more beneficial to save the seed for next year and also eat a lot of fava beans. :D One of the first recipes I'm going to try is one replacing the garbanzo beans in hummus for fava beans. I'll post that when I go through the process of making it. The sugar snap peas are starting to produce, I've had about a handful's worth. Japanese Red Carrots are starting to poke their head out of the ground. If you've never grown carrots for yourself, it's definetly worth it. It amazes me the taste between food you grow with love then the food massive farms grow with the use of harsh chemicals.

Vegetarians should all have a backyard vegetable garden, period. Not only recognize what is going on in the animal industry but what is going on in the farming industry. As a side result to industrial farming we have rapidly destroyed the environment by depleting the top soil and poisioning the soils and nearby water sources. Along with a bagful of others things that would take me a whole other blog to write about. Just do a simple google search. Anyways, enjoy the pictures. Happy Spring Planting!

Seeds!

2009-02-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm taking a break from sorting through all of my seeds. It's one of those tasks that start small and neat, then end up all over the place. It's rewarding though, getting to go through different varieties of plants. I started to plant some seeds such as Calendula, Pak Choi, Chives, Collards and Lettuce. We've started to get a cold spell here in the bay area so I'm worried about the soil temperature not being high enough. Although, I think they have a good chance because the seeds are sitting on a heat mat in my small yet efficient greenhouse. It's been about a week since I planted the seeds and already the Calendula, Pak Choi, Collards, and Lettuce have their dicotyledons out.

Tips When Planting Seeds-

When planting seeds, make sure to plant them 2-3 times the height of the seed. For example, if the seed is 2mm big, plant it 4mm to 6mm deep in the soil.
Label!!! I can not stress labeling. If you want to save your seed, you better know what variety it is. Make sure the labels follow the plant.
I reccomend using sterile soil because of the reduced chances of getting soil borne diseases.
To prevent dampening off, you can sprinkle sand on top of the soil so that it doesnt stay moist around stem. Thus, reducing your chances of having your seeds dampen off.
With smaller seeds, I reccomend sowing them on top of the soil, then sprinkling a light layer on top.
When transplanting to bigger pots, don't jam the roots down into the hole.
Dig a big enough hole, so that the plant roots dangle, then fill the soil in around it.

If you have any questions about anything, feel free to email me.

Radishes

2008-11-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

So, today I harvested some radishes from the garden, one variety was Cherry Belle and the other was White Icicle. Cherry Belle and White Icicle are ready to eat from seed in about 28 days. When planting radishes, make sure to thin out seedlings. Make sure they're a good 2-3" apart, depending on what variety. I found that the ones better spaced apart matured faster. The seedlings that were too close were slow to mature or never developed. Harvest radishes when younger, if you wait too long, the radish can become spongy and hot. If radishes show signs of cracking, you waited too long. Oh, and don't waste those radish greens, instead turn them into a salad or stir fry.

Home Made Pesto

2008-10-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, I have a camping trip coming up for a class. I have to make a entree for 14 people so I finally had the excuse to take the time to make some pesto from some fresh basil that I've been growing. This year, I happened to have miniature basil, the leaves are smaller and the plant is more compact. I would recommend it for someone who doesn't have as much room, it stays compact, you can mow it down when it starts to flower and it keeps growing. This variety might do well in a bright window sill. It's a hybrid so I don't know what the seeds will become next year. I'm trying to shift my garden to all heirloom open pollinated varieties so I can save seed each year instead of purchasing them.

Alright, so here's how I made the pesto.

1.I cut as much down as I could, stripped the leaves, stuck the leaves in the mortar and crushed them. You could use a food processor to speed it up.

2.I crushed a couple garlic cloves, I recommend you start with a small amount and add little by little.

3. I put the crushed garlic and basil together in the food processor along with the olive oil. I slowly added the olive oil until it had the texture I was looking for.

4. When storing the pesto, make sure you cover the top with a small layer of olive oil. This helps preserve the pesto better because no oxygen is getting to the leaves. Without this top layer, the pesto would turn black pretty fast. So basically I went off a recipe but found myself just adding basil and garlic together and finding the right texture.

UCSC Sustainable Agriculture.Agroecology Harvest Festival

2008-10-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going to UC Santa Cruz Harvest Festival. Events ranged from apple juice making and apple tasting to hay rides around the farm. As you walked up to the entrance you could hear the bluegrass playing. Light showers came and went throughout the day. It was an amazing time to be at the farm for a harvest festival. Watching the transition from summer to fall in front of our eyes while enjoying fresh picked corn and veggie kabobs from the field. We went on a tour of the farm, it was awesome to see what the students are doing. They have a six month apprentice program were students from all over can participate in. I strongly recommend you check it out if your interested in agroecology, or learning hands on how to feed a lot of people sustainably. There were things I thought the farm was missing. For example, there was no seed saving and no livestock/animals. So it wasn't a closed loop production, something I myself am looking for. http://casfs.ucsc.edu

Introduction

2008-09-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, My name is Christopher Harrod. I'm a student at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA and also a student at Merritt College in Oakland, CA. At both colleges I study horticulture with an emphasis in sustainability. I'm with a wonderful girl right now. I have a great group of friends and family. Anyways, the purpose of this blog is to share the interesting things I learn and see throughout my day. It could be that I want to share a picture of flower that's blooming or share an interesting plant that might I think is useful. Also, topics will include natural building, permaculture, cooking and DIY projects. This is a pretty open blog, feel free to email me or comment. I would love to hear from you.