I’m all about realizations this year….
So I realized that I am (what I have coined) “a happiness procrastinator”! I have files of magazine pull outs, with ads for what I will do in my ‘next’ house. Pictures of home gardens, solar panels, ways to organize your closet, green up your space etc. I have recipes of things I will make when I have this amazing garden. The next house will have a playground. The next house will have a barn. The next house will not have a pool. The next house will be so great…. I will be happier, life will be easier, I will be more fulfilled, life will run perfectly. I picture my family living off the land in this ‘someday’ house. We will have farm animals and the kids will frolic in the meadows:)
Come on now- We all do it! “When I finish school my life will start” “If I could only find Mr/Mrs Right I would be happy” “If I get married my life will feel stable” “when I have kids my life will be complete” “when my kids go off to college my life will start”. We become so lost in the fantasy of what this future will feel like, that we don’t find the happiness in the present. And you know that as soon as you accomplish that ‘one thing’, your brain will jump to the next slightly out of grasp goal!!
I started to hear that a lot of my conversations were about this lifestyle I will have in the “next” house. Well, there is no next house in the near future and I got to wondering. Could I be this ‘next house farm girl’ in my present house? Ok, so I have never lived anywhere but the city/suburbs of LA and Detroit. I have never spent any real time living anything remotely close to a farm life. But doesn’t it sound ideal once your a mom? I want to give my kiddles the best chances possible. That includes their health. But I’m such a hypocrite! I feed them healthy organic food, then I pull through a McDonald’s drive-thru once I have dropped them off at school! No joke!
But I really long for a life change. I’m sick of this awesomeness that hovers just over the horizon. I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate all these ‘next house’ ideals into my life now. One thing at a time.
I started a garden off one of my balcony’s a month ago. Not really much work on my part. There were already a bunch of dead planters just sitting out there that i dumped. Bought some organic soil and threw some tomato seeds in each. Pink, yellow, orange, green, purple and red tomatoes. I didn’t know until after, that you need to treat these seeds delicately and plant them inside until they have become seedlings. But you know what….it didn’t matter. I watered them every day and could now feed an army with my tomatoes. They are amazing!! I don’t even know what I will do with them. I don’t even like tomatoes!!! My twins eat them like apples but there are too many!! Anyone got amazing sauce recipes? Know how to jar/can and want to explain it to me? haha. Guess I planted them thinking nothin would really come of it…. I have started my farm life. A few planters but it’s a start. What will I grow from here?!
Which brings me to my first BIG project:
CHICKENS
Did you know that in LA you can have an unlimited amount of chickens on a residential property? They just need to be 20 feet from your house and 35 feet from someone else’s. I never knew that! haha. For sure if I can raise chickens ANYBODY can do it!! What am I getting myself into? I have not even the slightest clue! Is it worth it? Do you save money? Are the eggs really that different tasting fresh?
I’m looking for plans to build me a chicken coop!!! Really folks, if I actually accomplish this and it’s worth it….EVERYONE can do it.
I guess the worse that can happen is, they are too messy, too much of a hassle and too stinky. In which case I will eat them! Win/Win!
Any pointers before this idiot finally attempts her ‘farmgirl’ life?!
Haha! you're too much Haylie! this blog always makes me smile! as for the tomatoes….grab a big 'ol chunk of mozzarella cheese, slice those 'maters, top them with cheese and olive oil – YUM!!
oh…and don't forget the basil with the mozzarella and olive oil….I have tomatoes and jalapenos planted. I HAD squash and cucumbers planted..but my sweet boston terrier decided to eat them..ARG! Plant you an herb garden too…fun to cook with!
As far as the chickens go…I don't know. I was raised in the country, but we raised rabbit and quail(and ate them too) and had 1 acre of nothing but garden!! 😀 Life seemed simpler back then. *smirk
OH…and about the "Come on…we all do it" statement! YES we ALL do it! I find myself in the rigorous routine of the "what could be" thinking .…mine usually has something to do with trying to convince myself that I'd be happier if my boobs were larger. BAHA! Nothing wrong with dreaming I guess!
Hailie,
you're a hoot girl! I am a (or once was) a farm girl–eggs really do taste better fresh—as you have observed, wanting and having are not necessarily experienced with the same enthusiasm, or effort! Talk to people who are doing/have done whatever you believe you would like to do; whether it's raising kids, or raising a ruckus, there is no substitute for experience.
I have the same thoughts…about what I'm going to do "some day." In fact, I've told my husband that I want to some day live in a log cabin house and have chickens, and if at the end of my life, I have not done that, I'm going to be so mad!
But I do have a garden, and actually did take a "Master Gardener" class at my local county extension office. Tomatoes are my most favorite thing to grow. I'm crazy-obsessed with heirloom tomatoes! Canning is super easy. I make salsa every year–regular and green tomato salsa (for the tomatoes that never seem to ripen). I've even made ketchup (not worth it, by the way). My cucumbers were insanely prolific last year so I canned a ton of pickles. There is something completely soul satisfying to look at a shelf in your laundry room with several jars of your garden bounty sealed for all eternity smiling back at you with their cute labels, declaring their home-madeness. Do it!!!!!!
Aaaa! Great ideas guys! I'm definitely going to start some raised bed gardening in my yard. Why not? The kids will love it too! I'll update you on my farm:) As for the chickens…searchibg google for coop plans that look doable for me aka person who has never built ANYTHING:) I'll post pics!
Fresh eggs really do taste better. We had a friend in Mariposa that raised chickens so we always had fresh eggs. I recommend going to the Farmer's Market and buying them. I wanted to raise chickens in when we lived in Mariposa. Then I thought about keeping them away from all the critters that wanted to eat them (which you may have a few of. city raccoons?), cleaning up after them daily to keep the coop sanitary and I decided the eggs from down the road were just fine : ) If you just want a few it's not so much maintenance, but you won't be guaranteed eggs daily. They usually lay one a day once they start laying and your never sure what size they will be. Sometimes they're the cutest little things though : )
Here's my pointer to you. My city allows people to have 6 chickens. We are not fancy like you and the houses are MUCH closer together than you and your neighbors are.
My neighbors two houses down have chickens. They were attacked by raccoons once. Also, their chickens are jerks because they have no concept of summer vacation!! Um, hello? Chickens? I don't need to be up at 5am for, like, 6 more weeks.
Okay, that's not so much of a pointer as it is a rant. Either way, enjoy your chickens!!!
3 chickens will get you about 13 eggs per week. Any fewer than 3 chickens and the chickens FREAK OUT! They are pack animals… or flock animals.
We had the same tomato problem last summer so do you know what we did? We made ketchup!! And it was AMAAAAAZING. And easy and so rewarding. My daughter (2 1/2) loves "dip dip" so it's especially rewarding to give her some of our homegrown, organic ketchup when she wants dip dip. If you're interested in the recipe, I'd be happy to give it to you! And I can even explain the details to you via email (or skype?) if you have questions. You can even give jars of your homemade ketchup as Christmas gifts this year!
Get Easter chickens, they lay pretty eggs. 😉
Kristi- Oh my word! I would LOVE the recipe!! If you have time post it here. I'm sure others would love to know how to make 'dip dip':)
I will look into Easter chickens…
KT-great info. I didn't know that! I'm thinking 4 or 5 at the moment…
So have you gotten your chickens? 🙂
Ok, I'll post the recipe for you but it'll take me a few day, we just got back from vacation and I'm still trying to unpack my brain! I'm not sure which bag I put it in, ha ha.
Not yet. I have a coop I want to build in mind. We are just debating whether the fam is going to go on tour the whole time. In which the chickens would be home alone:) We are trying to figure it out though!
This post sums that craving up nicely. I like to call it the yearn to "go Amish". Have you seen the path to freedom website where that family grows 5000 pounds of food in a suburb of L.A?
Candice- 'go Amish' So true! You know I've actually looked into if Amish communities offer any sort of program wjere you can live their way of life for a summer. Can't find one…obviously we are 'the outside world' so why would they want us inside. But I thought it would be an amazing experience for the whole family. The kids would come out with some amazing perspective on our lives.
I will check out the path to freedom website. I have never even heard of this family!! How awesome!!
I'm sure you found the link by now but if not, it's http://urbanhomestead.org/
I'm excited to see what you think of their amazing yard and urban garden techniques- talk about "hard core" victory gardens!
I would give anything to be that talented but like you I have small kids and it's hard to get "farming" with them underfoot. Sometimes I think I'm in love with the idea of it more than the practicality of my little house on the prairie dream.
Another roadblock are neighborhood associations or towns who frown on having chickens or extensive urban gardens which really ticks me off. I mean I can understand large farm animals but a few chickens never hurt anyone. Here in the outskirts of Chicago people are starting to fight for the right to have chickens!
Who wouldn't love to saunter outside in the early morning, talk to the ladies as they cluck about and scoop up some fresh eggs?
Would love to see more post about your journey to having chickens and your dream farming life.
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