March on the Homestead

Lenten rose (hellabore).

This month, an online friend from out of state came to visit us. When she saw my garden, she almost whispered, "I thought you had a much bigger garden!" I think it's natural for us to assume someone who is homesteading has more land, a bigger garden, Ma Ingalls' skills - a bunch of stuff we don't have. But while I wish we lived out in the country and had a huge vegetable garden (and a huge greenhouse, and a whole bunch of other things), I'm learning to make the best of what I do have.


My main vegetable bed is finally double dug and new, wider berms are in place. (And in case you wonder how I do this with two young kids at home, I'll tell you it isn't easy! It seemed every time the weather and my schedule cooperated and I got to do

Freshly dug beds, partially filled with seedlings.
some digging, the kids would have some emergency that would pull me out of the garden. Still, as the old saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way.) It wasn't easy work, I admit, but double digging loosens the soil deeper than tilling with a machine does. Besides, much of the work was pulling out all the many tough, small roots out of the existing berms. (I think they are from the trees in our yard.)

My winter sown cold weather vegetable seeds prodded me to work harder, too. Many were ready for transplanting before my garden was ready for them. But this month I did get radishes, kale, peas, potatoes, spinach, kholrabi, broccoli, parsnips, lettuce, cabbage, and collards planted. This year, my plan is to put things that don't mind some shade in our main, backyard veggie bed. Sun lovers, like squash, will go in the front, where it's sunnier.
A chick.

Our chicks are growing by leaps and bounds. Most days, we can literally see they've grown overnight. It's astonishing. They are no longer cute little fuzz balls; they are now gangly teenagers - mini chickens with messy hairdos as their feathers grow in. To prevent them from becoming over-crowded, I placed two in a separate box. But because pecking order and flocks are vital to chicken happiness, I placed the boxes side by side, one side of each box touching the other. The boxes are clear, so they can see the rest of their flock, which prevents problems later, when the birds go outside. Each box now contains a stick for roosting on, shredded newspaper for scratching in, chick grit, and a daily dose of fresh greens (mostly dandelion and grass leaves) to eat. On warm days, we also let them go outside in a "chicken tractor" - a screened in box that keeps them contained but allow them to scratch around and enjoy the fresh air.



Chicks enjoying the "tractor."

The grown chickens (and the kids) love the little backyard hill created from last month's torn-out turf.
Calendula, which I use for medicinal purposes.

Leeks
Daffodils, hyacinths, and other spring bulbs are in full swing.

2013 Produce Totals 
(with 6 two-and-a-half year old hens, no greenhouse, and no cold frames)



Eggs 196 (116 this month)
Collards 4 lbs.
Kale 1 lb.
Dandelion Greens 5 lb.
Dandelion Root 1 lb.
Wild onion 1 1/2 lb.
Beets 1
Sunchokes 40 lbs.
Chives 1 lb. (all this month)
Parsnips 1 lbs (all this month)
Green onions 1 lb. (all this month)
Passion vine 1 lb. (all this month; I use this medicinally)

2 comments

  1. I got 3 new boxes for my garden. My boxes from last year got spruced up... check out my last post. WE will be getting chicken and building a chicken tractor. That will be such a great homeschool project. I can't wait.
    I can't thank you enough for all your encouragement. I decided to begin gardening, composting and raising chickens because of you! :) thank you.

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  2. Tereza, thanks for sharing! And I'm so pleased I encouraged you in those pursuits!

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