I attended a great small business workshop this weekend. Hosted by Sylvia of Foundtree and Greg of Farm Food Drink (and assorted companies), we learned about everything from product risks (and how to mitigate and prevent them) to marketing and projections. Sounds super businessy and not congruent with my lifestyle, doesn't it? Well, if you'd described it to me that way, I would have thought so too but it really wasn't.
I think what I appreciated about both presenters is that they're both committed to helping micro- and small-businesses thrive. I know, I know, anyone could say that but really, they've both worked in some big corporate situations and neither of them felt like they wanted to stay there. Much like many of us who returned to rural living, it seemed like they'd both made a lifestyle/values choice about how to do their work. I also appreciated my fellow participants. They seemed like a group of people there with a similar goal to me - make enough money to sustain my lifestyle, hire some people (so, sharing the bounty locally), and contribute to some aid projects or do some good works. It was interest as many of us in the local/small/ag world feel a bit sheepish about profits and making money. What I've realized is that's a bit like being a martyr; no one thinks I'm a sell out when I'm making a professional wage at my day job, after all. In my opinion, it's a bit funny on the face of it. Anyway, I've got a lot of thinking to do (and planning, and scheming), but it's all good and it's all fun. And it's finally spring, so the perfect time for it. So, I think we've talked about this before but it bears repeating, to my mind. You know how sometimes you read a blog, scroll through an Instagram feed, catch up with someone on facebook, and think "what the hell is wrong with me? I can't get half that done?" Or, "what the hell is wrong with me, I can't save/start a business/whatever" or "there's no way I can afford that/get all that done". I'm posting about this after a message I received. It was a heartfelt "please tell me your secret, I want to be farming and just can't make a go of it" kind of plea. Broke my heart a little bit because it was yet another reminder of how much social media skews our perspective of other's lives and from there, ourselves, if we let it. So let me tell you about my crazy life right now so if yours is crazy, or you can't figure out how to live off your 2 acres and ten mini goats, you won'y think something is wrong with you. First of all, we live in ten acres of forest. Love it. It's beautiful and private and restful and restorative and gives us lovely firewood to heat our home. It's also impossible to garden and live with sheep here because: trees. Why not cut them down? (I have actually been asked that). So, while we do have that to contend with dense forest (and yes, we did clear for the house and some garden) we have clay soil which is a treat. I know you don't usually read that but clay is the most mineral rich and, I have livestock with which to amend it so... I'm thrilled. I have a friend who was gardening on what seemed to be the most ideal place - open, flat, sunny, lots of water, soil looked gorgeous. But there was a high proportion of sand in it so when we had drought, she was watering multiple times per day. Yes, she had great produce but as she said "at what cost?" And they lived mostly off of what she grew so... they ended up selling and moving to somewhere more garden friendly. So, speaking of gardens... That is the unmitigated disaster that is my garden. I've convinced myself that leaving the tomatoes to fester might result in some shoots this spring (though it's rarely worked that way). And yes, there is row cover strewn about. We've had so much rain it was causing more harm than good to the plants so I threw it off and just left it there because:no time. Hopefully today I can get it cleaned up but maybe and maybe not. So, why no time? Well, I'm currently working three jobs - one of which has a 90 min commute each way. I won't be doing this over the long term and have given notice at one but yes, three. Am rebooting a small business, have the farm, this little guy: And of course, family and friends. On top of it, J is in a similar place with all of his commitments. And, I have a goat house and chicken coop in desperate need of cleaning, need to get more hay, and straw, and so on. Oh and garlic to plant and autumn seedlings to transplant. Now this is a big push for this month and isn't going to last but it's a true snapshot and hopefully, an accurate accounting so if your life is feeling a bit crazy or you're just questioning why you can't x, y, or z based on someone's Instagram feed - remember it's just the snapshot they're sharing with you. Many of us share about 1% of our life, right? So set realistic goals and work steadily towards them. That's all you can do. of potato season! Getting home from a long day of work and heading to the garden to rustle up something for supper is one of the greatest joys of my life. Sometimes I think it's even more so for the fact that I had to get home after a day at work but not sure. Maybe it would be even more delicious to just be at home? I hope to test out the hypothesis in the next couple of years. Anyway, spuds are one of the greatest treats to my mind. It's like a treasure hunt, getting your hands in there and hoping you get some magic. You pull them out and voila, supper that fills the belly and tastes divine. Some people suggest not using up room on potatoes because they're cheap at the grocery store but really, they're easy to grow and I think taste miles better than anything the grocery store has on offer. They're ready for the pot. I cut up the big ones and throw them in boiling water first, adding them in from next largest to smallest. When they're done you can toss them with a little butter and veg, crack an egg over the mass and there you have it: insta-supper from the yard. Not super pretty but soooo delicious.
I would like to send a big shout out to Eagle Creek Potatoes. They don't know I'm doing this nor have they in anyway paid for an endorsement but my potatoes have been the best they've ever been. Now, the Woodsman has something to do with this as well. He and the Young Man built me some amazing raised beds (best Mother's Day gift ever). But these potatoes are absolutely gorgeous. No scab, no blemishes, no nothing that's bad for potatoes. I didn't do anything special to the soil - just from the chicken yard to the garden. And basically neglect them from there. So, get some good seed potatoes and get growing. Many places will tell you not to bother with potatoes. I'm going to tell you to go for it. Even when they're scabby, there's nothing like eating a potato fresh from your own dirt. And they're pretty bomb proof - even when I toss in sprouty ones from the pantry, they do ok. So next year, consider potatoes for an easy, satisfying crop. I know I'm not the only one who does this. You know, this: You know how it is - you go to the garden shop and there's this and there's that and you just... can't...say... no. In this case, there were a few things on my "must have" list - including (but not limited to) cold hardy, dwarf cherries. They had four varieties so I bought... yes, four. But really here, growing fruit is a real trick. I can do well enough with gooseberries and currants (when they're protected from goats, chickens, and ducks), some raspberries and last year - blueberries. So, this is a garden trial I suppose. I think cherry leaves for ecoprinting, pruning for dye, and cherries for eating. I know you can see something that looks suspiciously like an elderberry by my knee. It is an elderberry. I love elderberries for syrup and flowers for cordial and wonder about the leaves for printing as well. I may have also gotten barberries and a hardy fig (which may or may not be hardy here) Ah gardening. Now I have to figure out what each of these needs. Haha. Time to research. Afternote: Yeah, that one had to go back. I don't need a toxic red berry elderberry planted on purpose. Fortunately, there were a few other friends ready to take its place. Yep, a Golf can fit a full sized quince, some hardy kiwis, and definitely knitting. Now, time to plant.
I am having trouble wrapping my head around this weather. My berry bushes are in full leaf with buds, my garden is rife with weeds, and it's been hot. It feels more like mid June than mid April! But, what can't be changed must be endured (or enjoyed, in this case).
...is in the air and on the ground! There's actual yard in my yard. My main garden is 75% melted. I even pulled a carrot out that had over wintered. I know, a good blogger would have taken a picture. I'm a bad blogger but I good gardener - I ate it. Crunchy and sweet!
But really, it's way to early for the ground to be loose enough to be worked. It's about a month too early. Of course, when life hands you lemons or early spring, you have to work with what you have. So. I'm ordering seeds. Also - apologies if this seems like drunk blogging or there's a weird typo. I have this cold that's making me feel completely off and woozy. Happy Spring! I don't know about you but I had this deluded notion that things would be slowing down around this time. Um, no. And it is a bit self inflicted, I confess. I took a full time contract that lasts until the end of fiscal. You got that; in addition to my private clients (and everything else going on), I took on full time work. Yeah. Not my most sensible decision. Except that it will only be for another six weeks and then it's back to half time. The good of it is, before kidding starts and the garden is in full swing, I have a chance to pay down some of the debt I took on getting the store started. And, while I'm a big fan of not getting too into the workaholism thing these days, I can dust off my former workaholic self when I need to. But, today, in spite of the business this week, the light at the end of the tunnel is a-shining! I remembered to get my re-registration done for the goats (babies shouldn't be far off), I'm ordering seeds and plants, and generally in "getting read for spring" mode. This is in spite of the snow we still have, epic snow. It rained all night and we still have epic snow. Luckily, I love winter and at the same time, am so glad that the air feels like spring. I'm trying not to think about the bigger repercussions of an early spring because really, I have no control over it. I'm just going to order my seeds and carry on.
Happy planning everyone. I don't need more garden planning or less circulation but seriously, I can't stop dreaming about this:
So, I have been on a reading binge. That's the good thing about the Woodsman also being the Librarian - connections. I send him my list, he retrieves books. So far, it is awesome. This means I not only have a tonne of reading, I also have books to review. I decided to start with Urban Homesteading - Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living for a few reasons. I'll get into the adult and logical ones after I tell you about the reason this one leapt to the front of the pack. So, I'm on Amazon (no link - I'm still not sure about the affiliate thing) looking up books that I think I might like and of course, came across that one. Well, I start reading the reviews and some of them were so vitriolic, I couldn't help myself - I had to read it. Personally, those were some of the best reviews because they drove me right to the book. They complained about the political agenda of the book or something. There were comments about how this was supposed to be a homesteading book and about skills, not a political commentary. Well, I was hooked. Not only because there was a political component but because of the nasty reviews. The other reasons for review this book were much more staid and predictable -looked like some good skills, good stories from real people, and good information. You know, the usual. Nothing as good as the controversy on the Amazon page. There are complaints about the "new age clap trap" in the book and GASP! There's a section devoted to art because, right, we don't need art in our lives! And I think (though I may have it wrong) that this was linked to witchcraft or something. The funniest part though, is the debate that ensues. Someone recommends the Idiot's Guide to Homesteading or some such and someone takes offence that people are being called idiots. Oh my goodness people. Really. Even if someone did call someone an idiot, who cares. It's the internet. Put your computer away and chill (maybe take some time in the garden?). Anyway with all of that hilarity, how could I not read Urban Homesteading first? So, without further ado, enter Urban Homesteading. The Good: For me, the good was most of the book. I loved much of the authors' perspectives on the current state of the environment, how we got here, and what we can do about it. The information on Peak Oil was interesting and, while I've read a little that's tied into Peak Oil, I've not read much so maybe if I had this wouldn't have been new. I really appreciated the summary on Permaculture - again something I've dabbled in but haven't extensively explored. I definitely felt I left that section better understanding the concepts. I suspect you will as well. There are lots of clever container garden options and suggestions. These should be useful not only to people with smaller garden spaces but also those with larger ones but who need some specialized soil or have other factors that make container gardening a useful option. There are also some options for creating a community garden that tie nicely into the container concepts. The book is full of real life experiences - including before and after shots of normal houses (not show pieces created for the photo-op). They've also included the layouts of yards that are living this lifestyle. I absolutely love emphasis on the importance of dirt because they're right - without dirt you've got nothing. And of course, there were some arty things. I, for one, loved them. I loved the use of clay and plaster not only for practical projects but also to make things beautiful. Yes, I understand that people looking for a practical skills kind of book might not like that but it's a small portion of the book and I think there are few of us who don't try for some beauty in our lives. I found it slightly missed the mark for me because I live in a polar (no pun intended though we do have an Arctic Outflow warning today) opposite garden zone and so have different challenges. The one thing I would urge the publisher/authors to change for a future edition would be to add a table of contents. I found the lack of one a challenge when I wanted to go back to find something. Overall, I'd recommend this book for a beginner or even mid-level Homesteader. I thought it covered a very broad range of topics, had a lot of useful information, and a warm, approachable voice. I did find it heavy on the political but that didn't bother me. If it bothers you, consider yourself forewarned. World Soil Day is today. Did you even know there was a thing? I'm curious about it being in early December given that there's no soil here and even if you could find some, it's frozen!
However, I love the sentiment. So let's just pause for a second and give thanks to the soil. |
AuthorI'm a 40-something writer and smallholder living in the wilds of BC with my family, our small herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Archives
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