Hitch up your wagon!

Before I moved to Missouri, this was how I envisioned homesteading:

When Chris and I decided to leave the Los Angeles area, and move to the country, we had this crazy idea that we would like to support our family by growing and raising most of our own food, and by running agriculture based businesses from our own farm. This idea was inspired by friends of my cousin, whom we had never met, who left SoCal and moved to Colorado and are doing something similar. In so doing, we would be leading a more organic life, with close ties to our food and land, while providing quality produce and products for our consumers.

Turns out, it's a thing. And it has a name:

Homesteading.

The modern day homestead, sometimes called a farmstead, doesn't start out on a wagon at the sound of a gunshot. It starts when one decides to become more self-sufficient, and takes action towards that end. In our case, homesteading is a process. We are not attempting to go completely off grid from day one. While we will have our own well and septic system, we will rely on electricity from the power company at first. We will gradually build our orchard, kitchen garden, market garden, and increase our animal stock.

Our goal is to make fewer trips to town for supplies and to be able to depend on our own resources.

As we build zone by zone, we will keep you updated on the progress of our little homestead. It's an interesting journey from city life to country life. We are transforming the way we think about everything we consume as we try to live more simply. 

Have you made any decisions to become more self sufficient, simplify your life, or have a healthier lifestyle? What changes have you made? What challenges have you faced along the way? What would you like to know more about as we document our progress?

Naturally Urban Farm in Bellflower, CA

I had the pleasure of meeting Shannon and Eric Schermerhorn at their home yesterday. They, along with their seven children and Jay (helper on the "farm") have a large organic garden and raise chickens right here in my town. 

They call their city farm "Naturally Urban". Be sure to visit: Www.naturallyurban.blogspot.com

I enjoyed visiting with them and learning about gardening. The interview will be posted on my YouTube channel: NotaFarmGirl. 

              Shannon and I

Here are some take-aways that I learned during our chats between takes. 

*keep your ground covered by mulch or foliage. Exposed ground loses both moisture and soil. 

*walking barefoot while you garden allows you to feel what's going on in the soil. 

*blackberries and raspberries like to grow downhill. 

*if you live in the country, keep a couple extra chickens for their predators. It's natural, unless they're eating more than their fair share. As Jay says, "Everyone's got to eat."

Me with Jay and either Fluffy or Puffy. (They're sister chickens that look alike.)

Shannon also highly recommends this book:

She said, "When they say 'Five Minutes a Day' they actually mean ONLY five minutes a day." She gave me a loaf and it was super yummy! I've already ordered my own copy. 

I am amazed every day by how willing people are to share their knowledge and expertise. I am thankful for friends old and new as I journey from the city to the farm. 

Pondering...

We are trying to come up with ways to earn money on the farm. Here are some ideas we have:

My ideas:
Honey
Lavender products
Goat's milk/cheese products

Carter's idea: rent the barn for weddings

Lesleigh's ideas:
Puppy breeding
raising chickens

Jason's idea: rent the farm for photo shoots

Chris would like to start an at home or online business. What should he do?
What else can we do? Please comment!!

Let the Crazy Ensue

This summer my family went on a road trip. While it was mostly vacation, we were also exploring the possibility of moving.  Moving. I didn't really want to move. I love my sunny SoCal life. It is seventy degrees and sunny year round here. I have a flip flop collection. There are palm trees and beaches and... sigh.
But yes, we are considering moving. There are a couple of reasons. One is to be nearer to my mother and father. While technology makes it easier to stay in touch, I'm just not able to give the kind of support I'd like to. Also, we are just done with the L.A. life and all the busy-ness that it entails.
Prior to the trip, we had planned to explore areas where we could stay in our current professions, and just relocate. However, that changed along the way. My cousin Valerie told me about her friend who is trying to bring back the idea of the 'gentleman farmer'. This is in reference to a farm that is  smaller than a commercial farm, but different than a hobby farm in that it supplies enough income to provide for the family. The idea intrigued me. A lot. I couldn't shake it.

What if we could pay cash for a small farm, and have no mortgage? Could we earn enough doing home-based/farm-based businesses to support the needs of our family? Could we leave the hustle and bustle of L.A. and take our kids (and the dog) across the country to a quieter, simpler life close to my parents? 

We began to dream and brainstorm. (There are plenty of miles for conversation on the way from Colorado to California.) We discussed the fact that the only plant I have successfully grown is lavender. Maybe I could have a lavender field with bee hives. And maybe I could have a few goats. Then maybe, just maybe, I could make a myriad of products, including goat cheese, soaps, honey, etc. 
It sounds like a fairly well thought out plan. Unless you know that I am SO Not A Farm Girl. I haven't any idea how to make soap or honey or goat cheese. I barely make breakfast. Although, I'm fairly certain the bees do most of the work with the honey. (At least I think they do.)  
Then I had another idea. What if we documented all of my experiences, whether success or failure and post it online? Would anyone care to read about it? We shall see, we shall see. And so, here we are.  

So Let The Crazy Begin...
Here's the plan: 
Save and scrimp for 6 months. 
Scale down, sell, give away, and pack our stuff.
Move to the country and pay cash for a small farm.
Document my experience on this blog and on YouTube.
Market my farm products online, and at farmers markets or in specialty stores.

You can help!
What do you want to see me try?
What should I make with my lavender bushes?
Any advice?
What resources are out there for me?
Where should I start?

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