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Urban Homesteading

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Posted on 8th May 2010 by Mish in food | frugal | gardening | green

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I was going to move back to the country. I was ready. I started saving up. Even though I love my new home and my ability to walk or bike almost anywhere, the noise of the city was starting to get to me a bit and I hated not having a ton of room to grow things. Then I saw this family, the trailer for their new documentary and a couple of other videos on YouTube about them and I changed my mind. Immediately. I’m staying put and I’m creating my own urban homestead. You can do it too. Just watch:

Homegrown Revolution (Trailer) from Path to Freedom on Vimeo.

The Dervaes family lives in Pasadena, CA. Now granted, I can’t grow oranges in my backyard, but I can grow a lot of stuff. And I will. Just watch. The seeds are already growing in the sun room! Look out De Pere, WI, your historic corner is going to get very veg, very soon! I’ll keep you posted as we dig…but for now – check these people out – they’re my new heroes! Now, if I could only get the city to let me keep chickens….

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10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Right Now…without messing with your world

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Posted on 21st April 2010 by Mish in frugal | gardening | green

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Get the first two chapters of Michelle’s new book, A Fine Mess: Living Simply With Children, for free! Michelle is the homeschooling mother of 7 children and has lots of humor, tips and hints for living with so many for much less. Want to try it out for nothing? Just email Michelle and put “free chapters” in the subject line.

  • Bring your own bags – everywhere! This is so simple that it’s criminal that we don’t all do it already. I leave 4 or 5 canvas bags in my car at all times and just grab them when I go into a store. Have a bunch of plastic ones? Well, put them in your car and just reuse those! You don’t need to buy a fancy canvas bag like this one, from Organically Inclined! I wish that when I went to the store I wasn’t the only one around who answers “neither” when asked if they want paper or plastic.
  • Don’t Buy Things! This is so simple even a baby can do it. Just don’t buy stuff. Don’t go to stores. Don’t buy things that have lots of packaging. If you must buy something – check out Craigslist.org, Freecycle.org or hit your local yard sales and thrift stores (bringing your own bags of course). You’d be amazed at how much money you’ll save by simply not purchasing things…and how kind you’ll be to the planet.
  • Stay home. Don’t get in the car. Don’t drive away. Don’t go out to eat. Don’t go buy things (see above). Don’t do anything. Sit in a hammock in your backyard. Pick weeds. Do the laundry. Watch a movie. You’ll save gas, emissions and money all at the same time. (more…)

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Create Your Own Victory Garden

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Posted on 10th March 2009 by Mish in food | frugal | gardening

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A long time ago, when I lived in a small apartment with two small children, I found a book at a used bookstore called, “The Apartment Farmer.” Within days of reading this book, I turned my small suburban apartment into a small suburban farm. For the cost of the seeds and some containers I found at thrift stores, I grew tomatoes on my little patio in a five gallon bucket. I started seeds in egg cartons. I had peppers of all sorts. You name it, I grew it. I even grew two pumpkins in a huge whiskey barrel -type contraption. I cut down a bucket and grew small cukes, too.

Spoiled by the luxury of a huge garden area in Vermont, I am now faced with a small (in farm terms) yard once again. While I am enjoying the challenges of raising a family green and frugal in the city – I must say that I’ve been concerned about my ability to garden effectively and provide the amount of produce that I once did.

We are fortunate, here in Green Bay, to live very close to the “country” as it were – and a wealth of providers of various produce. But I like to grow stuff. I like the frugality of it. I like the exercise. I like to plant stuff and watch it grow. I like to roam around the garden early in the morning with a cup of coffee and debug a few plants and pull a few stray weeds.

(more…)

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Be Frugal – Buy Organic!

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Posted on 2nd February 2009 by Mish in food | frugal

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Buy organic? What are you crazy? I”m trying to save money!

I know, it does seem like buying organic costs twice as much as buying “regular” food, but it doesn”t. Not if you know how to shop. I avoided my local co-op for years because I was terrified that my already high food bill would skyrocket if I dared buy the organic versions. But I was wrong.

It took a little radical change on my part, but I knew my family had to eat better and so I took what I call the “three-month” challenge. I vowed to find a way to incorporate organic and locally-grown foods into at least 90 percent of our diet within that time frame.

It wasn”t nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

First, I had to dispel yourself of the notion that eating healthy food was more expensive or required a lot of cooking. And second, I had to stop letting the children dictate what goes in the pantry. Yes, my children would think I was a goddess if I let them have gummy, sugary, cartoon-character “fruit snacks,” but I don”t care. They alternately think I”m goddess and hate me on any given day anyway, so I”ve decided that I”m in charge of what goes into their bodies and they”ll just have to live with it. And you know what? They do. They might roll their eyes (my 13-year-old daughter is especially good at this) that there are no pre-fab “granola” bars in the pantry, but she gives me just as big a hug when I put mangoes in the fruit basket. Relying on the approval of children is a silly way to shop.

Children will never, ever choose an apple or a yogurt after school if there are chocolate chip cookies or Ring Dings or “Easy Mac” in the house. But they will choose an apple, orange or organic granola bar if that”s all there is.

(more…)

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Weeds – Friend or Foe?

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Posted on 8th July 2008 by mishakennedy in gardening

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I won’t lie, my garden is pretty weedy. Really weedy. It always is. I go out there with all intentions of having a pretty little row by row garden and then I end up with the jungle (I’ll go out and take a picture later, it’s too hot right now). I think part of it is because I am nestled into a side hill and there is a lot of wildflower growth right above the garden…the wind comes down through the mountain and plants all the seeds into the garden. Of course, the other problem is that while I always have the ambition to get out and work in the garden for three or four hours a day – it usually ends up being like every other for an hour. Inevitably, while I am out there, there is yelling and screaming and I have to come and see what’s going on; or someone needs to go somewhere and when I get back, it’s time to start dinner – or I get distracted by something else.

So, I was weeding yesterday – quite heartily and recovered both 100 foot rows of beets. However, while I was out there, I noticed that some of the weeds that were intermixed with my broccoli and cauliflower, looked remarkably like the broccoli and cauliflower plants – they didn’t have the same bluish hue, but the structure looked essentially the same. And I got to thinking…since the weeds grow faster  than the cultivated plants, is there any chance that they could be beneficial, rather than a hindrance?

I did a little research – and while the final verdict is still up in the air – it would appear that although weeds do take a lot from a row of cultivated veggies (sharing water, light, etc.); they also provide food for bugs that might otherwise eat your plants, increase pollination and provide some plants with necessary shade. In addition, some weeds have roots that clear the soil, attract grubs and cutworms and replenish it with nitrogen – acting like a green manure.

I also try to mulch heavily with newspaper, hay, compost and stuff from the barn.

Why not just cave in and use herbicides a friend said to me? Well, if it’s not good for the weeds, I can’t imagine it’s too good for the plants. And I don’t really mind a weedy garden in theory – but my Martha-esque sensibility does feel the same kind frustration in my weedy garden as I do in my cluttered living room. I try and push past that feeling…while giving a satisfying yank to another weed that is past my knees in height.

Will I continue to weed? Yes, I will. But as you will see when I post photos, my huge garden will never be weed-free. I think I will continue to weed the immediate area around my plants and allow other weeds to grow up and act as a barrier. Do I wish I could have one of those pretty little gardens with the plants all perfectly tended in a row and not a weed in sight. Yes. And maybe someday I will get there. But for now, I enjoy just getting out there everyday (or every other day), watching my plants grow healthy, knowing that they will feed my family in a variety of ways.

How does your garden grow?

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Getting the Farm in Order

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Posted on 15th April 2008 by mishakennedy in gardening

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We have finally reached a day when we have less snow then open ground on most of our property. Over the weekend, the sheep were finally able to break loose of the barn and get out in the barnyard a bit. We had them fenced in the barn at one point because they were able to walk on top of the snow and hop over the 4 foot high fence.

They have not been shorn yet, as we have an open barn (three sided post and beam), but it’s supposed to be very warm this weekend, so we’ll have to get that done. We didn’t breed our sheep last fall, so no little lambs this year, but I was unprepared to be the sheep’s midwife this year as we just had Kiara in October and I knew I’d have enough sleepless nights!

We are also preparing the chicken house for new chicks in May and I am preparing myself for our first turkeys. I have had chickens before, but never turkeys – so this will be something new and interesting! But, we’ll also have fresh, organic turkey for Thanksgiving this year – so I’m pleased with that. I hope that all goes well and I can cultivate a few customers for this first batch of turkeys – otherwise we’ll be eating a lot of turkey this winter!

I just planted the first outside mesclun and spinach – so that’s always a little exciting. And I am eagerly looking at our seedlings everyday – hoping to see new growth or a new sprout. They are doing well.

This will be my first venture into market gardening, so I am trying to keep good records (better than my homeschooling ones, I hope!:-) and find a few things that I really want to concentrate on. I plan to sell at the Chelsea Farmer’s Market this year – and a few of the smaller ones around us. I’d like to see some of the smaller ones do better and become more regular. There are a couple of large markets near us, but they are very big, fairly expensive and a little more “touristy” than I like. I’d rather hang out on a Wednesday afternoon with people from town!

Liam (my 10 yo homeschooler) is very into the farmer’s market idea and is ready to sell anything! So, I’ll have to find him a niche he can cultivate, as it were. He likes the idea of selling potted herbs and making things from dried herbs – so we’ll try and work on that…hmmm.

We are currently working on a plan to sell organic fresh-frozen baby food (The Vermont Baby Company) and fresh-frozen prepared veggies. Got to get those labels in order!

OK, back to work… and if you know anyone who wants a turkey…

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Posted on 9th April 2008 by Mish in miscellaneous

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Some new Organically Inclined products now at the OI shop!

I can’t wait to receive my first OI onesie…

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Frugal and Green Tip – Baby Wipes

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Posted on 20th March 2008 by Mish in frugal

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I really thought I couldn’t live without baby wipes when I had baby number – 2 or 3. They were so handy to have around. But now that I’m on baby number 6, I barely remember what it was that was so appealing. In fact, when I do buy the occasional package, I find that I use them more for my toddler’s face and hands and less for my baby’s butt!

So, what do I use to clean to my baby’s butt? I have a stack of clean, soft rags- some purchased inexpensively at a discount store, some I made myself out of old towels and t-shirts. We keep them in a drawer in the kitchen and when baby has stinker, before I unwrap her, I wet one or two of the rags in warm water. Then it goes into the diaper bucket in the washroom.

(more…)

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Live Tree, Dead Tree or Fake Tree? A Christmas Dilemma…

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Posted on 28th November 2007 by mishakennedy in gardening

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Let the Christmas articles begin.

Many years ago, when I first became a “greenie” or “treehugger” or whatever the term was back in the 80’s, I berated my parents for cutting down a Christmas tree in our own backyard (we have 30 acres). “You’ve cut down a precious tree for a month’s worth of enjoyment!” I would yell.

My parents then moved on to a fake, plastic tree. A very nice one, I might add. But fake nonetheless, thinking they had solved the eco-dilemma.

I encouraged them to buy a potted tree and replant it after Christmas, but they informed that, living in Vermont…it wasn’t really possible. The ground being frozen and all.

Oh yeah.

So, a potted tree being out of the running, the choice was back to soon-to-be-dead tree or plastic. I thought the fake tree would win out for sure. Until I read about PVCs and lead in the fake trees. Not to mention all of the energy required to make a fake tree – plus the shipping, packaging, and well, you get the idea.

So, now we’re back to the soon-to-be-dead cut Christmas tree.

It’s the best option. Why? Christmas trees are farmed. Like rutabagas. For everyone cut down, a Christmas tree farm plants another to take it’s place. The earth reaps the benefits of the CO2 breathing trees for as many as five years or more – and then when the Hogans (that would be us) come to cut her down with our little bow saw – we get to enjoy it as a tree for Christmas, and then as mulch for our blueberry patch. Same with our wreaths.

In case you were wondering, we get our trees from a little farm about a mile away from our house – Red Rock Farm – but I found out they have a web site: www.christmastrees.net and they ship their trees all over.

Going to their farm is a great family tradition. Each year we all load up in my truck and drive the mile or so to their farm. We ask Rich where to head for the best trees (which are all labeled and marked accordingly) and then once we find our tree, we bring it back to Rich who entertains the kids by shaking the bejeezus out of it on the needle shaker machine. While he wraps it up, we usually go and watch Stephanie make wreaths in the warm little shed off their barn. I usually buy a wreath or two and some roping for our deck.

So, find yourself an organic Christmas tree farm and go cut your own this year. It’s a wonderful family experience and it’s a “green” activity too!

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Grow some greens this winter!

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Posted on 15th November 2007 by mishakennedy in food | gardening

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There are many ways to extend the gardening season into the winter, but one of the best ways I have found is to grow your greens. Now, I have to admit, I did not know for a long time that once the weather got cold that I could keep on planting. It seemed counterintuitive. Once it gets cold, you’re supposed to hibernate and roast your many, many potatoes – aren’t you? And your greens – well, you either eat your frozen and canned veggies or you succumb to buying greens shipped from California. Right?

No! I had no idea that I could keep on planting. And now I do. With the help of a couple of cold frames and some black plastic, I can continue to eat spinach, chard and lettuce well throughout the winter.

It’s simple, just lay some black plastic (a garbage bag will work), and put your homemade or store-bought cold frame right over it. I made a cold frame by taking an old window and attaching hinges purchased at the hardware store to it. Then I attached the other side of the hinges to a frame of 2″ by 6″ lumber that fit the window. Voila! A cold frame. Then, I cut slits in the plastic for my seedlings (I planted them inside first to give them a good start) and now fresh greens are growing right by my back door. I also mulch them with hay to keep them warm.

If you have the space, you can also plant herbs in indoor pots for your own cooking and tea needs. If you have a cool space in your basement and don’t want to bother with the frames, you can plant lettuce and spinach in a large flower pot indoors. I rectangular planter box works brilliantly for this job! And it’s a great activity for kids.

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