Chickens, Peas, and The Seed Story of the Century.

Um, ok for real? The last time I posted was January 24th?

It's certainly been a busy time - wedding plans are full steam ahead, and while I've been working in the garden and continuing to"live simply" I haven't been writing about it.

So, here's what's new.

First of all, and this is something I'm super excited about, our friends are in a chicken co-op and they had trouble finishing all of their eggs. We asked if we could split their share with them in exchange for helping to buy feed and clean the coop when it's their turn. It's so nice to have fresh eggs! I'd been looking for a source for a while, ever since the Sierra Madre Farmer's Market closed and I couldn't find anyone who sold fresh eggs :(

Honestly, I don't know what's more fun - opening the carton of multi-colored, multi-sized eggs every other week or visiting the chickens. I like holding them - they're (surprisingly) so soft!

here I am with either Curry or Nugget and loving it. (photo by Daniel Lundgren)

So that's fun. I'm glad J and I are learning about the care and keeping of chickens in a second hand kind of way, as we've talked about having them someday. Now we have a glimpse of what we'd be getting ourselves into, especially since yesterday was coop cleaning day!

The community garden plot has been a disappointment learning experience. It's ironic that we nicknamed it the mini-farm because that's just what it is - full of mini radishes and mini-kale. Like barbie-sized lol. It's obvious that there are some nutrient deficiencies that we'll have to overcome. The peas and fava beans continue to do well. We've been harvesting peas for a couple of weeks now. No fava beans yet.

pea harvest

lettuce in a pot

slllooooowwww growing spinach in a pot

It's time to start thinking about summer crops. I don't know how much I'll be able to reasonably grow this year as the wedding's in June and I'll be super busy until then and taking off on a ten day honeymoon to Central America (yahoo!)

I'm still hopeful that I'll be able to devote some time to the garden. I've decided to grow only beans at the community garden plot as the soil seems to be nitrogen deficient and they'll a) tolerate it and b) help it, at least until I get some finished compost. Now that J and I are going to be able to stay in the house I currently live in, I'm not worried about "what if we have to live in an apartment without a balcony and the only dirt we'll really have is the dirt at church?!" Our current house has a little yard and even though most of it is shaded there's still some space we could use to grow some veggies. Yahoo!

I bought some herbs, beans, calendula, and peppers at the store the other day. There were other seeds I'd wanted to try (like eggplant) but couldn't find them at the store.

Then a miracle happened at this week's Produce in the Park. As I was getting ready to take my chard and avocado and head home, a young man showed up with a 5 gallon bucket and a sheepish grin. He explained that he had bought a seed starting kit but no longer had any land to grow the veggies, so he decided to GIVE AWAY THE SEEDS at the produce exchange. Aaaah! It was a frenzy! He had at least 300 varieties of seeds - many of them rare and heirloom. (I told you it was a miracle!!) So now I have two varieties of eggplant, two more types of beans, okra, more peas, a couple of types of lettuce, black radishes (??), yucca (???), corn, amaranth, two types of onions, a belizian tomato, and cayenne pepper. No need to buy any more seeds this year!!! Thanks, buddy! Hopefully they take, and I can bring the harvest to the exchange and he can reap the benefit of his generosity!

There you have it; a snapshot of what's been going on in my world.

Stay tuned for a newspaper pot tutorial (featuring my dad and some baby tomatoes) coming soon!

spring's first promise

I practically skipped around the garden when I checked it after church on Sunday. Why? Because this was waiting for me there:

that my friends is a home grown pea pod!!

favas are flowering

Looks like we've done something right! We're well on our way to pulling something edible out of this first attempt at gardening. I hope they taste as good as I imagine!

<3
M

hanging in there.

January 18th. Yikes! Our wedding is exactly five months away, and this date marks one month since my last post. Can I say I've been busy? December had Christmas, and so far January has been...you guessed it...wedding wedding wedding. Hence why I haven't updated the blog in so long!

While some days I feel like I'm truly "hanging in there," the title of today's post is really in reference to our little plot. Just before Christmas, I noticed that our seedlings were looking pretty sick. Examples:

(poor babies!)

Thanks to some quick internet research, I learned that our seedlings were suffering from nutrient deficiency, most likely nitrogen. I posted some photos on down to earth forums and the community there agreed with my diagnosis.

Basically, J and I learned the hard way that healthy soil is the first step to healthy plants. The forum-goers offered all sorts of wonderful advice on organic fertilizers, and kindly pointed out that the bark mulch was robbing the soil of nitrogen as it decomposed (oh.). We were advised by a few to start over, after amending the soil, but being stubborn as I am I decided to fertilize like mad and hope for the best.

Step 1: Get back from being at your parent's house for Christmas, see that your planties are looking worse, rush to the garden center and buy whatever has the most nitrogen in it (bat guano), and use as directed.

Step 2: Visit the garden with your fiance, then rope him in to helping you pick the bark mulch out of the 24 square foot plot. Laugh a lot and realize that tedious chores are always more enjoyable when performed with a best buddy. Walk back home a little happier.

Step 3: Check out the garden section of your local Whole Foods, then realize (joy of joys!) that they sell worm castings. Tell yourself that you don't need to start a worm farm now that you know where to get the good stuff. Starting a regular compost bin will do. Buy the castings and mulch your plot with them.

Step 4: Be really really excited when your plants regain their color and show signs of producing something edible!!!!

Fava Flowers

Looks like real kale

Swelling Radish

Pea Flowers!

So that's the story about how this nurse nursed her garden back to health. And in keeping with my ultimate credo that prevention is the best medicine, I've started a compost bin in my back yard for kitchen scraps and the like. I've even got a date to pick up manure to add to the bin from my buddies who have back yard chickens. The idea being that once these crops are done, the compost will be ready and I'll be able to add it to the plot just in time for summer planting (yum!)

My bike basket brimming with palm fronds, after I rode around the neighborhood looking for "dry brown things" for my compost bin. I'm turning into a crazy person, I really am.

Kitchen Cosmetics: No-Poo Update, Deodorant, and Moisturizer

It's about time I post a little something about how I've been "greening up" my personal hygiene routine. While I enjoy the peace of mind that I'm not exposing myself to unnecessary chemicals, I especially like how economical these methods are.

First, a no-poo update. If you've been following along, you're well aware that I've given up shampoo and conditioner for the "no-poo" method of cleaning my hair. Read more about it here and here. I'm still going strong with that, and have even got a friend on the bandwagon with me. She shared similar frustrations with finding a shampoo/conditioner that didn't grease up and weigh down her hair but also didn't dry her scalp. If you're curious, go to the two links above as they describe how no-poo works. There are 2 things I do differently now: 1) I put a sachet of dried lavender into the bottle of vinegar which scented it and has helped soothe my itchy scalp and 2) I clean with baking soda and vinegar less often - I've got it down to once a week. Once your hair stops overproducing it's natural oil, you don't have to wash nearly as often. I still wash my bangs daily, however since they tend to get oily fast. I use soap for that (Dr. Bronner's Shikaki Soap, if you're really curious), so I guess I cheat a smidge :)

Next, deodorant. In this great less-chemicals-more-naturals lifestyle many of us are trying, deodorant/antiperspirant is one of the big bad guys. I won't go into detail about the chemicals in cosmetics, that's for website articles like this. Many of us have tried natural varieties of deodorant only to be disappointed by the fact that they don't really work. Enter: baking soda. It deodorizes trash cans, refrigerators, smelly shoes and yes, your armpits. It's quite simple, really. I put some baking soda in a small cosmetic jar (that used to hold some kind of facial cream). I put about 10 drops of lavender essential oil, screwed on the lid and shook it to mix in the oil. You can use whatever scent you like, or none at all. I tried applying the powder with a makeup brush, but that made a mess so now I get some powder on the brush, brush it onto my hand, and then apply with my hand to my underarms. Mess-free, keeps me stink-free (at least that's what J has assured me because I asked him a lot in the beginning!!), and best of all chemical-free. I've been going strong for about a month now, so I think this is a habit that is going to stick. (Not stink...hahahahaha)

Finally, moisturizer! I had such a hard time finding a facial moisturizer that worked well. I have combination skin, and I found that commercial products would either end up leaving my skin super oily or not moisturized enough. The better products I found were in the $30 range; not very economical. Then I read about using oil as a moisturizer. I was skeptical at first - oil would leave me oily, right? I bought coconut oil and jojoba oil at my local health food store and fell in love. Coconut oil is wonderful, smells delicious, and while it goes on greasy it absorbs quickly. In the summertime, I used it at night before going to bed but now I use it twice a day as the winter air is more drying. It works well for a facial and body moisturizer. Jojoba (pronounced "ho-hoba") oil is lighter and also absorbs quickly. I used it more often in the summer. Sometimes I'll put a bit on the ends of my hair if I notice they are dry. Coconut oil will become solid below 75 degrees, but have no fear, once you touch it the right amount will melt due to the heat from your finger. The jojoba oil has always stayed liquid. I've heard of people with very dry skin using olive oil as well, but I haven't tried it.

Have any of you tried these methods? What kitchen cosmetics have you found to be useful? This is a topic that really interests me, so I'm curious to know your opinions.

Blessings!

M

look who decided to join the party!

  











The parsnips have arrived! Hip Hip Hooray! Now the mini-farm is complete. Hopefully I continue to have a green thumb and each variety makes it to fruition.

Today I did the nasty (albeit necessary) task of thinning. This is what the damage looked like.

That big pile in the front are the turnips. There were so many sprouts!! The stringy ones are leeks, and then there's kale, carrots, and broccoli. It seems like cruel and unusual punishment but if I really want to eat a turnip then I have to make room for growth.

In other news, something munched on this pea plant! Apparently it didn't like it because I didn't see any evidence of munching on any of the other peas. (phew)

A happy row of peas and favas. If all goes well we'll be quite well fed!

Snapped on the way to the garden. Proof that L.A. does have seasonal changes, however subtle. ;P

Happy weekend, all!

M

lessons in patience, then joy

I made some "row" markers

I'm learning that this whole growing your own food thing takes a lot of patience. And a lot of trust that what you plant in the ground will actually produce something edible! I've been checking on the mini-farm about every other day, and while there is progress it is slow going.

Pea 11/24

Pea 11/ 29

 

Pea 12/5

Pea Signage

I'm sure this impatience is a symptom of living in a fast-paced society where anything I want is fairly easily within reach. If I wanted peas I could just go to the store and buy some. Why plant them myself and wait for them to grow? I mean, really; if I wanted soup I could just go to a restaurant and buy some. Why make it myself?

Turnips 11/24

Turnips 11/29

Turnips 12/5

Why? Because the art of caring for oneself, of knowing how to nourish oneself from the ground up is becoming lost and I want to keep it alive. And I know that in learning to tend to the lives of the plants that will sustain us, I am learning how better to sustain myself.

Broccoli 11/24

Broccoli 11/29

Broccoli 12/5

Broccoli Signage

Besides being a place which will contribute to our physical sustenance, I am finding that the mini-farm is a restorative haven. I love visiting. My favorite part is listening to the ground absorb the water. It sort of snap-crackle-pops its way down to the roots of the little baby veggies.

Radish + Beet 11/24

 

Beet + Radish 11/29

Radish 12/5

Beet 12/5

As a nurse, I work three twelve-hour shifts a week. Sometimes I have to stop by and water on my way to work at about six am. On Friday I did just that, and knowing that I would be taking care of a patient who is dying I took an extra moment to thank the earth for giving life even when life is being lost. That act helped give me the perspective I needed to keep my attitude positive throughout the shift.

Carrot 11/24

Carrot 12/5

Carrots 11/29

Another joy I've discovered is in sharing the garden with others. Today J and I watered the garden after church, and in doing so attracted some of the children. We showed them what plants we were growing, and they giggled with delight when the water "accidentally" squirted them. As we were about to leave, a couple of our friends asked how the garden was growing, and we eagerly led them back to the garden to show off its progress. It is fun to share the joy of new growth, a foretaste of the joy that will come in sharing the harvest.
 

Leek 11/29

Leek 12/5

Except for the parsnips, everything we have planted has begun to sprout! The chard and kale look a lot like the beets and broccoli, respectively.

Chard 11/24

Chard 11/29

Chard 12/5

Kale 11/24

Kale 12/5

I've saved the best for last; my favorite are the fava beans!

Fava 11/29

Fava 12/5

Waiting for the crops to grow is an exercise in patience, but there is joy to be found within the process.

What are you waiting for? How can you find joy in the space that is created by waiting?

Blessings,

M

I'm glued.

I've recently joined a forum called "Down To Earth Forums." It's a space where do-it-yourself-ers gather and talk about all sorts of things like growing your own food, raising livestock, making your own chemical-free cleaners, making your own soap, crafting, cooking, etc. It's basically home ec for those of us who are too young to have had it in school! It's a great place to ask questions - example: when my radishes didn't seem to be growing, I made a post on the forum and got some much-needed advice. (Namely, thin your radishes even though it seems like cruel punishment and give it time).

Anyway...I've titled this post "I'm glued" because yes, I am glued to Down To Earth Forums, and thanks to a post someone put up I'm glued to this mini-series documentary called Victorian Farm and that's why I haven't blogged about The Minifarm in a week or so even though there is plenty to write about. I've spent every spare moment watching this show on youtube.

Here's the first 10 minutes so you can be hooked too: