What a hard lesson in patience I'm experiencing lately! Are you feeling that way too?
Learning to "homestead where you are" (as experienced homesteaders encourage us to do) isn't that easy. I am struggling at the moment to be happy where I am trying to do the best I can with what I have. But, when I go online and see all the amazing homestead hobby farms that other people have with their goats, pigs, and chickens, I get feeling "antsy" to hurry up and get out of the city so I can live out my hobby farm dreams too.
Our "city" homestead in Niagara Falls
My husband and I work from home on our home-based internet business which is starting to do quite well but we still need to save a bit more money before we buy our hobby farm as we do not want to have a mortgage on our new homestead property.
So, in the meantime, I have to homestead "where I am".
So far, I've been able to grow my own flax seed sprouts indoors and plant an outdoor veggie garden each spring with tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peas, green beans, and radishes. I've also cultivated a couple of blackberry bushes, rhubarb, and a mulberry tree. I've even grown squash and pumpkin (just from seeds that germinated in my homemade compost soil). Obviously the compost bin didn't get hot enough to decompose the seeds but I'm getting better at what works and what doesn't as I learn how to control the moisture level, the heat, and the "brown to green ratio".
I've even started to raise my own red wiggler compost worms. I started with about 100 worms and now I have thousands of them! I keep them in my basement (as it gets very cold here in Canada over the winter) months.
I absolutely love composting and worm farming but I wish I could raise some baby chicks.
Although our city of Niagara Falls is one of the very few who allow backyard chickens, our lot does not quite meet the size requirements to have them. How disappointed I was when I read the city bylaws the other day.
I probably could have a few rabbits because they are considered "pets" but hubby says no... Not until we get our hobby farm. Having a Senegal Parrot and two Great Pyrenese dogs is enough to handle right now. We got the dogs to chase away coyotes from our future farm property but we definitely "jumped the gun" as we are not ready to move yet. About the only thing our Pyrs get to chase away from our backyard are butterflies and robins!...lol
I'm so very fortunate to be able to stay home with my husband and tend to family, garden, and pets, because my husband earns an income from the internet. If you are interested in working from home click this link to find out what hubby is doing to support us from his online home business.
Wondering if it's okay to have "non" farm pets on your homestead?
Most homesteaders will tell you not to have an animal that doesn't pay it's way either in eggs, meat, or horse power. That makes sense if you're budget or time is tight but surely there are exceptions to the rule, no?
Now, before you scold me, I realize that a Senegal Parrot is not a "hobby farm critter", but I just couldn't pass up on the opportunity to have this bundle of joy for a pet when I saw his cute little face "for sale" on the internet. (Note to self: Stay off Kijiji).
Look at his adorable little face!
"Wacky" eating a raspberry treat
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making healthy meals, dehydrating, and revamping old recipes. It gets lonely and monotonous on occasion as our kids are grown and off on their own now and hubby is busy in his office building our home based business. So, to keep me company, I thought adding a Senegal Parrot to our family was a brilliant idea!
Hubby wasn't quite so enthused but he said that if I wanted him it would be okay for me to get the parrot so off we went to pick up my new little "kitchen helper". It was love at first sight. How could anyone not want a little guy like this?
"Wacky" on his ladder
To our delight, he turned out to be quite "friendly and comical" (although we decided to change his name from "Sammy" to "Wacky" as he definitely displayed quirky personality traits as time went on).
We were going to call him "Psycho" because of his unpredictable, neurotic, behavior but thought better of it as it might not go over too well among our more "politically correct" friends and family members. Thus, the more subdued *new* name, "Wacky," was chosen.
I don't regret (for one minute) claiming "Wacky" as my pet but he certainly is not a hobby farm animal that will "earn its keep" such as a guardian Great Pyrenees dog or a chicken that lays eggs but I figured that if this crazy little Senegal Parrot could make me laugh and prove to be a good companion he'd be worth buying a bag of food for "now and again". Besides, I can put his poop in the worm compost bin so he's a contributor to the homestead after all!
"Wacky" had a bath in the dog's dish!
Senegal Parrots talk, chatter, and whistle yet are one of the quietest of the Parrot species. Thank goodness as some of them are way too loud and often scream incessantly if they don't get their own way.
Senegal Parrots can keep you amused for hours on end. Our little "Wacky" is no exception. He entertains us day and night. He loves having a bath in the dog's dish. He says, "See you later" when we leave the house to go out for awhile. He also says, "Where are you?" if we're out of his sight too long.
I'm pretty sure he says my husband's name, Roger. I'm not 100% sure yet but it really sounds like he is copying me when I call my husband for lunch. He also whistles to get my attention so I'll let him out of his cage if he can see me doing something that he wants to be a part of. He toddles along the counter toward me to see what I'm making for lunch and waits to get a treat. His favourite food is nuts and dates.
He "steps up" on my finger and he loves to get his head scratched and his feathers ruffled. He also takes a drink from the kitchen tap if I leave it dripping for him. He is a joy to have around. I'm really happy I got him. A house is not a home without a "parrot" ahahaha.
Here's "Wacky" drinking from the kitchen tap. (The background noise you hear is the dog crunching on his kibble!)
Quirky Traits: "Wacky" bites on occasion which can hurt quite a bit. He seems to do it when he is offered something he doesn't really want or when he was expecting something different. He also bites if he gets scared or feels threatened so we have to read his body language very carefully. He also pecks at the dog's nose if either of them get too close for comfort.
"Wacky" also growls (sounds like a rough purrr) if he is curious (but scared) to check out new toys or food. If something out of the ordinary is on the counter, or in his cage, his eyes dilate showing agitation or excitement.
He also loves ripping cardboard boxes apart, toilet paper rolls, and paper bags. He climbs inside Kleenex boxes and cereal cartons and peaks out to keep an eye on me.
Senegal Parrots usually pick one person out of the family whom they choose to have a "special" relationship with. "Wacky" chose my husband over me. That was very disappointing at first because the parrot was supposed to be "my" buddy. However, after reading quite a bit of information on parrot forums about this bonding behavior, I have come to understand that this is quite normal and not to be offended.
"Wacky" and my husband, Roger.
"Wacky" loves hanging out with me in the kitchen but whenever my husband shows up he goes all mushy over him. He can't wait to be near him and get scratched and talked to. It's quite pathetic to watch actually....lol I try not to get jealous "after all" I'm the one who feeds him, cleans his cage, gives him all sorts of treats, and lets him roam free for hours at a time. My husband doesn't do anything of the sort but this crazy bird is in love with him anyway. (Well I can't quite blame the bird for acting that way. I love my husband too!)
My decision to start a compost worm bin was one of the best things I did to help me be patient while waiting to find and purchase our "forever" homestead hobby farm.
Living in the city is driving me crazy but we just are not ready to move yet. We're in the process now of cleaning and painting our basement. Once we get that done and a few other minor projects, we'll be ready to put our house on the market.
In the meantime, when I get itching to work in the garden, I play with my worms! Well, I don't actually "play" with them. But, I check them.... the bin's moisture level, the state of the worms, the condition of their bedding, and whether they need more food scraps, or not.
I use "Rubber Maid" type bins to raise my worms in.
I love my worms because I can dig my hands in dirt in the middle of the winter and feel like I'm gardening even though the wind is whistling outside and snow has covered my flower and vegetable beds.
I started composting outdoors several years ago... dropping my food scraps, leaves, grass clippings, shredded newspaper, (and other greens and browns), in my bins several times a week. I just love composting. I am always amazed at how all the junk I pop into my bins turns to beautiful rich soil in just a few months!
One day I went online to look up some ways to improve my composting when I came across information about using compost worms to quicken the composting time. I was very intrigued by the idea of using red wiggler worms (Eisenia fetida) to improve the quality of my soil.
I immediately did a Google search to see where I could buy these wonderful compost worms. To my disappointment, there wasn't anywhere local. The closest place I could find was over an hour away from me. Not only that but they were charging $40.00 a pound for their worms.
At the time, I just wasn't willing to pay $40.00 (plus shipping) so I passed on the opportunity hoping I'd eventually find a place locally some day. To my surprise though, one day in the spring, I dumped some leaves into my bin that I had raked up and bagged during the Fall before. To my delight, I saw some red compost worms clinging to the debris.
I was so excited!
I left them in the outside bin until I was able to persuade my husband to drill some holes in an old Rubber Maid bin we had stored in the shed. He was obliging but thought I was a bit crazy when I told him I wanted to start a worm farm in our basement!....lol
I started with about 100 worms that day. Now I have 1,000's of them. I'm really enjoying this little hobby I have. I have already used my worm castings on my indoor plants and am looking forward to the Spring when I can use my surplus castings in my outdoor garden. I even sell my worms occasionally to people who want to start their own compost worm bin.
If you haven't started your own compost worm bin yet, I encourage you to do so as soon as you can. It is immensely enjoyable. If you have any questions about setting up a bin, what to feed your worms, or how to care for them so they are happy homestead compost worms, feel free to contact me. I'll be glad to help.
I sell compost worms "locally" (Niagara Falls and surrounding area) . Sorry but I'm not in a position to ship worms out of town as of yet.
Our Great Pyrenees dog, Millie, found two wild baby rabbits out in the rain in my garden today so I brought the poor little things inside to dry them off and warm them up. I suspect my dog had pulled the baby bunnies out of their nest as I saw signs of nest material in the spot in the dirt where Millie was playing with them like a cat plays with a mouse.
Caring for the Bunnies
I made a makeshift nest for the baby rabbits by placing a small bowl inside of a cardboard box. I lined the bowl with lint from my clothes dryer. I had washed a dog blanket yesterday so I had a nice combination of blanket fiber and dog hair to make the bedding nice and warm and soft.
I'm "guestimating" the baby rabbits to be around 7-10 days old. They look like gerbils don't they?
Poor little bunnies are wet and cold
I went back outside to see if I could find more rabbits around the yard as usually rabbits have more than two in a litter. I didn't see any but I did find the nest! The mother rabbit had burrowed a hole into the dirt in my galvanized planter tub. She lined the hole with dried grass and fur which she had pulled from her body.
I found the rabbit nest in my flower tub
The dirt and leaves were wet and the nest was damp from the rain so I pulled out the extension cord from the shed and plugged in my hair dryer in an attempt to dry it out. It worked pretty good so after that I covered the tub up with a plastic table and our barbeque tarp to keep the rain from making the situation worse.
Bunny nest protected from the rain
After going back inside the house and checking on the baby rabbits I noticed that they were still pretty wet and cold. I was worried that they could be suffering from hypothermia so I put a heat lamp on the bunnies just long enough to warm them up being careful not to get them hot. After that, I filled an old sock with some rice and put it in the microwave to heat it up just a tad.
I then brushed Millie and wrapped her hair around the sock... (It's the least Millie could do to make up for stealing the bunnies!) I then put the sock inside the bowl for the baby rabbits to receive additional warmth.
Millie surrendering some hair for the bunny nest!
Throughout the day I re-heated the sock and continued to use it to keep the little bunnies warm and comfy. They really liked snuggling into it and appeared more relaxed and content as they buried themselves deeper into the makeshift nest.
Toasty warm and dry snuggled up to Mommy sock!
Returning the Wild Baby Rabbits to their Nest
So far, so good! I won't attempt to feed the bunnies. I'm going to wait and see if mommy rabbit comes back first. I read on the internet that the mother rabbit might come back and care for her babies even though she could smell dog and human scent on them so I'm going to put the bunnies back in their nest after dinner this evening.
I read that the mother stays away from her young during the day to deter predators from knowing where her young are. She comes back between dusk and midnight to feed her baby bunnies and clean them up and then leaves them again before anyone sees her.
Bunnies returned to the nest
I returned the wild bunnies to their outside nest. They quickly wiggled deep inside the hole as if they realized they were back home! I read to cover the nest in a "criss/cross" pattern using light string or dental floss (which I did as you can see in the picture above). I'll know if the mother rabbit came back to feed her babies if the dental floss has been disturbed. In that case they were likely fed and cared for and all is well. If she didn't come back, I'm going to attempt to care for the wild baby rabbits myself.
Update: Mommy rabbit didn't come back. I tried to raise them myself but they died after a few weeks. I'm too upset to write about it right now but maybe some day I will. I have some really cute pictures of them as they grew from day to day.
Here's an easy, economical, and quick way to get started growing your very own flax seed sprouts and you don't even need a hobby farm to do it! lol
There are several tutorials on the internet to show you how to grow your own sprouts but it's pretty simple and straight forward. Even though I read that flax seeds are difficult to sprout, I've never had any problems, so my instructions below should suffice.
Step #1
Flax Seed Containers
If you have a few bucks to spare t'would be good to buy terracotta pot bases for your seed containers but if you're like me you'll want to get started right away with whatever is on hand and for as little "moola" expenditure as possible.
As you can see in the picture below, I just used plastic disposable food containers that my strawberries, blueberries, meat, and store bought cookies came in. Just wash them well!
Use whatever containers you have on hand.
Step #2
Wet Paper Towel
The next thing I did was lay a piece of paper towel in each container and then I wet them down with my kitchen faucet sprayer. If you don't have one, just gently run under your tap or you could use a small watering can. The reason I wet the towels first is to help keep them in place so when I add my flax both the seeds and the paper stay put.
Wet down paper towel first
Step #3
Sprinkle Flax Seeds
Next, sprinkle your flax seeds into each container. I use approx. one tablespoon for the larger containers and about 1/2 tablespoon in the smaller ones. The measurement doesn't need to be exact just be sure to uniformly distribute the seeds in the containers.
Uniformly distribute flax seeds
Note: For demonstration purposes, I seeded all my trays "at once" but it's a good idea to "stagger" the seeding days so that
you have a continuous supply of fresh sprouts each day rather than
having them all due to be harvested at the same time.
Step #4
Wet Seeds Again
After I put the flax seeds in the containers, I wet them down again. They should be soaked but not so much water that they are floating around! If you find that some of the seeds are unevenly distributed after re-watering, you can fix that by using a fork to gently "rake" the seeds where you want them to be.
You won't have to worry about the seeds moving around after a few minutes as they start to congeal and stick to the paper towel.
Step #5
Cover Seeds and Leave on Counter Overnight
Leave your seeded containers overnight on a table or counter out of the reach of curious pets. While my seeds are starting the germinating process, I snap down the lids on any containers that have them. For those that don't have lids, I lay plastic food wrap over them. It helps to keep the moisture in. You might want to put something under the plastic so it doesn't touch the seeds. One of those pizza thingies would work great.
Cover seeds and leave on counter overnight
Step #6
Morning Task
In the morning, wet your flax seeds down again, drain them, and then put them near a window (out of "direct" sunlight). Your seeds and paper towel should always be "moist" but not soggy wet. If they are drying out before the next day begins, spray them twice daily. This should NOT be necessary but it all depends on how warm the room is where you are keeping them and how much light they are getting.
Place in light out of "direct" sunlight
(Sorry about the blurry picture. My dog stuck his nose on the lens seconds before I snapped the pic!)
After a few days when you see signs of "life" remove the lids and/or plastic wrap and continue to monitor the moisture level day by day and water accordingly. The proper moisture level is important as you do not want your flax seeds drying nor getting wet and moldy.
A picture of my flax seeds one week later almost ready to harvest
It was a cold, snowy, week of weather so the poor things didn't get much light. The ones in the smaller containers are a little spindly (for lack of sun) but definitely okay to toss in a salad. I've found that during the winter it takes about 10 days for the seedlings to mature to a nice size for eating.
Two Great Pyrenees dogs won our hearts as soon as hubby and I decided we would start searching for hobby farm property. How did that happen? Because, at the same time I started "Googling" real estate listings, I also began gathering information on the best types of farm dogs that could guard our future barnyard critters.
To my surprise and delight I came across an ad on "Kijiji" with a picture of a male Great Pyrenees dog who was sadly no longer wanted by his family. He was absolutely beautiful and I wanted him before I even knew anything about the breed (never mind the fact that we didn't even have our farm yet nor do we still!...lol). But that's besides the point, or is it?
Thor (our handsome male Great Pyrenees)
I diligently did some investigating on the net and found out that Pyrenees dogs are one of the best farm dogs you could own and they make great family pets and are super with young children.
Pyrs are affectionately known as, "Gentle Giants" which definitely describes them to a "T". We have first hand knowledge of that as I managed to persuade my husband to adopt "Thor" (the Pyrenees I saw on Kijiji)! I'm not quite sure why hubby "gave in" to me as I'd been bugging him for years for a dog but he always said no!
Not only do we have the dog I saw on Kijiji, but "low and behold," we got another one shortly thereafter. This time a female (non the less!). Imagine that.... My husband not only said yes to one, but to two! I think we are both getting a little crazy in our old age.
Millie (our Great Pyrenees female puppy)
We don't have our farm yet but we got the dogs as a "step of faith". We believed that some day soon we'd have our farm so why let the awesome opportunity to have a such beautiful dogs pass us by? Well, we definitely were a little hasty in making our decision and would not recommend you do what we did but now that we have them we wouldn't part with them for gold.
Although we love our dogs very much, after doing a little more research, we found out that house pet Pyrenees and working farm dog Pyrenees are two very different types! So, you should definitely do your due diligence if you are thinking of getting any type of working farm dog. Working dogs need to be raised outside with momma and papa to "learn the ropes". Otherwise, you end up with couch potato dogs like we have who think that they are God's gift to the world and want our undivided attention 24/7.
Our dogs likely won't ever be the best hobby farm "guardians" because they are "house spoiled" but they sure can bark. They are exceptionally talented at that so at least they will be good for something, (if only to scare the chickens away from their dog food bowl)!
Hobby Farming is a dream I've had ever since I was a little girl. I am now 60 years old and still want to do it! I'd love to care for a few chickens, a couple of horses, some rabbits, barn cats, and a goat or two!
I am amazed that this desire of mine has never left me. Over the years I've pursued many other interests but always in the back of my mind I've hoped that I could live on a few acres on some water in the country some day.
Prince Edward Island Farm
Well, my dream is becoming a reality! Looks like hubby and I will be purchasing property in Prince Edward Island some day. We chose PEI because we visited the island a couple of years ago and loved it. It really felt like "home" to us. I even started a blog about Prince Edward Island Canada.
Our 3rd visit to PEI was in Oct., 2015
Property in PEI is much more affordable than here, in Ontario, (or other provinces of Canada) and there are so many opportunities to buy farm acreage on water whether that be a river, a lake, pond, or the ocean!
We are looking for property that we can use for a summer getaway and then eventually retire to if we feel that God is leading us to do that on a permanent basis. In the meantime, God willing, we will spend the summers there growing our own fruit and veggies, eating our own farm fresh eggs, and opening our home and hearts to our family and friends.
I can hardly wait!
Hobby farming is all we want to do...
We don't want the stress of trying to earn a full time income from farming (especially at our age and as newbie farmers!). If we sell a few eggs and carrots here and there that would be great but we do not desire to become competitive growers of huge produce operations or livestock herdsman! lol... Hubby works from home earning an income online which frees us up to live anywhere and do anything we want to without the pressure of having to farm for a living.
(If you are interested in having your own home based business, click here to find out what hubby, Roger, is doing. He would be happy to help you work from home too.
Hobby farming isn't meant to be large scale...
Hobby farming is for people like hubby and I who want to provide for the needs of our own family and share our extra produce with friends, neighbors, and the local food bank.
Some hobby farmers are involved in CSA's which are becoming very popular, some sell produce from roadside stands, and still others offer their goodies at the local market square. Every hobby farmer has different goals and financial needs but for us we just want to grow our own food so we know where it came from, raise some Non GMO fruit and veggies, and dabble in some medicinal herbs for personal use.
Are you new to Hobby Farming?
We are too, but even though we are just starting this journey into homestead farming, we have already realized that it is much more than simply growing our own
food that seek. This is a journey of our faith in action and our dependence on God to demonstrate through us what He can do in our lives and the lives of others. The "best sermons are lived, not preached" so we are trusting God to make our dream a reality.
If you are new to hobby farming like we are and want to follow our journey, feel free to subscribe to my posts by RSS feed or email.
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