For the past two years gardening has been my great obsession. I've planted fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers, with great hopes for how beautiful and nourishing they'll be both now and in the years to come. I've even taken on beekeeping and have one beehive near my back porch. The only things missing are chickens. I yearn for a few hens to provide me with fresh eggs as … [Read more...]
Yes, you can bake bread
My husband and I are on one heck of a family resilience bender. When we first got married almost three years ago, we focused on insulating our place from attic to basement, shaving 20% off of our heating and cooling expenses. This really adds up. But in the past six months our efforts have turned more to homemaker re-skilling. We've added a rain barrel and composter. He's … [Read more...]
Back in the day, urban gardens everywhere
Have you ever walked through your neighborhood, noticed a vacant lot, and wondered why nobody had bothered to plant a garden there, instead of just letting the land sit around empty? Now, of course, plant and insect people will tell you that no land is empty. Even the humblest weedlot plays a role in urban ecology. But I'd wager that few vacant lots are under the control … [Read more...]
The Greenhorns: No fear of farming
In US culture, where food is denatured, communication is #txtd, and the majority of us spend most of our time indoors behind computer screens, going back to the land holds an undeniable charm. Many therapists and advocates for a more holisitic life, such as peak oil writer Carolyn Baker, argue that such a draw is healing, and essential to mitigate the most alienating aspects of … [Read more...]
Urban homesteaders offer reskilling
Just as urban and suburban dwellers can fit a lot of projects and production into their modest spaces, Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living packs many ideas and examples into a modest and accessible book. As long time social activists, artists, urban homesteaders, and friends, authors Rachel Kaplan and K. Ruby Blume present in their book the example of … [Read more...]