Chickens!

I want to announce that my dream of having my own little flock of chickens has come true! My wonderful neighbor and friend took me to pick out my birthday gifts this morning. I chose 6 cute little chicks of varying breeds!

We will be celebrating my birthday with the extended family in 2 weeks, to build our chicken coop in the back yard. Until then my cute little babies are staying with my neighbors chicks in her coop, in a large aquarium with bedding and a heat lamp until it is a bit warmer, they are a bit bigger, and my coop is finished.

I am so excited to have the beginning of my small urban homestead tucked on the edge of city limits. We are expanding our garden significantly this year, hoping to be able to provide more of our own food. We will dry more, can and preserve a bit more this year, and make good use of the space we have. With our own chickens helping to scratch up the ground, eat bugs, eat some scraps and give us eggs(which we hope to start enjoying in August) that adds to our own little sustainable unit here.

I always believed that I was very limited in my ability to provide much of our own food by the space we have here in our yard. Then I found Path To Freedom, the inspiring story of a family in California who have not only been able to become self sufficent,they also grow enough to provide local restaurants with organically grown vegetables. I know that they have the benefit of a more moderate climate with a year round growing season, but surely I can do much more on my own property than I have ever imagined.

So what do you imagine in your little world? Can you grow salad greens in a container inside your kitchen window if you are an apartment dweller, or can you put a tomato plant in a pot on your deck? do you have a section of your yard you always pondered making into a garden but have been intimidated by? Or have you also had chicken dreams?

Lets all aim to make our own little homestead of all sizes. We will be less dependent on food that is trucked in from other parts of the country, other parts of the world. Less fuel, more fresh air and sustainability.

Or, if you can't yet start your own sized homestead, then go local. Join a CSA, shop at the Farmers Market to support local agriculture.We can all make changes, large and small, towards creating a new system that makes more sense, that will help us all works towards changing our habits.