08 Oct

I feel like someone somewhere once said "It doesn't matter if you start small, just start." Part of my dream is to have our own small farm - with a focus on soil health, species diversity, and natural systems. I want to have sheep, cows, pigs and chickens, all working symbiotically together. I want to build a passive solar greenhouse so we can grow our own fruits and vegetables through all four seasons at 7200 feet (2200 m) above sea level. We're not there yet. But I've been encouraged to start small. So this past growing season, on the tiny deck...

16:47 / Featured / Instagram / Land / Stewardship
17 Sep

I compiled this list of things I didn't used to know about chickens. For most of my early life (i.e. before Nick), all I knew was what I saw on my plate. But my in-laws have had backyard chickens for about 15 years, and I have learned a lot from them. I've helped care for their flock and even brooded a few chicks myself, which we moved to my their coop when they got bigger. Now, I am a huge proponent for backyard chickens. We currently rent a house where the HOA restricts livestock & chickens, but I look forward...

22:45 / Featured / Land / Stewardship
10 Sep

Over the summer, I was able to tackle one of the projects that I had been wanting to try for a while - building an at-home vermicompost bin. Vermicomposting is the process of using worms to naturally turn our organic garbage (kitchen scraps) into nutrient rich compost that is one of the best possible fertilizers for gardens. Background I first heard about vermicomposting in one of my favorite movies, The Biggest Little Farm. The film features the beautiful story of Apricot Lane Farms, a regenerative, biodynamic farm based in Southern California. When the owners, John & Holly, were first trying to...

15:19 / Featured / Land / Stewardship
26 Mar

While it’s not always simple as this, just remember that free range is typically > cage free which is always > caged. Free range chickens lay eggs that are more nutrient dense because the hens themselves have access to more nutrients, and they live a more stress free life. Organic is not always the best indicator of quality of life of chickens or nutrient density of eggs. ...

22:59 / Featured / Land / Stewardship
10 Feb

What can I say about The Biggest Little Farm? It was inspiring, it was challenging, it was beautifully filmed. It helped me see the food I eat and the way it is produced in a whole new light. It followed the ups and downs of John & Molly Chester, owners of Apricot Lane Farms, as they went from being urban dwellers to the owners of a 130-acre farm and sought to farm "in harmony with nature". (You can stream The Biggest Little Farm on Hulu) There were ups and downs in their journey, and the movie didn't skimp on showing the...

15:49 / Land / Stewardship