Homesteading


In 2012, we began our homesteading adventure when we purchased our 100 year old farmhouse on 5 acres. We have learned a lot, mostly by trial and error, and it’s been quite a frugal (and sometimes not-so-frugal) adventure! Check back often for updates on our farmhouse, chickens, permaculture efforts and more!

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The “Someday” Garden

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sunflower boy

The glories of summer are often just a memory in the depths of winter here.

Winters are long in the Midwest. Too long, really. The bad weather starts in November and doesn’t truly let up until April. Six months of blahh. Even though I’ve lived in Illinois for 24 years, I’ve never gotten used to it. I’m originally from Virginia, and my internal clock seems to still be set on their time. I’m used to the Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festivals in March! The only blossoms to be found here are crocuses poking their sleepy heads up through the snow.

So I spend my winters enraptured in seed catalogs, nursing droopy houseplants, and pining for green things. And I dream about my how much better my garden is going to be “this time”.

I make plans. Oh boy, do I make plans. And this year, I made some big ones. The entire garden layout needed to change, because even though I loved the methods we were using, they just weren’t working for us.

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R.I.P. Speedy

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Speedy Rooster (2012-2015)

Speedy the Rooster (2013-2015)

We are sad to announce the passing of our dear little friend Speedy the Rooster, who has gone on to The Great Chicken Coop in the Sky.

Speedy was a colorful, nervous little bird, full of quirky noises and jerky movements that kept us smiling and stole our hearts.

Like most of the men in my life, he was a total surprise. We had ordered a collection of hens, plus a couple of roosters from Murray McMurray Hatchery next door in Iowa. We’d ordered mainly Australorpes and Barred Rocks- big, hearty birds that can withstand the crazy Midwest weather. As with most mail orders chicks, you have to have a minimum to send them during certain times of the year so they stay warm on their journey through the postal system. Speedy was one of those “bonus chicks” they stick in for good measure. And what a bonus he was!

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