Hip Chick Digs turns five today! I wrote my first blog post about nine months after we moved into this teeny 1927 bungalow on a tenth of an acre covered with lawn.
Backyard in 2006
It’s easy to lose sight of how far I’ve come amongst the weeds and planting chores. But marking this anniversary is a time to acknowledge how hard work combined with fertile Willamette Valley soil and the passage of time can create an urban oasis. (The plastic roofing in the picture below is a long story I’ll write about later this week…)
Backyard 2012
This is also the one year anniversary of my book Modern Homestead making it onto bookshelves across the country. I set out to write the book I wish I had when my homesteading adventure began – something unpretentious, approachable and empowering. I wanted to write a book that took the mystery out of homesteading and made it accessible for renters and homeowners alike.
To celebrate, I want to give away a copy of my book to one lucky reader! Tell me about where you are in your homesteading journey. What are you most proud of on your homestead? What plans are on the horizon for you? Leave a comment in response to these questions sometime this week. Next week I will announce the winner and send you a copy of my book.
Five very busy years that have included a masters degree in landscape architecture and a new baby… what will the next five years look like? I’m not quite sure, but I bet it will involve a lot of dirt under my nails.
Hi Renee, Wow, what an improvement you have made! We had moved often in the last few years so we keep starting gardens and then moving on. Due to the timing, we skipped a garden this year. We have a few berry bushes and strawberries but no veggies. We are making big plans for around 6 raised beds plus some fruit trees. I am enamored by bees right now (isn’t everyone?) but the reality may be a stretch.
I’m so very early in my homesteading journey–I’ve started a container vegetable garden on my apartment balcony (first place out of college!), I compost (still trying to figure out how to do it with worms), and recently turned my parent’s old, neglected garden into a promising growing area for foods they like to eat (watermelons, carrots, onions, peppers, peaches, plums, radishes, greens). My hands are blistered, my nails are dirty, and after that garden revamp I went to bed *so* sore, but it’s been so good! I’ve loved meeting people who have similar homesteading interests at events like local coop or farm tours. My “big picture” future plans include a dairy goat and chickens, but for now, in the middle of a big city, I’m content with my tiny garden and the compost that makes it better.
I’m trying to remember when I started reading your blog – not quite from the beginning but I certainly started within your first year. I remember studying your site plan and plant list. We put in a lot of edibles a few years ago when we just had one child and then took a break as we kept adding to our family. Now that the youngest is 2 we are expanding once again.
I only recently started making plans for our urban homestead. We are in the end process of purchasing our first home. We are in a southern, coastal area, so the plans for now are raised beds – because our soil is very sandy and salty – for vegetables and fruit. We have a *very* long growing season here (something like 320 frost-free days) and hope to get a good variety. Eventually we are hoping to incorporate chickens and a dairy goat.
I started reading your blog a few months ago, when I began leading a group of folks in starting a community garden. We’ll be incorporating native plant beds, fruits trees and bushes, and demonstration beds. I’ve loved following your homesteading journey–especially the garden plans and recipes.
I’m renting an apartment now with basically no yard space, but I have some nice indoor herbs and hope to use a few self watering containers on the parking lot. This year in the first time that I’m starting seedlings indoors to transplant into my community garden plot. I’m also hoping to preserve more this year–from veggies from my CSA, community garden plot, and local farmer’s market. Baby steps!
Reading your blog helps inspire me to challenge myself to grow more, create more, and do more to strengthen my food security (and support a strong, local food economy). I’m also hoping that continuing to read your blog will give me the push I need to add some bees or ducks to my homestead down the road (maybe when I have more of a yard and less of a parking lot for a backyard!).
happy 5th birthday! we’ve had a string of apartments in shaded tiny yards- so the homesteading dream remains in the distance- but i dream of the day when i can plant fruit trees, establish an asparagus patch and finally grow more sugar snap peas than i eat. until then, i focus on collecting knowledge by way of books and blogs and learning from other gardeners’ successes, tips and mistakes. thank you!
I found a gold mine when I came across your blog! Would love to win a copy of your book π
Right now I live in an apartment with a not-very-sunny balcony, so I am going guerilla-style and starting a container garden in an underused corner of the property, along with a community garden plot. I have been enjoying getting creative in re-purposing scavenged containers for use as planters. It is amazing how empowering it can be to look for self-sufficient ways to feed and care for yourself and your loved ones, rather than mindlessly consuming.
A very happy birthday to HCD π Keep up the brilliant work! I look forward to many more years of inspiring ideas to come…
I graduated from college a year ago and am now teaching English in Korea, so my homestead is all in my head, ready for when I move back home. During my last year of school I had a small community plot that was loads of fun for me, and during a visit to my aunt’s house I found your book and leafed through it. Now, I’ll be moving back home (to Seattle) in three months, and my parents have gladly given me jurisdiction over their large backyard, which my mom and I have gardened in on and off over the years, but never to the extent that I want to now. There’s something so compelling about becoming self-sufficient and living in a way that works with nature rather than against it. I’ve read every post on your blog, and now I can’t wait to start using your advice.
Hi Renee! My husband and I met you when you were down for the Good Earth Home Show here in Eugene. We were so relieved when we stumbled upon your site and found all of your tips and suggestions. I especially have appreciated the suggested layouts for raised beds. We have recently moved in to my husbands childhood home which is on just short of a half acre in the historic district of Springfield. The house its self was built circa 1911 and we have been making plans for remodels and sprucing it up. What I am most excited about is the outside. We now have space for our raised beds (now 6 but we are adding roughly 6 – 8 more), bees, fruit bushes, two apple trees, a pear tree, grapes and last but definitely not least – our CHICKENS!! This is the first time I have raised my own chickens and we are so excited. One of the things that I have really enjoyed so far is the sense of community our yard has created as we have scheduled and had small work parties to get things laid out. We are looking forward to putting in a fire pit and stone patio this summer as we love to entertain. And look forward to sharing our extras with the neighbors. In short, as I have gleaned so very much from your site, we would be just THRILLED with receiving a copy of your book!!
Congratulations on turning five! You’ve done a lot in that short time–both outside and in! I am in the place of having gone backwards in my own urban farm but looking forward to doing more gardening in the future. I met you on the PDX Backyard Chicken list, and I had chickens back then. (You also helped me out with trying to figure out how to pass the drive test for my scooter!) I have spent the last three years in school, and haven’t had the time to do much in the garden and no longer have chickens. But this spring, my partner built garden boxes for our weird garden space, and we just dealt with a huge amount of dirt on Saturday. (Way too much–we’ll know next time how much to order!) We’d love to have chickens again, but I don’t see that in our near future.
BTW, I have an interview tomorrow at J’s birth place for an apprenticeship. Wish me luck!
Happy 5th Anniversary! I love what you are doing. We grow food in our yard too. I would love to have a copy of your book. Thank you, Kristine
Hello, Rene. Your photos are a great reminder to those of us still at the beginning of our first 5 years of homesteading. I’m building mine on a large piece of wooded acreage that I bought almost two years ago. Spent the first year improving my house to get more livable space and figuring out everything I wanted to do. Now I’m working on a big garden, chickens, wood lot management and more home improvements. The biggest challenge? Doing all this while also having a 9-5 job with an hour commute (one way), five days a week. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This is why your photos are such a great reminder: as long as I’m one step further along today than I was the day before, this homestead will happen. Thanks for a great post and a great blog.
Wow, your tenth-acre looks fantastic! I’m just getting started with this place, since this is our second year here…and trying not to get in over my head since I’m starting my midwifery apprenticeship now.
It’s amazing how your yard has transformed! I am at the beginning of my homesteading journey. Last year I put in raised beds with tomatoes and peppers. This year I started early and added peas and bok choy. I also started worm composting. One day I hope to add more raised beds, chickens, and bees.
Yes, happy 5th anniversary!
We’re in the suburbs and don’t have a giant lot, but we’ve managed to make some headway. Luckily urban chickens are legal here, so we have three hens. We have a couple raised beds and we supplement that with a pomegranate tree/shrub and many, many container plants (avocado, artichoke, blue berry, herbs, lime (2 kinds), lemon, tangerine). And this year, we’re trying an experiment, planting corn in containers. Fingers crossed!
Wow, Renee, what an amazing transition for your space! Our forays into homesteading consist of a small garden at our apartment. When we have some property, we’d like to have a small apple orchard, in the mean time we’re trying to raise apples seedlings in containers, with limited success. Our real shining star was the popcorn crop this past summer. Mmmm.
Sadly, our homesteading journey is stalled for the time being. We left our little urban homestead in Denver to move to Asheville, NC, where we’re currently renting a house that’s super cute, but lacking in garden space. Hopefully once we figure out a more permanent living situation, we’ll be back on the journey. Asheville is a homesteading mecca!
Happy Blogiversary! I’ve enjoyed reading and admiring your homesteading prowess π
I’m very envious of your homestead! I’m currently renting here in western Nebraska, so I only have bits of garden to plant in. Unfortunately there’s not much good yard space with ample sunlight even if I could dig up the grass, and my landlord loves his grass too much to allow me to remove it all. Right now I garden in about three square feet of garden, and stick plants in amongst my landlord’s iris where I see spaces for them! And there’s a small herb garden growing in buckets on my front steps (I like my herbs to be mobile so I can move with them!)
But I’ve already started planning for someday in the future when I have my own homestead. Eventually I would love to have a big garden, some fruit bushes and/or trees, chickens, and perhaps some goats.
We’re out in SE Wisconsin. We moved into a severely neglected 1930’s farmhouse just under 4 years ago with a 1-year-old daughter and a young black lab. Spent all of that time fixing up the house and cleaning up 1.3 acres of land surrounded by farm fields. Just have the main kitchen left to go for full tear-out-to-the-studs remodels, plus a long list of cosmetic work. Hubs is a very talented carpenter by birth and I’m always willing to tear tings apart. At this point, I start all my plants from seed except broccoli – mine never does as nicely as the heirlooms I get locally. Grow & put up all our veggies for the year each summer. Nearly do the same with fruit – but we always run out of apples by March no matter how well the orchard does. I’ve got local sources for everything but dairy, flour, chocolate, coffee, peanut butter, and spices. (and diet mountain dew). Yes, that does include family members that make wine, beer, and distilled beverages. This spring we expanded the main garden by 144 sq ft. Next up is a small laying flock of either ducks or chicks – up to the nearly 6-year-old as those are her request. Oh, and we have a nice barter/swap circle going for food, plants, crafts, and services. Family motto is “suck it up and muddle through.” So far we have muddled very comfortably!
Happy Anniversary! It is lovely seeing your place grow and develop as I have been growing and changing my place and my family too. Hope Juniper is doing well, and look forward to seeing her grow too!
Well, I think my homesteading journey began reading the Laura Ingalls books as a child…then a little later with Hovel in the hills by Elizabeth West; which is a great advert for the simple life.
I’d been gardening to some extent for years, but when we bought a house in this village in Northumberland, England we managed to get an allotment and serious food growing began. Within a year we had another allotment and had put up a large polytunnel. Over the next 5 years I learnt a lot about growing fruit and veg, baking and looking after my home.
When a larger house came up, closer to the gardens, and with it’s own cottage garden we jumped at the chance. It was very run down, and we have worked hard over the last few years to get it how we want it. We now heat the house with woodburners, grow lots of food, bake bread, and cook meals from scratch and make lots of preserves.
The great thing about the homesteading journey is learning new things all the time….my Amazon account helps and so do blogs like this….the other great thing is all the new and exciting projects that crop up. Over the last year a produce stall has begun at our local library – which is just over the road from us. On Saturday mornings they have a stall outside, where gardeners can take spare produce. Customers take what they want and leave a donation for the library. I love this idea…not only helping the library but a small step toward more local food.
Two years ago I got my first chickens, and I’ve learned lots over that time about how they fit into the homestead lifestyle. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve got two new Speckledy hens… and I love them.. so beautiful and so placid and chatty!
This year I want to try new recipes in the kitchen, make more intersting preserves, make more of my own gifts, and taste Salsify – which I’m growing for the first time.
I’d recommend this life to anyone.
Man, you’ve had a busy few years! I love your backyard, esp. the before/after pics. I wish more people would post them! They are so gratifying.
Renee, we certainly have missed you and Jay being our neighbors at U of O, but I am glad you got back to your homeland to put down some more roots. After two years of battling the University to properly address the mold and lead issues in our home we have decided we’ve had enough. I had big plans for our temporary rental space. Garden, chickens, dog, more kids. We managed 2 of these 4. Our yard here is big and has a beautiful oak tree as you know. It has been endless entertainment for our son to climb and swing on. But its branches cover just about all of our yard. During your time as our neighbor I am sure you observed 1. my lack of gardening skills and 2. the lack of sunlight in our back yard. I asked many people how to solve the light problem, but every says “if there’s no light than you can’t grow anything.” However, with your help we did managed to grow 5 chickens, 1 of which you helped us clean after a short encounter with a dog(thank you!). So a couple months ago we decided it was time to look elsewhere for a home…stead. After some cruising on CG we found it. A wonderful family who owns a farm out of town, decided they were looking for a loving family to rent out their city investment. Their is one small yard right behind the house and then behind that is another large empty lot. My eyes gleamed when I saw it. I am now distracted all day at work, thinking about growing plants in full sunlight, raising more chickens and giving eggs to all our neighbors, and maybe even inviting some homeless people in to feast on the generosity of the soil. Having you as a neighbor fertilized the homesteading seed in me, and now its a bit out of control. Its perfect.
I love the before and after photos of your yard. Hubby and I are looking ahead to retirement in the next couple of years and hope to find a bit of land for a hobby farm. Meantime we’re gardening in raised beds, composting, vermicomposting, canning, and learning as much as we can. Your book looks wonderful!
Currently my homesteading journey involves a pile of compost that would be considered a mountain in many of our landlocked states. Fifteen yards. And just me a my shovel. Looking forward to the bounty that normally follows a composting year.
Thank you all for your great comments! Congrats to Kat, the randomly selected winner. I look forward to hearing more about your homesteading journeys!
I, know I’m late but I am just catching up. Happy Anniversary and thank you for all the great stories and information! I am sure your experiences will help me and my girlfriend as we move into our first home and begin using every available inch for our backyard livestock and garden goodies.