Adventures of an urban homesteader growing greens, preserving the harvest and tending a backyard barnyard

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October 21, 2012 by: Renee Wilkinson

soup-veggies

Butternut Squash Soup (for Baby too!)

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Most days on the homestead aren’t big or dramati

Most days on the homestead aren’t big or dramatic—they’re made of small, steady moments.

Refilling the chicken feeder. Collecting eggs still warm from the nest. Pulling up a few carrots. Tossing weeds to the flock. Trimming back the roses before they take over.

It’s not about doing it all—it’s about doing what you can, when you can.
Modern homesteading is less about perfection and more about rhythm. A little work, a little joy, and a lot of dirt under your nails.

Homesteading looks different for everyone—what does it look like (or feel like) for you?

#hipchickdigs #modernhomesteading #dayinthelife #backyardchickens #gardeninglife #homesteadrhythms #growyourown

This cluster was about the siz

Swarm catching 🐝 This cluster was about the size of a basketball hanging in a Doug Fir next to a playground. They were super easy to catch with my extension pole!

Note: don't put a swarm in anything plastic. I hated putting them in this bucket, but it's all I could grab in time. But they can easily overheat in something like this, which lacks good ventilation. I relocated them into a wooden hive super quick, but I was so nervous every minute they were in here.

As always, I chatted with several onlookers. Folks are always so curious about swarms and honeybees. It's a lovely way to educate and build bee ambassadors 🐝
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#urbanbeekeeping #swarm #beeswarm #swarmseason #womeninbeekeeping #beekeeperslife

Weekend vibes: gardening in pajamas, coffee in han

Weekend vibes: gardening in pajamas, coffee in hand, and dirt under my nails before 9am.
This is how I fit homesteading into modern family life—little pockets of peace squeezed between breakfast and soccer games.

It’s not picture-perfect, but it’s real—and it feeds my soul (and my soil). Here’s to slow starts, messy mornings, and growing what we can, when we can.

How do you squeeze in garden time during busy weeks? Pajamas optional—tips welcome.

#hipchickdigs #weekendgardening #momlifeinthegarden #homesteadinglife #gardeninginreallife #slowmorningvibes #growyourown

Hey there, new friends! I’m Renee, a modern home

Hey there, new friends! I’m Renee, a modern homesteader living in Portland, Oregon—raising chickens, veggies, and three awesome kids on our little slice of urban heaven.

I'm carrying on generations of knowledge to grow my own food, live more sustainably, and teach my family the value of getting our hands dirty (in the best way). Here, I share the real ups and downs of homesteading—think garden wins, chicken shenanigans, DIY projects, and everyday lessons from the land.

Fun fact: I'm a tango dancer and a landscape architect. Both are useful in the garden 💃🏽

I’d love to get to know you—drop a comment and tell me where you’re from and what you’re growing (plants, dreams, chickens… anything counts)!

#homesteadlife #urbanhomestead #gardentok #backyardfarm #intro

Homegrown asparagus tastes 1,000% better than anyt

Homegrown asparagus tastes 1,000% better than anything from the store. So juicy, crisp, naturally sweet. Some of these were 18" long and still tender.

Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning you plant once and it comes back every year. You have to wait until year three to start harvesting, but it's worth that wait.

I do nothing to care for it, but every year I have arms full throughout spring and early summer. I planted an 8' row along an otherwise boring fence. The foliage turns brilliant gold in the fall. Tell me if you grow this crop!
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#modernhomestead #pdxgarden #urbanhomestead #urbanfoodforest #foodscape #foodforest #asparagus #growingasparagus #springgarden #springharvest

More garden arches! This one also started with 20'

More garden arches! This one also started with 20' lengths of thin rebar, shoved into the ground with my weight and hooped over loosely. Our old Christmas tree trunks are tied to the rebar, to thicken up the base.

Pruned branches from our fig tree make good vertical supports. Multi-stemmed branches help build up the sides, bc they can also be woven in horizontally.

The most time is spent weaving in thin, flexible branches horizontally from our plum trees. The structure gets more secure pretty quickly, as tension is built up.

I use twine only selectively. Most is just held in place with just tension alone. It won't last forever, but it's not meant to. I'll rebuild in about 3-4 years as branches need replacing.
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#modernhomestead #pdxgarden #urbanhomestead #foodscape #gardenart #gardenarch #timebasedart

Making woven garden arches

Making woven garden arches 💪🏼 I start with a few 20' lengths of thin rebar. My soil is soft at this time of year, so I can use my body weight to push them deep into the ground.

Then I start layering in pruned fruit tree branches. Fig and pear work well as vertical sides. Plum and apple are flexible enough for me to weave in between. Multi-stemmed pieces are helpful to create tangles of branches. I use twine selectively, if at all.

I dream of hopping across the pond to take a workshop at @damsonfarm.house to improve my technique making natural supports. Some day, I hope!
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#modernhomestead #pdxgarden #urbanhomestead #foodscape #gardenart #gardenarch #timebasedart

I couldn't bring myself to send these cushions to

I couldn't bring myself to send these cushions to a landfill, even though the fabric covers were totally deteriorating. But I've never seen cushion covers for sale, until I stumbled upon these at Ikea.

They fit perfectly! I don't need fancy patio furniture - just a place to put my feet up. So hurray for the small wins and keeping these babies out of the landfill 🎉
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#modernhomestead #patiofurniture #patiogoals #upcycle

Taking care of yourself can be a form of resistanc

Taking care of yourself can be a form of resistance. Rest, nourish your body, tend your garden. Keep your tank full 💪🏼
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#modernhomestead #pdxgarden #urbanhomestead #urbanfoodforest #urbanfarming #foodscape

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