Hip Chick Digs

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

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October 14, 2013 by: Renee Wilkinson

October Harvest

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October is giving us the last drops of warm-season harvests, but it’s time to draw the curtain for winter. Juniper helped me pick the last of the ripe fruits and veggies. Her way of helping has more to do with eating than actually putting anything in the harvest basket, but I enjoy the company nevertheless.

fall-harvest-helpOur cupboard is already packed with tomatoes for winter – ketchup, marinara and stewed. And yet still I was able to harvest around 30 pounds of fruit from these last, frost-free days. To quickly preserve them, I blanched and peeled them. They were then roughly chopped and packed into gallon freezer bags. These frozen jewels are destined for soups and stews this winter, the perfect way to use frozen tomatoes.

frozen-tomatoes

Fig trees produce two crops a year and one is always the heavier harvest. Our Desert King is perfect for the northwest, giving us a heavy “early” crop in late July. It’s always dicey whether we get a late crop at all, since an early first frost can easily ruin any ripening fruit. This year, however, we had plenty of late fall figs to enjoy – a treat we don’t normally get!

fall-figs

I was so excited to learn about hardy kiwis many years ago. The vines grow in colder areas and the fruit is smaller, but you don’t need to peel them. They have smooth skins, unlike the fuzzy ones we are used to in the stores. They vines also provide spectacular fall color.

ripe-kiwis

This year was only the second year our vines have produced fruit. We planted the male and female about six years ago, so it’s taken them longer to mature. This bowl of sweet goodies was soon devoured for an afternoon snack and evening dessert.

hardy-kiwis

Our young apple tree and pear gave us a modest showing of fruit. I was excited to get anything considering they are not that well-established yet. We also had sweet onions, peppers and shelling beans to add to the harvest basket.

october-harvest-basket

Are you still harvesting warm-weather crops from your garden? Do you feel as ready as I do to put this season to bed for winter? I’m not sure I want to see another ripe tomato until next year…

Related Posts

  • Roasting Chanterelle MushroomsRoasting Chanterelle Mushrooms
  • How to Freeze BlueberriesHow to Freeze Blueberries
  • Preserving TomatoesPreserving Tomatoes
  • Homemade Pumpkin PureeHomemade Pumpkin Puree
Visiting Joshua Tree
Prepping Beds for Winter

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Here’s how to turn a basic hanging basket into a stunning, eye-level planter that’s easier to admire and even easier to care for.

✨️Set the basket in a pot to check the soil height
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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?

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Swarm catching 🐝 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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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.

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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)!

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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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Making woven garden arches 💪🏼 I start with a 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. 

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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.

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