Urban Homestead Hint #2: Farm-Friendly Identity Theft Prevention

I sure love to garden.

Conversely, I sure hate to pay bills.

Even more than that, I vehemently abhor junk mail.

I've signed up online to stop the ads from hitting my mailbox.

I've returned items to sender. And still they come.

I don't get as much junk mail as I used to, but even one piece of junk mail is one too much for me. I pity the poor once-living tree that was felled in the forest only to become a flyer, credit card offer, or fast food take out coupon. Alas, if that same tree had been used to build a house instead, it might have enjoyed some longevity and, with any luck, earned some subconscious love and appreciation from its inhabitants. Take Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, for example. Yes, the tree was sawed off at the branches and base (and, yes, I may have cried while I read this part to my children once or twice), but at least that tree was going places... and I don't mean it was going to my mailbox. Or yours.

Anyway, every year I end up with a giant bag of junk mail and paid bills that I need to "deal with." This usually occurs over the summer months when I have time to tackle such business. September through June are lost causes when it comes to paperwork, unless it involves papers that need to be graded. Math tests. Reading tests. Essays. The never-ending pile. I could go off on another bird-walk here about the amount of paper used in our school systems, but for your sake (and the sake of this post) I will refrain.

So without further ado, let's get to it.

Urban Homestead Hint #2: Farm-Friendly Identity Theft Prevention

Do you have piles of junk mail lying around your home? Perhaps, like me, you have paper bags and cardboard boxes full of paperwork containing personal information that needs to be destroyed. You could just recycle it and hope for the best. Or, you could shred and recycle it. That's even more secure. But wouldn't you rather put that junk mail and those paid bills to better use on your very own urban [or suburban] farm?

Look no further than your compost pile! Shredded paper is a great "brown material" addition to your bin. Be sure to water the pile after adding shredded paper; if the paper remains dry it will not decompose.

A few tips about what types of paper to add to the compost pile:

• DO shred and compost any traditionally flat-toned white or colored paper, such as newsprint, regular printer paper, or construction-type paper or card stock.
• DO NOT compost glossy papers or magazine covers or pages; they have been coated with plastics to give them that "special" sheen. Plastics have no place in your bin.
• DO NOT shred or compost any documents you may need for tax purposes (try explaining that one to Mr. Auditor)! "I promise I wasn't trying to commit fraud or tax evasion... I was just making sure my microorganisms didn't go hungry!" That one might not fly.

That's it! Whether you add shredded paper to your compost pile once a year or a little bit each month, the material will eventually decompose completely, become nutrient-rich soil, and help your farm flourish. And I'm certain the earthworms will never attempt to steal your identity.

Birds of a Feather Molt Together

So it's been awhile since my last post about Esther.

The good news is that she seems perfectly fine.

However, she hasn't laid a single egg since that, um... unpleasant examination. She's also not so eager to jump into my lap as she used to be.

Esther, in motion, seems happy and healthy as a lark...

though she does keep a safe distance from me these days,

especially when I'm donning rubber gloves.

I would feel the same way, so I won't hold it against her.

The fact that she had suddenly and completely stopped laying did leave me a little worried, though. I mean, not worried enough to do a repeat procedure... but I was definitely concerned.

Until this happened.

My children woke up one morning to find feathers scattered all over the yard. Now, don't think the worst here. None of our girls were harmed. They were... molting!

After pulling on their boots, my kids skipped through the garden, squealing with delight, collecting masses of downy feathers in bowls and baskets and bags. They were even more excited about collecting feathers than eggs. The chickens watched from a safe distance with a healthy mix of curiosity and contempt in their eyes.

"What IS going on here?" wondered Lillian.

The truth is, I was as perplexed as she was, until, serendipitiously, my newest issue of Urban Farm Magazine showed up on my dining room table that very same day. And one of its features was entitled "Molting Matters."

In basic terms, the article explained how chickens molt annually, shedding their old layer of feathers, much like other animals. The process usually begins in early fall, though the author mentions that it can begin in the end of summer, as well. During the molting process, the chickens' bodies require extra proteins to develop new feathers... the same types of proteins they use to develop eggs. So, as chickens molt, they often stop laying.

Apparently, I can expect a lot more feather shed at Pocket Square Farm over the coming months. That's fine by Mason, however, who never misses an artistic opportunity! He used some of his collected feathers, construction paper, scissors, and white glue to make a replica of his favorite feathered friend.

Our girls didn't know what to think as the newest member of their "flock" scampered around the yard!

Good thing curiosity never killed the chicken! We may be down a few eggs in coming months, but on the flip side, I won't have to buy packaged feathers at the craft store EVER AGAIN!

Today I Violated My Chicken...

...and I'm much more distraught about it than she is.

When I woke up this morning, it wasn't something I planned to do.

What with loads of laundry and dishes piling up, my desperate attempt to go through our entire house and garage to prepare for a yard sale this weekend, and little ones running circles around me, I didn't really have time in my busy schedule for this to happen.

Because, you know, my daily to-do list doesn't usually look like this:

1. Breakfast

2. Dishes

3. Laundry

4. Lunch

5. Stick my finger up a chicken's butt while trying not to vomit

But then, being a mom and an urban farmer often results in doing things that you'd really rather not.

The unrelishing conundrum began when I realized that Esther, our Araucana, hadn't laid an egg in three days. When I checked the nesting box this morning, it became four days in a row with no blue eggs. You see, she has been laying almost every day for months, so this was a little unusual. I searched the yard looking for a secret place where, perhaps, she had been hiding them. After all, one of our Buffs prefers to lay beneath my white rose bush on occasion.

When I didn't discover a secret stash, I did what any urban farm girl would do: I hit the computer. Internet searches turned up lots of advice on this apparently common poultry problem. I read about chickens becoming egg-bound which can, if untreated, be fatal. I began observing Esther's behavior with overzealous scrutiny. She wasn't really demonstrating any of the symptoms, which include straining to lay an egg, standing or sitting with her bum pointed down toward the ground, or panting.

That is to say, she wasn't panting until I chased her around the yard at full speed, like a complete idiot, for more than 30 minutes. Let's just call that my cardio for the day. She finally tired; I won! Good to know that at 30-something I'm apparently in better shape than my 1-year-old hen. So I had caught her, and I was holding her beneath my arm like a rugby ball. Now what?

Most web posts I reviewed recommended putting your afflicted hen in a warm bath to relax the muscles around the vent (rear), and then lubricating her "nether-regions" with olive oil to help dislodge any egg that might be stuck... up there. Avian veterinary sites also recommended using your finger to feel around for any eggs. With a rubber glove on, of course. But still. Yuuuuuck.

If Esther the Easter Egger was not such a beloved pet to my son, I may have just waited another day or so to see what developed. However, I read online that this could quickly lead to the untimely death of the bird, which is the last thing I want to have on my conscience. I could live with having felt up the hen; allowing her to possibly become ill and die without at least a thorough examination I couldn't fathom.

So I did what any dedicated urban farm girl would do: I followed the internet directions.

Warm bath. Latex glove. Olive oil. I'm going to stop right there to keep you (and me) from reliving the moment. For I think that, often, city-dwellers like myself romanticize down-on-the farm rural living. Let me assure you there was nothing romantic about this all-too-intimate encounter.

Long story short, Esther seemed to enjoy her warm bath. She also didn't seem to mind being, um, examined at length. I wasn't able to feel any egg that was stuck (whole or otherwise). If she was having trouble laying, sites claimed, often a warm bath and the olive oil lube job would do the trick. I released her into the backyard, where she went about her chicken business as usual, preening and resting, no worse for wear.

I can't say the same for myself.

Let's just say that, when the ordeal was over, I used at least a half a can of Comet in the bathroom tub. And the floor. And maybe my arms and hands. And under my fingernails. And I threw the scrub brushes away.

I'm hopeful our hen will be fine, but I don't think I'll ever be the same.

Let's just call this my true initiation into the life of a farm girl. I declare, I have at last earned my self-selected nom de plume!

Garden in a Jar

I will admit right off the bat that this quick post is none-other than a shameless plug for one of my least favorite mega-stores: Target.

Okay, I don't actually despise Target, but I am still incredibly irked that the Target nearest to my home recently closed their garden center so that they could use it as "storage space" for their new in-house grocery department.

I mean, I do see the convenience of having groceries available at Target. And they do carry quite a few organic products, to their credit. And, to be honest, I have purchased a gallon of milk there. And maybe some peanut butter. And wine... on sale of course.

But what does it say about us, as a society, when we [more often than not] buy our "fresh" produce from the same store as our DVDs, nail polish, and socks? I have mixed emotions about the whole conglomerated concept.

Regardless, I did recently find a new product at Target that I love, love, love... so I wanted to share.

This is Target's newest soy candle line. I adore candles, but especially soy candles.

I love candles in glass jars, because they never get messy or drippy, and the jars can be reused.

I love the name of this candle, "Garden Blossom," and the cute red and white vintage yet modern-looking graphic on the label. It matches my kitchen exactly.

More than anything, though, I LOVE the scent. You know how most candles smell too sweet, or too strong, or too perfumey, or nice but totally artificial? In my humble opinion, this one doesn't.

It smells just like my garden.

Like the freshly-turned earth.

Like rays of sunshine filtering through the grape leaves.

Like buttery yellow tomato blossoms unfurling before me.

It just smells clean and real.

If you happen to be shopping at Target anytime soon (and I promise that if you do buy your broccoli there I won't hold it against you), and if you happen to peruse the candle aisle and find this one sitting there, beckoning you, you might just want to give it a chance.

I, myself, am going to stock up before it's tragically discontinued... just like my beloved [former] Target garden center!

Orchard Expansion!

About this time last year, I took some time to evaluate my progress at Pocket Square Farm. By the end of the summer season, it was clear to me which produce I had too much of (zucchini and cucumbers), and not enough of (fresh fruit, onions, potatoes, and garlic). Last year, we reached our sustainability goals with regards to veggies: we rarely had to purchase vegetables at the market during the winter, and never in the summer.

Fruit, however, was a different story.

My weekly grocery list always included fruit. Despite that we had already planted a lemon tree, a lime tree, boysenberries, blackberries, and four blueberry bushes, none of them had started really producing dependably. And my kids eat a lot of fruit... as they should.

My husband planted two apple and two orange trees for me for Mother's Day last year. It was the perfect gift for me, but I knew that, as far as feeding a hungry family went, it just wouldn't be enough fruit.

When we chopped down and hauled away a monstrous bougainvillea bush in our backyard this past spring, I finally saw my chance. The wall it had overtaken was a perfectly sunny yet sheltered space for a pocket-sized orchard expansion.

I sent my husband off to my favorite local nursery, where he brought home not one apple tree, but four semi-dwarf plants.

Each is a different variety, so that [hopefully] we will have different apples ripening throughout the year. The four species he purchased were Pink Lady, Dorsett, Fuji, and Gala. After creating a slightly raised bed with left-over wood from our fence addition, my husband moved the sprinkler heads forward so that the apple trees would not get wet when the sprinklers went off. (I've read that apple trees prefer to live sprinkler-free and without grass directly touching their trunks.) Before planting, we amended the soil with lots of steer manure, since the soil we were planting in was not all that great to begin with.

After the trees were planted, I pruned them according to the principles of horizontal espalier. The art form of espalier requires sacrifice and patience. I had to begin by lopping off several beautiful branches and shoots that were not positioned correctly. Based on what I've read, I can expect to wait approximately three years for the framework to be complete and the trees to really begin fruiting heavily. If you are looking to add some fruit trees to your yard, but you don't want to take up a lot of space, you can read about the art of espalier here.

Three years is a long time for my orchard expansion to come to fruition, and I hope the bounty will be worth the wait. At least we can expect a few ripe apples from Pocket Square Farm to taste-test this fall!

Easy Veggie Orzo

Do you have a bunch of random veggies in your summer garden, and you're not quite sure what to make with them?

Here's a super duper easy way to put them altogether and call it a meal. It's kind of an "everything but the kitchen sink" catch-all that is also a crowd pleaser. Serve it warm, straight off the stove, or chill it to serve the next day, and the next, and the next. It works equally well as a vegetarian main course or summery side.

Start with whatever veggies you have on hand. On this particular day, I had carrots, green beans, and zucchini that needed to be used.

Wash and coarsely chop your veggies. Remember to feed any discards [like carrot tops] to your compost bin... or hungry hens! Our ladies simply adore carrot tops. I adore that nothing goes to waste.

Saute chopped veggies in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until tender (not mushy). Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

In the meantime, cook a package of orzo pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pour into a large bowl, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine finished orzo with sauteed veggies; serve in a pretty glass bowl to show off your home-grown goodness! I love to use a trifle bowl to serve all of my layered and pasta salads... it just gives them a little something special!

The Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye...

... An' it looks like its climbin' clear up to the sky.

That is to say, if you read my post about corn last year, I'm happy to report that this year's plantings did considerably better! In case you've struggled with corn, yourself, I wanted to share some tips I've learned along the way.

Tip #1: Plant your corn seeds very closely together. This year I planted them about 6 inches apart, in blocks, to ensure better pollination. It seemed to work, as I had many more developed kernels in each ear. The silks, down here...

... need to be pollinated by the tassels, up here.

Tip #2: Plant your corn blocks in an area that gets a gentle breeze. This also helps the corn silks to be pollinated.

Tip #3: Corn is a heavy feeder of nitrogen. Make sure your corn stalks get the nutrition they need by inter-planting with beans, which produce nitrogen in their roots and, in turn, feed your corn. This year I planted one bean seed in the same hole as each corn seed at the same time. Next year, I think I'll plant the corn seed a couple of weeks ahead of the bean seed, in order to give the corn a leg up on vertical growth. After all, the beans feed the corn, but the corn needs to be tall enough to support the beans (if you choose a pole variety).

The result of interplanting beans and corn looks something like this: a jungle of beans scrambling to the top of your corn stalks. I will admit that it made harvesting the corn and beans just a mite trickier... but the end product (at least with regards to the corn) was better quality.

Yes, in case you were wondering, corn and beans are part of Three-Sisters gardening, which I also blogged about in Corn 101. It turns out the indigenous people really were onto something!

No need to use stakes or bamboo teepees to support these pole beans... the corn stalks did all the heavy lifting for me! As an added bonus, the beanstalks [in their messy tangle of vines] actually did me another huge favor: they helped hold the heavy corn stalks upright. (Last year I had to pull a lot of immature stalks because they fell over onto my neighbor's brand-new Cadillac SUV. This year, I'm happy to report, the corn and the Caddy did not make contact!)

Tip #4: As the ears start to fill out, pull back the silks gently, occasionally, to make sure they aren't infested by corn worms. If you do find worms, they can be picked out and squashed by hand before they do any real damage. After you've sleuthed around, pull the silks back up around the tip of the cob and secure in place with a twist tie. Really! This method of pest evasion didn't seem to hinder the corn's development at all... and worms did not ruin my harvest.

Tip #5: When do you know to harvest? Wait until the silks become brown and dry... but not much longer than that. I found that the sweetest, juiciest corn was underdeveloped, rather than overdeveloped. Kernels left in the garden too long get tough and starchy rather than tender and sugary.

And my last tip: Don't overcook your corn! Once you've harvested those gorgeous ears, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, shuck your corn, and then toss the ears in for exactly three minutes... no more! Remove from the pot and serve immediately. Don't let the corn remain in the pot, as it will continue cooking and become soggy and tasteless. Eeww.

If you live in sunny So Cal and you've been wanting to grow corn and beans, I really don't think it's too late! If we have a warm autumn, as we usually do, you may very well be able to pump out a round of short-season corn and beans. Look for varieties that mature in less than 60 days, and you might just find yourself quoting Rodgers & Hammerstein by the beginning of October, too!