We have been on the farm for two full months now. Already I know my neighbours better than I did in the city.
Neighbourliness is changing my life.
It makes me want to sing from the roof of the barn. Hallelujah! AHHHHH!!
It has occurred to me very quickly living out here in the sticks:
Neighbourliness isn’t a choice. Neighbourliness is a necessity.
For the last five years or so I’ve struggled to be a homesteader in the city.
Wrestling to put by hundreds of pounds of tomatoes with only two hands, having to buy all our own equipment, working double-time to run the house while pregnant, chasing children, facing a mammoth to-do list come planting and harvest time, and on and on and on.
It’s exhausting.
I’ve realized since living here; this lifestyle isn’t conducive to the modern, isolated individual model of “community”. It just doesn’t work.
We can’t fully become truly independent without embracing interdependence.
It’s just too much dang work.
About a month before we moved here, we found ourselves scoping out wood-burning fireplaces. Another family with a little boy were in the store at the same time, and we got chatting. We told them we were moving to the area from the city, and when we gave them an idea of where our new farm was we discovered they live right around the corner!
(OK, a country corner, about a mile away – but STILL!)
Fast forward a month or so and her and I have been taking our boys for walks around our (very big) block, sharing harvest tips, recipes. This past week when I found myself needing an emergency trip to the doctor and my husband two hours away at work in the city, she watched my son. Without a second thought. Insisted.
Over dinner at their place this weekends our husbands started plotting how they can split the expense of a full-scale chicken processing operation, you build the plucker, I’ll buy the scalder, planned work on their barn, sharing the rental of a post-auger to mend both our fences. We’ll watch their boy later this month as they prepare for the birth of their new baby.
We share the same goals of independence, but really what we are working towards is even better than independence, and will give us TRUE independence from the influences in our lives we would rather do without.
The hurricane has passed and so has my minor meltdown.
The pantry is stocked, my laundry is done, I finally baked some bread and managed to interview three office assistants in the space of an hour and a half.
I was late for the interview, my house is still a mess, I set off the smoke alarm at 6 am baking the bread and the applesauce went to the chickens instead of the larder.
No small children died. The sky did not fall.
As I talked through my lapse of sanity with my hubby, I told him -
I’m not looking for perfection. I don’t want to be a super mom. But I don’t feel like I’m doing my best at anything in my life right now.
He said,
Maybe this isyour best right now.
Huh.
On one hand I thought – Well that kind of sucks. On the other hand I thought – PHEWPH.
I can stop feeling guilty?
He is a very practical man. He spends his day solving problems, all day, every day. Building houses has taught him that sometimes you have to just start where you are with the parts that you know. Once you get moving, the parts that seemed unclear or confusing will become obvious as you go.
Like a giant jigsaw puzzle; things that seem impossible now will become possible later.
I dumped the chicken waterer all over myself this morning for the third morning in a row, and managed to break it in the process.
It was a sign.
I said, Bugger It, went down to the co-op and picked up a waterer that doesn’t require so much manual dexterity so early in the morning.
Sometimes you’ve just got to accept where you’re at.
In a CSA you pre-pay at the beginning of the season for a share of the harvest throughout the growing season. By paying ahead you provide the farmer with income at a time when she might have to otherwise borrow money. Any added security we can provide our farmer is good for us and good for the resiliency of our local foodshed.
Some CSA’s only run during the spring through early fall, but it’s increasingly possible to find winter CSA’s as well. Depending on the farm, you might enjoy a variety of fresh veggies and even eggs, cheese, milk, meat, honey and preserves.
There are lots of benefits of CSA’s – you get to support the farmer directly, which usually means more of your dollar ends up in her pocket. Always a good thing. I’ve even heard of farms offering discounts if you volunteer to lend a hand during busy times. You’ll eat great, save a ton of cash and learn some new skills while getting to know your food and your farmer.
Here in Vancouver, we even have a CSAs from urban farms! How cool is that? Urban Digs Farm is one example of creative, industrious folks building food security right here in the city.
If you’re not already eating a ton of veggies, your CSA box will probably reveal some weird and wonderful new veggies. Nourished Kitchen has a great post on what to do with the strange veggies in your CSA box, if you’re ever stumped.
You can also find CSA’s for specific products – meat shares, milk shares, seafood, even wheat!
8. Join an organic grocery buying club
A grocery buying club is kind of like an online farmer’s market. You place your order and pick up your groceries at a neighbour’s, instead of the grocery store. They make it easy to find local, sustainable products from small producers. One stop shop instead of driving all over town to different specialty shops and markets.
Kind of neat, hey?
NOW BC is our local co-operative and features all sorts of yummy goodies. Their subscription programs and bulk buying options are great opportunities to eat well without breaking the bank.
9. Shop farmer-direct
Buying directly from your farmer is one of the loveliest ways to get your groceries.
Our family purchases our organic pastured pork and beef from Big Bear Ranch in Horsefly, BC. They aren’t exactly in our backyard, but I don’t sweat it too much. They have outstanding farming practices and make it super easy to keep the freezer stocked with delicious, quality meat. We place our orders online and they make a number of stops here in the city where we can meet them to pick up our meat.
Big Bear offers specials on “family packs” of meat. You’ll get a selection of pork, for example, that will include a variety of cuts, bacon, sausages etc. You’re not guaranteed to get specific products, but you’ll get a certain percentage roast, chops, specialty items etc. We often split a pack with family – everyone enjoys the discount while still maintaining some spare room in the freezer!
10. Shop seasonally
Shopping seasonally is part of the locovore culture that gets poked fun at a lot. Critics tease that we think we’re saving the world by eating parsnips.
I duno about you, but it seems to me if everyone ate with a focus on seasonality, I think we’d all eat better, save money and walk lighter on the planet . . . That’s a debate for another day.
To talk in terms of economics, seasonality takes advantage of the rules of supply and demand. If you buy when supply is higher than demand, prices will be lower. Not exactly rocket science.
11. Shop in bulk
If you shop in season AND in bulk, you’ll really start to see some savings.
Even though I grow my own, I invariably get nervous that I haven’t put enough food by for the coming winter. There is nothing worse than running out of stewed tomatoes in February. It gives me the shakes just thinking about it!
So I go to my favourite local farm stand and load up. I mean LOAD UP. I once filled an entire shopping cart with local tomatoes. They were 69 cents a pound! I mean, come ON!
Before you go – make sure you’ll be ready to put the food by and that you’ve taken the time to . . .
12. Learn to can
For all you canning virgins out there let me tell you – You CAN can! It is not scary (ok maybe a little, the first time) and it is way easier than you think.
I did not grow up canning. Until I met my hubby, canning food at home was some magical, mysterious process that might kill me with strange bugs whose names I can’t pronounce. My mum didn’t can, neither did my grammas.
Canning has so many benefits and is key if you really want to save money on food. It also addresses the “I don’t have time to cook” whine I hear so often. Canning is hot work, and is much more enjoyable if done in the company of friends at an old school canning bee. If you’re more comfortable, take a class first, but give it a try, for heaven’s sakes!
Once you master water-bath canning, I strongly recommend you try to get your hands on a pressure canner. It will take a larger investment (or you can be like me and ask for one for Christmas) but it is well worth it. With a pressure canner you can put by soups, spaghetti sauce, fish, meat, stocks and more. Pressure Canning 101 has basic instructions and my recipe for canning chicken stock.
13. Explore new foods
Sometimes, things that you wouldn’t think about as normal dinner fare can be both delicious and inexpensive.
Living here on the coast, we have access to lots of gorgeous seafood. Mussels are cheap as chips, quick and easy to cook and crazy tasty.
My hubby recently introduced me to heart. (It took a lot of convincing.) He lightly breaded it and pan fried it in a bit of butter. Oh. My. God. SOOOO good. You don’t always see these sorts of options in the grocery store, but if you’re buying direct from your farmer, you’ll have a lot more opportunity to try new flavours.
What’s cheap in your neck of the woods totally depends on where you are. Get to know your local foodshed and find out!
14. Don’t buy food in boxes
I’ve never understood why people buy boxed mixes for things like biscuits or pancakes. How hard is it to stir some flour? Really.
I duno about you, but I can’t afford $5 heirloom tomatoes at the farmer’s market. Or 3 bucks for a tiny handful of fresh herbs. Or $10 per pound for garlic.
Luckily, I don’t have to.
Growing food is easy and inexpensive and can happen year round. All it takes is a curious spirit and a willingness to get some dirt under your nails. Cold beer always seems to help, too. (See #16)
There are a few important things to remember if you’re just starting out to grow your own.
GROW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT: For heaven sakes, if you don’t like brussel sprouts, don’t grow brussel sprouts! (Although, keep in mind everything, even brussel sprouts, taste better when you grow them yourself.)
GROW PLANTS SUITED TO YOUR SPACE: Take the time to get to know your yard / windowsill / community garden. Learn a bit about the needs of the plants you want to grow. Try to get them to match as best as possible. You can always provide encouragement by way of row covers, small greenhouses, and the like, but the best bet is to get it right the first time. (Especially if it’s YOUR first time.)
GROW THINGS THAT COST AN ARM & A LEG AT THE STORE: Garlic is stupid easy to grow. Stupid easy. You can learn how to grow garlic here. Tomatoes, herbs, peppers, berries and salad greens are also easy-peasy. This way, if you only have a tiny space, you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Bonus – most of these things will taste immeasurably better having been homegrown.
16. Brew your own beer and wine
If you like a cold one at the end of a long day, you should try brewing your own. It is ridiculously easy and disgustingly cheap.
We got a full equipment kit at the grocery store for 50 bucks. I’m sure if you looked around you could find use equipment for way cheaper. Our local home brew store sells bulk ingredients so you can make your favourite brew at home.
We made a cream ale our first time and it blew our minds. 45 beer for 25 bucks. Golden.
If you like baking bread you’ll love brewing beer. Same kind of creative process – once you understand the basics, you can go bananas.
Added bonus : no empties to cart back to the liquor store. We bought a bunch of old bottles with resealable caps. We talked to one guy at the beer store who said he’s been using the same bottles for over 20 years. He’s only had to replace the rubber seals once. Talk about reduce and reuse!
And don’t think it’s too much work, either. My hubby did most of the work for our first batch with a five month old on his hip.
17. Bake your own bread
I have no idea why store-bought bread is so expensive these days. Who can afford $3-$5 per loaf?? That’s just crazy. And half the time it’s crap with an ingredient list as long as your arm.
Bread is one of those things that is too easy not to make. You can easily make bread with next to no tools, other than your muscles, but having a bread maker or a mixer with a dough hook will make it easier to fit homemade bread into your daily life.
If you’re at home during the day, the dough hook is a good bet. If you work, get a bread maker. You can fill it at night, set the timer and wake up to the smell of heaven. How easy is that?
Once you get going, you’ll find it addictive. Bread is an incredibly creative process, and its relaxing, to boot. A world of shapes, textures and flavours await you. Mark my words, get started and next thing you know you’ll be growing wild yeast on your countertop.
Homemade bread is also a gateway drug to homemade pasta.
18. Make your own pasta
Another one of those things that takes a bit of effort and equipment, but is well worth the time.
Personally, unless it’s a special occasion, I don’t make my own spaghetti or linguini, stuff like that. Good quality dried whole wheat pasta is easy enough to find for a good price.
Stuffed pasta? That’s a whole other story.
Especially if you have kids, this is worth your time for the sheer convenience factor later on. It takes me a couple of hours, but I love to make ravioli for the freezer.
Bang out a batch of pasta, cook up some filling, freeze it and you have a nutritious, ridiculously quick lunch or dinner waiting at a moment’s notice.
If you’re able, chickens are a wise choice to stretch your food budget. We kept enough hens to keep our own (very hungry) family in eggs and support my baking habit with enough left over to sell to ensure that our chickens and our eggs didn’t cost us a dime.
Unlimited organic, free-range eggs for free? Um, yes please.
20. Splurge smart
Make your splurges count!
We go bonkers from time to time – really good (really expensive) cheese, lobster, steak . . . You have to live a little! When you splurge, splurge on things you can’t do for yourself. Make it special. Savour it.
How do you eat better for less? Share you tips, tricks and recipes!
I’m currently on a mission to cultivate my inner anal-housewife, and creating a homemaking binder has been a step in the right direction. Also, I think better when I have mindless tasks to do, so designing some pretty printables doesn’t seem like a complete waste of time.
I did a lot of poking around on other housewife-y blogs to learn about this magical and mysterious homekeeping / homemaking / family / mum binder.
I must say, I was completely unaware such things existed. Now that I am in charge of a home and family full time, I can see why.
The homemaking binder is basically Command Central for busy homemakers. (And a good way to get all of the crap that floats around on your mental to do lists down on paper.) I saw lots of examples online ranging from downright beautiful to simple workhorses.
I bought a cheapie three ring binder, covered it in some cutie-patutie grey gingham fabric and made myself some dividers from spare files I had laying around. Your homemaking binder doesn’t have to be fancy. I’m a visual person and am motivated by shiny things, so I took some time to make it look pretty.
A spoonful of sugar, right?
For most of these, you don’t need to print new ones out every single week. Just get some clear plastic page protectors and some dry erase markers. Check off your weekly chores, then on Sunday wipe it clean and start fresh.
I am SO headed there. I aspire to be there. Dream of it.
I am not an organized person by nature. Blame it on the right-brain artistic personality. Or just call me a slob. Whatever. It’s sad, but true.
From about 13 years old my book shelf has been graced by a plaque given to me by my mother. It reads :
Bless this mess.
Oh yes.
That’s me.
Funny thing is, I grew up in a tidy home. Both my parents take a lot of pride and care in keeping their home. I always thought my mum was a bit uptight, frankly. I saw myself as more of a don’t worry be happy kind of gal. The sky wouldn’t fall if the vacuuming didn’t get done on time.
Now, two years into my housewife adventures, I’m starting to understand the tendency of mothers everywhere to lean towards an anal-retentive nature. I can now see that neurosis for what it is:
Self-preservation.
Now, instead of viewing these women with confusion of a vague sense of pity, I have only awe and adoration. How do they do it??
My quest for organization is an uphill battle. It doesn’t come naturally.
I am scouring every resource and tip and trick I can find to get myself sorted out. I’ve aggressively purged my entire home. Every day I look for more crap to pitch. I’m a sorting and filing and colour-coding machine. I’m a maniac with a label-maker.
I’ve accepted my day planner back into my life, and am actually using it. I am one step away from posting my daily schedule on the fridge in huge, elementary school teacher script, lest anyone even think about offending my carefully planned day.
I am obsessively researching a new and amazing discovery – the home keeping binder. Who even knew such things existed?? Not me.
Thank God for Pinterest.
My poor husband doesn’t know which way is up.
I see myself as being in this glorious transition from scrubby, absent-minded housewife to some modern, snappier version of June Cleaver.
From the outside, I’m pretty sure it just looks like more chaos. Or pure, straight-up crazy.
If June was bi-polar, that would be me. My intentions are good, my goals pure and honourable, but I’m pretty sure I miss as much as I hit. Now the misses bother me more. Before I wouldn’t have even noticed.
Some days you just can’t win for losing.
However. In the midst of it all, I’m pretty sure I’m making some forward motion.
My house has been clean and *gasp* STAYED CLEAN for nearly two months now. No descending into complete and utter chaos. Every morning that I wake up to a clean kitchen I want to cry. How can this be my home?
I can’t believe all the extra time I have on my hands, that once would have been lost to the clutter like my keys. I’m actually having time to play with my son AND write AND work. Balance??? What?
At the end of the day, I’m determined to persevere. Every night that I’d rather go to bed instead of doing yet another load of laundry I remind myself that I deserve this. I deserve a calm, clean home and the sanity that comes with it.
Eventually, what seems such a momentous task now will become habit over time. I hope, that like many Mamas before me, I’ll one day be able to do it with my eyes closed, and finally get some sleep!
