Essential Reading

We wish to set up a semi- self- contained household unit, based largely on a use economy, and, as far as possible, independent of the price-profit economy which surrounds us.  
The Good Life- Scott and Helen Nearing

As much as Naomi and I have spent time doing physical work associated with living a more self- sufficient life, we've spent time finding ways to hone our skills as well.  Below is a partial list of some of the books I've read in the past year that have either directly or indirectly aided me with skills, ideas, suggestions, or other information in this ongoing quest.  They're listed in no particular order other than the one in which I happen to recall them Naomi has arranged them.
Five Acres and Independence by M.G. Kains(1935) Dover
Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and A Better World by Joel Salatin(2011) Center Street Press
Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind by Gene Logsdon(2010)
Mini Farming: Self- Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham(2010) Skyhorse Publishing
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets(2005) Ten Speed Press
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike and Nancy Bubel(1991) Storey Publishing
Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth(2002) Seed Savers Exchange, Inc.
Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening by Sepp Holzer(2004) Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Small Scale Grain Raising by Gene Logsdon(1977) Rodale Press, Inc
Teaming with Microbes: The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels(2010) Timber Press
Weeds: Guardians of the Soil by Joseph A Cocannouer(1950) The Devin-Adair Company

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that really stuck out in my mind.  My To-Read list is twice as long, and I hope I can get through more of them in enough time to make a meaningful impact in the coming season!

A Christmas Miracle

     Yesterday morning I let the chickens out, and discovered 2 small brown eggs in the corner of the coop closest to the nest boxes (so close!)  I ecstatically ran into the house shouting for Naomi to bring the camera.  I was suspect that they were both from that morning, so I decided to get the fork and sift through the bedding.  I found a third egg.  That evening when I went to close the coop, I found a fourth.  It was only about 4 PM today that I found a fifth.  I believe it's The Grump that's laying them.  I need to get her to start laying in the nest box, but that's a project for later on in the week.  I'll try making a step/perch to transition into the boxes, and moving eggs when I find them.  I hope the others aren't far behind!  The large egg in the picture was a double-yolker too! 

     I brought some pizza boxes and shredded paper down to the garden today.  We've eaten a lot of pizza in the last week.  I finally got a chance to bring the camera down to the garden as well, although we are getting close to looking for a new camera. 

Pizza boxes featured just right of center.

Some Red Russian Kale seedlings, growing slowly but surely.

 A shot of the inside of the hoophouse.  

The three larger plants are Romanesca Broccoli.

Winter Solstice

Through the entire twelve month cycle, we ate a great variety of fresh food.  It was garden fresh from the first thaw in February-March to the heavy snows of December.  The balance of time it came from an outside vegetable cellar.  By following the seasons, we got a succession of foods- each at its peak.  We enjoyed each in turn.  We tired of none, but always looked forward to its coming in the new growing season.
The Good Life- Scott and Helen Nearing 

Well, here we are.  The day's almost done, and my ass is still intact.  The world may not have ended, but Winter sure came in with a roar.

     I woke up this morning to the sound of raindrops splattering on glass and wind roaring through the attic.  We've gotten almost 3 inches of rain in the last week, too.  But it's all uphill from here.  The days will start getting a little noticeably longer from here on out, albeit a little colder. 

     I think the chickens are getting a little closer to laying.  The Grump has been doing some submissive squatting whenever we approach her, and Naomi said the Grump's been cuddling into a little nest directly in the center of the coop.  She'll figure out what the nest box is for when the time comes.

    I still haven't gotten down to the garden to take pictures of the hoophouse setup, nor the kale slowly creeping along inside it, but I did manage to get some batteries for the camera.  That's at least a step in the right direction.  My beet sprouting project (pictured above) is still working out well.  We've been enjoying fresh beet greens every week or so.  The tops aren't growing at record rates, but it's nice to see a little color.  I've got some basil growing in a pot that's slowly making some progress, too.  This time last year, I was thinking about starting a few flats of onion seeds.  I think this year I'll wait a little longer until I start them, as they seemed to be imprisoned indoors last year for far too long and got overcrowded in their little flats.

     So far, I've managed to keep this blogging project going for almost a full year.  Aside from occasionally keeping up with this blog, I've got copious notes, diagrams, lists, spreadsheets, and other documentation of our garden progress.  Seed catalogs for 2013 have started rolling in.  I eagerly look forward to the arrival of some of my favorites, with anticipation of discovering varieties I've overlooked in past seasons, helpful tidbits of information, and of course, gorgeous pictures that uplift my winter soul. 

    Finally, some things worth sharing today are featured below.  The first is the trailer to a beautiful documentary that we watched earlier this evening entitled Journey of the Universe, and it came out of Yale University.  Its message of the absolute beauty and power of life on Earth is very inspiring to me.

      And finally, as I do every year on this day,  I listened to the song below.  Although I don't willingly seek such a bleak message these days as I once did, it's still fitting as a welcome to a time of the slowing of otherwise prolific life.  The last line seems particularly familiar, as I look to the year's bounty to keep us going through the season. 
The winter tears the earth apart, lets hope we see it through.

New Growth

This post was originally drafted on December 1, 2012 with the intention of adding a few pictures and posting it.  

A few weeks ago, I started a flat of kale seeds, some Red Russian Kale, and I actually forgot what the other one was, maybe Lacinato.  They slowly got to the point where all the seedlings in the tray had their first pair of true leaves, so I planted them in the ground inside the hoophouse today.  I checked the water buckets by the well, and they each had a plate of ice floating in them about an inch thick.  Inside the hoophouse, I have a dark purple rubber container with about 15 gallons of water in it.  I checked that, and it was ice-free- a good sign.

Aside from the 15 gallons of water in a dark container, I've got a row of cinderblocks along the northern side.  The big thermometer on the Ash tree at the bottom of the hill said it was 32 degrees, and the little thermometer inside the hoophouse said it was just above 40- another good sign considering today is overcast.

I'm curious to see what happens, because I don't really know anything about using a hoophouse. I'm hoping to get a lot of experience with it over the winter and into the spring.