A Texan Asian in Belgium - The Story of the Hippie Stink Homestead

[hippiestink]

Oh yeah, that'll happen. Luckily I was taking language classes at a nearby school, so my schedule was already synched to feed the chickens early. I've been gardening in some capacity for years and this is my experiment year to figure out what works best in our climate with our soil. If weeds crop up I pull or till them back in to fortify the soil. It's not ideal so I take all the help I can get.

Tomatoes and potatoes are total gateway plants, believe me. I started growing tomatoes and potatoes this year and immediately wanted to grow more. then before you know it, corn and beans came in the picture, then melons...you get it.

 

[hippiestink]

Finally figured out how he's been getting out. One side wasn't tied to the fence, so we bent the loose ends of wire around the chain link and he's now secure.



Here's a recent picture. We have a dog crate we converted into a shelter for the roo (in the unseen corner).

 

[hippiestink]

Well we're doing well out here. Corn is coming up faster than the weeds can get up and the melons (charentais melons) are sprouting. I went for melons as opposed to squash because of the field's proximity to our potato patch. Once I get the last of the soil tilled I'll be planting a bunch of radishes for the husband. That man loves his radishes.

Chickens are doing well, though I am debating processing the rooster and buying a new one. He's just too aggressive on our hens and it's not good at all. If I could catch him on my own I'd do the processing myself but as it stands the only person who can get him is my husband and he hates the idea of processing. I may have the husband catch him and then take him to my grandfather in law for processing.

I'd honestly rather do it myself, but some things can't be helped. In the meantime I look at roos every time I head to the market in case I finally decide to just do it myself and spend the better part of an hour trying to catch the dang roo. I still haven't bothered properly measuring the field for next year's planning, so tomorrow that's a very real possibility. I'll be up all night so come chat to me folks.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Can I ask how much land you guys have there?

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Good luck with your homestead. Sounds like an interesting story. Will be following.

 

[hippiestink]

Can I ask how much land you guys have there?

We got about 3/4 of an acre, with plans to eventually move out to my Grandfather In Law's acre when we inherent it. 1/2 an acre is devoted to corn and vegetables, 1/8 is chicken, and the last 1/8 is grass for our dogs to run on.

 

[hippiestink]

Good luck with your homestead. Sounds like an interesting story. Will be following.

Thanks! I'm a green thumb, I stick seeds in dirt and they grow. The chickens are about the hardest part of homesteading, mostly because they all have their own little chicken dramas. Already had to deal with one getting some kind of foot infection, now the roo is facing the broom handle.

 

[hippiestink]

I'm changing the rooster's name to Curry. As in chicken curry.

He just won't calm down; the dang thing is still over amorous and plucking the hens. Not to mention he's aggressive toward the husband and I. I just have no idea what to do other than cook him and find a replacement roo with a better temperament. I tried everything: isolation, aprons, nothing works. About at the end of my rope here with this dang thorn in my side.

On a happier note, charentais melons are sprouting and weeds are almost totally gone. Tomorrow I'll be pulling and tilling, then planting seed. The plan is to grow enough to feed our family of two for a year, then expand the operation when we finally get started on that whole procreation thing.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Most people have a zero - tolerance policy when it comes to aggressive roosters. Sometimes the butchering is the only option.

 

[hippiestink]

I thought so. I'll be doing that soon, i already got him separated so I'll withhold his feed a couple days.

In other news, I harvested a Flander's Field poppy pod that dried out already. My Hungarian Blues are beginning to yellow and will so dry on their own. Saved the Flander's Field and will do so until the end of the season. Check out them tiny seeds!



I'm holding these suckers in a tiny lipgloss pot I had on hand until I can make proper seed envelopes. I'm going shopping soon and I'll probably store my seeds in a small photo album for easy reference and finding.