Proud mama hen hatched two baby chicks early today, and we're hoping for more over the next few days. She's staying on the nest, so she seems fairly certain more are coming!

#Chickens #RanchoDeLaLibertad #Chooks #Chicks #SmallFarm

I'll also crosspost this with the updated figures from today's harvest for those of you interested. Since January first, we've produced on-site:

111 dozen eggs (that's 1,336 eggs approximately)
175.25 pounds of meat
21 pounds of vegetables
16.5 pounds of lard
7 pounds of animal fodder

This does not count the 100 or so pounds of unrendered fat in our freezer, nor does it count almost all of our spring crops that have yet to come to harvest (only the early season ones that we already harvested). We've given lots away, and we have lots in our freezer and canned for later.

Our inputs are minimal: once a year we make a bulk organic animal feed order, we use some well water, and I did order seeds last year (though often I save them from our own vegetables). No fertilizers, no mineral inputs, no purchased soil, no pots, no trays, no tilling, nothing. We've transformed about a half acre or so (and growing) of our six acres of previously landfilled, compacted, and completely soil-collapsed land into cultivable soil. It's taking time, but the momentum is building and it's getting easier every season to rebuild topsoil and produce more on-site with less inputs.

#RegenerativeAg #Permaculture #Farming #Homesteading #Food #SmallFarm #IndigenousOwned #Decolonize #IndigenousAgriculture #FoodSovereignty

Apparently chaotic gardening that is actually quite intentional:

We are digging the greywater channel deeper after adding a charcoal & rock base biofilter. This aims to reduce soil salting by minimizing water evaporation directly from the channel and forcing the water to be pulled *up* through the soil via the plant roots. Current seedlings in this basin are getting top water but when their roots can be expected to be slightly deeper they'll be left to only seek water from the saturated soil below. Initially I wanted to optimize for a proper floodplain but now I think intentionally incising the channel may be a strategy so long as matting roots can hold the bank against rains - we'll just have to see!

The squash mostly killed off by frost was pruned back, and the volunteer plants are frequently cut back and their stems used for mulch - you can see the slight mulch layer being built from vegetation in this site. The squash is trying to put on baby leaves again but the weather has been erratic so I'm fine if it just decomposes in place and doesn't come back, another round of beans, squash, and corn has been planted nearby and if the weather is conducive to getting a head start on the season we will have much more to harvest this fall.

The other side of the basin was seed blasted and is being mulched over with animal bedding and manure.

For this season this basin holds mostly cover crops sown for animal feed or milling, but when we can afford to we will be starting a series of trees in this basin to establish more permanent cover. Ultimately this will do more to avoid soil salting and nutrient loss, but for now simply establishing roots and working on soil restoration is a good start, especially where we can get a useful yield and bring down the cost to raise our animals.

#permaculture #earthworks #greywater #RanchoDeLaLibertad #Farming #SmallFarm #FoodSovereignty #NativeOwned #Indigenous #RegenerativeAg #Gardening

A passionate, provocative, and very nuanced take on whether or not it is ethical to keep livestock just sent out to subscribers. I've thought about this for years, and hope that my thoughts spur your own pontification on your relationships with all animals - pets included - and the broader context you live in.

Please consider subscribing and sharing if this is valuable, to help support our mission.

Thank you as always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

https://rancholibertad.com/on-the-ethics-of-livestock/

#Livestock #Animals #AnimalRights #Regeneration #RegenerativeAg #Agriculture #Farming #Homesteading #SmallFarm #RanchoDeLaLibertad #CommunitySovereignty #Environment

Busy, productive weekend 👩‍🌾 Many food crops were transplanted. An acre of beds were prepped for more crops to be transplanted.

#FoodSecurity #SmallFarm #FoodCrops #GrowFood #FarmWork #WorkParty #Food #Wsanec #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #Farming #Volunteering

Climate change is here now and it is hot, thirsty, windy and dangerous. And how it affects growing food is significant. Over the years, I've seen a lot of comments like “I know HOW to grow food, I just don't need to right now” or “yeah, when SHTF I'll be out there putting in a garden and hunting”.

Listen. If you aren't gardening right now, you don't know how to garden. I've been gardening my whole life and every year it changes, the climate changes, the zones change, the air moisture, humidity, wind, plants and soil water needs, changes in what varieties will do well in more heat, less water and humidity, length of growing season, - every aspect of growing food is rapidly changing and you need to adapt.

You will be lost in the weeds – no pun intended – if you don't start right now (better yet years ago unfortunately) to learn the basics and understand how climate change as well as other factors such as animal movement and migration, insects and pollinators, birds, rodents, and troublesome bugs affect your ability to make the most of your available growing space. Plant diseases are more troublesome as the planet warms up and the zones move north, along with fungal diseases, harmful insect migration, invasives, predators and prey.

Seed germination and viability seems to be becoming an issue the last few years. I'm not sure if it's supply chain, dishonest corporation practices, lack of expertise or what, but it is getting weirder. A couple of years ago we had pepper-gate (massive numbers of mis-labeled seed packages mainly with pepper varieties but also squash and other vegetables). This year has been a challenge to get kale and some lettuces to germinate for no apparent reason.

Last year we had a very late spring deep freeze which took out many kinds of fruit trees in BC. There were few locally grown soft fruits such as peaches to be had. So far this year, the blossoms are showing promise, so here's hoping.

The point is, grow food RIGHT now while you can learn and also have a monetary buffer while learning, during failures and while grocery stores have fully stocked shelves. During a societal collapse is not the time to find out that your soil is severely lacking in a necessary nutrient or that your growing zone won't support your stable foods or that the rats will eat you out of house and home. Learning how to deal with all of these issues now and sourcing out possible solutions in your local area while becoming familiar with typical ups and downs builds resiliency in your future security.

#prepping #GetPrepared #homesteading #smallfarm #backyardgardens #victorygardens

The first trees to bloom in our orchard are ume, prunus mume. This is the fruit used to make umeboshi and japanese plum wine. The bees love thse early blooms too.

#farm #smallfarm #orchard #ume #santacruz #california