We started gardening when our oldest was born (she's now 17) so she's sort of used to this way of life. She thinks we are a bit wacky but she doesn't give us too hard of a time for growing, raising our own food too much! She's even been known to sit munching on a bowl of homegrown baby carrots while doing her schoolwork! SHHH~ don't tell her I told you!
When we moved to our current property (our 1/2 acre of heaven in Central NM) my goal was to convert it to being as productive as I could - Edible landscaping, goats, chickens, bees. I'm happy to say that after 8 years, we are well on our way. WE still have a long way to go but I love the luxury of pretty much eating something daily that we produced off our land. We drink the milk and make cheese and soap from our tiny herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats. We eat eggs from our little flock of chickens and have managed to raise a few for meat as well. We have been planting trees and garden areas for most all of the 8 years we've been here and it's a trip bringing in something from the yard and figuring out a meal....The less I have to go to the grocery store, the better.
I think I am out to prove something - that you can feed your family (maybe not completely) off of a small parcel of land. YOU can eat a majority of stuff that you produced yourself and you do not need acres and acres to do so!!!! I guess I'm not the only crazy wannabe farm girl out there. Just within the past month I've heard of several such similar situations: Recently I saw a post on Laptop Lunches for a challenge for a diet called 100 Mile Diet. Basically - eating for one month only food that is produced within 1oo miles of your house.....Oh my! Also followed the plight of the Julie http://oakparkhatesveggies.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/my-pyrrhic-victory/ who was being prosecuted for growing veggies in her yard. I even found out there is a name for folks like me (Educated women who opt out of the rat race to raise children, animals and their own food) Femivores. This movement seems to be gaining steam. I am a regular at the Los Lunas Farmer's Market selling our homemade goat milk soaps as well as anything we produce on the farm that I cannot can, freeze or eat!!!!
Today I stumbled across this book (gotta have it!!!) and this blog (glad I found it!!!). Please go there an check it out if you would like to join in this movement....and If I win the book - Sweet! I'm going to hopefully get it anyway because it looks awesome and I hope will help me on the way to accomplish my own 1/2 acre of production! I would LOVE to do what this gal has done!!!!!
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