Irvington Skill Share

Clean!

2011-08-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

At our small homestead in Little Flower, we decided a couple of years ago that because we go to pretty great lengths to eat food grown without chemicals it was odd that we used chemicals all over the house to clean. Chemicals, in fact, that caused watery eyes and runny nose just to use them to clean the tub or the sink. That doesn't even include the warnings on toilet bowl cleaner. So, we set out to find some information on making our own cleaning supplies. The resources abound. While some of the places we looked are lost to the recesses of inaccessible memory, one of our favorites is The Urban Homestead (Expanded & Revised Edition): Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series) and we love it! It has a ton of ideas for all over your urban homestead.

Today, at the Irvington Skill Share, we'll be manning a table dedicated to our cleansers. It may be less exciting than the paper seedling pots of last year, but we hope some folks like it. In fact, you'll likely have been there already if you are reading this post as we'll have posted the link on the table so you can access the recipes below. Thanks for stopping in and good luck with your own journey whether it be one toward sustainability, local sourcing, and even urban homesteading. Those of us here at Little Flower Farms are glad to be on the journey with you.

The Goods!

Glass Cleaner:
50% distilled white vinegar
50% water

If for some reason you need it stronger, make it 75% vinegar. Great for glass, metal, or anything you want to shine.

Surface Cleaner:
75% distilled white vinegar
25% water
1T of liquid castile soap
A few drops of essential oil, for scent, if desired (Lemon smells great and helps with the breaking up of grease as well.)

Shake well before each use. Great for kitchen counters, porcelain which has no soap scum buildup, and floors. The fats in the castile soap help break up grease.

Wood Polish:
50% distilled white vinegar
50% olive oil
A few drops of essential oil, for scent, if desired (We like lemon!)

Shake well before each use. Great for any wood surface, apply sparingly and work in vigorously.

Tub Scrub:
Add liquid castile soap to baking soda slowly, while stirring, until the mixture has the consistency of cake frosting. Add a few drops of essential oil for scent, if desired. (Tea tree oil is a great one to kill germs. Or, get a "thieves" blend for great smell and germ killing)

Good for removing soap scum. Also works passably well as a laundry detergent (though not nearly as well as the next recipe). Pure Borax also works very well as a tub scrub.

Scouring Powder
Baking Soda
Essential Oil of your choice

Mix a few drops of super delicious smelling oils in with some baking soda and scour away! Simple! You can also cut a lemon in half and dip the cut end in some baking soda and use it like a scouring pad to clean stainless steel. It'll shine like new!

Laundry Detergent:
2 parts washing soda
1 part baking soda
1 part Borax

Mix thoroughly. Use 1 cup for large or heavily soiled loads, 1/2 cup for regular loads. Add 1/4 cup liquid castile soap to each load. The castile soap can be mixed into the whole batch of detergent, but it's hard to get it all blended.

Now, in our home, it is Frank who researched and made the cleaners. I, then, made these labels. Use them as inspiration for your own label making!

Summer!

2011-06-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

How have we been so long in posting on this blog? It's hard to say. What you can know for sure is that we've had our hands in the earth and our feet carrying us around the local farmers markets. While we can't speak to the networking of all 800 of the folks who came to the Skill Share, there have certainly been many amazing things to come from the event. Plans for this year's event are already underway and you can bet the details will be posted here once they are fully decided.

For now, we would love to know if you've done anything new that was inspired by your time at the Skill Share. What say you?

Spicy Vegan Chili

2011-01-22T15:15:00.002-08:00

We used black beans instead of kidney beans in our Spicy Vegan Chili. Some kidney beans have a toxin, so if you use them, please read the cooking precautions in Tips and Notes from http://www.cookforgood.com that follow this recipe.

Colorful and spicy, red bean chili is nearly a whole meal by itself. It's full of beans, of course, but also tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic. Use chipotle pepper if you can for a smoky, rich taste.

Active time: 45 minutes. Total time: 3 to 8 hours, plus optional 6 to 10 hours soaking time. Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each.

1 pound dried kidney beans (6 cups cooked)
6 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon corn or canola oil
2 large onions, chopped (2 cups or 1 pound)
2 large green peppers, chopped (2 cups or 1 pound)
8 cloves garlic, diced (scant 1/4 cup or 1 ounce)
1 tablespoon dried chipotle or cayenne powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes with juice

Method

Clean the beans. If you want to, soak beans for at least five hours. (See the Basic Bean recipe at http://www.cookforgood.com for details on cleaning and soaking beans.)
In a crockpot or a big pot on the stove, cook beans and salt in 6 cups of water. Your times will vary based on the age of the beans and whether you soaked them first, but this should give you an idea about the relative speed of each way. I usually soak the beans and use the 3-hour way.

7-hour way — Put beans and salt in cold water in the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on low and cover.
3-hour way — Heat cold water in a tea kettle or pot. Put beans, salt, and hot water in the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on high and cover.
2-hour way — Put beans in cold water in a pot on the stove. Cover pot, bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low.

About 30 minutes before the beans should be done, chop the onions, green peppers, and garlic. In a medium pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers as you chop them, stirring occasionally. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and stir once or twice. Add the spices and stir until the vegetables are coated with spices.
Bite a few beans to make sure they are tender. When the beans are tender, drain them. Add the onion mixture and the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes to combine flavors. Taste and adjust spices as needed.
Serve with over rice or with corn bread or toast. Optionally, garnish with a spoonful of plain yogurt or chopped green onions.

From http://www.cookforgood.com

Tips and notes

The FDA recommends always soaking kidney beans for at least five hours and throwing away the soaking liquid to avoid problems with a toxin in some kidney beans. Partly cooked beans can be more toxic than raw ones, so make sure the beans have been boiling for at least 10 minutes before you taste them. Really, you won't need to taste them until they have been boiling for nearly two hours.
The tomatoes will stop the beans from becoming more tender, so make sure the beans are soft before draining them and adding tomatoes. If the beans are not tender in step 4, add the tomatoes to the onion mixture and simmer on low so the spices don't burn while the beans continue to cook.
It's easier to add hot pepper than to take it out. Start slowly, taste, and then add more. If you do go over your comfort limit, just refrigerated the chili and taste it again the next day. The beans will absorb some of the heat from the sauce, reducing the heat level.
This chili freezes very well. It's great to have on hand when you need a quick one-bowl meal.

Gypsy Soup

2011-01-22T15:15:00.001-08:00

We omitted the tomatoes from our Skill-Share “Feastival” version of Gypsy Soup, since we were focusing on using seasonally available vegetables. The stock we used was the liquid produced by cooking the garbanzos.

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups diced onion

3 cloves minced garlic

2 cups diced sweet potatoes

½ cup diced celery

¾ cup diced sweet peppers

1 cup diced tomatoes

1½ cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)

3 cup stock or water

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

½ tsp. cinnamon

Dash of cayenne

In a large saucepan sauté onions, garlic, celery, sweet potatoes, and peppers for 5 minutes. Add seasonings, tomatoes, and water or stock, and simmer until desired tenderness. Add chickpeas and and heat through.

From the kitchen of Indianapolis chef/baker Veronica Burrows

Great Northern Bean Soup, Southern Style

2011-01-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

Great northern bean soup only gets better when you add classic southern ingredients: sweet potatoes and collards. The soup has a festive holiday look, with snowy white beans, bright orange cubes of sweet potatoes, and streamers of dark-green collards. The potato's sweetness balances the deep flavor of the greens, with lemon juice adding sparkle.

This filling soup is ultra-healthy: no fat and loaded with nutrition. Pack a thermos of soup for lunch during December to help avoid packing on holiday pounds.

Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: about 2 hours. Makes 10 main-dish servings. Vegan.

Ingredients

1 pound dried great northern beans
6 cups of water
2 teaspoons salt

1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups)
2 cups collard leaves, sliced into ribbons about 1/4 inch by 2 inches

2 teaspoons lemon juice
ground black pepper, if desired

Method

Pick over beans, removing any non-bean objects like stones or stems, and rinse well. Put in medium pot with water and salt. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest possible boil. Cook until nearly tender, about an hour and 15 minutes.
When beans are nearly tender, peel and chop onion and add to beans. Peel and dice sweet potato and add to beans. Rinse collards well and cut leaves into ribbons about about 1/4 inch by 2 inches and add to beans. (Save tough center rib for another recipe.) Raise heat if needed to bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes, until collards and sweet potatoes are tender.
Stir in lemon juice and taste. Adjust seasonings as desired. If you like a thinner soup, add water.
Serve hot. Refrigerate any extra.

From http://www.cookforgood.com

Tips and notes

Collard greens and sweet potatoes are very inexpensive and available from mid-fall through winter.
Both are good "vision foods" that may help you keep your eyesight as you age, according to the American Health Assistance Foundation. These dark green and bright orange vegetables have high levels of the antioxidant lutein, which can help prevent macular degeneration.
Cutting the collards into narrow ribbons helps them cook quickly so they get tender well before they get stinky.

Espresso Beef Soup

2011-01-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

Cook in medium or large round or oval slow cooker

Setting and cook time: Low for 7 to 8 hours

3 pounds beef stew meat, such as boneless chuck, trimmed of fat, cut into 1½-inch chunks, and blotted dry

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pinch of salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium-size onions, chopped

3 carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks

4 new red or white potatoes, diced

6 small turnips, peeled and quartered

1 cup strong coffee

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ cup dry red wine

1. In a zippered-top plastic bag or a bowl, toss the beef with the flour, salt, and pepper, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1½ tablespoons of the oil until very hot. Add half the beef and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.

2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the cooker and add the carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Add the coffee and thyme to the cooker. Pour the wine into the skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Pour into the cooker and stir. Cover and cook on LOW until the meat is tender, 7 to 8 hours. Taste for salt and pepper, and serve.

from “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook” by Beth Hensperger, Julie Kaufman

Cook’s Comments: No matter what a recipe’s specified cook-time, you may have to make adjustments. Slow cooker temperatures vary, and there are other variables as well. A leaner, less tender cut of meat may need to cook longer. For the Skill-Share “Feast”ival, I made this recipe with beef cut from shank bones. This was very lean beef, and I cooked it over 9 hours before it was tender.

Many recipes call for browning beef, or softening vegetables, in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. Sometimes I omit the stovetop step, and simply put all the ingredients directly in the slow cooker to cook on low. (It saves time, and I’m often just as happy with the results.) --Anna

Cranberry Beef Stew

2011-01-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

COOKER: Medium or large round or oval

SETTING AND COOK TIME: Low for 7 to 8 hours or until beef is tender

4 pounds beef (stew beef, shank, brisket, ribs, or combination)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

4 cloves minced garlic

1 amber beer

2 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

12 ounces sweet dried cranberries (these come presweetened)

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until medium hot. Add half the beef and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.

2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the cooker.

3. Pour the beer into the skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Add the stock, tomato paste, dried cranberries, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper and bring to a quick boil, stirring to incorporate the tomato paste. Pour over beef and vegetables.

4. Cover and cook on LOW 7-8 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Taste for salt and pepper.

Adapted from recipe for “Sweet and Spicy Cherry Short Ribs” found at goinglocal-info.com (which came to them courtesy of Sycamore Farm Bed and Breakfast Inn, Terre Haute, IN)

Solar Cooking Recipes and Tips

2010-11-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Below are some tried-and-true recipes I use in my solar cooker throughout the summer, followed by a few tips. For more on solar cooking, see Cooking with Sunshine or Solar Cooking for Home and Camp.

Sun-Nutty Granola

Adapted from Simply in Season

Mix together in large bowl:

3 ½ cups rolled oats

½ cup ground flaxseeds

1-2 T xylitol (or brown sugar)

1 ½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t salt

½ cup sesame seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 to 1 ½ cups chopped pecans, almonds, and/or walnuts

In a small bowl, mix:

¼ cup oil

1/8 to ¼ cup honey

¼ cup fruit juice or water

1 t vanilla

Add to the oat mixture and mix well. Spread on a dark pan and place on two loaf pans to elevate inside the cooker. Bake uncovered several hours in the solar cooker with the lid propped slightly open. Stir once or twice throughout the baking time. Granola is done when it is dry.

Oven instructions: Bake at 250 degrees for a few hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.

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Sunttata
This flexible frittata adaptation is a great way to use up small amounts of leftover vegetables and make use of whatever herbs are in your garden. You can even use potatoes you've precooked in your solar cooker earlier in the week. Experiment with different combinations of vegetables as they are in season.

Note: Only one of us eats cheese, so we put the grated cheese on half the eggs, but you can also add it right to the egg mixture.

6 eggs
1-2 cups vegetables, choosing from:

--diced precooked vegetables, such as asparagus, potatoes, green beans, greens
--chopped raw vegetables, such as peppers, chilies, zucchini, green onions, mushrooms

handful of chopped herbs, such as parsley, thyme, chives, etc.
salt and pepper
grated cheese as desired

Oil a dark 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan. Beat the eggs and add a little water. Beat again until fluffy. Add the other ingredients, reserving or omitting the cheese if desired. Pour into the pan, cover well with foil, and set in the solar cooker with a dark cloth on top. Bake for 3 hours or until dinnertime.

If you have reserved the cheese, you can uncover the dish an hour before dinner and spread the cheese on top, then re-cover and set back into the cooker to let the cheese melt.

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Sol-Posole (New Mexican Hominy Stew)

Adapted from Extending the Table and Cooking With Sunshine

2 pounds pork necks

6 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 onions, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

water to cover

Place in dark pot, cover tightly, and set in solar cooker (bringing to a boil first on stove if desired). Cook 2 to 4 hours, until meat is cooked. Remove from the solar cooker and cut meat from bones, returning the meat to the pot, along with:

2 20-oz cans white hominy, drained

1 t salt

2 T chili powder

2 T tomato paste, or to taste

1-2 chili peppers, chopped (optional)

2 T ground cumin

1 t oregano

½ t thyme

Mix well and return to solar cooker. Cook 2 more hours, or until dinnertime. Just before serving, top with:

½ cup chopped cilantro

Serve with rice or warm flour tortillas. Garnish with lime wedges if desired.

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Pie-in-the-Sky Plum “Pie”

(or apple, peach, berry, etc.)

Adapted from Simply in Season’s Fruit Platz recipe

1 cup flour

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 ½ t baking powder

¼ t salt

Combine.

½ c butter or oil

½ c milk, water, or juice

Mix in butter until crumbly. Add liquid. Mix with fork until a ball of soft dough forms. Press into greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

4 cups plums, cut in half (or use other seasonal fruit)

2 T (or more) xylitol or sugar

Mix, then place the plum halves cut side down in rows on top of the dough.

2 T (or more) xylitol, sugar, or brown sugar

½ cup flour

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 T butter

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

Mix and spread over fruit.

Cover tightly with foil and bake in solar cooker (ideally raised up on loaf pans to be close to the glass) for 3-4 hours.

Oven instructions: Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Solar Cookery Tips

My cooker’s so bright…I gotta wear shades.

Protect your eyes from glare! Wear sunglasses when placing food into or removing it from your solar cooker, and keep your back to the sun.

Keep one eye on the weather report…and don’t believe the radar.

Sometimes the radar shows zero precipitation, but a sudden downpour can come along and soak your cooker. Best to check out the window now and then, and stay near home when solar cooking on “iffy” days.

Solar cookers take flight.

When solar cooking or drying lightweight foods, like granola or tomatoes, be sure to put something heavy in the bottom of your cooker. A glass casserole dish or bread pans help keep the cooker from taking flight in a gust of wind.

Mistakes were made. (Learn from mine.)

Poorly covered food steams up the glass and reduces the inner temperature of the cooker.
Overloading the cooker with too many food items at one time may result in half-cooked food.
Overcast days are not viable cooking days, and no amount of fist-shaking at clouds will make a difference.
Remember to choose thin cooking pots; glass, cast-iron and other heavy materials take too long to heat.

Harnessing the Most Plentiful Source of Energy on Earth

2010-11-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

Solar Cookery was a surprisingly popular station at the SkillShare. We relished the opportunity to show off the humble box cooker that Judy made two summers ago. What fun to share the solar-baked granola and sun-roasted pumpkin seeds I'd been saving in the freezer for the occasion. Especially fun was explaining how well it works with all kinds of dishes, from stews to desserts - even a whole chicken.

Why cook with the sun?*

•

It saves money and time.
It's healthful and delicious.
It's safe and kind to the environment.
It's empowering.
It draws you closer to nature and the rest of the world.
It's fun and satisfying.

You can use a solar cooker if:*

you live between the 60th parallels of latitude on Planet Earth
your cooker remains unshaded for at least four hours between 9am and 4pm
your shadow is longer than your height
your cooker gets at least 20 minutes of sun per hour on a cloudy day

Food safety concerns:*

Raw refrigerated or frozen food remains cold enough to prevent bacteria growth until the sun starts to heat up the cooker.
Food heats up quickly to the point where harmful microbes are killed, at 160 degrees.
Cooked food should be kept above 125 degrees or below 50 degrees to keep haramful bacteria from growing.

Materials needed:*

Two cardboard boxes
Insulating material (crumpled up newspapers, fiberglass batting, straw)
Aluminum foil
A pane of clear glass
Tape, glue, and sharp utility knife

Follow Judy's step-by-step instructions on how to make a solar cooker (cat optional). You can also use online plans or those in Cooking with Sunshine or Solar Cooking for Home and Camp.

*Source: Anderson, L , Palkoovic R, Cooking with Sunshine, Da Capo Press 2004

Looking for Edible Landscaping Info?

2010-11-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

Check out presenter Amy Mullen's Fraudulent Farmgirl blog, where she has posted her presentation from the SkillShare. She also has a list of her favorite edible landscaping books, handily broken out by experience level of the target audience.

A list of resources as suggested by our presenters

2010-11-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

Books Recommended by Irvington SkillShare Presenters
Note: Bookmamas carries many of these!

Gardening:

Trowel and Error: Over 700 Tips, Remedies and Shortcuts for the Gardener by Sharon Lovejoy.
Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
The Way We Garden Now, Katherine Whiteside (a series of pick-and-choose projects, including some for kitchen gardening)
The All New Square Foot Gardening, Mel Bartholemew
Gaia's Garden, Toby Hemmingway (about domestic permaculture)
Grocery Gardening, Van Krevelin (new this year, and more of an introductory book)
Mrs. Greenthumbs Plows Ahead
Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman

Vermiculture:

Worms Eat My Garbage

Chickens:

Chickens : tending a small-scale flock for pleasure and profit / by Sue Weaver.
Keep chickens! : tending small flocks in cities, suburbs, and other small spaces / Barbara Kilarski.
Raising chickens. Haynes, Cynthia.
Storey's guide to raising chickens : care, feeding, facilities / Gail Damerow.
Chickens in your backyard: a beginner's guide. Rick and Gail Luttmann.
Chicken coops : 45 building plans for housing your flock / Judy Pangman.
The chicken health handbook / Gail Damerow.
Keeping chickens : getting the best from your chickens / Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis

Homesteading:

Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life, by Jenna Woginrich
Radical Homemakers, by Shannon Hayes
The Backyard Homestead, Storey Publishing (great intros on lots of subjects)
The Urban Homestead (Expanded & Revised Edition): Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City (Process Self-reliance Series) By Kelly Coyne, Erik Knutzen
Scott Kellog and Stacy Pettigrew's Toolbox for Sustainable City Living

Solar Cookery:

Cooking with Sunshine: The Complete Guide to Solar Cuisine with 150 Easy Sun-cooked Recipes, by Lorraine Anderson and Rick Palkovic
Solar Cooking for Home and Camp, by Linda Frederick Yaffe

Food Ethics:

Diet for a Hot Planet by Anna Lappe

Cooking:

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger
Fix it and Forget it Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good (there are several different editions/variations on this cookbook)
Fresh from the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop by Janet Fletcher
The Harvest Eating Cookbook: More than 200 Recipes for Cooking with Seasonal Local Ingredients by Keith Snow
The Farmer John Cookbook
Simply in Season, by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

Preserving:

Ball Blue Book, the Guide to Home Canning and Freezing (may be out of print but used are available at Amazon)
Saving the Seasons

Beekeeping:

THE BACKYARD BEEKEEPER- Kim Flottum
THE BEEKEEPER'S HANDBOOK- Diana Sammataro & Alphonse Avitabile
PLAN BEE- Susan Brackney
NATURAL BEEKEEPING- Ross Conrad

Fermenting:

Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Katz

Foraging:

Feasting Free on Wild Edibles, by Bradford Angier
Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide by Elias and Dykeman.
Stalking the Wild Asparagus, by Euell Gibbons
Harrington's How to Identify Plants.
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide

Herbal Medicine:

Healing with Whole Foods, by Paul Pitchfor
The Green Pharmacy, by Jim Duke

Bread:

Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Native Plants:

Go Native! by Harstad
Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens, by Doug Tallamy

Urban Homesteading – Putting It All Together

2010-11-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

by guest blogger Autumn Williamson

Urban homesteading is a growing trend in which eco-conscious individuals who live in an urban setting are utilizing the small parcel of space they occupy to sustain themselves. Although many people think of homesteading as moving out to the country and working their land full time in order to be self sustaining and more eco friendly, homesteading in an urban environment can be even more sustainable because you use less in fuel, water, and space. There are many things that you can do to become self sufficient while living in the city, most if not all of which you will have access to learning at the Irvington SkillShare "Feast"ival.

When you decide to strive for the goal of becoming an urban homesteader you should start out small. Just start by growing a small amount of food or herbs at first. You can grow herbs in your windowsill, hang a tomato plant upside down in front of a window or on a balcony, or plant a potato in a 5 gallon bucket on your porch. Even though at first you will not be supplying all of your own produce, you will be learning many valuable lessons on how to grow vegetables. (Be sure to save seeds at the end of the season to plant next year! ) If you have a moderately sunny yard you can build a couple of raised beds (best to build in the fall so they are ready to go in the spring), start a compost pile or get a tumbler, and make a rain barrel once you get your gardening skills set. If you have even more room in your yard you can plant fruit trees or bushes, wheat or oats in place of grass in your front yard, or even grow grape vines along your fence. Many urban homesteaders also keep small animals also. Common animals for city keeping are chickens for eggs, dwarf goats for milk, bees for honey, and rabbits for meat. By the way, all of these are legal to keep in Indianapolis. (Check your neighborhood's regulations though.)

Once you start producing your own food you can start cooking and preserving it so that you can reap your gardening rewards all year long. There are many ways to preserve foods that you will have access to learning at the Skill Share and everyone has their personal preference. You can dehydrate, can, freeze, root-cellar, or ferment. Since you won’t be producing all of the food you need at first, and may never get to that level depending on the size of your property, make sure that you make the most of the local markets. Try to do the majority of your grocery shopping from local sources and buy extra of your favorites when they are in season to preserve for the winter when choices of in season foods are slim.

The biggest challenge that new homesteaders face is to learn the changing of the seasons and what to do when. To start out build some garden beds in fall. The real garden planning begins in January when the seed catalogs become available. Plan out what you want to grow and where it will fit in your garden or yard. Order seeds in late January/ early February. Start seeds in late February through mid March. Mid March to mid April is when you plant spring plants (peas, spinach, broccoli, kale.) The old saying is to have peas planted by St. Patrick’s day. Look up the Last frost date for Indiana and plant summer plants around then, usually late April to early May (things like tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, zucchini.) Warm weather crops like sweet potatoes and watermelon should be planted in late May or early June. Wait until late June or early July to plant pumpkins so they are ready for Halloween. Then if you are planting a second crop of cool weather crops they should go in mid August. July and August are the main months for preserving as most things will be ripe then. As plants die off in the fall you can turn the soil over and add compost so that they are ready for the spring. You can also grow some plants year round with row covers but they need to be planted by the end of August. September and October is a good time to make soap for the year or other crafts for holiday gifts. Enjoy thanksgiving and Christmas and you’ll be ready to start planning your garden again in January!

The biggest thing is to do what you can and have a desire to do yourself and form relationships with local vendors for the rest. You want to enjoy what you are doing and not force yourself or you’ll stop and a little is better than nothing. Urban homesteading is all about going back to relying on ourselves and our local community to supply our needs rather than being disconnected from our food source and having those products come from large monoculture farms that are negatively impacting our environment. Learn all you can from the SkillShare and have fun putting it all together!

Autumn lives with her husband and two children in the Community Heights neighborhood. She shares recipes, knitting patterns, and her experiences on the urban homestead at Autumn Adventures.

Introducing Presenter - Amy Mullen

2010-11-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

A Tale of Two Soups

2010-11-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

by Shawndra Miller
Every now and then, like the time I took a simple chicken soup to a sick friend and her sister asked me in amazement if I made it from scratch, I realize that I’m not quite mainstream. It’s probably not that common to buy a whole chicken that was raised on pasture by a local farmer and roast it to succulent perfection in the oven. Let alone subsequently simmer the carcass to make a rich stock, then pick the bones clean to use every scrap of meat in a soup loaded with locally grown veggies.

Then again, not too long ago (OK it’s been a few decades), I was a clueless college student, with popcorn and cinnamon toast being my main culinary accomplishments. The first time I realized that soup didn’t need to come from a Campbell’s can, I was watching friends whip up a simple meal in their tiny kitchen. I remember someone asking, Should our soup have tomato in it? Holding up a ripe tomato. My mind was blown about twelve ways.

First, at the time I wouldn’t even have known where to begin if someone gave me a soup pot and a bunch of ingredients. It would have been a stretch even with a recipe. But there in that little off-campus apartment with Tracy Chapman crooning from the boombox, there was not a cookbook in sight. And as my friends came to consensus on the tomato question (yes, definitely the soup needs a tomato), I thought, you can do that? Just, make it up?

So I can relate when someone can’t even imagine cooking a darn thing. I’m living proof that anyone can learn how. And by now I’m so immersed in this way of life that sometimes I forget it might be a little out of the ordinary to soak dry beans overnight and cook them in a solar cooker by day, or grow a mess of cukes to pickle in a crock, or pick fruit growing wild, or any of the other semi-nutty things I do in my quest to be an urban homesteader.

One of the most exciting things about getting ready for the SkillShare has been finding my people, realizing that there are countless individuals right here in Indy who are reclaiming these kinds of skills for themselves and their families.

Equally exciting is the idea of attracting people who might be mystified by one aspect or another of garden-to-kitchen skills. Because I have been there. In fact I’m still a novice in many ways, and that’s the beauty of bringing these people together in one room: We all benefit from shared knowledge.

So whether you butcher your own meat or are still looking for your oven’s on switch, whether you feed your family and neighbors out of your garden or are just inching toward growing some sprouts on a windowsill, we hope you will check out the SkillShare this Sunday. We believe everyone has something to teach, and in turn something to learn. Join us!

Shawndra will be demonstrating solar cooking at the Irvington SkillShare "Feast"ival.

These Pips Don't Lie

2010-10-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is the center of a persimmon seed, taken from a persimmon grown right here in central Indiana. There is a tiny spoon-shaped core there. Do you see it?

Do you see it now?

It means the winter will be cold and snowy, according to folk wisdom. Apparently if you cut open a seed and find a little knife, that foretells a winter with cutting wind and ice. If you find a fork, it predicts a mild winter. But a spoon? AKA snow shovel? That means the persimmon tree is feeling the white stuff coming our way.

SkillShare presenter Kay Grimm (see her video here) says these pips don't lie, so dig out your snow boots now, folks. Because if it starts blizzarding on Nov. 7, that's no excuse to miss the SkillShare. Kay will share how to save seeds for the next growing season, and if you're lucky, she might also share more of her vast repertoire of plant wisdom.

Photo credit: Quay Kester of Evoke Communications.

Introducing Presenter - Patricia Waters

2010-10-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Works by the Irvington Garden Club

2010-10-26T11:37:00.001-07:00

by guest blogger Ed Myers, president of the Irvington Garden Club (one of our many collaborating partners)

Since its founding in 1999, the Irvington Garden Club has undertaken numerous beautification projects, including:

Benton House Historic Garden highlighting plants in cultivation prior to 1900
Kile Oak Habitat Garden, which is registered with the National Wildlife Federation and planted with Indiana native prairie wildflowers, woodland plants, grasses and shrubs
a community park on Webster Avenue complete with benches, picnic tables, raised garden beds and playground equipment.

Additionally, the club maintains a shrub rose garden, an Emerson Avenue Median and urns at both the corner of Audubon and Washington and the Bona Thompson Center.

Under the club's leadership and with the help of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., over 850 trees were planted on Irvington streets between 2000 and 2008.

Within the past few years the club has partnered with Irvington Terrace Neighborhood by providing hundreds of native plants for their Washington/Shadeland overpass project. The club also worked in partnership with the Irvington Green Initiative and others by donating 500 plants to the "Teaching Rain Garden" adjacent the Pennsy Trail and the Irvington Community School. IGC is also a major sponsor of the Irvington SkillShare "Feast"ival.

This year the club celebrated not only 11 years of sponsoring Irvington Farmer's Markets in Ellenberger park, but also 10 years of organizing the neighborhood's annual garden tour .

During the summer, club meetings are held at 7 PM on the 4th Monday of each month in member's gardens. During the rest of the year the club meets at the Irvington United Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson Avenue. Recent programs have included presentations on rain gardens, native plants, herbs, dividing perennials, cactus, and jack-in-the-pulpits.

Guests are always welcome to attend monthly meetings. Additionally one does not need to reside in Irvington to become a member of the club. Those seeking further information can call 503-6139.

Note: The Irvington Garden Club will have a display in the resource area of the Nov. 7 Irvington SkillShare "Feast"ival; be sure to stop by and find out more!

Introducing Presenter - Pepper Partin and her lady friends

2010-10-25T09:19:00.001-07:00

For All of These Reasons...

2010-10-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

by Judy Hostetle r, functional artist/nurse/do-it-yourselfer

I am eagerly anticipating the Irvington Skillshare "Feast"ival Spirit and Place event. As a presenter I am excited to share what I know about solar cooking with others - and as a lifelong learner I want to expand my knowledge on self reliance and sustainable food practices.

Why do I care about this? There are several reasons. I love good food, food that is tasty, simple and nutritious. Food that is real. I am not a purist when it comes to eating only locally grown organic food, I do have my moments when nothing tastes better than some fried greasy comfort food, but since I made a conscious effort several years ago to eat more whole foods and be more intentional about what is in my food and where it comes from, I feel better physically and have more energy.

I feel more connected to the earth and am an active participant in the cycles of nature. We grow a variety of vegetables and herbs tucked into garden beds on our small urban lot. Composted kitchen scraps, leaves and grass clippings add rich nutrients to the soil resulting in a steady supply of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and greens that find their way into our meals. We use the sun to cook some dishes and each time marvel at the power of the sun when its energy is harnessed and concentrated inside a simple insulated cardboard box.

It's the right thing to do for the earth: building up and replenishing instead of depleting and destroying. The earth sustains life, but not without intentional caring for the delicate balance that sustains all life. Living with this in mind makes me slow down and pay attention to the world around me.

It is also the right thing to do for ourselves and our community. As a nurse I am daily reminded of the impact that dietary choices have on our health. Many chronic illnesses are a result of detrimental lifestyle and dietary habits that over time wreak havoc on our intricate body systems. I believe the adage “You are what you eat” - and if I take control of what I put into my body, I have a better a chance of being the kind of person I want to be.

See you at the Skillshare "Feast"ival!

Introducing Presenter - Matt Groshek

2010-10-19T07:41:00.001-07:00

Introducing Presenter - Linda Proffitt

2010-10-17T05:36:00.001-07:00

Introducing Presenter - Kay Grimm

2010-10-16T10:17:00.001-07:00

Meet Alan and Betsy Bernstein

2010-10-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

"Everybody loves Alan," one Irvington resident told me when she heard that Chef Alan Bernstein of Alan's Catered Events is involved with the SkillShare.

Rightfully so, and for many reasons. The long-time local business owner spoke to a group at September's Irvington Green Hour about his commitment to sustainable business practices. He and his wife Betsy (she's co-owner of the business and his right-hand woman) source the majority of their foods locally. In fact, much off their produce comes from their own two-acre orchard and garden. Just by preparing foods from scratch and preserving in-season, close-to-home produce, the Bernsteins are cutting their waste. And incidentally, they are simultaneously pleasing palates with out-of-this-world flavor.

They also reduce waste by using china, silverware, and linens for most of their catering. "Sure, then we have to wash them,"Alan says with slightly crinkled nose, "but that's part of the commitment."

Any disposable plates & utensils used in drop-off catering are made of recyclable or compostable materials, such as sugar cane. "I don't know if (customers) like having their food served on sugar cane," Alan jokes. "But that's what we do."

Another option is serving ware purchased from a company that uses pressed "fallen leaves." The palm leaves are formed into elegant little boats and plates.

The caterers' other green business practices include recycling, offering rebates for returned canning jars, and using rain water for irrigation, which the Bernsteins did long before it was cool.

At the SkillShare, Alan and Betsy will be demonstrating the process for water bath canning and passing out samples of their delicious food. They will also have canned goods for sale, along with cider and goodies to enjoy at the event.

Best of all: The demo, along with the rest of the SkillShare, is free. Don't miss this opportunity to learn the art of canning from a seasoned chef. You can get all your questions answered - and even taste the results! As Alan says, "The biggest reward of canning is fresh and wonderful-tasting food." The proof is in the pudding. Or the pickle, or the jelly, or the... well, you get the picture. See you there!

Introducing Anna Chase & Jane Hagenauer

2010-09-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

Introducing Presenter Shawndra Miller

2010-09-26T20:31:00.001-07:00