What's Fiberton Acres Up to in 2020?

First and foremost, Happy New Year everyone!  I am excited for 2020...which has already been quite exciting!

The new year finds me in Colorado for a couple months or so for shearing bison hides.  Bison fiber has unique qualities and is crazy warm (as it is their winter coat that we shear) and makes for some awesome gloves, hats and socks.  And it is a great way for me to become more adept at shearing!

Which brings me to....

What's Fiberton Acres Up to in 2020?

I don't like making resolutions.  But I do like making goals.  These are my goals for 2020!

1) Shearing, baby!

• The next 5-6 months are going to be filled with shearing!  I am shearing bison hides for the next couple months, and then on to assisting Shorn Shearing Service in alpaca shearing.  I help hold the animal while it is shorn, and this year my goal is to get better at shearing myself.  I am feeling more confident all the time (thanks to great training from Shorn) and hope to be semi-fluent in alpaca shearing by the end of the shearing season!

2) Do a freakin' pull-up and train for a run...

• Shearing has gotten me into the best shape of my life.  With that, my goal is to be able to do a pull-up!  I am hitting the gym fairly frequently and hope to hit the one pull-up mark by mid-year! I've also been thinking that learning to rock climb may help me reach that goal, too...  It has also been too long since I have trained for a decent length run.  So that is gonna happen this year, too!

3) More travel!

• This year I have a goal to visit a new country.  I plan on taking the ol' van to new places, checking out cool new places with shearing, and checking out a new country.  I have been lucky to go to Australia...the next one I really want to visit is a South American country, but I also have never been to Canada, so I have a good back up plan. 

4) But also more gardening...

• I realize though that I also need something that grounds me, and putting my hands in the dirt and getting to grow something is a big deal for me.  So this year I will be begging friends to let me come play in their yards in return for some veggies. :)

5) Revamp the Etsy Shop...

• And the Etsy Shop will be undergoing a bit of a ravamp!  It will focus on products and tools for yarn crafters, including organizing solutions, knitting needles and crochet hooks, drop spindles, yarn bowls, kits, new yarn packs and more!  These changes will happen over the next few months, and I will make sure to let you know as they happen.  I will still do custom handmade knit and crochet items but they will be by custom order only.  Just contact me through the Etsy Shop with your ideas!

What are your goals in 2020?  I love sharing my goals, as it makes me feel more accountable.  I would love to hear what you will be working toward in 2020!

I leave you with this.  I can't find who to give credit to for this awesome quote/image.  But it is pretty much my fav.

- Ash

Gardening Like a Ninja - Interview with author Angela England

We are so excited to present to all our awesome readers Angela England, homesteader, small biz guru, blogger, green thumb and book writer! She just released her new book, Gardening Like a Ninja, which is basically a must-have for all urban dwellers, landscape enthusiasts, or foodies!

In this book, Angela addresses an issue that I think a LOT of people run into, especially in the city - aesthetics of having a food garden. She shows us in very real way not only how to make your space look beautiful while sneaking in edible plants, but also talks about how to do so in a variety of spaces, big and small. There are wonderful before and after photos, as well as illustrations of how and what to plant in the little side yard or your blasé front lawn. It also features original water color illustrations in Part 2 which are done by the incredible illustrator Wendy Piersall. See her lovely work at http://www.wendypiersall.com.

We were very fortunate to get to ask her some questions about her new book, and here is what we learned!

Ashley from Fiberton: Hi Angela! Thanks so much for chatting with us! We LOVE the new book, Gardening Like a Ninja! I know you talk about it in your forward, but can you tell our readers a little about how this book came to be?

Angela: When I wrote Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) I wanted to show people that they could start producing their own food in even the smallest of garden spaces. One of the sub-sections in one of the gardening chapters talked about edible landscaping and I used the phrase, "Now you're gardening like a ninja!" My publisher loved it and recommended that I pull that topic out as a stand alone book. As more and more readers gave me the feedback "I love the idea of homesteading but my HOA won't let me." or "I'm renting so I can't keep a veggie garden but my landlords will allow general landscaping - tips?" I realized that there is a true need for this book.

Ashley: How long have you been gardening/homesteading? What inspired you to share your knowledge?

Angela: I began a journey towards self-sufficiency when I married my husband. The more we researched what was available for our children the more we realized we really wanted to have a better say over the food we were feeding our kids. Which for us meant producing a great deal of it ourselves! I love when I sit down to a meal of salad, steak, and potatoes and everything on the plate came from our home. As I began talking to other beginners and dreamers I realized that many of them felt if you didn't grow up in that lifestyle, there was nothing you could do. But that simple isn't true! I didn't learn how to grow veggies of my own until I married and pregnant with my first child! And I'm quite the most dis-organized person I know...if I can do it, anyone can do it.

Ashley: Even though I am no longer a city dweller, I still love the idea of making my garden space Secret Garden-esque, which is what I feel like when I read through your book. (I also remember having to deal with making a nice looking yard when I was in the city.) I think your book gives us all the tools to tackle these kinds of projects, but that must have taken quite a bit of time and research. What was the most challenging thing you encountered working on this project? 

 
Angela: It actually took a higher level of research to write this just-under-200 page Edible Landscaping guide than it did to write the 430 page Backyard Farming book. When I was working on this book there were several challenges that I had to keep in mind. 1. Climates and Zones - I live in Oklahoma so the plants I am most familiar with are the plants that grow in my gardening zone. However, I grew up in California so I know there are many plants available to garden ninja that extend far beyond my own zone. I made it a point to include example gardens from a variety of zones and growing conditions so you'll see everything from a tropical porch with lush citrus trees, to a gorgeous New England style home that has a much colder climate to deal with. It was important to me that ANYONE be able to open this book and find a plant relevant to their area.
2. Edible Landscaping Rockstars - Not every edible plant is really a great choice for an edible landscape. So when I make suggestions, say about climbing beans up a trellis to add a vertical accent, I wanted to offer ideas for which beans. Many beans are perfectly edible but plain green pods and plain green vines with plain green leaves. Nothing particular special. However, some varieties have pale white or yellow pods that would shimmer in the sunlight. Others have burgundy tones through the stems, leaves and pods. Others are variegated and spotted and speckled. So that research and talking with nursery owners and plant breeding companies to find specific plant recommendations took a tremendous amount of time and research.
3. Photos - As I said I like in Oklahoma. We don't have a wet enough climate for some of the beautiful coastal garden looks and we don't have a warm enough climate for some of the amazing tropical plants available in zones 8 or 9. So I had to source photos of plants I didn't have or couldn't fine the perfect photo of and that took some time as well.

Ashley: And what was the most interesting thing you learned while doing your research?

Angela: It was really interesting to me how many of the common plants that are now used primarily as landscape plants were originally developed as edibles. Hostas, for example, had been grown for their spring shoots. Now, of course, they are a staple in the shade garden landscape. Recapturing some of that lost knowledge was one of the coolest things to me about writing this book.

Ashley: We hear you are planning on doing a course to accompany the book. Can you tell us more about this?

Angela: Lots of times what I hear from readers is that they want a way to connect beyond the book. That's why I developed this course, to guide people through how to get started. The course will walk people through four units, each with three lessons, and really delve more in depth in some of the areas I didn't have room for in the book. For example how to do a simple soil test at home to determine your soil's composition. Unit four is probably my favorite because I walk people through the EXACT process I used to develop the seven original garden design plans that they find in the book. I develop a bonus plan - a full-sun front border - and as I build the plan I show step-by-step how it's done. They see how to draw the plants, even if you aren't an artist. The simple tools I use that you probably already have in your own (no pricey software required!). And at the end they get an exclusive full-color illustration from Wendy, just like the designs in the book!

Ashley: We know you are always busy working on new projects. Anything else you want to share with our readers?

Angela: Only that Untrained Housewife will be developing a new, free course this summer called Embrace the Journey to help people get over their fears of developing a more intentional and self-sufficient lifestyle. It will be totally free and I will announce it on my newsletter which they can sign up for here: http://untrainedhousewife.com/newsletter

Ashley: Thank you so much for taking time our of your busy schedule to share your book with our readers! We are super excited and can't wait to get our copy!

For all our readers, you can order your own copy of the book and/or the course here on Amazon!

The Dance of Homesteading and Running Your Own Business (and how I learned to love them both)

Today has been a great example of the dance of homesteading and working from home.  For the first couple of months or so, I struggled with this.  I felt as though I needed to be working solely on the business, and doing the housework, keeping up the house and the animals were all taking away from that.  But recently, as I reexamined what it was that I had hoped to achieve with the business, I realized that one of the things I wanted most was self sufficiency, creating a homestead in our little slice of the world.  And to do that, I needed to also focus on how much money I can save by being at home, which creates a more self sufficient and environmentally friendly household.

I think it is engrained in us that we should work, pay bills, buy stuff, repeat.  And I knew deep down that was not what I wanted.  I wanted to break that cycle, which is where I thought starting my own business fit in.  The first steps were very hard.  Depending on just the hubby's income to live, still having bills to pay, and still very much getting caught up in the hustle and bustle and expectations that we should be making more to do stuff and buy stuff with.  And just the doubt that comes along with the slow growth that happens when you start any business.

I began to think about getting a part time job to supplement and I began to crunch the numbers.  Since we live a little outside of town a few things became apparent.  My being at home allowed me to make almost all our meals from scratch, which saves us a lot and keeps us healthier.  Us having one car cut down on expenses and gas, and if I had a job, too, we would, at the very least, have to pay more for gas, and at the most, would have another car to keep up, pay for and insure.

It started to dawn on me that part of what I love is being able to provide good meals, grow food (when the critters of the area aren't eating them), put food up for later, and generally take care of the homestead that we are building.

And it is a dance.  All this could easily be a full time job, so fitting the business in at the same time can be tough.  I'd say, in all honesty, that I can't give 100% to either.  But I think that is okay.  The business (or the vegetables) may grow a little slower, but I am building on a bigger vision.

And so, today has been a great example.  This morning I got the hubby off to work, then fed the animals, took the dog for a walk and watered the garden, including our new batch of greens I have planted in pots and have covered in wire.  (Humans 1, critters 0.)

After everyone else was taken care of, I started dough for some french loaves, and got the crockpot all ready for potato chowder, with several vegis from our CSA box from Talley Farms.

Then I set to work.  I have an exciting project we are doing with Birch Fabrics for this year's Quilt Market.  Only a littler spoilers...it is going to be a cozy quilt from some brand new Birch fabric.  But more on that soon.

At lunch time, I set to soaking some dried beans for future meals, and baked up that bread.  Then it was back to cutting fabric for work.

After the brain felt nice and melted from cutting as close to perfectly similar quilt pieces, I figured I'd share a few (or more...hehe) thoughts with you.

I hope for all of you starting something new in your life, you allow yourself the time to grow into it.  It is hard, and if you ever need to talk about it, don't hesitate in emailing me here or leaving a comment below.  But if you are anything like me, things will start to fall into place.  Believe me, it is still going to be hard.  But I am learning so much, and am finally starting to really enjoy the ride. (Well, except the dishes.)

Ash

Rolling with the punches and supporting local farms = really good food!

This year has been a year for learning about gardening in our new climate and how to work with all the little critters of the area.  My big hopes for a large, prosperous garden faded fairly quickly when plants that I was told were not on the list of things wild critters would eat were killed off.  Marigolds to keep pests away were 'snipped' off to die, the little boogers didn't even eat them.  Just wanted them gone.  And the 8 tomato plants planted in the spring are now down to 2.  I hope to finally get some fruit off of them now that I have built a large wire cage to try and keep these two alive.  Nothing like watching a squirrel take off with tomatoes in its little hands or mouth to make you realize you need to batten down the hatches.

Almost done with this cage to keep the wild animals out.
A few more tweaks and my last 2 plants might just make it.

My green beans are trying hard to stay alive!
Anything poking out of the cage get eaten, so a new cage will be coming asap.

And that chicken coop that we built has yet to be filled with chickens.  I am pretty picky about my eggs, and would prefer fresh over store bought any day.

Luckily, our friend-lords came to the rescue and asked us to join them in sharing a CSA box from Talley Farms in San Luis Obispo.  They deliver the boxes to handy pick-up points throughout the county, and work with other local farms to fill the wonderful boxes with lots off goodies.  For cheap.  Seriously, so much fresh food for way less than you'd spend at the store.

This big box filled to the brim with vegis and fruits each week? Yes, please!

As for eggs, between the friend-lords' lovely little chickens and our friends out at Vicarious Ranch (check out their fun and adorable Facebook here), I basically never have to get store bought eggs (at least during the laying season here.)   So I can support local farms and ranches and my friends, while getting all the goodies I could not produce myself.

Color coded eggs from the friend-lords!

Baking bread and admiring the lovely colors of my delivery of eggs from Vicarious Ranch!

Last night was such a great and delicious example of how well we eat because of the good food we get.  We used the spinach and heirloom tomatoes we got in our CSA box, baked some french bread (seen rising in the photo above) and some of those eggs to make our own take on this delicious open face egg sandwich over at My Fitness Pal's blog.  Man...this one is definitely staying in the rotation.

We tweaked the above recipe with our homemade french bread and larger portions...cuz we can.

So, even though my efforts this year to build our own garden thus far have not quite worked as planned, our 'failures' have taught us a TON and during which we have found these wonderful farms and friends to support in the process.  It's a win-win for sure.

Life is all about learning, eating real food, and supporting our local farms.  At least it is in my book.  (Well, I'd probably expand upon that a little more, like making goods yourself and supporting local artisans off all kinds, but hey, I am biased.)

Ash

PS - I will be letting you know more about local farms like Vicarious Ranch soon!  We will soon be featuring a local farm, artisan or handicrafter each month.  Stay tuned!)