Anybody else doing "urban homesteading"?

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

I'm curious if anybody else is doing urban homesteading. I've just started reading about it and I'm finding it absolutely fascinating.

My first step: breadmaking. I've made baguettes, pitas, and ciabattas and I'm planning to try the Artisan Breadmaking in 5 Minutes A Day strategy.

We're talking about bees and chickens, but I'm not too keen on bugs or poop. So we have a couple of hurdles.

We're definitely planning a garden and contemplating build-your-own solar panels. Anybody have a fantastic source for organic seeds?

Am I the only Smoosier learning about this movement?

[Shawn Quick-Raflik]

I saw the coolest thing on tv this week-end. You can get solar panels that look like roof shingles. So you don't have to have the bulking units that don't look very attractive. Plus, you get money back from the electric company. We want to add them when we build our next house.

My friend gets her seeds from www.naturalgardening.com

Good Luck!

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

Hiya Shawn! I found a web site selling a book that teaches you how to make your own solar panels for under $200. I don't know how many panels you can make for that much, though. LOL

I have the Natural Gardening catalog- does your friend have success with her seeds?

[Erik Deckers]

I'd like to learn more about the bread making. Do you have any of the recipes? I used to make my own bread.

If you only have a few chickens, you won't have much poop to contend with.

And there are plenty of seed producers online, even of the organic variety. Sarah Janisse-Brown should be able to help you.

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

Erik- I'm about to post the ciabatta recipe I've fallen in love with, but if you'd like to try some pita bread, I just posted the recipe I've been using here. I'll let you know when I've posted the other recipe. I have to say that making bread is totally satisfying!

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

Hi Erik,
I just posted the ciabatta recipe. It's here. It's super easy to make and very yummy. I make it 2-3 times a week now.

Enjoy!

[Lynn Jenkins]

Hi Susan, It's a definite interest of mine. Although I'm more rural than urban, I do have chickens and have learned a lot of skills, e.g. gardening, canning) that would prepare me, if necessary. This year I grew "dried" beans for winter soups.
I have a few chickens for eggs, and yes, a rainbarrel that hasn't been connected yet!
Artisian Bread in 5 minutes a day? I just heard the WFYI radio show with that info, and made my first batch last week. Definitely easy and pretty darn good- a little bland in flavor...(I'd add more salt to next batch--don't know if that would screw up the leavening) ..it's the solid crust to dip in good olive oil that I was looking for...
You'll have to get over your uncomfortableness of "Bugs and poop" The chicken manure is almost as important to me as their eggs! My garden and compost pile thrive with it...no chemical fertilizers necessary!
And the bugs---I LOVE bugs!...Wouldn't have birds around if the bugs weren't here. Did you know that all backyard birds (exception: goldfinch and doves) feed insects to their babies? (I call birds the "Orkin men" of nature) Soft-bodies and high in protein...wouldn't have healthy birds is we didn't have lots of bugs! And about 95% of the insect species in our backyards are either beneficial (yes! BENEFICAL!) or do not harm! That's a Purdue U. stat from their Entomology research. Insects are critical to the balance of nature.
I do a program called "8 tips for an earth-friendly yard" which includes these concepts. It's a lotta fun to find out how nature balances herself (and we tend to do a lot of "un"balancing of her!)
Check out our website: www.IndianaLivingGreen.com

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

Hey Lynn! I remember you- You just e-mailed me the other day! :) I'll bet you'd love my friend April, TheEcoDiva. Indiana Living Green is a great magazine!

I wish I could love bugs the way you do, but...nope. LOL I even spent some quality time in the very Purdue U Entomology department you mentioned, just getting to know the bugs and trying to understand them. But...nope. Well, I know they have their purpose. But I don't know if we'll ever be friends.

That said, good point about the chicken poop. We just got married on 12/19, and we registered for some composting supplies. I would love to compost for our garden.

So glad to hear you've tried the Artisan Bread recipe. A friend of mine won a contest at the author's blog and got a signed copy and she raves about it. I borrowed it from the library and I also have an article in a magazine that has the basic recipe. Once I'm done with this batch of pitas, I'm going to try it.

Yesterday I made an herb-olive ciabatta and it was pure heaven. :)

[Lynn Jenkins]

OK Susan,...Herb olive ciabatta sounds wonderful..Will you share the recipe?
Congrats on your recent marriage! Hope you get your composter. If not, just do the "piles" the old fashioned way. It's much easier than dealing with any sort of container. And you can always "hide" it from neighbors with a fence or shrubs. Mine is right next to my garden.
At Purdue, did you happen to meet Bob O'Neill? He was the insect King ...died recently (much too young at 52) of cancer. He made bugs exciting and wonderful. I'm not going to give up on helping you learn to love(or at least like) them. They do GREAT thing!
I have a WONDERFUL pic of a wolf spider eating a roach...now how cool is THAT!

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

I'd be glad to share the recipe. I'll post it later today. Best part about it is that it's low calorie! :)

I don't think I met Bob O'Neill. I can't recall offhand the name of the professor who helped me out, but he was wonderful and had a lab filled with large and interesting bugs. I held tarantulas, giant Madagascar cockroaches, and a South American centipede that was over a foot long. Yech! LOL

[Lynn Jenkins]

Now HOLDING roaches, spiders and centipedes is entirely different than GRANTING them their place on this earth and APPRECIATING what they do. I bow to your bravery!

[Susan Baroncini-Moe]

Was Bob O'Neill the one who used to do the Bug Bowl and made chocolate chip chirpie cookies? Again, yech. LOL

[Lynn Jenkins]

That would be Tom Turpin, who still does that here in Indy each summer...one of Indy Parks most anticipated events. THOUSANDS of people come!