Havenscourt Homestead

Unbeknownst to me I have a fellow urban homesteading neighbor. I knew there had to be more of us in the neighborhood. Well, Kitty Sharkey at Havenscourt Homestead is the real deal. From the street you see beautiful edible and drought tolerant landscaping on a sheet mulched front yard. There’s a sign that says fresh eggs in the driveway and a swing overlooking all the flowers. Hardly a clue as to what’s in back… As you come around the house in the narrow side yard there’s a young orchard of 10 or so fruit trees planted about 36” apart to one day be a fruit hedge. On the other is a large raised bed veggie garden and other smaller containers for vegetables and fruit growing. Kitty will love to take you on the tour and talk your ear off about sustainability and her family of feathered, furry, and cloven hoofed friends. She’ll give you the low down on Oakland municipal code and tell you how she put together this farm in just three years.

In the backyard barnyard the tour started off at the clawfoot tub filled with a brackish water with 3 ducks hanging out at it’s rim, quacking a hello. The homestead has a pair of Nigerian Dwarf goats that recently born a couple of kids that were hopping around. These goats are curious and friendly and especially liked eating my keys and shirt. “They like shiny things” Kitty explained. All of her animals also function as therapy animals, and are trained to be taken to hospitals, homes, and to be good with children. There’s quite a number of bunnies at the farm and Kitty will be quick to pop one into your arms. Don’t forget about the dozen or more chickens and bantams clucking around. “Do you eat them too?” I asked. “Yes all of them” Kitty answered “I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

It is astounding to see how this home on a 4000 sq foot lot has been transformed to be an efficiently running farm. It is also self governed. Everyone free ranges. “I don’t need to lock up the coops or goats at night…the raccoons would have to get through the goats to get to the chickens so there’s no problems” Only the bunnies cages remain caged, and even they get their chance to free range. On top of the converted garage are the langstroth hives which happened to have two nearby swarms when we were there. “Now what about the neighbors?” I asked. “Everybody loves me” Kitty says. She explains that on one side lives a retired teacher and on the other is a family with children and cousins many of whom have participated in life on the farm. It’s a lean, green, clean, operation running in the middle of an East Oakland neighborhood. Kitty produces 75% of her meat needs and much of her fruits and veggies. She took Bay Friendly classes and took advantage of programs like EBMUD's cash for ripping up your lawn , from websites like Alameda County’s Stopwaste.org. I highly recommend checking our her website and videos at http://www.havenscourthomestead.com/

Pickled Eggs - Amish Style

Michele and I were tending to her garden and chickens the other day and realized we had all the ingredients to make a cherished treat from my childhood, Amish style pickled Eggs.  I grew up in rural Pennsylvania on a farm.  We raised chickens and rabbits for food and tended a huge garden.  We supplemented our food with visits to the local Amish markets and that is how we learned to make Amish style pickled eggs.  If you like pickled beets, you will love these eggs.

First step is to boil up some eggs.  There are different methods to ensure the shell comes off perfectly.  I probably violate them all, but found my method works.  Pricking the eggs with a pin before placing in the water helps to keep the shell from cracking. I boil them for about 12 minutes.  Then immediately run cold water over them until all the heat is gone.  Then I let them sit in the water a few minutes to cool down and peel. 

While your eggs are boiling, boil your beets as well until cooked.  Save a 1/2 cup of the beet juice for the recipe below. Once they cool down, peel the skin off the beet. You can slice them or keep them whole. 

Ingredients:

8-10 eggs
12-15 cooked beets
1/2 cup of beet liquid
1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (This is the secret ingredient. The taste it adds is subtle and amazing.  You can add a whole stick of cinnamon if you really like it)
 
Place all ingredients together in a canning jar and store in your refrigerator.  Eggs may be eaten the next day but are best (pink to the yolk) around day 4.  Eggs will keep for two weeks in your fridge (but they never last that long)
 
Let us know if you try this recipe and your best method for shelling boiled eggs.

Aw shucks...

How can you please the hedonist while simultaneously multitasking and running an errand? Take a roadtrip to collect oyster shells in beautiful Tomales Bay for your chickens! Tomales Bay Oyster Co. is one of the best spots for oysters along the Marin Coastline in Pt. Reyes. Getting them to go, or bbqing them at an outdoor picnic spot onsite is a real treat. Daluca and I popped in the other day to gather shells for the ladies... Oyster shells are made of calcium carbonate same as eggshells, and calcium is essential for a strong shell. At home I spread them out outside in the sun and then crush them into bite sized pieces. We've decided next time we come we'll do some fishing as well. No shortage of oyster shells here, and they're free for the taking!
tomalesbayoysters.com

Meet the ladies...

...and I'm not talking about the girls next door. I'm talking about 3 hens: Feisty, Ruby, and Lucky. The newest additions to the family~ Feisty and Ruby are a couple of Rhode Island Reds, a popular American breed around 6lbs and avid layer of brown eggs. Then there's Lucky.. an odd duck indeed, she's an Aracauna that lays a lightly green tinged egg. Lucky thinks she's a duck with her honking cry or other times a goose with her cackling call. I named her Lucky because she was lucky I picked her looking like a rag of hay from being bullied from her last flock. Unfortunately with Feisty on top of the pecking order, and Lucky on the bottom, she still gets a little flack. The ladies free range on the side of my house from sun up to sun down pecking at bugs and keeping the weeds away. I have been trying to ensure that their new coop, free ranging, and diet meets their needs, even adding some yogurt, vinegar, oyster shell, and olive oil to their organic feed when necessary. When it comes to a permaculture garden the addition of chickens completes the circle. They eat the outer leaves from my garden veggies which makes them happy and healthy. They lay eggs in return and then poop nitrogen rich waste which is great for making compost and amending soil. Also since I vermicompost, the worms reproduce happily in healthy compost and the ladies can occasionally have protein rich worm snacks. Keeping chickens is a rewarding and entertaining!