Urban Agrarianism

For those of you who don't know Wendell Berry, below is a short introduction to his writing that I found quite appropriate for this site, taken from his article "The Agrarian Standard":

I don’t think that being landed necessarily means owning land...

In our time it is useless and probably wrong to suppose that a great many urban people ought to go out into the countryside and become homesteaders or farmers. But it is not useless or wrong to suppose that urban people have agricultural responsibilities that they should try to meet. And in fact this is happening. The agrarian population among us is growing, and by no means is it made up merely of some farmers and some country people. It includes urban gardeners, urban consumers who are buying food from local farmers, consumers who have grown doubtful of the healthfulness, the trustworthiness, and the dependability of the corporate food system—people, in other words, who understand what it means to be landless.

For a larger portion of this article and many more interesting reads, visit Orion Magazine.

Tribute to a faithful friend...

The Earthworm

Who really respects the earthworm
the farmworker far under the grass in the soil.
He keeps the earth always changing.
He works entirely full of soil,
speechless with soil, and blind.

He is underneath farmer, the underground one,
where the fields are getting on their harvest clothes.
Who really respects him,
this deep and calm earth-worker,
this deathless, gray, tiny farmer in the planet's soil.

Harry Edmund Martinson
From the Swedish (trans. Robery Bly)

Cob Buildings and Cottages

Hello All!

It's a blustery day here in Lansing, but the leaves are beautiful and the sun has been peaking out from behind the clouds. It's the kind of day that reminds me of my time spent in the British Isles... or at least it would if I had ever managed to escape research and visit the coast. I have always longed for one of those white cottages with a thatched roof that are pictured on every postcard of Ireland and Wales, and believe it or not, I realized yesterday that I could actually have one some day!



The building style of these homes is called "cob" - a mixture of sand, clay, straw, and water that forms a malleable mud-like mixture that is mounded into walls. These walls can be shaped into whatever pattern you desire, from straight-laced rectangles to soaring towers, you construct them with your hands and a little help from your feet to churn the mixture.

I'm so intrigued by the thought of building one of these homes, I'm going to look into the zoning and codes for Ingham County to see if they allow this sort of structure. It would certainly bend some of the rules. For instance, I haven't quite figured out the whole "no insulation" thing, but if you make the home small enough and have one or two wood burning stoves, perhaps a Michigan winter would be manageable.

One option for renters to experience working with cob building is to build a cob oven in your backyard. Often these are sculpted to look like the yawning mouth of a cat or frog or gargoyle, but these wood fired ovens are first fired for a time till the cob reaches the appropriate temperature, then the ashes are removed and the radiant and ambient heat from the walls cooks your food!

If you're at all interested in cob building, check out this great blog entitled "The Year of Mud" - he really has some fascinating stories to tell about cob construction and lots of photos that walk you through the process.

I'll keep you updated on what I learn and hopefully next year I can find a place to start a small cob project!

- lauren -

How do you feel about your Farmer?

"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independant, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to it’s liberty and interests by the most lasting bands”

Thanks, Thomas Jefferson!

I would encourage everyone to meet the person who grows their food. They have a face and a name and get sick and have lost people they love and really care about what they are doing. No one in America farms because they are forced to; most of us are in love with growing things, tending them, and getting them distributed to people.

The Student Organic Farm's stand on MSU's campus runs Thursdays from 11-5, April - Oct.

Yes, I would consider myself a farmer even though I don't have my own land to grow on. I grow for MSU's Student Organic Farm and I want to grow for a living. Working on a farm that belongs to someone else is a great way to live a homesteading life in an urban environment. Check out your local farmers market for farms close to you and try the Local Harvest website. Many farms will let employees take home a share of what's known as "Farmer Food" - food that isn't visually perfect but perfectly good or the food that comes back from the market unsold. Find out if there is anyone commuting out there from your neighborhood, or if anyone would be willing to pick you up if you don't have a car.

Here's a picture of me working with other farmers to prep a plot for growing in Detroit.

Even if you can't grow in your own yard, on your own balcony, or in a community plot, there are ways to have access to healthy, local produce for relatively cheap!

- lauren -

Pre-Frost Squash Harvesting

Perhaps for those of you who don't live in Michigan, the frosts have yet to hit. We have been unfortunate enough to have two hard freezes in the last two weeks, meaning that we've had a couple of hard days of carting loads of squash into storage, but I thought now would be an appropriate time to talk about what care is needed for the different types of squash grown for storage and fresh consumption.
Curing:
Most squash require curing if they are going to be stored over the winter in a cooler (preferably in a dry, dark place kept at around 55 degrees F). Curing involves harvesting the squash and setting them in an area out of direct sunlight that reaches hot temperatures with low humidity for the squash's skin to harden. This prevents damage to the skin that can lead to disease and rot. Place them so that they are exposed to good air flow on all sides (if you are going to do this inside your apartment, try constructing a table with a grated top held up by bricks, boxes, or books and setting up a fan to circulate air). Acorn squash and Spaghetti squash should not be cured as their skins do not need it.

Storage Life:
Below I have ranked some common squash in order of their storage life, from shortest shelf life to longest.

1. Spaghetti - enjoy it quickly because it's past ripe before you know it
2. Buttercups and Delicata - small and delicious, these should make it to Thanksgiving
3. Sweet Dumpling - a little better at surviving the winter
4. Acorn - a lovely treat with good store-ability
5. Butternut - king of all storage squash; I've eaten them into April

Keep in mind that the storage capabilities of a squash are dependent on the variety and cultivar (specific strain) - always check what you grow against your storage needs.

Hello and Welcome!

This blog is a forum run by Oak & Ash Homestead and Farm, small scale growers of vegetables and cut flowers devoted to organic, sustainable, and ecological practices. Currently we are renting land from a family member who lives in the country and living in downtown Lansing, MI. As individuals deeply devoted to creating our own homestead in the future, we are beginning our transition to sustainable living early and within the confines of our 500 square foot apartment. It isn't always easy, but it is always an adventure...

Join us on our journey as we discuss our farm plans, homesteading projects, issues of sustainability, and provide you with ideas for creating your own apartment homestead!