Author Archives: myurbanhomesteadstl

Q: Where did you get your chickens? A: A variety of places. It really depends on if you want chicks to start, pullets, or already laying hens. I got Lucy who was 2 years old from someone giving her away on Facebook. I got Beulah and Ethel from a feed store (they were 12 weeksContinue reading “How to Pick Your Chickens Q&A”

Here are some recommendations for chicken first aid and care. Please note that there are some conditions that require further intervention from a trained professional. If your chickens have worms, small viruses, minor illnesses, are egg bound, have cuts, or small wounds, you should be able to support your chickens at home. When in doubt,Continue reading “Chicken First Aid”

Transitioning chickens can be a long process. It also really depends on the age of the birds, and if you already have hens at home. I will give an overview of how to transition your chickens to their new home. No matter what, it is very important to quarantine your chickens prior to moving themContinue reading “How to Transition Your Chickens to a new Home”

In an urban homestead, your goal is to work with the modern society and work with the land. Urban homesteaders are not in the middle of nowhere with grocery store that are miles and miles away. I live in St. Louis City, MO and live 3/4 of a mile from a major grocery store andContinue reading “What I Make, What I Buy… and Why”

There are really two main ways to dry peppers. You can use a dehydrator or you can air dry them. One method takes about 12 hours, one take a few weeks. I know what you all are thinking, the dehydrator seems like the best option. It’s much, much faster. While I agree with you, IContinue reading “Drying Cayenne Peppers”

During the summer we est as many fresh tomatoes as we can! However, with just two people and 12 tomato plants, we get more tomatoes than we can handle. Canning is how we deal with this “issue.” I like to can the tomatoes peeled and whole without salt so I can use them in whateverContinue reading “Canning Tomatoes”

There is nothing better than fresh salsa, especially Salsa Verde! It’s my favorite, and it’s so easy. Just a few ingredients and you’ve got a delicious salsa. This salsa can be water bath canned for long term storage or kept in the refrigerator. Enjoy! Ingredients: Tomatillos (1 lb) 1 half onion Spicy peppers (3-6 ofContinue reading “Salsa Verde”

1. Start Composting I have an old bowl that sits on my countertop that I put all my cooking scraps. Once the bowl fills up (or gets too gross), I take it out back and dump it into my compost piles. I am blessed to have enough space that I can have compost piles. IContinue reading “Top 5 Ways to Start Living a More Sustainable Lifestyle”

I love having all natural laundry pods that save money and clean clothes just as well as store bought pods. Recipe: 1 cup washing soda 1 cup baking soda 1 cup Castile soap 1/2 cup white vinegar 15-20 drops essential oils Directions: 1. Add the Castile soap, washing soda, and baking soda to a largeContinue reading “Laundry Pods”

I can’t believe it but it’s already time to start seeds! Even in January, we need to start growing seedlings indoors that will later be transplanted outside. In order to start seeds indoors, you 1) need a seed starting grow set up and 2) you need a seed starting mix. Your seed starting mix hasContinue reading “Seed Starting Mix”