What is the first thing that a suburban homesteader does?  I’m sure you guessed correctly – they start a garden.  It’s probably the easiest thing to do to start a self-reliant lifestyle because of many reasons. There’s a low barrier to entry – you just need some dirt and a few seeds – and it’s also more socially acceptable than storing large quantities of food, water and/or ammunition. Amy Stross of TenthAcreFarm.com fame has realized this fact.  She also knows that starting a micro-farm on her suburban plot has started her walk to self-reliance.  She’s taken all she’s learned during her years of micro-farming (read: large-scale gardening) and put it together in one of the most well-written, easy to read books on the topic that I’ve ever read.  Read on to find out why you need The Suburban Micro-Farm in your suburban homesteading library today!

Book Set-Up

Amy put her heart and soul into this book and it’s quite obvious.  She takes a very intelligent approach to the layout of the book.  It is broken down into three parts – Getting To Know the Micro-Farm, Becoming A Micro-Farmer and Advanced Micro-Farming Techniques.  Each part has sub-chapters and each chapter has subsections.  This intensive breakdown allows you to use this book as a reference book and quickly get to the area that you need immediate information on.

Likewise, the book is written in such a way that you can read it from beginning to end (I did) and build upon the sections you’ve already read.

The parts and chapters of this book are as follows:

Introduction

The Introduction is just that – an introduction to the book and a general layout of what Amy plans on teaching us and how the book is laid out.

Part I – Getting To Know The Micro-Farm

Chapter 1 – Suburbia: Civilization’s Opportunity

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• The Suburban Problem
• Suburban Micro-Farming Myths
• The Suburban Micro-Farm Solution

Chapter 1 is a very interesting chapter because you get to hear a lot about Amy’s journey through suburban gardening to suburban farming.  You hear – at a high level – about some of her pitfalls and the errors she made.  You also get to explore some of the myths associated with farming/gardening in the suburbs and what the truth really is.

Chapter 2 – Managing Expectations

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Prevent Garden Overwhelm Syndrome
• Life Hacks for the Busy Micro-Farmer
• When It’s Not Enough
• Overcoming Brown Thumbs
• Setting Up Your Neighborhood for Success

Many suburban gardeners and farmers are discouraged when they don’t have immediate success.  Amy walks you through some life hacks to see better results early and get a few quick wins.  You’ll build on these wins and get comfortable as a suburban farmer.  The biggest tip I took out of this section was to spend fifteen minutes every day (every.single.day) in the garden.  This approach will make sure that you see what’s going on and don’t let things go too far and become a bigger problem.

Chapter 3: Developing Healthy Soil

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Building Soil Health and Fertility
• Guide to Organic Soil Amendments
• No-Till Micro-Farming
• Constructing a Simple Compost System
• How to Compost
• Cultivate Worm Castings with Vermicomposting

Soil is the lifeblood of a great suburban micro-farm.  This chapter of The Suburban Micro-Farm is great because it walks you through all the different ways to build high-quality soil.  These approaches will create a great base layer for your crops and allow you to achieve success earlier.

Chapter 4: Vegetables On The Farm

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• The Efficient Micro-Farm
• Guide to Planting and Growing Vegetables
• Choosing Crops to Meet Your Needs
• How to Place Vegetables
• Extending the Season with Cold Frames

Soil is great, but folks plant gardens and farms to get produce.  This chapter is chock full of information on many different crops you can grow.  It tells you how to grow them, what crops to grow with them to promote successful harvest and how to rotate your crops annually.

Chapter 5: Micro-Farming Fruit

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Growing Fruit Trees
• Growing Berries for Beginners
• Choosing Fruit for Your Circumstances

So, you’ve got your vegetables squared away, right?  What about fruit?  Fruit is sometimes easier for the suburban micro-farmer because it is typically an annual product.  You only plant it once and receive output (harvest) every year after that.  This chapter is a goldmine of information on where to plant certain fruit, how to harvest it and when to harvest it.  This chapter has really prompted me to plant currants and grapes in my yard.

Chapter 6: Growing Herbs On The Micro-Farm

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Kitchen Garden Herbs
• Herbs in a Pollinator Garden
• Create an Herb Spiral

If you like to cook then you know how important herbs are to making that special dish really pop.  Herbs are also instrumental in medicinal settings (see Cat Ellis’s book Prepper’s Natural Medicine).  And, on top of those things, they also attract pollinators to your crops.  This chapter provides great guidelines for planting herbs and designing your suburban micro-farm in a way that utilizes your herbs for many different factors.

Part II – Becoming A Micro-Farmer

Chapter 7: Organizing Your Micro-Farm

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Make a Garden Sketch
• Make Seed and Supply Purchases
• Month-by-Month Micro-Farming
• Checklists and Monthly Calendars

Good farmers are organized farmers.  Amy has spent a lot of time putting together a companion website to this book (you’ll have to buy the book to find the website address).  The resources on this website help you plan and track the performance of your garden.  I’ve already dug into these and plan on using them this summer.

Chapter 8: Seed Starting & Planning

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Starting Seeds Indoors: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Sow Seeds Directly Outdoors
• How to Transplant Seedlings Outdoors

Seed starting isn’t always as simple as it sounds.  Amy does a great job of explaining seed starting in this chapter of The Suburban Micro-Farm.  She also talks heavily about transplanting and the – to me – always nebulous task of hardening off transplants.

Chapter 9: Maintaining The Garden & Harvesting The Produce

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Daily Garden Visits
• Mulching in the Garden
• Watering
• Pest Management
• Guide to Harvesting Vegetables
• Cleaning up the Garden for Fall
• Easy Seeds to Save
• Storing Seeds

You’ve set up your garden, started your seeds and transplanted them successfully to the garden.  Now, what do you do?  Mulching, water, pest management and harvesting are all tasks that help promote suburban micro-farm success.  Amy spends a good amount of time talking about all of these tasks and also delves into seed saving.  Seed saving is SO important because you can capture seeds from produce that survived in your area and slowly build a seed base for plants that will be more successful in your location.

Part III – Advanced Micro-Farming Techniques

Chapter 10: Edible Landscaping

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Why Landscape with Edibles?
• Things to Consider before Breaking Ground
• Landscape Design Principles for Visual Appeal
• Planning Techniques for the Edible Landscape
• Choosing What to Plant
• Utilizing the Parking Strip

Amy has taken the next step with her micro-farming and moved onto an edible landscape.  She’s slowly removing the useless lawn on her property and replacing it with plants that are not only beautiful but functional.  Learn how she’s doing it in this chapter!

Chapter 11: Digging Deeper: Permaculture & Micro-Farming

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Using Water Wisely
• Building Plant Guilds
• Farming the Contour
• Terracing with Check Logs
• Managing the Edges
• Permaculture Plants

Interested in permaculture?  This chapter is, by far, the longest in the book.  It’s also the most information-dense chapter.  Amy basically compressed an entire Permaculture Design Course (PDC) into one chapter.  I absolutely loved this chapter because it’s not only permaculture-centric but it is permaculture-centric to the suburban homeowner mindset.  I would often struggle to see how approaches learned in a PDC could be utilized in a suburban setting.  Amy helps guide us in that direction.

Chapter 12: Making Money On The Suburban Micro-Farm

This chapter consists of the following parts:

• Perennial Crops
• Annual Crops with a Long Season
• Shade Crops
• The Edible Plant Nursery
• Cut Flowers
• Maple Syrup
• Cottage Food Products
• Homemade Soap
• Teaching and Writing
• Tips for Success

If you follow all the tips, trick and techniques in of The Suburban Micro-Farm, you’ll most likely have more produce than you and your family can handle.  Why not make some money off of it?  Amy walks us through ways to monetize your suburban micro-farm.  Genius ideas here.  Worth the price of the book in and of itself.

Conclusion

Amy ties it all up in the conclusion.  She has additional sections such as Acknowledgements, Bibliography, and Additional Resources (Books and Online).  These sections are incredible as well and allow the reader to continue their self-education in a variety of different places.

Why I Liked The Suburban Micro-Farm

There are a lot of things I liked about this book.  But, most importantly, I think the fact that it’s a hands-on book is what I like most.  All the information here is not theoretical but, rather, it’s proven tactics with suggestions on how to implement them yourselves.  Tactics and strategy in the same book.  Incredible.

Amy’s companion websites and resources – there are at least four Google spreadsheets she’s set up for you – are just incredible.  She could probably sell these as a kit themselves but they are “free” with a purchase of the book.

Finally, I liked the layout of the book.  It grows the reader’s knowledge if read chronologically but also allows for pinpoint referencing of information.  Great approach Amy!

What I Didn’t Like

I hate saying that there’s nothing I didn’t like about a book but there isn’t anything I don’t like about this book.  I think it’s great!  In the first edition, the one thing I didn’t like was was the printing. The first edition was printed in black and white and it was quite obvious that the master copy was in color. The black and white printing did all the pictures and colored text injustice.

Amy fixed this issues in the second edition and I have to say that it made an already great book incredible!  Even if you picked up the first edition, I would suggest getting the second edition.  The addition of color to this printing is just amazing!

Overall Thoughts on The Suburban Micro-Farm

Point blank, this book is a must-have for any suburban homesteader who is even thinking about growing fruit, vegetables or herbs on their land.  Amy Stross underestimates her ability to convey complex information in a simple, straight-forward manner.  Likewise, she has done a great job of putting together a book that is both awesome in its long form as it is a pinpoint resource book.

It is very, very rare that I state emphatically that a book is required for your suburban homesteading library.  This book goes alongside Cat Ellis’s Prepper’s Natural Medicine and Anna Hess’ The Weekend Homesteader as MUST HAVES in your library!

Disclaimer: Amy Stross supplied a copy of The Suburban Micro-Farm for me to review. I can assure my readers that I gave it a fair and honest review.

Once again, it’s been about a month since I’ve updated you on the going ons here!

Let’s jump in and see what’s been going on here at the Suburban Steader Homestead!

This Week’s Milestones

Prolific Garden Harvest Continues

I told you about my prolific cucumber harvest in my last post.  Well, I’m proud to report that those results have been consistent over the last month.  We’ve harvested more cucumbers than we know what to do with.  Fortunately, the folks at my work LOVE cucumbers and have been a great “dumping ground” for the overflow.  I’m also seeing a lot of peppers that should be ready in the next week.  We also had a good amount of volunteer cherry tomatoes (I didn’t plant any this year) and the broccoli is coming back for a fall harvest.

Cooking Class

Those of you who have spent a lot of time around the site know that I like to cook.  In fact, I would say that the majority of the cooking duties have migrated from my wife to me.  I’ll cook almost any kind of cuisine but really like to concentrate on homestead/rustic type food.  That being said, I love to learn new things.  I often complain about this God Forsaken Sandbar that I live on.  It is horribly overcrowded, the politics suck and from a geographical point of view, it is strategically horrible.  There’s a finite number of ways to get off this island in case of an emergency and, due to the overcrowding, it will become a total fustercluck if/when that kind of situation happens.

With that in mind, the wife and I signed up for a cooking class at Sur La Table.  It was a grilling summer Italian type meal.  I have to admit that I was kind of disappointed.  I didn’t learn anything new with the exception of making a pecan blueberry scone type dessert.

I did, however, find the ultimate grill EDC item!

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Fitness…Interrupted

Last you heard, I was eating a primal / paleo diet (most of the time) and lifting heavy weights with a program called StrongLifts.

I’m glad to say that I’ve been working through that program and have made some strong, strong gains.  I’ve gone from square one to the following:

• Squats – 285lbs – 5 sets of 5 reps each (5×5)
• Bench Press – 225lbs – 5×5
• Deadlift – 305lbs – 5×5
• Bent Over Row – 145lbs – 5×5
• Overhead Press – 130lbs – 5×5

These numbers aren’t huge when you consider I weigh about 250lbs.  That being said, I’m moving in the right direction considering I haven’t lifted heavy in over ten years.  I’ve already hit my first goal (Bench Press) and am well on the way to my Tier 1 (Short Term) Goals.  Those are:

• OH Press – 135lbs – 5×5
• Bench Press – 225lbs – 5×5 (ACHIEVED!)
• Squat – 315lbs – 5×5
• Deadlift – 405lbs – 5×5

My Tier 2 (Long Term) Goals are numbers I want to reach in March 2019 when I turn 40.  Those numbers are as follows (all single reps):

• OH Press – 225lbs
• Bench Press – 315lbs
• Squat – 405lbs
• Deadlift – 495lbs (really, I’m going after 500lbs – 495lbs is just 5 full plates per side)

I ran into a little bit of a snag last weekend while benching.  My right shoulder is all dinged up.  Might be something with my rotator cuff, might not.  I’ve been babying it for a week and, as the Mrs can tesity, I’ve been a complete bear to be around.  I watched this video today and it really motivated me to get back at it.  I’ll probably get this thing checked out since it’s been about a week but it’s time to start moving forward with other lifts.

And, just in case you’re wondering what this has to do with prepping and survivalism…just remember this quote

Strong people are harder to kill…

— Mark Rippetoe

New Business Venture

I’ve been using the Lanksy Sharpening System for the last few years to sharpen all my knives.  Like I mentioned last time, I’ve decided to start offering this service for a fee.  Here’s the information:

SERVICE LEVELS

Blades under 5in – folders or fixed blade

• Basic Service – $10
  • Matched Angle
  • Stone Sharpened to 1000 grit≤
• Master Service – $15
  • Profiled to your specs
  • Stone Sharpened to 1600 grit
  • Stropped
• Add $2 for blades over 5in
• Minor rolling and chipping included (no extra cost)

REPAIRS

• All knives requiring repair will be reviewed prior to work and customer will be contacted with a final quote. Basic rates are as follows:
  • Significant rolling or chips add $2
  • Broken tip – Quoted on a case by case basis

SHIPMENT

Please add $5 for each USPS FLAT RATE PRIORITY BOX you use so I can return in the same manner which includes tracking and insurance.

If you are local (I’m on Long Island, NY), we can arrange options for drop off and pick up.

PAYMENT

• Local: Cash or PayPal (email below)
• Shipped Knives: PayPal (email below)

Email me – dan AT suburbansteader DOT com for more information or to setup a job.

I had my first customer this week and delivered a great product to him.  Here’s a few pics:

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Next Week’s Goals

Fitness

I’ll be getting back into the gym as well as following up with a doctor if necessary.  My diet has been going pretty well lately, but I’ll continue to monitor it to make sure I’m eating both clean and a little protein heavy.  I’ll report back with my achievements as I progress.

Rolling Into Fall

The garden is dying off so we’ll be picking up the last of the harvest and then starting to think about putting everything away for the winter.  I’m thinking about cover crop this year versus straw to avoid the rabbit problem I had in the spring.  Any thoughts there? Does anyone use cover crops that can lend some information?

That’s it folks – Week 37 is in the books!  How was your week?  Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Wow – it’s been six weeks since I posted a weekly update here.  There’s been a lot going on here including some weekend trips, considerable garden growth, an improvement in my fitness and a possible new business venture.

Let’s jump in and see what’s been going on here at the Suburban Steader Homestead!

This Week’s Milestones

Prolific Garden Harvest

I had just hung the cucumber netting on my last weekly update post.  Well, I’m proud to announce that the cucumbers have been going nuts!  I have been harvesting them on an almost daily basis.  We are beyond our capacity to do stuff with cucumbers so I’ve been dubbed “The Cucumber Whisperer” at work since that’s where my excess harvest goes!

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Long Island’s Beauty

I often complain about this God Forsaken Sandbar that I live on.  It is horribly overcrowded, the politics suck and from a geographical point of view, it is strategically horrible.  There’s a finite number of ways to get off this island in case of an emergency and, due to the overcrowding, it will become a total fustercluck if/when that kind of situation happens.

But, every once in awhile, I am reminded of the beauty that this place holds.  We recently had an old college friend visit us so we went out east to the vineyards.  The vineyards are in the middle of farm country and the drive is just gorgeous.  The vineyards themselves are also just plain beautiful.  

Sometimes this place isn’t so bad – but don’t let the Mrs know I said that!

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Backpacking Trip Turned Day Hike

I was lucky enough to have the stars align and find a free weekend where one of my best friends, who lives in Maryland, was also free.  We decided to do an overnight backpack trip at the Delaware Water Gap.  For those of you not familiar with the area, the Delaware Water Gap is where New Jersey and Pennsylvania meet at the Delaware River.  This area is a beautiful place with hiking and camping as well as swimming and fishing available.  The Appalachian Trail (you remember my love of the AT) runs through it as well.

We met on a Saturday morning with the intent to hike to a place called Sunfish Pond.  We were going to hang out there for a while and then hike about one mile to a campsite.  We started by climbing to the top of Mt Tammany.  It was a steep hike gaining about 1,200ft in the first 1.5mi of the hike.  But the views were breathtaking!

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We continued on the Kittatinny Ridge catching up on family and life all while avoiding large deposits of black bear scat and eating fresh blueberries and raspberries.  We got to Sunfish Pond around 11am – much quicker than we expected.  We hung out for a while – eating lunch, shooting the bull, swimming (technically you’re not supposed to but…) and generally just catching up with each other.

A Decision Point

By 1pm we had two options:

1. Hike to the campsite about 1mi away and set up camp for the night
2. Hike out the final 3mi and find something to do.

The campsite was of the boring variety – no water nearby, typically packed on the weekend and no fires were allowed.

My friend and I are both of the active variety.  Setting up camp at 2pm and having nothing to do would drive us both crazy.  We decided to hike out the 3mi and find something to do.  The impending thunderstorms we were expecting that night didn’t do anything to dissuade our decision either.

We ran into a few waterfalls during our hike out.  We even stopped for a second swim and it was wonderful!

We got to the trucks about 3pm and decided to head to a local restaurant for dinner and then head our separate ways.  Sleeping in real beds that night sounded good!  We enjoyed a great steak and lobster dinner with a few cold beverages and then parted ways.  What a great day!

The drive home, however, was not great.

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Fitness Goals Continue

I was running last we spoke.  I haven’t run much since.  I found that my body was really hurting and I wasn’t seeing much in the way of improvement.  I did, however, move back to my strong suit – lifting weights.  More specifically, I started a program called StrongLifts.

StrongLifts is a very simple program.  You work out three days a week and perform three exercises each workout.  After warm-up sets, you perform five sets of five reps (5×5) for each exercise.  The workouts are as follows:

• Workout A – Squats, Bench Press, Bent Over Row
• Workout B – Squats, Overhead Press, Deadlift

You can also add assistance exercises but you don’t need much.  The smartphone app that you can download helps you increase your weights at a slow, steady rate (usually 5lbs per week per exercise).

I’ve been on this program for about six weeks now and have seen so much improvement.  Not only am I stronger than I was when I started but I feel better, have more energy and look better.

Eating a more primal / paleo diet has helped that last part.  I’m feeling better than I have in years and highly recommend a fitness approach such as this one if you need a change in your fitness.

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New Business Venture

I’ve been using the Lanksy Sharpening System for the last few years to sharpen all my knives.  I have been incredibly successful in getting incredible sharp edges on my blades.  I’ve decided to start offering this service for a fee.  Here’s the information:

SERVICE LEVELS

Blades under 5in – folders or fixed blade

• Basic Service – $10
  • Matched Angle
  • Stone Sharpened to 1000 grit≤ 
• Master Service – $15
  
  • Profiled to your specs
  • Stone Sharpened to 1600 grit
    
  • Stropped 
• Add $2 for blades over 5in
• Minor rolling and chipping included (no extra cost)

REPAIRS

• All knives requiring repair will be reviewed prior to work and customer will be contacted with a final quote. Basic rates are as follows:
  • Significant rolling or chips add $2
  • Broken tip – Quoted on a case by case basis

SHIPMENT

Please add $5 for each USPS FLAT RATE PRIORITY BOX you use so I can return in the same manner which includes tracking and insurance.  

If you are local (I’m on Long Island, NY), we can arrange options for drop off and pick up.

PAYMENT

• Local: Cash or PayPal (email below)
• Shipped Knives: PayPal (email below)

Email me – dan AT suburbansteader DOT com for more information or to setup a job.

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Next Week’s Goals

Fitness

My lifting will continue to evolve and my diet will continue to be refined.  Would you be interested in hearing about some of the things I’m eating and the workouts I’m putting in?  If so, leave something in the comments and I’ll be sure to figure out a way to provide you with that information.

Summer’s Wrapping Up

Next week is the last week of camp for the girls.  After that, they will be heading to my folks’ house in MA for a week of “camp” at the lake.  The Mrs and I will be heading up at the end of that week to spend a long weekend up there.  I’ll be able to do some fishing, swimming a, d boating.  I cannot wait!

That’s it folks – Week 32 is in the books!  How was your week?  Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

The Suburban Steader Homestead was a fairly quiet place this week.  This time of year is, unfortunately, not a busy one when it comes to homesteading activities.  That being said, summer is a busy time so let’s check in and see what happened.

This Week’s Milestones

A Great Getaway

Mrs. Suburban Steader and I were able to get away last weekend without the kids.  Her folks got them off the bus last week (last Friday was their last day of school) and kept them until Sunday.  We made dinner Friday night and hung out because Saturday was going to be big!

When we woke up Saturday morning, it was pouring.  When I say “pouring,” I mean I was contemplating building an ark!  But, we were trusting of the weather reports that said it was going to clear up mid-morning so we headed East.  I’ve never driven that long with my windshield wipers on high and still having trouble seeing.

Anyway, we got to Montauk, the easternmost point on Long Island, and had a great day.  We climbed up the lighthouse and walked around the rock walk they have there.  Then we went into town, had a great lunch and visited the Montauk Brewery.  Overall, a great day with the Mrs. that was capped out with a great dinner at a local tapas restaurant.

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Retirement – Kind Of

Like most Americans, I fly an American flag in my backyard.  Well, the flag I had been flying for the last year or so has developed a tear and was ready for retirement.

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I bought a new one and properly folded up the old one.  There are two ways to properly dispose of an American flag according to the VFW.  First, you can burn it yourself in a special fire and then bury the ashes.  Secondly, you can bring it to a local VFW and they will take care of it for you.

I’m leaning towards the second option as I’m not sure I can bring myself to burn a flag myself, even though it’s perfectly acceptable.

How have you disposed of your worn, well-loved flags?

We’ve Got Climbers!

The cucumbers we have are doing great!  And they’re starting to climb.  I quickly realized that I needed something for them to climb up.  After visiting my local big box store, I realized I had two options.

My first option was to buy some very nice metal trestles that the cukes could climb up.  There were a few different options and they’d surely look good in my garden beds.  Remember, in a suburban setting, aesthetics are sometimes as important as function.  The downside was that this option would cost me over $100.

The second option I had was to buy a net and some long garden rods.  Visually, this option was not as appealing, but it would only set me back about $16.

Well, for $16, I couldn’t resist the second option.

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It was a little more complicated of an install simply because I had to connect the net to the rods.  A few small zip ties took care of that issue.  Once I was done, I noticed that this setup kind of blended into the background (the white PVC fence helps) and actually looked fine.

It’s always nice to save a buck!

Next Week’s Goals

Fitness

I’ve continued my running from last week and it’s definitely getting harder.  At the same time, the “high” I get after the workout is better and better.  Unfortunately, I’m fighting a summer cold at the moment.  It makes the running hard and causes me to be tired and worn down.  I’m hoping to beat this thing by this weekend so I can relax.  I’m going to continue the running, despite my illness because I’ve found that, in the past, that working out through a cold actually helps me.

Fourth Of July Activities & Product Reviews

Next week is the Fourth of July so I expect to be spending some time around the homestead grilling and relaxing – perhaps with an adult beverage in my hand.  I also expect that you’ll see a product review next week for some backpacking food that I used recently.

What kind of food do you like to take with you when you go backpacking?

That’s it folks – Week 26 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!

I’m getting back on the horse here with my weekly updates.  Week 25 was a busy one around the Suburban Steader Homestead.  We didn’t do a lot of work around the house, but the week seemed to really be a whirlwind.  We’ll get into it here:

This Week’s Milestones

Two Special Days

I spend a lot of time talking about how suburban homesteading isn’t always about the hardcore work that more rural homesteading operations endure.  Instead, sometimes it’s about the little things.

First, I got to celebrate Father’s Day.  It sounds selfish, but it is one of my favorite days of the year.  Not so much for the attention that I’m paid, but I view it as a day to reflect on being a father and how lucky I am to have these two little girls in my life.  I won’t lie though – the adoration, attention, and presents are nice as well!  I slept in late, had a great breakfast, went for a short run and had lunch with my wife’s family.  Then we just chilled in the backyard for the rest of the day.  It was super relaxing and very nice.

The second special day was due to the fact that Mrs. Suburban Steader and I celebrated 13yrs of marital bliss.  I am very lucky that this amazing woman has agreed to spend her life with me.  We were able to go out to dinner (alone) on our actual anniversary and had a great night.  Also, this weekend, her parents will be taking the kids and we’ll have some time to explore parts of Long Island.  I think we might actually get out to the easternmost end of the island – Montauk.

Anyway, Happy Anniversary babe! Love you!

A Resolution With Relief

I don’t want to get into specifics here, but there have been some moving parts going on behind the scenes that would have had large consequences for yours truly in terms of career.  It would have even involved an out-of-state move.  This entire journey came to a very amicable resolution this week which results in our happy little family staying put on this little sandbar east of Gotham.  It’s been a stressful journey and I’m happy with not only the decision that was made but the fact that we have a resolution to this saga.  I can now concentrate on the things that are important to me – family and living a self-reliant life.

Garden Is Popping

We are in that gardening lull where everything is in the ground and nature is taking its course, so to speak.  There’s the necessary watering and weeding but, other than that, I haven’t done much with the garden lately.

A few things are close to being ready to harvest.  The kiddos have actually snagged a few blueberries and strawberries.  The lettuce is ready.  Snap peas are starting to pop.  Broccoli heads are forming and the onions and peppers are really starting to grow.  So is the eggplant.

The garlic seems is close to the point where I need to trim the shoot in the middle.  And the herbs – oh, the herbs – they should be ready for their first harvest in about a week.

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Overall, I’m really happy with how the garden is coming along this year.  I’m looking forward to the harvest and to being able to reap what I sow.

Next Week’s Goals

Fitness

I’ve been pretty diligent about my C25K running program that I told you about last week.  At the time of publishing, I’ve gotten through Week 3.  Week 4 is where the program really turns and you’re running more than you’re walking.  I’ve also been invigorated a bit by the Fitbit Surge that the girls and the Mrs got me for Father’s Day.

I’m looking forward to it as I am starting to remember the feeling of a runner’s high.  It’s not so much a high, but a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with yourself.

The next step in this journey is to get my diet in check.  I’ve really loosened the reigns there and need to dial it in.  With both of those parts of my life in check, I should get back into “fighting weight” and feel a little better as well.

Gardening

Nothing major happening here.  The cucumbers need a trestle to climb.  The snap peas will be ready to harvest very shortly and the carrots that have gone to seed need to have an eye kept on them so that I gather up the flowers at the right time.  I probably also need to give a little TLC to the garlic as well.  Overall, it’s status quo here.

That’s it folks – Week 25 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!

Holy crap! Has it really been three weeks since the last time I wrote an update?  I guess it’s because I’ve been pretty busy around the Suburban Steader Homestead.    With that in mind, let’s just right in and see what happened over the last few weeks!

This Week’s Milestones

Local Hiking

Long Island is far from a bastion of hiking.  That being said, we do have some pretty cool state and county parks as well as other outdoor areas.  In addition, there are a few good trails.  The biggest trail on Long Island is the Long Island Greenbelt Trail.

This trail runs from the Long Island Sound on the north shore of Long Island (in Sunken Meadow State Park) to the Atlantic Ocean on the south shore of Long Island (Heckscher State Park).  Its total length is 32 miles.

I’m lucky enough to live near the northern terminus of this trail and have hiked on it many times.  This summer, however, I have decided that I will thru-hike it in sections.  I’d love to actually do a straight through thru-hike of it (camping along the way) but the lovely State Parks on Long Island don’t allow us to camp in them unless on designated camping spots.  Oh, and none of the camping spots are in areas of the parks that are on the trail.  Lovely.  Thanks, Long Island.

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Anyway, I was able to get out on Memorial Day weekend and hike the first 10 miles of the trail.  It was a great hike with awesome weather.  I really knocked out the mileage and enjoyed myself.  It was good training for what was to come!

Not So Local Hiking

I’m infatuated with the Appalachian Trail (AT).  The idea that you can hike from Georgia all the way to Maine by foot is completely awe inspiring to me.  I’ve had my fair share of chances to “touch” the trail and I even climbed its northern terminus (Mt. Katahdin) when I was in Boy Scouts, but I’ve never spent any time on it.  That was until last weekend.

Friday night, I headed to northwest Connecticut and put in at the Undermountain Trailhead.  This entrance point allowed me to hit the AT in just over an hour.  I set up camp and spent the next day hiking up and over Connecticut’s highest peak (Bear Mountain – 2,323 feet) and then pass into Massachusetts and summit Mt. Race (2,365 feet).

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Nothing like the big guys in the Whites, but fun and challenging all the same.  I slept on the AT both nights in two different campsites.  And I did the whole trip solo.  So much fun!

Garden Is Growing

I got a lot accomplished in the garden over the last few weeks.  First, my visitors seem to have gone on to greener pastures.

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If you remember, these little guys nested in my straw which I used to overwinter my garden beds.  Well, I have not seen them for the last few weeks.  Let me rephrase that – I have not seen much of them for the last few weeks.  There’s a constant rabbit presence in my yard (and in my neighborhood in general) but they have taken up permanent residence somewhere other than my garden.  And that’s just fine with me.

The garden itself is growing in leaps and bounds.  We’ve been peppered with rainy days and hot, sunny days so that’s really helped the plants grow.  Even my peppers – where I thought all was lost – seem to have rebounded and may even be back on the mend.

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I also got everything planted that I needed to.  Cucumbers, cilantro, basil, sage – it all has made its way into the garden.  Now it’s just a little TLC here and there and some patience.

Back On The Road Again

I’ve been slacking on my physical fitness lately.  But I’ve recently recommitted myself to running.  I hate running to be clear.  But, as I joked with my friend the other day, I hate turkey necks more!  So I’ve started up on the Couch To 5K (C25K) program and have gotten about two weeks done.  I’m feeling well and I think I’m even looking a little better.  Probably too soon for the latter though!

Next Week’s Goals

Gardening

Not much to do here but keep an eye on things and provide some weeding when necessary.  I also will fertilize the garden boxes with some watered down liquid from my worm bin.  The garden seems to love this stuff and it’s easy enough to spread with a pump sprayer from a big box store.

Workshop

There’s still a litany of projects in the workshop that can be worked on.  I haven’t moved on the toolbox yet and I still have to make those knives for my girls like I mentioned previously.  It seems that the desk project is on hold indefinitely.  There’s lot to do here and, honestly, it’s getting a little too hot and humid to be doing work in the shop.  I think shop work will be relegated to rainy weekend days at this point.

Get Outside!

I intend to continue hiking and running as much as possible.  The weather is just too darn nice outside to not partake.  I will continue the section hikes with the goal of completing the entire trail by the end of September.  I’m also hoping to get a canoe trip and/or another backpacking trip in this summer!  Lots to do!

That’s it folks – Week 24 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!

Tools and the act of building out a toolbox were a right of passage in my family.  My grandfathers were both tradesmen – a welder and a naval diesel mechanic – and my father is a plumber.  The ability to work with your hands was almost a requirement from the womb.  All of these men were critical in both teaching me how to work with my hands but also how to properly use all different kinds of tools.  Fortunately, these men also took great pride in helping me put together a toolbox that would help me later in life.  In this article, I’ll introduce you to the methodology of building a toolbox for your suburban homestead and what kind of tools you should have in it.

Why Should You Have A Toolbox?

You’re a suburban homesteader, right? That means you have many different things to do on your property: re-plumb a faucet, get electricity to your shed, fix a hole in your wall, build a garden box, etc.

And you have the right tools to do that with, right? Right?

What’s that you say? You don’t have a fully outfitted toolbox?

It’s OK. I’m here to help you with that problem. Every suburban homesteader – heck, every person – should have a toolbox that is fully stocked to handle any problems you might run across at home. Having the right tools to fix any problem or complete any project you identify can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. It will also provide a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that you’ve taken care of it at home.

Cost vs Quality

Quality trumps cost when it comes to tools any day of the week, and twice on the day something breaks around the house!

Being a suburban homesteader and the son of a professional plumber, I know the value of a quality tool. I also know the cost of an inferior, less expensive, tool.

It’s quite easy to go to Walmart today and put together a cheap, Chinese-made, tool set for less than $50. Anyone can do it. And guess what – they’re going to be replacing some of those tools after their first or second use.

If you spend the money and buy quality tools, you’ll be happier in the long run and spend less money over time.

So where do you start with buying quality tools?

I used to recommend leaning towards Craftsman tools. When I was growing up, they were pretty durable, American made, tools and they had a lifetime warranty (I think the hand tools still do). They weren’t overly expensive and could be found at any Sears store.

I still have a lot of Craftsman tools in my collection, but I lean towards Snap On tools right now if cost isn’t a concern.  That being said, I have quality tools from all kind of vendors now including Craftsman, Snap On, Stanley, Irwin, and others.  Sometimes it takes a little hunting and pecking, but you can find a quality tool from almost any manufacturer if you look hard enough.

Take Time Building Your Toolbox

You won’t build your entire toolbox right away, nor should you.

As I’ve already mentioned, it’s tough to afford a complete set right away. Add that to the fact you don’t know what you need and you’ve got a reason to build as you go.

My typical suggestion is to buy tools based on your needs. Start with a quality toolbox to place them in (see the next article in this series) and then grow from there. The next time you have a project to do – be it a repair or a new construction – buy the appropriate tools.

You’ll start to learn more about your preferences, what tools you like and what brands you prefer as you move through projects. Likewise, you’ll spend less money buying tools you don’t need and allow yourself to purchase higher quality tools.

All that being said, we’re going to spend the next few week laying out a basic toolbox and set of tools that every suburban homesteader and homeowner/renter should own.

Why You Should Trust Me

Why trust the Suburban Steader’s opinion on tools? He’s just some dude on the internet, right?

Not really.

I mean, I do write this blog, but I’m also a homeowner and suburban homesteader. In addition, I’m the son of a lifetime plumber.

Add all of that up and I can tell you that I’ve been using tools since pretty much the day I could walk.

I understand the demands of a suburban homesteader in building a toolbox and know what you’ll need. I’m also a mechanical engineer by trade.  I know quality tools when I see them.

My Suggestions – Not Just Shilling Gear

I am going to make suggestions for specific tools as we progress through the weeks of this series. These tools are suggested for two reasons:

1. I use them
2. They pass my durability, cost and quality requirements.

I will provide links to buy these tools. And, yes, I do get a little kickback if you buy them through the link (there’s no additional cost to you). But, by no means should you buy these tools just because I said so. If I recommend a DeWalt tool and you like Makita, go with the Makita. I’m recommending tools that work for me and I believe will work for you. You have to decide what you like the best and build your home toolbox off those decisions.

But, by no means should you buy these tools just because I said so. If I recommend a DeWalt tool and you like Makita, go with the Makita. I’m recommending tools that work for me and I believe will work for you. You have to decide what you like the best and build your home toolbox off those decisions.

You have to decide what you like the best and build your home toolbox off those decisions.

That being said, I do appreciate any purchases you make through the links I provide as it helps support Suburban Steader and keeps the content coming your way.

What’s Next?

I hope you enjoyed this general introduction into a suburban toolbox and why it is important.  In the weeks and months to come, I will explore the tools that I think are crucial to building a basic suburban toolbox and make suggestions for you.  Stay tuned – this could get interesting!

Week 21 at the Suburban Steader Homestead was a busy one.  The Mrs had to travel to Nashville for a few days this week.  It’s always an adventure when she’s gone for a few days.  I can handle things on the homefront; it’s more how the routine gets skewed so badly.  And, if I’m anything, I am a creature of habit.  But, the girls and I persevered!  Come check out what happened around the homestead during Week 21 of 2017!

This Week’s Milestones

Homeownership Strikes Again!

Wasn’t I just complaining about leaks in my ceiling back in Week 15?  Well, it happened again!  Last Thursday was quite warm here – I believe it hit 90F!  Last year, when we were doing the basement remodel, we sucked it up and installed central air as well.  And 90F temperatures is exactly why.  So, without hesitation, I turned it on Friday afternoon so everyone could sleep well that night.

My daughters told me their ceiling looked “gross” the next morning and this is what we found!

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It hadn’t rained, so it was quite obvious that the air conditioning equipment was leaking.  The brand-freaking-new air conditioning equipment! The brand-freaking-new air conditioning equipment that hadn’t been used yet!

The company that installed the brand-freaking-new air conditioning equipment sent a tech out and this is what he found:

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Needless to say that the Mrs and I are not happy in the least.  The tech, while initially rude to my wife (I was on my way home from work), fixed the problems he found and the unit is running fine.  We have a GC which the AC company providing stopping by to assess the situation and set up any fixes.  At a minimum, I would assume that some of the ceiling needs to be replaced and some of the insulation in the attic needs to be ripped out and replaced.  I’m concerned about mold, to be honest.

Ahhhh, the joys of homeownership!

Sometimes It’s Good To Be The Suburban Steader!

I was contacted by a company called Legacy Food Storage to test out some of their camping food under the Bannock Outdoors brand.  Of course, I had to oblige.  I mean, how could I pass up the chance to get back out into the woods and have some (hopefully) good grub to go along with it!  They were nice enough to send me this variety pack:

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I’m not a huge peaches or berries person, so I’m not sure how much I’ll like the breakfasts.  But the rest of it looks great.  I can only hope it tastes as good as the packaging looks.  I’ll let you know!

I Got Skills, Baby!

Spring is in full swing here on Long Island.  Hell, the unofficial start to summer is upon us this weekend.  That all means that grilling season is going full blast!  I have been grilling a lot lately, but this week I freestyled some pork chops.

Free-styled? What does that mean?

It’s probably not a real term but it’s what I refer to grilling something without a plan.  I came home from work and season the pork chops with a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.  A tiny dash of Chef Keith Snow’s Harvest Eating Steak Seasoning was also added.

I know that steak seasoning doesn’t sound right on pork chops, but believe me when I tell you that a touch of this stuff on pork chops is magic.  I think it’s the dried orange peel.

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I can guarantee that the end results tasted as good, if not better than they looked!

Next Week’s Goals

Gardening

The gardening goals for next week are the same as last week.  I didn’t get around to getting much planted (my furry guests are still here) and I need to get the stuff out of my basement seed-starting area.  Cukes, cilantro, and basil are all going to be moved outside this weekend and the trestles are going in for the snap peas.

Workshop

The toolbox is still sitting on my workbench and I’m still contemplating my next move.  This decision is a big one and I want to make sure I think it through.  If I strip it, I’ll never get that “patina” back that took my grandfather decades to put on it.  On the flip side, I could have this thing look terrific with a sanding and proper finish.  Decisions, decision, decisions.

I’ve had a few pocket knife kits from KnifeKits.com that I wanted to make for my daughters.  I even have pink and purple G-10 for the handles.  I might put the toolbox to the side and jump onto the knives while I contemplate the toolbox’s future.

The Mrs isn’t as keen on the idea of me building a desk for my daughter as I am.  It’s not so much because she doesn’t think I can do it but that it would cause a problem since we only have room for one desk and we have two daughters.  This whole project may require setting each girl up in their own room before I get started.  And I’m not sure we’re all ready for that yet.

That’s it folks – Week 21 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!

Phew! So glad this week is over.  It’s been one of those weeks that just wouldn’t end.  Work was a bear – nothing bad, just busy – and home life has been hectic as well.  The Suburban Steader Homestead made some progress in terms of the garden and I even got into the workshop to make a fun little project.  Oh, and my uninvited visitors are back! Com check out what happened around the homestead during Week 20 of 2017!

This Week’s Milestones

The (Uninvited) Guests Are Back!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve mentioned that I had some uninvited guests show up in my garden.  These annoying yet cute guys set up camp in the straw that was used to overwinter one of my two raised beds.  They had evacuated their burrow and I was moving forward.  Well, take a look at this:

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The little buggers are back! Somehow or another, they moved to my other (closer to the house) raised bed and are even nibbling on my lettuce plants.  I can’t bear to remove them; and having little daughters who think they’re “SOOOOOO Cute!” doesn’t help the situation.  I’m going to have to ride it out.  The Mrs says she saw an “adolescent rabbit” (her words) hopping around the backyard yesterday so I’m hoping their moving to a newer, more permanent home.

Any tips on how to not get them to settle in the straw next winter/spring?

I Continue To Get Inspired In The Workshop

Most of you are aware that I live in the bastion of freedom (cough, cough) that is Long Island, NY.  There’s a lot to not like about this place – we have limited evacuation roots off this God-forsaken sandbar, it’s vastly over-populated, housing costs are out of control and our Superior Leaders don’t believe we’re responsible enough to handle our Second Amendment right on a daily basis.  But, every once in a while you can find nice things to enjoy here.  Two of those things include the beaches and the vineyards.

Yes, we have vineyards! In fact, our wines are regularly put up against those from California (another bastion of freedom) and are considered superior in some instances.  Anyway, you can’t live here and not find some kind of wine to enjoy.  That being said, I was inspired by my old college buddy Bob (GreenRiverWoodcraft on Instagram) to build a “Magic Wine Bottle Holder.”

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It was just a prototype made out of scrap 2×4 but it worked out pretty cool.  I’m thinking about making a few for family members and would like to see if any of you would want to purchase one.  I’m, of course, going to use a nicer wood than cruddy pine.  Any takers? Probably looking at the $20 plus shipping price range.

Regardless of whether I ever sell these, it was a fun project and I look forward to doing more work in the shop.

Garden Is Banging

The garden continues to grow.  The lettuce (despite my fury “friends”) is growing quite well and the snap peas are coming in great as well.  I bought some eggplant and broccoli from the local plant store on Mother’s Day.  Those went into the ground and seem to be growing quite well.  I’m a little disappointed that my seedlings didn’t take that well for both of these, but it’s all a learning experience.  Perhaps I should start both of these in the ground next year and not under the grow lights.

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I’m getting very antsy to start eating some of my produce, but I have to wait a little longer.  The snap peas should be blooming in a few weeks and then the lettuce will be ready as well.  Carrots overwintered and can be picked any time.

Oh, I did use some of my “worm juice” to fertilize this week and that seemed to perk up everything, including the hurting peppers.  I mixed one quart of the “worm juice” with three quarts of water and put it in an inexpensive pressurized sprayer like this one.

We’re getting there folks!

Next Week’s Goals

Gardening

I’ve got a lot still left to do on the garden (does it ever end?).  The cukes, cilantro and basil starts need to get hardened off and into the ground.  The trestles have to go up so the snap peas can start climbing.  I also need to build or buy some more trestles for the cukes to climb on.  I’ll keep working on the garden beds as well, making sure all my babies have as much nutrition as they need.

Workshop

I didn’t work on my toolbox project that I talked about last week.  I’m leaning more and more towards sanding it smooth and kind of starting fresh.  I did take the hand plane to an inside edge this week while out in the shop and it looked nice.  I think I could make this thing look awesome.  My big concern is the inside, but we’ll get there.

I also got a request from one of my daughters to build her a desk.  I’m starting to research ideas online (Pinterest is great for this kind of research) and need to discuss with the Mrs on what kind of desk she’d like to see.  I think it could be a good project though.

That’s it folks – Week 20 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!

I can’t believe how quickly these weekly updates come.  Seems like the last one was just yesterday.  I guess that means I’m keeping busy.  Week 19 y’all! Can you believe we’ve exhausted almost twenty weeks in 2017? Been pretty busy around the Suburban Steader Homestead this week.  Come along and check out what went on.

This Week’s Milestones

The Workshop Is The Place To Be

I spent a lot of time in my workshop this week.  It really is my sanctuary at times.  If I’ve had a bad day at work or just need some downtime from the family, I’ll head in there, crank the radio and just relax.

I think the most important thing I did in the workshop was getting it clean.

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You know what they say about cleanliness and Godliness.  Even if you’re not a religious person, you know how rewarding a clean area can be to your mindset.  I feel ready to tackle a new project and get after it!

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I used my Self-Centering Sharpening Jig and handmade hand plane iron sharpening jig to sharpen my hand plane iron.  Unfortunately, it looks like the modification I made to the self-centering sharpening jig didn’t work right and I ended up with a crooked iron.

Any suggestion on how to fix it?

Once I got the place cleaned up, I broke out my grandfather’s old toolbox.

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It’s a pretty cool piece of work – looks like all the corners are rabbet joints and the entire thing (with the exception of one piece) doesn’t use any hardware to hold it together.  I’m trying to figure out how I want to finish it.

Thinking about hitting it with the orbit sander and throwing some boiled linseed oil on it.  What do you think?

Garden Getting Going

Despite the colder weather here (we’re hitting low 40’s at night), the garden is really cranking.  The parsley and peppers were introduced to their final spots outdoors.  Likewise, the sage got replanted into larger containers outside with the intent of them growing bigger and stronger before being placed in their final homes.

I’m having some concerns with my peppers.

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The feedback I’ve gotten so far is that it’s probably just exposure to sunlight.  I tend to agree with that except for two things:

1. These plants have been under UV lights during their entire grow phase.
2. I hardened these off quite extensively prior to planting.

Not sure if that all makes a difference.  What do you think?

Guilty Pleasures

I’m not what you’d call a voracious reader but when I find a book I really enjoy I sure can sink my teeth into it.  The Survivalist Series from Angery American is one of those series.

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I recently picked up the eighth book in that series entitled “Home Invasion.”  I’ve devoured over half the book in a few days and will, no doubt, be done with it before the end of the weekend.  If you like any kind of apocalyptic fiction, you’ll like this series.

In fact, if you like that kind of book, check out some of these fiction books.  I definitely recommend all of them.

Next Week’s Goals

Gardening

The cukes are growing strong inside.  Likewise, the basil and cilantro are making a strong push under the grow lights.  They should all soon be on the hardening process and eventually make their way to their final homes outside.  I need to get some thyme started outside as well.

The rabbits have definitely left and I’ve been able to prep that area of the garden for transplants.

Workshop

The toolbox is the next big project in my mind here.  I’m going to get the unit cleaned up with the vacuum and a damp cloth.  If it still looks kind of crummy, I’ll break out the orbital sander and go to town.  I’m really going back and forth in my mind about whether I want to remove the years of “patina” and character or not.  Any feedback you have would be appreciated.

That’s it folks – Week 19 is in the books!  How was your week?

Thanks for reading!