Where to begin

Today Chance and I were asked how we knew or chose to start our Urban Farming and Homestead,the question came out of the blue and I gave a half answer but now I have had some time to think about it.I know it is a question many come up with "Where to start?"The answer has to come from within your self but I can say, look around and pick one area and start there.The rest will come with time as you master one thing or realize you are ready to start in another area.The thing I have noticed about this life is, it becomes an ecosystem,each area is inter connected and dependent on the other areas to work as a whole.And like an ecosystem it just kind of happens. One day you will look around yourself and feel like you have arrived.We have not arrived yet but like I have said before for Chance and I it's a journey not a destination.
There have been many baby steps getting where we are today and I suppose it all started with growing a garden,something we have always done every where we have lived.I grew up with big vegetable gardens and an assortment of fruit so a garden was just a natural part of life to me.
Figuring out what we wanted to grow took some thought, the seed catalogs were full of more types of seed than we would ever need.We started out growing what we knew we would eat then added some new things to try from time to time.We also decided not to grow some things because of space,when you live in the city using your growing spaces wisely is important.
I grew up with Chickens and love them dearly so when I found out that people were raising chickens in the city once more I was more than ready to jump on the bandwagon.In hind sight I don't know why I was surprised at this new trend,growing up we had chickens and we lived in the city.
This past spring we have taken the biggest steps forward in our Homesteading,bringing more garden to the front,adding meat chickens,cooking and baking more than ever,searching out more ways to be more independent,teaching others,trying to lead in our own way just doing it/living it.
Stepping forward this spring was also motivated by concerns about our country's failing food systems and an economy that is worse than our leaders will admit,we had to take measures to take care of ourselves.
We had no clue this spring that there were entire groups of people moving in our same direction and there were buzz words to boot,sustainability,urban farming,urban homesteading wow who knew,not I.I always thought the folks doing what we are aiming for lived in the country,or belong to some group focused on hell fire end of the world type stuff.Or were the aging hippies my parents were becoming,left overs from a commune not city people from many walks of life that we have found.We were not looking for a title,to be hip or holy we just want to take the best care of ourselves as we can.
The current news from Hrafinstaad is minimal,it is just too blipping hot this week to do much of any thing.
Tomorrow Chance and I are getting up early and we will be picking blackberries.Because of the heat I plan on freezing the berries for a week or so until the weather is a bit more friendly towards making jam.Being able to freeze your bounty is a great trick to use when time or heat are an issue.
We have also decided to raise 2 White Muscovy Ducks for Christmas dinner.Our ducks will arrive in mid August and since neither of us have ever raised them before there's reading and learning to do before they arrive. Get ready to laugh at us over this one,ducks are very different from chickens so it should be interesting.
Chance has been so busy with work we are still trying to find time to work out a class calender.It will come soon.We still have a few spots left in our August 1st Chicken Butchering Class so if you have not signed up and are wanting to drop us an email.
Rois