Transition to new blog!

Hey everyone, we transferred all the current posts over to the new blog with the farm name! Check us out there! Happy New Year!

humblehandsfarm.blogspot.com

The Gateway Animal to Farming

Birds have really been our gateway animal into farming. If you want to dabble, test the waters, or see if urban or cottage farming is for you, then try some birds. They are literally easier to care for than dogs, and you get a physically nourishing benefit not available from most pets.

Sunny and our first chickens

About four years ago we bought 15 Sex Link, beautiful, black chickens with a metallic green shimmer. We bought them full grown from a small farmer and landscaper in Johnstown, named Cory. He gets about 700 chicks of a variety of chickens, turkey, and ducks every winter. This gives them the 20 weeks necessary to grow to laying age by early summer. He sells them and enough locally made feed to supply himself with free chickens, turkeys, and feed for the year. Sadly, the USDA came and tested his feed a couple years ago, found one nutrient off by 1%, and fined him a large enough amount to make him stop selling feed. A few hundred dollars is a drop in a bucket to a large corporate feed supplier, but drives the smaller, local farmer out of business. It took me until two months ago to find locally made feed for my chickens.

Some of our first chicks

Those first 15 chickens stayed with us until we had to move back to the city for a few years. We rehomed them with some friends just outside of town. That next winter we delved into getting them as chicks. We ordered them from Meyers Hatchery here in Ohio. I think we ordered seven and lost the two Americauna, “Easter Eggers”, as chicks. Raising chicks has been a fundamental experience for our children. Learning about new life, the source of your breakfast, feeding and care, and responsibility. But also the completion of the circle of life, and its necessity in that circle. I would estimate their acceptance and understanding of loss of life will be well advanced. This gives me some solace that they will have more compassion and courage when the day comes that they lose a long time pet or family member. It is a somber subject, and I do not wish to dwell, but our culture has a peculiar difficulty discussing and understanding such an intimate part of the circle of life. 

A-frame coops made by my brother, Dave

When those chickens stopped laying, we had them processed for future chicken salad and chicken and dumplings. We were almost immediately gifted four full grown layers, and recently gifted those to our new housemate when we moved out here. The current layers we have out here we ordered back in mid-January. We only lost one as a chick out of 24, which is a pretty good ratio, and directly related to our increased knowledge over the years. We brought them out to the land here when they were only nine weeks old, in late March. We were coming out part time, every other day, to give them food and water. Eventually by May we had moved out full time and were relying on a neighbor's dog, Sydney, to keep away predators. One night she didn't show up, and we lost three chickens. Miraculously, the next day we were able to borrow my brother's family dog, Charlie. We had also been looking for a Collie or Pyrenees to grow up with animals, but didn't have the funds to make it happen. The same day we got Charlie, we happened upon an older lady in an apartment with no yard and a Collie/Pyrenees mix puppie in need of a farm. Roxy had officially joined us in our adventure. Now, a month and a half later we also found Abel, a one year old Pyrenees, that has allowed us to return Charlie to my brother and his family. We haven't lost any more chickens.

Abel and June

The interconnected nature of a diverse farm is only beginning to reveal itself to us. I am sure we will be humbled by numerous interdependencies as we move forward.

We just dove into the world of turkeys last week. Wish us luck as I hear they are tougher to keep alive. We got five chicks from a local hatchery, called Our Family Hatchery, not two miles away in Trinway. I spoke with Brent about the small operation brooding chickens, turkeys, guinea hens, pheasant, and duck. I may try to purchase some of his meat chickens until we can raise some of our own.

Finding Community in Unexpected Places

When we decided to invest in this farm project seven months ago, we were bracing ourselves for the loneliness factor. Michelle and I have both grown up around the city and suburbs our entire lives. We are fortunate to have close ties to family and friends. We have been intimately involved with various community groups and organizations over the years, from churches to yoga to soccer to kids dance to the library. As our children grew up we enjoyed the library so much, we decided to move to within walking distance of the Westerville branch. Ice cream socials and summer reading programs became interwoven into our busy lives.

The cousins visit the girls in the newly painted trailer

And I need a whole separate paragraph for our church community at Central Vineyard in Clintonville. Words cannot express the joy, endearment, fun times, heartbreak, and fulfillment we have gotten from the relationships, events, and community building. It's as though God provided just the right encouragement and nourishing needed to grow our family over the last 6 years. Participating in building community gardens, the Clintonville Resource Center, Justice Gardens, Asia's Hope, Vineyard Dar es Salaam, and many small groups have opened up a depth in our family I didn't know existed. We have been blessed to be a part of this community and the many lifelong relationships that have become intertwined in ours.

Farmer Dave helps us by tilling up the new garden

We regularly get together with family on both sides for events, holidays, and even our weekly routines. Everything from family dinners, to holidays, to Nana school, to Mimi's sleepovers are cherished. So you can imagine that we were in no hurry to discard any of these treasured parts of our lives in  exchange for an hour long commute, sparse neighbors, and no church family. And yet, we felt led to this somewhat drastic lifestyle change. How do you measure the value of a neighbor pulling your vehicle out of snow and mud, not once but several times? Or another stopping by to welcome you with homemade banana bread and warm conversation? You have an intimate discussion about the desire for a bit larger home eventually with a better view. Then the next day your neighbor clears your land with his bulldozer, and says, "That would be a great spot for a home." Does it become impossibly coincidental then, or when the bees show up two days later to their freshly cleared homes?

My brother, Dave, putting in a fresh oak walkway 

It's encouraging when your neighbors have you over for dinner and tell you that you will love the community. And then every new neighbor you meet is so kind and welcoming. And some of them share interests like spinning, wool, and owning sheep. Others are horticulturalists, and provide local greenhouse raised perennials for your garden. Still other likeminded travelers are found through connections at the local feed store. Bringing ancient traditions to bear in practical ways for your new goat herd. Small world connections at the local yoga class. You begin to realize that neighbors gravitate and rely on one another out of necessity. When emergency help is further away, knocking on a door happens more. And of course we appreciate all the support of the core Rootdown friends who have invested in this land. We couldn't do this without them. And especially the time and energy of my brother, Dave, and his wife Kara. The house wouldn't function without his expertise. Not to mention that his frequent visits mean our girls have been spending more time with their cousins than they did when we were 10 minutes from their house.


There are multiple small family grocers and farm markets within 10 minutes drive, including Roscoe Village. Our new favorite is Local Bounty in Coshocton city. It is a year round market and co-op which boasts all its produce, meats, jams, soaps, salves, and wool are from within 14 miles. The volunteer behind the counter took the time to be kind to my children, and invited me to the Coshocton Beekeepers' Club when he saw my "Thank a Honeybee" shirt. There may be a large, flashy Wally World (Walmart) right on the highway, but a quick glimpse behind the curtain reveals it is as superficial as Oz's hologram. These big box stores may have every thing we need, but they don't have the relationships and support we need.

From our family to yours. We hope you are finding the community and support you need.

Bee Calm

6/12/2014

It happened sooner than we expected. I had expected it to happen the following weekend when my cousin Paul and the wonderful Beth were set to get married. That's how these things always play out, don't they? Major family event planned months ahead. Unpredictable arrival of important package requiring immediate pickup and attention.

In this case the important package was a 4 lb. package of bees and an extra queen. You may be asking yourself, “Why the extra queen?”. Don't think you are alone. I asked the same thing. Weird nuance of the apiary society. Worker bees don't seem to care which queen they were born to, and only need an adjustment period with a new queen's pheremones to accept her. So the most efficient way to start two new hives is to split a 4 lb. package into two hives.

So, back to the surprise call. About ten days early, on the 15^th of April, if I recall, I got a call. A voicemail to be precise. We don't always get great phone service at the land, and we had been working there all day. On our way home I checked my messages and it simply stated, “Your bees have arrived, please come get them as soon as possible. We are open 24 hours a day until they have all been picked up.” Please also be aware that this was also the last light snow/frost in central Ohio. So needless to say, I was worried about the survival of the bees in that cold.

Michelle and I discussed waiting until Thursday when I had my next day off work, but thought that would be too long for them. The other options were dropping the girls off and returning that night, or leaving early and installing them on Wednesday morning before work. Reluctantly we decided that a night install would not be the best choice for my first time. As I did the math in my head it would be an early departure.

3:45am, the alarm blares! I roll out of bed, get dressed, and jump in the car. I grab coffee and gas and head for Danville. Arrive at Simpson Bee Supply at around 5:15. The dark, crisp night and long, unlit gravel drive make it seem uninviting. White barn at the end of the drive with a light and various bee hives inside tells me this is the right place. But no one is around. I walk past a few cars in the drive toward what looks like an unlit house. Still no signs of life. Then a noise and some light sneaking out from the closed door of a delivery truck. I knock on the back door of the truck. The man inside says, “Don't mean to be rude, but please go inside the mud room and knock on the inside door.” I do as he says. Two minutes later a kind, tired, old woman comes to the door. I tell her I have come to pick up my package of bees and an extra queen. She says we have to drive down to the end of the drive where they store the bees. I follow her car back down the way I came, and onto a short driveway with a large Mobile Simpson Bee Supply trailer. I follow her inside. She finds her ledger, and eventually finds my name with the purchased bees listed. Next to a propane heater she pulls out a 1x1x3 inch screened box and hands it to me. “Here's your extra queen. Just put her in your pocket to keep her warm.” Put her in my pocket??? I keep this thought to myself, as I consider this may just be a greenhorn concern. Then she shuffles past me and outside. I follow, wondering why she didn't also hand me a box of bees from inside the warm trailer. Then I figure it out. There are large tarps draped over pallets full of bee boxes next to the trailer. They don't have space to house all these boxes. Nor do they usually have a need. Rarely does it snow in mid-April. She finds my 4 lb screened in box, and walks it to my car. I open the trunk and she says, “Maybe they would be warmer in the back seat.” In my back seat??? I, again, keep this thought to myself, knowing my overactive imagination is probably the culprit. She places them on the floor of my back seat, and I say a small prayer. I thank her for the service and late hours, and speed on my way around 6am.

At this point in the drive, I can see I am not going to be on time to work, short of a miracle. I make the best time I can and arrive to our land at around 6:45. I have a few things working against me at this point. Our land has a long, muddy drive up to the house. I was driving the civic, assuming I would have to walk the bees back to the waiting hives. It is now too late to reasonably expect to have time to walk them back, install them, and walk back to the car and still make it to work even a few minutes late. Some anxiety fades as both of those obstacles are removed. Pulling into the drive I realize the cold weather has been a blessing in disguise. It has frozen the ground, and I am able to drive the civic back to the house for the 1st time since last fall. Elated, I turn the car around and get the bees, my bee suit, spray bottle with sugar water, and 2 mason jars with sugar water. 

I should also mention another challenge I am dealing with. I have a broken ankle, and still have two weeks till I am off crutches. Needing both hands for crutches, I decide that I only have time for two trips over the 200 feet to the hives. The first trip I take the bag with spray bottle and two mason jars. The mason jars begin clinking against each other and the aluminum crutch. I slow down to reduce the risk, but still manage to break one by the time I reach the hives. I return to the car and get the box of bees. You may notice that I have decided to forgo the protection of the bee suit. Somehow I carry the bee box on my shoulder, pinching the crutch in my armpit, allowing it to pendulum swing with my forward momentum. 

I remember that Michelle heard advice that our hives needed to be 20 feet apart so the bees wouldn't merge into one hive. I had set them up only two days before with about 5 feet difference, as I had seen other keepers do with established hives. New hives are apparently different, especially ones that are split from one package. In order to move one hive, I drop the crutches and walk on my knees the 20 feet with multiple pieces in my hands. I wish I had video of the multiple trips it took to move cinder blocks and the many pieces of the hive. 

Now the hives are set up, and I spray the screened box of bees with sugar water. This calms them down, feeds them, and makes it difficult for them to fly. I duct tape the queen from my pocket, still in her cage, onto the top edge of one hive. I pull the food can, about the size of a can of soup, from the package. I realize later that it was only held in by gravity, and I was lucky it stayed in place while in the car. I do the patented "bump, pour" move with the box, and attempt to estimate when about half the bees have fallen into the 1st hive. This is soon complicated by bees buzzing around my head. I set the box down, replace the food can, and grab the spray, spraying in every direction. As soon as I can determine there are no bees on me, I grab the box and knee walk over to the other hive. Same series of events, except I also have to use my leatherman pliers to remove the queen cage and attach it to the 2nd hive. Same frantic waving and spraying of bees until I am a safe distance away. Then slowly returning to each hive to place feeding lids, feeding jars, and top lids on the hives. I used the food can that came with the package for the 2nd hive, since I broke one of mine walking over. 

I grab my crutches and hobble back to the car. I speed away at about 7:15am. It takes about an hour to get to work from there, which puts me only about 15 minutes late. I apologize profusely, and only find one hitchhiker in my jacket when I unload in the teacher's lounge.  Somehow I received no stings!

Welcome!

Welcome! It's hard to know where to start. We are a family of Five ... Ma, Pa, and three littles.. Sunny, Juniper, and Marigold . 43 acres, an earthship,24 chickens, 10,000 honeybees (give or take), and some big dreams. We purchased the land with some friends and family, and are currently the only ones in transition to live there full time. We spend 5 days a week on the land and 2 days in the city. We've already had our ups and downs, and this little space on the web is where we plan to share some of our story. We've got lots of photos and stories.. So stay tuned! -Jeff&Michelle