The Incessant Homesteader

The Incessant Homesteader Building a homestead for two! Gardening, cooking, food preserving, and DIYing in Tidewater, VA.

04/27/2021

Hi there! You may be wondering where I've been lately. Well, the farmstead has a name now (gasp!) and I've been posting over at Littleton Acres 🐓

I'd love for you to follow the new farmstead page for all things chicken, gardening, and food preserving. Thanks!

Even before the grass and bugs are lush and aplenty, on the first day of spring, you can tell the difference between egg...
03/20/2021

Even before the grass and bugs are lush and aplenty, on the first day of spring, you can tell the difference between eggs laid in a commercial layer house versus eggs laid from pastured-raised hens.
The eggshell color doesn't impact or impart any flavor difference to the eggs. What matters most is the quality of food and living environment. Our hens (and roosters) are fed an oyster shell enhanced pellet with 16% protein. The oyster shell provides strength to the eggs the hens lay and the protein keeps the chickens strong and healthy.
We also supplement with treats! Sometimes mealworms, many times oats and veggie/fruit scraps. They love winter squash and pumpkin! Pumpkin is also a natural dewormer.
All of this to say...you are what you eat. Healthier hens lay nutrient rich eggs that taste incredible and make a difference in your own diet.
@ Sussex County, Virginia

03/19/2021

It's 38° outside. 👀

Spring is almost here. 🌱 @ Sussex County, Virginia
03/14/2021

Spring is almost here. 🌱 @ Sussex County, Virginia

The days are warming up little by little just as the days are getting longer. With this change comes more eggs every day...
03/03/2021

The days are warming up little by little just as the days are getting longer. With this change comes more eggs every day! I'm happy to report that one of the hens we hatched from our own eggs last September is starting to lay. Full circle feels so good 🐣
@ Sussex County, Virginia

Lots of flowers planted today: tithonia, calendula, marigold, and cone flower. Also cabbage, onion, and thyme.The celery...
02/06/2021

Lots of flowers planted today: tithonia, calendula, marigold, and cone flower. Also cabbage, onion, and thyme.
The celery and romaine scraps are coming along. Not pictured, but the garlic and onion sprouts in the raised beds are doing great, too.
@ Sussex County, Virginia

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01/28/2021

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One week is all I needed to let these 8 onion sets grow roots. I'm so impressed! Today was warm and sunny, so I cleaned ...
01/02/2021

One week is all I needed to let these 8 onion sets grow roots. I'm so impressed! Today was warm and sunny, so I cleaned out a couple raised beds, tucked these in soil, and topped with enough straw mulch to cover all the green tops!

The last few years, I've worked to save seeds from plants I've grown and a few times now, I've taken part in seed swaps ...
01/02/2021

The last few years, I've worked to save seeds from plants I've grown and a few times now, I've taken part in seed swaps with folks on instagram. One thing I've found intriguing is how people store their seeds and how they package the seeds they share.
Some folks store seeds in plastic. Some in paper. I've have friends who store seeds in the fridge or freezer. I don't think there's one correct way to store seeds and we all live in different places and homes with varying humidity or pests.
For me? I typically store in paper and at room temperature. I've had luck with 8-9 year old seeds still germinating, but with less success the older they get. It's one reason I try to replenish old seeds with new ones from the most recent harvest.
I was cleaning my office last weekend and going through a plant collection from grad school. I'm so glad I kept it because it helps me identify plants on our homestead, but also, I'm checking the germination potential of the pearl millet a little mouse tried to enjoy. Lesson learned! Store seeds up high! My seed binders are at the top of my office bookcase or on top of a desk.
@ Sussex County, Virginia

It was a soggy start to this new year after so much rain the past few weeks. Before the ground is able to fully dry out,...
01/02/2021

It was a soggy start to this new year after so much rain the past few weeks. Before the ground is able to fully dry out, we get more heavy downpours. The chickens have been seriously waterlogged. So, we moved them to higher ground, cleaned their mobile coop, and they are happily scratching away as more rain rolled in this afternoon.
Here's hoping something made you smile and warmed your heart this new year's day. We've all been through so much in 2020 and there's still more ahead. Peace and love to you all!


The setting sun meeting the last full moon of 2020. @ Sussex County, Virginia
12/29/2020

The setting sun meeting the last full moon of 2020. @ Sussex County, Virginia

I've been experimenting with food scraps lately. It's something fun to do while perusing seed catalogs and missing summe...
12/26/2020

I've been experimenting with food scraps lately. It's something fun to do while perusing seed catalogs and missing summer garden weather.
We had 3 organic sweet onions start to sprout, so I peeled the layers (and saved for broth) and will try to encourage roots on the sprouts before planting. If successful, we'll get eight new onions.
Two organic celery bottoms have successfully rooted and one shows true new growth! Celery takes about 120 days to grow the bunch you see at the grocery store. I'm interested to see how long it takes to grow a bunch from the rootstock of a harvested plant.
@ Sussex County, Virginia

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Waverly, VA
23890

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