When I first got the wild idea to raise chickens, I had no clue what I was getting into. I imagined idyllic mornings, collecting fresh eggs, and watching happy hens scratch around the yard. In reality? Well, it's mostly like that—mixed with some surprises, messy coops, the occasional runaway chicken, and, yes, harvesting chickens for meat. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything! If you’ve ever thought about owning chickens, let me take you on a little journey through my own experience. Here’s what I’ve learned so far about this crazy, rewarding adventure of raising chickens. The Beginning: Why Chickens? It all started with my desire to live a little closer to the land. You know, that Pinterest-perfect idea of homesteading: growing your own food, living sustainably, and, of course, fresh eggs on the breakfast table. Chickens seemed like the easiest entry point into that world. Little did I know how much these feathery creatures would take over my life! While eggs were a big reason I started raising chickens, I also wanted to explore a more sustainable way to source my own meat. Knowing exactly how my food was raised, from the eggs we ate to the chicken meat we harvested, was part of my goal to be more self-reliant. And while the thought of butchering chickens might feel overwhelming at first, it becomes an integral part of the homestead lifestyle. Setting Up the Coop: My DIY Project Gone...Well, Right Building the coop was another story. In theory, it was just a box with a roof and a door, right? Wrong. I quickly realized that chickens are escape artists, and every inch of the coop had to be fortified like Fort Knox to keep out predators (and keep the chickens in). After a few weekends of hammering, painting, and a couple of mismeasured boards, the coop finally came together. It wasn’t perfect, but it had character—much like the chickens that would soon inhabit it. If you're thinking about owning chickens, trust me: building the coop is half the adventure. And let me tell you, the satisfaction of seeing your chickens move in for the first time is second to none. The Daily Chicken Shuffle: What It’s Really Like Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Chickens, while relatively low-maintenance, do require some daily care. Every morning starts with letting them out of the coop. They’ll greet you with enthusiastic clucks (because let’s be honest, they only love you for the food). I fill their feeder, top off their water, and check for any eggs that may have magically appeared overnight. Most days, they’re content to roam around, pecking at the grass and chasing bugs, and it’s oddly calming to watch. They’re nature’s little comedians, and I’ve spent more time than I care to admit just sitting and watching them. Of course, not every day is a breeze. There are times I’ve chased an escapee across the yard in my pajamas, and cleaning out the coop? Yeah, that’s a chore I try to avoid until it’s absolutely necessary. But even the not-so-glamorous parts of chicken ownership are worth it for those peaceful moments when the world feels a little slower, and you realize you’re part of something bigger. Preserving the Bounty: Canning Chicken Meat One thing I never expected to learn through chicken ownership was the art of canning. Harvesting chickens gives you more meat than you might be able to use at once, especially when the hens aren't laying as frequently in the winter. That’s where canning comes in handy. It’s an excellent way to store chicken for soups, stews, and quick meals. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing a pantry shelf stocked with jars of homegrown chicken meat, knowing that nothing has gone to waste and that you'll have nutritious meals on hand for months to come. Lessons Learned: The Good, the Bad, and the Feathery One of the biggest surprises of raising chickens is how much they’ve taught me about patience and flexibility. Things don’t always go according to plan. A predator might find its way into the coop (that was a hard lesson), or a chicken might stop laying for no apparent reason. I’ve learned to roll with the punches, knowing that there’s always something new around the corner. And honestly? Chickens are kind of like therapy. When life gets stressful, there’s something calming about heading out to the coop, collecting eggs, and just being in the moment with the flock. They remind me to slow down, take a breath, and appreciate the simple things. Is It Worth It? If you’re thinking about getting chickens, my answer is yes, a hundred times yes. They’re a little messy, a little loud, sometimes demanding, and yes, harvesting them for meat can be emotional, but they’re also endlessly entertaining, rewarding, and, surprisingly, calming. Owning chickens has brought a new rhythm to my days—one that’s slower, more intentional, and connected to nature. So, whether you’re in it for the fresh eggs, the sustainable meat, or just the joy of watching chickens be chickens, go for it! You might just find, like I did, that they give you much more than you ever expected. Are you ready for the chicken life? Trust me, once you start, there’s no going back! xoxo The Bougie Farmer

Social media seems to be abuzz lately with stock pilers, preppers, and “trad-wives”. Freshly manicured images of pantry and root cellar shelves lined with mason jars filled with various types of food seem to fill my feed, regardless of the platform I’m on. Today, seeing these images and posts from users with similar hobbies and interests fills me with joy, and inspires me to continue learning. As early as 5 years ago, I would’ve felt very differently… I moved to Pennsylvania in 2010 and became very curious about food very quickly: how were my friends pulling jars of corn off their shelves in December that somehow tasted fresh off the cob? Why did my neighbor have more than a dozen tomato plants for just her and her husband? What was the woman in front of me at the produce stand going to do with the almost a dozen quarts of strawberries she was asking for? After a successful tomato harvest finally followed many years of disaster, I had my answer: food preservation, specifically canning. I slowly became a voracious student, learning the different methods of canning, food preservation and storage, and learning how to grow what we eat. Despite not having a singular source of knowledge to refer back to while I was learning, I’m happy to share what I did learn, so it may be a point of reference for you! Here’s a basic breakdown on canning: Water bath canning Perhaps the most common form of canning food, with the simplest equipment, water bath canning is done on your stove top in a big pot that has some type of rack on the bottom to prevent the jars from sitting directly on the pot. Highly acid foods can be water bath canned: fruits, fruit juices, fruit spreads (jams, jellies, etc.), salsas, most tomatoes, pickles, relishes, chutneys, sauces, vinegars, and condiments. You can use half-pint, pint, quart, and sometimes even larger jars when canning. You want the jars and its contents to be about the same temperature, and be mindful not to put cold jars into hot water. There are a variety of different recipes, depending on what you are making, but I’ve found the Ball Recipe Magazine to be most helpful. Ensure each jar seals, and you can keep your goods on the shelf for upwards of 12 months, sometimes even 18 months.  I love having strawberry jams, diced peaches, salsa, and pasta sauce on my shelves year-round! Pressure Canning Pressure canning seems to be the method that intimidates most people. Admittedly, I was one of them when I first started.  Now, I actually prefer it! The equipment is a bit more complicated: in addition to a pot, there can be gauges, weights, seals. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. Please don’t let the fear of “blowing up your house” hold you back! Low-acid foods must be pressure canned: red meats, seafood, poultry, and low acid vegetables (carrots, green beans, and asparagus, to name a few). Pressure canners simply get the temperature high enough to kill any potential growth of heat-resistant spore-forming bacteria. With pressure canning, you also want the contents of the jar and the jar itself to be about the same temperature. You will need to spend some time “babysitting” the canner to ensure you maintain the correct pressure, but going into my third year of pressure canning, I am happy to report I have not once broken a glass or blown a lid.  My pressure canner came with a guide I refer to multiple times. “The Complete Guide to Pressure Canning” has also been an invaluable resource! Pressure canning corn eliminates the risk of spoilage from a prolonged power outage,which is why pressure canning is my favorite method! It allows me to save my freezer space for beef, pork, and poultry, which we don’t love to can, but we will if we need to. I love being able to pull jars of homemade bone broth, canned corn, and meal bases off my shelves when life gets busy. While I am by no means an expert in canning (ask me about what I accidentally did to some corn kernels in 2023…), I do feel confident in my abilities now to share what got me to this point! Learning new skills can be overwhelming at first, but it is also so easy to find joy in doing so. To take my skills a step further, I’d love to master canning some “meal in a jar” recipes… I’ll be sure to report back when I do. Thanks for reading! xoxo The Bougie Farmer

In my last blog post, I gave a very basic overview of the two different methods of canning that I utilize: water bath canning, and pressure canning. Regardless of which method you prefer, there is still one question to be answered: how do I find a large enough quantity of food to preserve? I’m so glad you asked… Grow it yourself might seem like the obvious answer to the question above. You’d be surprised how many tomatoes an indeterminate tomato plant will give you, and you can fit more plants than you might think in the space you have. However, if you don’t have the space needed to successfully grow corn, or perhaps you don’t have the time or green thumb to grow what you need, there are other options! Local produce stands are a great place to start for larger quantities of produce. One local produce stand by me grows their own sweet corn in the fields next to the stand. Customers are able to place larger orders with just a few days’ notice to do with what they please. The added benefit of supporting local farmers is just the icing on the cake. The app “Farmish” is a great resource to find local farmers and their goods. Google maps can also help you locate what’s nearby. If you don’t have any produce stands near your house, it might be worth the time and travel to find a produce auction.  A produce auction is almost exactly what it sounds like: buyers are able to buy large lots for a fraction of grocery store prices. Oftentimes, produce auctions will have rough schedules of when different types of produce might come in; others, it might just depend on what sellers show up. It is helpful to know ahead of time what you are willing to spend on individual produce to avoid getting sucked into the thrill of the auction process. The size of the lots can vary, but having an idea of a price point can help.  Additionally, if you’re serious about buying, be sure to have transportation figured out, on the off chance you wind up with 40 bushels of apples to bring home! Another option to keep in mind is your neighbors. Do you have neighbors nearby who tend to wind up with an overabundance of various produce that you would buy cheaply off of them? Do you have extra of something you’ve grown that you could trade? One of our neighbors always seems to have an abundance of blueberries and zucchini. I’ve learned not to grow either because she will always ask if we want some! She is happy to receive some extra eggs from our chickens in exchange, but more often than not she is just glad the excess isn’t going to waste.  We currently have just one acre for our little homestead, with my garden area barely taking up 10% of that. The season of homeschooling young children that I’m in doesn’t afford me the time or energy to grow all of our food here myself, and I’m ok with that. If you’re not able to “do it all” either, don’t let that stop you from finding food to preserve for you and your family anyway. It can be a little bougie, but it can also be a lot of fun.  Thanks for reading! xoxo The Bougie Farmer

Growing up in New York City, I can safely say growing food and preserving it was a thought that never crossed my mind. Grocery stores were always within walking distance, and my city never slept. What could I ever need that wasn’t at my fingertips 24/7? When I moved to Amish Country, PA, that all changed. Hardly anything is “walkable”, rarely are stores open past 9pm, and you can forget about finding a good cup of coffee on Sundays. It wasn’t until I was immersed in the local culture that I discovered an alternative way of living.  I moved from NYC to the Lancaster County area about 15 years ago, in short, for love. Fortunately my then-boyfriend is now my husband, but he was the only connection I had to the area when I first moved here. His family’s ways were all I really was surrounded with, so I quickly learned a thing or two. Blanching corn was a foreign concept to me: why do all this work on a weekend (hundreds of ears at a time!) when you can just go to the grocery store and buy a bag of frozen corn for less than $2? As soon as I bit into a cob of fresh, locally grown corn I had my answer. The corn was delicious, and like nothing I’d ever tasted before! I very quickly understood that all the work was well worth it.   Corn turned out to be the gateway for the beginning of my food preservation journey. I am by no means an expert food processor and preserver, but I find great joy in growing and preserving foods to stock our pantry shelves and freezers with. The meat birds I raise on our property provide chicken for my family for the year, as well as bone broth for soups and more. My garden may be small by most standards, but my tomato and pepper harvest is known to be mighty. My kids love pulling jars of homemade salsa off the shelves, or dumping a jar of pasta sauce into the pot of spaghetti. I recently acquired a dehydrator and love putting a load of freshly picked herbs into it at night, to wake up and be able to store them on my shelf for the months ahead. Things that I never knew about now seem like second nature for me and our family.  While all of that might sound dream-worthy to some of you, I recognize that I could be doing more, but simply cannot do it all on the acre that we are on. I wish I had room for a dairy cow or beef herd. I’d be willing to bet my kids would lobby their hearts out to have some goats on our property. Usually by mid-August, I am completely overwhelmed by the eight garden beds that I do have, so growing all of the fruits and vegetables we consume is out of the question for now. But, I have come to appreciate, and even seek out, locally sourced foods whenever I can.  We have a local farmer friend we get our grass finished beef from. There are dozens of local produce stands, Amish or English, that are open seasonally, not to mention the produce auction that is less than an hour away. If I can’t grow it myself, I find someone locally who has. Doesn’t matter to me who grew it, as long as I can preserve it. Thanks for joining me as I start this journey! My hope is that you can learn something alongside me as I live my life, and hopefully laugh a little too! In the next few posts, I’m excited to share a little more about my food preservation journey, some lifestyle posts that will give you insight into our little homestead, and more about the chickens I do actually have here on the property. It’s going to be a little bougie, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.  xoxo The Bougie Farmer

When I first started homesteading, I never realized how much gardening would change my life. It wasn’t just about growing vegetables to be more self-sufficient; it became a way to slow down, reconnect with nature, and find peace in a world that’s always moving too fast. Homestead gardening isn’t just a hobby—it’s a lifestyle that I’ve fallen deeply in love with. Let me tell you about my journey into the dirt, the sun, and the endless rows of homegrown goodness. The Dream: From Supermarket to Seedlings I used to be one of those people who breezed through the grocery store without much thought. Grab some tomatoes, toss in a few herbs, and head to the checkout. But then I started thinking—where did all this food really come from? How far had it traveled? What kind of chemicals were sprayed on it? That’s when the seed of an idea was planted: what if I could grow my own food? Not just a few herbs on the windowsill, but a real garden—a place where I could grow everything I needed for meals right outside my door. I started small. A couple of raised beds in the backyard, a few tomato plants, some cucumbers, and zucchini. But as any gardener will tell you, once you get your hands in the soil, there’s no going back. Before I knew it, I was sketching plans for expanding the garden, reading up on companion planting, and ordering heirloom seeds by the packet. It became my obsession in the best way possible. Getting My Hands Dirty: The Reality of Homestead Gardening There’s something magical about starting from a tiny seed. You put this little thing into the ground, water it, and with some time and patience, it grows into a plant that nourishes you. Every time I see a sprout break through the soil, it’s like a small miracle. But gardening isn’t always as romantic as it sounds. There are days when it feels more like a battle. I’ve faced everything from pests devouring my lettuce overnight to storms flattening my tomato plants. There were summers when my cucumbers got hit by mildew, and I thought all my hard work was for nothing. But I learned, as with anything in life, that you grow from your mistakes. Those failed seasons taught me to plan better, to listen to the rhythms of nature, and to appreciate every harvest, no matter how small. Sometimes, you just have to embrace the dirt—literally and metaphorically. More Than Just Vegetables: The Unexpected Benefits Gardening has taught me so much more than how to grow food. It’s given me patience, resilience, and a deep respect for the natural world. There’s something incredibly humbling about working with the land, knowing that no matter how hard you try, nature always has the final say. It’s also become a place of peace for me. Whenever life feels overwhelming, I head out to the garden. There’s something meditative about weeding, planting, or just sitting in the middle of the rows, listening to the birds and the buzz of bees. It’s a space where time slows down, and I’m reminded of the simple beauty in watching things grow. And then there’s the food. Let me tell you, nothing— nothing —tastes as good as something you’ve grown yourself. A fresh tomato, still warm from the sun, is like a bite of pure summer. I’ve come to appreciate the flavors of food in a way I never did before. It’s not just about nourishment; it’s about connection—to the earth, to the seasons, and to the hard work that went into every bite. Final Thoughts: Growing More Than a Garden Homestead gardening has become one of the most fulfilling parts of my life. It’s about so much more than just growing vegetables. It’s about learning to live in rhythm with the land, finding peace in the slow moments, and taking pride in the work that fills your table. If you’re thinking about starting a garden, my advice is simple: just start. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you’ll probably make a lot of mistakes (I sure did!). But every time you plant a seed, you’re doing more than growing food—you’re growing a connection to the land, a deeper understanding of life’s rhythms, and a piece of yourself. So grab a shovel, plant some seeds, and watch what happens. You might just grow more than you ever expected. xoxo The Bougie Farmer