451: Brittney Schiff on Growing Food and Raising Animals.
Having good clean fun on an urban farm.
Brittney and her husband Stephen moved to a one-acre urban homestead in 2015 with a desire to rely less on the grocery store and our messed-up food system. Taking homesteading from a hobby to a lifestyle, she bakes bread, cans food, makes butter and cheese, line-dries clothes, and even has a small soap-making company. They have 28 fruit bearing trees, several raised gardens and plans to add an in-ground 2500 sq. ft. row garden in the next year. They had no previous livestock experience, but now raise 90% of their family’s meat, egg, & dairy needs with chickens and ducks for meat and eggs as well as goats for milk. All this and she loves every bit of it!
In This Podcast:
Awakening to the desire to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and meat, Brittney Schiff and her husband Stephen started with a few garden beds and chickens. Gradually this increased and they moved to a property that allowed them to do more. Now they raise, chickens, ducks, rabbits and goats and their kids are learning homesteading skills too. She shares what she appreciates most about this journey.
Listen in and learn about:
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- Being motivated by the documentary Food Inc to change her lifestyle
- Starting with 4 gardens and couple chickens
- Getting more chickens and running into problems with their neighbors
- Meeting new friends who introduced them to rabbit meat
- Finding a new property that could give them everything they wanted
- The new urban farm – with chickens, rabbits, ducks, goats,
- Why she loves ducks more than chickens
- Producing just enough for herself and family and friends
- Bountiful harvests and sharing with friends
- The lifestyle choices they are making
- Things that influenced her family to change
- Our kids… spend almost every opportunity they have during apple season up in the tree just eating all the apples. And I love that they have that experience.
- Raising animals for meat as a family endeavor and not taking the meat for granted
- Helping a preschool teach about raising chickens
- Soap making and how a lady pouring goat milk on her garden moved her towards this direction
- The soap business that took off on its own
As well as:
Her failure – Trying to raise 100 layer chickens in one breeder and loosing almost half of them due to unseasonable weather
Her success – The everyday little successes from growing food for her table, to seeing her young son come up with business plans – one of which she has implemented, and the joy her youngest son has with farming
Her drive – The skills and knowledge her kids are gaining
Her advice – Start small, make goals and go gradually.
Brittney’s Book recommendations:
Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering by Adam Danforth
YouTube Channel – Living Traditions Homestead
How to reach Brittney:
Website: azsoapbar.com Instagram: @worthewaitfarm or @azsoapbarUrbanFarm.org/worththewait
Special thanks to our sponsors:gemplers.com/urbanfarm (use code URBANFARM01)
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The go-to boots for big tasks!
To learn more about Growing Your Own Food visit IWantToGarden.com
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