Bossy Hen Homestead

From our family garden to your table

As I quickly approach my first season as a market gardener I thought that I should take a moment and introduce the philosophy behind our small homestead. As with all gardens or farms there is a story that is singularly unique while containing threads of commonality. This is our particular tale.

Bossy Hen homestead is small in terms of a farming project yet large in terms of a garden. Initially the property, which spans no more than 1/16th of an acre in the village of Sidney N.Y. ,was started as a hobby garden by two very proud new homeowners. Soon after we bought our home the Great Recession took place and the gardens expanded and literally provided food for a growing family through tough economic times, including two layoffs.

It was around the time of the second layoff that I, as the main vegetable gardener in the family, began to recognize the stability and power of growing your own food, especially in one of the most economically depressed counties in the country. Though we still grow food for our own table we began donating to the local food shelter after researching the staggering amounts of food that are wasted in American gardens every year.

We raise nearly 60 different items on 1/16th acre

As the garden evolved so did my approach to running and maintaining it. Though not certified organic I am diligent in obtaining soil and plant health through natural permaculture techniques. The goal at Bossy Hen is to embrace nature not fight it. After years of experimenting the homestead now provides shelter to local beneficial insects and animals by providing room for natural fauna among the crops. Mason bee shelters, toad houses and bird nesting are encouraged. Compost from green kitchen scraps as well as rabbit and chicken manure is added to the soil regularly to nourish the absolutely stunning amount of life that exist below our feet. Healthy soil means healthy plants. The soils health dictates everything from growth and production to disease resistance and even plays a crucial role in pest control.

With space being limited a number of growing techniques are incorporated to protect the land upon which we live while providing the largest yield possible. We use vertical growth with common garden plants such as tomatoes or cucumbers but also employ it in more unique settings such as growing pumpkins on a trellis. We use co-planting and the French intensive method to crowd plants into forming a healthy symbiotic relationship. For example the three sisters method which predates European arrival in America is a technique which has corn, squash and beans all growing in the same space. The corn, which is a nitrogen hog, grows upright providing a trellis for the pole beans which in turn actually return nitrogen to the soil via their roots while the squash vine provides a natural mulch by spreading low to the ground and retaining rain water.

We do our best to use heirloom seeds for a number of reasons. One, because we believe genetic diversity in our food supply is important. Two, heirlooms produce some of the most lovely and delicious items on our table. Lastly, is there anything more amazing than knowing you are eating a melon that was grown in France in the 1800's or a tomato from generations ago in Sicily? History literally upon your plate.

Few places I would rather be

Another aspect of our homestead that I feel is very important is that the food you the consumer will be eating is literally out of our family garden. If it is not fit for my children than it is certainly not fit for you. That is first and foremost. Take into account my experience with food scarcity in the past and understand that I (we) want to provide healthy and unique food for individuals and their families regardless of income level. This is my own private form of rebellion for lack of a better word. If you take any institution in this great country of ours be it education, health or exactly what we are talking about now, food, it is always about the bottom line at the end of the day. Now, it is true I am exploring an opportunity to generate income for my family but it is not about the money. It is about bringing the human relationship back into commerce. I know my small circle of customers. I harvest their food with my own hands. I wash it and package leaf by leaf. I sweat and toil with an eagerness driven by a love for the land and for the plants I grow. I am filled with immense pride when I am able to provide fresh food directly from my garden to another family to share with the ones they love.

Bossy Hen homestead is a small step forward in which quality is more important than quantity. Filling a belly is more important than filling a bank account (though that would be nice) and knowing that I am leaving the property in better shape than I found it when this is all said and done is far more important than exploiting the property for personal gain.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the market so that you can share this journey of bounty with me. Together we can over grow the system.