Introductions...

Welcome to my new blog about sustainability & suburban homesteading in east Davis! After thinking about blogging for a while, giving increasing numbers of impromptu tours of the yard, and happily fielding lots of questions about our activities, I am taking the blog plunge.

 

My purpose is twofold: 

Information and Inspiration ~ The more time I spend working outside on the homestead, the more often I find myself standing among the vegetable beds chatting with family, friends & neighbors about what we're doing here at the end of the cul-de-sac. The exchange of information has been fun, helpful and inspiring for me, and hopefully for others, too. I hope this blog will expand the circle and encourage even more conversation, inspiration, and information sharing. So if you're in or near Davis and also on a journey of sustainability or self-sufficiency (or even if you're neither of those things), leave a comment and introduce yourself!

Davis-specific Resources ~ So far I haven't found others who are blogging regularly about sustainable living here in Davis. (If you're out there and I missed you, let me know!) There are lots of excellent non-blog resources in Davis for people interested in a self-sufficient and simple lifestyle, but most serve a more narrow purpose. I hope Banyan's End will be a practical resource that helps fill the gap, bringing different kinds of information together in one place, exploring region-specific questions like "how do I grow onions in Davis?" or "what's the best local source for high quality soil and compost?" and highlighting current issues, events, problems and practices specific to the Davis area.

And now, a little bit about me...

I'm a teacher by training, but have been out of the classroom since being laid off in 2010. That summer, my choice was either to accept a last-minute placement teaching a new subject in a new grade level at a new school in my district, or to sit the school year out.

For those who aren't teachers, I'll tell you that the combination of new school/grade/subject is a surefire formula for one seriously hectic year of 8 to 10-hour classroom days and midnight lesson planning, plus neglecting oneself and one's family in the process. Having already experienced three of those kinds of years, I opted to stay home and hop onto the homesteading bandwagon and I haven't looked back. 

I grew up in Davis and have been gardening since I was a kid. Now my family includes my husband, two kids, a dog and four chickens. We are all on this adventure together, learning and growing as we go. I am by no means an expert, but I enjoy the process and find I'm better at this stuff when I talk with other people about it. Join in the fun, and leave a comment letting me know what questions you have or what topics you might like to hear more about!