The Half-Wild Homestead
A nature-friendly small farm project in Gig Harbor, WA
Farm objectives:
*Supporting native plants and wildlife
*Implementing and demonstrating sustainable practices
*Developing diverse farm products and services
*Happy and healthy people and animals
This small farm is a project (or a dozen projects) in progress. It is a living workshop for experimentation in landscaping and small farm production, which ideally integrates animal- and fruit/veggie projects with other income-generating activities.
Private Dog Park: We offer dog owners an idyllic fenced portion of the property to rent by the hour through an online platform (similar to Airbnb). Our "Sniffspot" is called "Pepper's Pasture" after a recent canine resident of the homestead and can currently only be accessed by appointment via sniffspot.com.
Planting native species to support wildlife
We are replacing invasive Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom with native species that support pollinators and other wildlife.
Implementing and demonstrating sustainable practices
We're working on projects such as water harvesting, composting, and transitioning toward solar energy.
Diverse homestead products and services
We are experimenting with different types of produce and other services with the aim of a homestead that is financially as well as ecologically sustainable.
Happy and healthy animals
We aim to continue hosting dogs at our sniffspot while also supporting other animals--livestock--with as much space and freedom as possible. This will probably involve good fencing and pasture rotation.
What is meant by "Half-Wild"?
*Visiting dogs get to go wild at our Sniffspot, with lots of safe space to run off leash and interesting scents to explore.
*We have adopted feral cats to help manage rodents through barn/business cat adoption programs--see Kitsap and Pierce Humane Societies and Barn Cats R Us in King County. We feed them but only rarely glimpse them.
*We are interested in some of the hardiest breeds of livestock, which have the most in common with their wild ancestors, such as Icelandic chickens and Soay sheep, though they may be less tame and less productive than other breeds.
*In our landscaping, we aim for a 50/50 ratio of "domestic" (such as fruit trees) and "wild" (native) plants.
*Finally, being a "half-wild" homestead implies acceptance that landscaping and other projects can get a little disorderly.
Questions?
Contact thehalfwild@gmail.com with questions or comments.