Sunset's One-Block Feast

Discover how we learned to eat almost entirely from the land around us ― and how you can, too

We had a dream...

We wanted to see if we could eat almost entirely from our own land. Here's what we learned about the joys, and realities, of the locavore life|Margo True and the Sunset staff

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  • One-block feast corn

    Here's what we planted

    When you grow your own food, you can try varieties that are hard to find in a grocery store or even a farmers’ market. Here's what we planted, and what we learned

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We raised chickens

Our flock of six baby chicks grew to hen-hood. Six surprising facts :

1. No rooster necesary  Even without a male, hens will lay eggs (they just won’t hatch). Plus, roosters are noisy; if you’re raising chickens in a city, you want to get all hens.

2. Cute but weird  A chicken closes its eyelids from the bottom.

3. Chest rubs are calming  Frantic, peeping chick? Gently lay it on its back in your hand and stroke its chest. The little one will bliss out.

4. Odd appetites  The favorite food of adolescent chickens, at least our chickens: wild fennel. They destroyed a vigorous 6-foot plant within a week. Second favorite food: hot green chiles. (Birds can’t taste spiciness.)

5. Easily confused  When a hen reaches egg-laying maturity, she will squat near your feet and beg to be stroked. She thinks you are a rooster―a good delusion to perpetuate.

6. An egg a day Adult hens usually lay one egg a day. Our flock of six produces three dozen delicious eggs a week, for only the cost of chicken scratch ... well, and one vet bill. – ELIZABETH JARDINA

Next: We made wine

 
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