When the COVID-19 pandemic caused Courtney Shorr to be furlough from her teaching chore , she fall out a dearest of “ getting my hands dirty ” and jump wholesale into the homesteading lifestyle .
“ We only live on one - sixth of an Accho . But we added everything we could afford to our homestead at the time , ” recalls the Utah - based Shorr , who broadcasts her adventures via theBushel And A Peck HomesteadInstagram account . “ I became beekeeper , begin raise Coturnix quail , plant a micro grove and buck out a third of the dope in our backyard to expand our garden . ”
Looking back on the period of change , Shorr says , “ It not only kept me officious during a stressful time . But it all made me happier than I ’d ever been . ”

We spoke to Shorr about how to avoid food waste and the joy of teaching children to treasure nature . We also got the exclusive on adding quail to your suburban homestead .
Forging a Food Connection
A post share by Courtney ? ? ? ? ? ( @bushel.and.a.peck.homestead )
“ There is something so peculiar about consume the food you grow , raised , broil and worked so hard for , ” says Shorr . “ It give you a connecter to your food and health that is hard to find when bribe the thing you eat . ”
Shorr adds that she ’s noticed how her children become worked up to “ eat the things they planted and watched grow . ”

Read more : Take your growing to the next level with ecosystem horticulture !
Pride in the Old Ways
sweep up the joys of old fashioned methods is a key part of Shorr ’s homestead . Case in point : When Shorr and her kids bake loot together , she ’s noticed how they “ get to finger that superbia that come up from work on a acquisition that people have been living by for thousands of year . ”
Tips for Avoiding Food Waste
understate the amount of food that proceed to waste is something Shorr is passionate about . “ Besides loving our compost pile , we always seek to save our vegetable rubbish to make stock , ” she explains . “ As we utilize various vegetables in our even cooking I freeze down the supererogatory snatch in our freezer until I ’m ready to make a batch of bone stock or chicken breed . It ’s a keen agency to add flavor with the parts of the plant that most people typically do in . ”
Appreciating Coturnix Quail
Shorr and her family live in a suburban neighborhood that ’s open to homeowner association ( HOA ) rules . So she and her family ca n’t call forth backyard chickens .
“ But I was determined to add an egg intellectual nourishment source to our home plate , ” say Shorr . “ So I did a lot of research and discovered that there are no regulation in my area against Coturnix quail . Win ! ”
Talking about raise quail , Shorr characterizes her “ fantastic little birds ” as a great ball source that does n’t take up an abundance of space . “ They are quiet , healthy and easy to care for too . We think they are the perfect addition to any suburban homestead if you ’re look for an option to chicken . ”
Read more : For some people , quail just work better than a pile of chickens .
Loving an Old-Fashioned Lifestyle
“ There are so many thing that I rightfully love about our homesteading journey . But I think the most rewarding part for me is seeing the change it has brought to my children , ” enthuses Shorr . “ They are less concerned in the digital world and have become true lovers of nature . ”
Summing up the benefits of their homestead frame-up , Shorr adds , “ We love living an sometime - fashioned - on - purpose - life-style . And we are all excited for whatever comes next ! ”