A Day in the Life on the Homestead
This week, I received 4 truck-loads of wood chip mulch from local tree companies. I get these chips free, as often these companies have to pay to drop their chips off at dumping sites. So, whenever I am in need, I reach out to a few companies to see who is doing work in my area, and who has chips to dump. The free chips make me happy, the free dumping makes the tree company happy, and a tip to the driver makes the driver happy. It’s a win-win-win.
Today, my son and I moved one of those loads to the Chicken Run. The chickens now have a cleaner, healthier space, and the mulch will break down into rich soil over time. Simple work, but meaningful.
Mulch is more than just bedding. It absorbs moisture, cuts down on smell, and gives the chickens a surface they can scratch and dig through, which is part of their natural design. Over time it composts into rich soil, closing the loop between waste and fertility. What starts as rough wood chips becomes a resource that builds the next season’s growth. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (Psalm 24:1a). Even wood left behind by tree crews is part of God’s provision when used wisely.
Wood chips play a bigger role on the homestead than many realize. They are versatile and offer benefits that ripple through both the garden and the chicken run:
- Weed Suppression: A thick covering of wood chips blocks light from reaching weeds, which keeps garden beds cleaner and easier to manage without constant disturbance of the soil.
- Soil Moisture Conservation: Wood chips hold onto water, releasing it slowly back into the soil. This allows plants to thrive through dry spells and reduces stress on the garden.
- Soil Temperature Regulation: Mulch keeps soil cooler in the summer heat and warmer during cold nights, giving roots a stable environment.
- Improved Soil Health and Structure: As the chips decompose, they feed earthworms, fungi, and beneficial organisms, steadily improving fertility and structure.
- Erosion Control: A mulch layer shields soil from heavy rain and wind, preventing washouts and keeping nutrients where they belong.
- Smell Reduction: In the chicken run, wood chips absorb moisture and manure, keeping odor under control and creating a healthier environment for the flock. This added nitrogen helps the carbon break down into beneficial compost, which again will go to feed the plants we grow.
- Waste Reduction: By using chipped branches and trimmings, we turn what others would discard into a resource that blesses the land.
- Cost-Effective and Readily Available: Local tree crews often deliver chips for free. What might otherwise be wasted becomes a steady supply of mulch for the homestead.
- Aesthetic Appearance: Mulch also adds order and beauty. Clean pathways and tidy garden beds are a visible reminder of stewardship and care.
These small steps, moving mulch and caring for the land, are not wasted. They are acts of stewardship. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). You do not need acres of land or a barn full of animals to begin. Start with what you have, where you are. Today, that might mean planting a single pot of herbs on your windowsill, or buying one packet of seeds and putting them in the soil.