Homegrown and Happiness

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Colorado Springs, CO
Homegrown and Happiness

A small Urban Backyard Farm in the downtown area of Colorado Springs, Colorado. My name is Kellie Dodson and absolutely love my Urban backyard farm!
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We have lived here for 21 years. I have 2 grown children and a wonderful son in law and am about to be a grandma. We are so very blessed. I home-schooled my two wonderful children and have learned much in the process. I have also found the Lords leading to make sure my family eats healthy. To do so, I have invested in my knowledge of foods and cooking to better serve this end. We grow our own vege

tables, drink goats milk and I grind my own wheat. I also currently play mamma to a small flock of laying hens and ducks who provide us with farm fresh eggs on a daily basis. We also our loving our bees. I have created this page to share all the information with my family, friends and anyone who will find it helpful as they bless their own families. "We are open only by appointment!"

09/03/2024

Elderberry Syrup "FORTIFIED" For Sale!
(taking pre-orders)
COLD AND FLU SEASON IS APPROACHING FAST! BE READY!!!
Homegrown and Happiness will be producing another batch of our FAMOUS Elderberry Syrup very soon!
We have produced AND sold over 50 gallons last year!

16 OZ bottles - $30 each - (cash only please)

If you are interested, MESSAGE US with:
- quantity of bottles you want
- full name
- CELL PHONE NUMBER
* I will message you for pick up time
* Local pick up only! No shipping

Ingriendents:
Wildcrafted Elderberries, Organic Raw Ginger Root, Raw/Unfiltered Local Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Black Pepper OUR PROPRIETARY HERB BLEND: Echinacea Root, Echinacea Purpurea Aerial Part Extract, Peppermint Leaf, Lemongrass, Licorice Root, Spearmint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Cardamom, Rose Hip, Burdock Root, Mullein Leaf, Clove Bud, Stevia Leaf

09/03/2024

Many years ago when we found out our then young daughter had food allergies, we were fanatics about reading food labels. It's even more important today to know that companies are allowed to be tricky (and even dishonest) in their labeling. Read every label BEFORE you buy! Sometimes, things are not as them seem up front.

NOTE: After looking into this particular brand, I am seeing that this was an old label and their ingriendents are now corrected.

09/01/2024

Smoked Rabbit Jerky - Round #2
(see earlier post for more details)
So the first batch was too thin and dried out too much. Broke apart trying to get it off the rack. Edible and have good taste? Yes but just not jerky consistency. This time we're doing a much thicker round to hopefully keep some of the moisture inside. This batch is our three sauce batch with one sauce being whiskey. Elijah Craig Small Batch. Going 200° for about an hour and then we drop down to about 175. We shall see! I love learning when it comes to smoking!

09/01/2024

Smoking rabbit jerky - explained
So today's project is something I've been working on for a few days and thinking about for a few months. Butchered 6 rabbits and got 9 lb of meat after deboning. Separated them in three packages and did three different marinades. One is a basic marinade, the next is a three sauce with whiskey in it, and the third is a garlic lemon marinade. I ground it all in my KitchenAid grinder and used my new jerky extruder gun (awesome Christmas gift) to produce some nice thick pieces. The current batch on the smoker is the basic marinade. On one of the racks I sprinkled on a little bit of 'Sweet Preacher' from Fire and Smoke Society rubs. A nice sweet start with the fire finish at the end. So now we wait to see how this batch comes out before I move on to batch two and three. What's on the smoker is 3 lbs. I'm using hickory pellets. When it's all said and done I should have a good batch of jerky to vacuum pack and freeze for the next few weeks or months.

08/30/2024

Today's project: Rabbit jerky (smoked)
One rabbit down and five to go. Deboning takes a little while with these guys If you want to get as much meat off as you can. A little under 2 lb of meat from one rabbit..
Note: These are rabbits that we personally raised in our backyard and butchered.

08/28/2024

First night on my new bike. Felt great! Feels good being back on a bike again. Missed it as part of my regimen. - Tracy

Check out my ride on Strava.

08/22/2024

Elderberry Syrup "FORTIFIED" For Sale! AVAILABLE NOW!

Homegrown and Happiness JUST PRODUCED a batch of our FAMOUS Elderberry Syrup. We have produced AND sold over 50 gallons last year!

16 OZ bottles - $30 each - (cash only please)

If you are interested, MESSAGE US with:
- quantity of bottles you want
- full name
- CELL PHONE NUMBER
* I will message you for pick up time
* Local pick up only! No shipping

Ingriendents:
Wildcrafted Elderberries, Organic Raw Ginger Root, Raw/Unfiltered Local Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Black Pepper, Echinacea Root, Echinacea Purpurea Aerial Part Extract, Peppermint Leaf, Lemongrass, Licorice Root, Spearmint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Cardamom, Rose Hip, Burdock Root, Mullein Leaf, Clove Bud, Stevia Leaf

08/17/2024

Palisade peaches from C & R Farms . This is the perfect time of year to go buy peaches at the Colorado Springs Farmers market in Old Colorado at Bancroft Park. This farm brings them clear across the state to you. These are the best peaches we have ever had! Bought two cases today to start doing some canning and jelly making. More cases will follow I'm sure! Check them out! https://www.candrfarms.com/

08/14/2024

Some really great ideas here! Gonna have to try a few of these!

08/13/2024

Check out City Hippie Homestead. A great young couple just starting on their homesteading journey. They are selling a few things. Support them!
Side Note: They have our flock of ducks that we needed to rehome.

https://www.instagram.com/cityhippiehomesteading

08/07/2024

A NEW BLOG POST to better explain why things have not been happening... BUT will again soon!

For those of you who have followed us for some time know that there usually have been several events throughout the summer season.

08/07/2024

One of our older blog posts but it tells you how this journey into backyard homesteading all started with us.

I was raised on an Iowa farm from the day I took my first breath.

08/07/2024

To help STILL communicate info, events, recipes, classes, etc... We add a quick BLOG PAGE. WE brought over a few posts from the old web site but are going to be much better posting here. It is linked on our landing page but also here:

08/06/2024

Cost's have gone up everywhere and it's getting harder to do what we do. To help cut our expenses, we have dropped our website (for now) and built a landing page to organize all our links and info. Check it out! More updates coming soon!!!!

Lnk.Bio · link in bio - Profile and social media links for homegrownandhappiness

08/06/2024

Have you signed up for our newsletter/mailing list yet?
http://eepurl.com/QsnRz

08/05/2024

Green beans!
Just a quick pic from the green bean patch this morning. Things are going really well there. Love having fresh grown green beans! They truly are so easy to grow. We choose bush beans versus pole beans. We have better luck with these.

08/03/2024

I quick look at how we keep our rabbits cool in this high summer heat.

Homegrown and Happiness is where backyard farmers learn to grow big in small spaces! Our goal is to show you everything possible that you can do to succeed i...

08/03/2024

School Germ Season Starts SOON! ARE YOU READY???
WE WILL BE PRODUCING AUGUST 9TH!

Elderberry Syrup "FORTIFIED" For Sale!
Homegrown and Happiness is taking pre-orders for our next batch of our FAMOUS Elderberry Syrup. We produced AND sold over 50 gallons last year!

16 OZ bottles - $30 each - (cash only please)

If you are interested, MESSAGE US with:
- quantity of bottles you want
- full name
- CELL PHONE NUMBER
* I will message you for pick up time
* Local pick up only! No shipping

Ingriendents:
Wildcrafted Elderberries, Organic Raw Ginger Root, Raw/Unfiltered Local Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Black Pepper, Echinacea Root, Echinacea Purpurea Aerial Part Extract, Peppermint Leaf, Lemongrass, Licorice Root, Spearmint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Cardamom, Rose Hip, Burdock Root, Mullein Leaf, Clove Bud, Stevia Leaf

08/02/2024

THE HEAT IS KILLING MY PLANTS!!!!
STOP! It’s normal for plants to droop (look wilted) in the afternoon, especially in the brutal heat of summer. Before you water, check the soil moisture at least two inches deep. Don't spray your leaves as this can damage the plant. Make sure soil is wet enough and they will spring back in cooler temp of evening.

08/01/2024

Looking to start beekeeping?
I have a local Colorado friend who is selling off all of his equipment and all of his existing beehives with bees in them. This is a very large collection of equipment and gear. Everything you would need to keep these and then some. If you are interested in finding out more details, message me and I'll connect you with them. They would love to sell all of it together for $5000
Here is the list: Bee Equipment

14 ea. 10 Frame Deep

13 ea. 10 Frame Medium

1 ea. Candy Board For 10 Frame Box

4 ea. 10 Frame Quilt Box

7 ea 10 Frame Internal feeder (1 gal.)

2 ea. 10 Frame Plastic Queen Excluder

4 ea. Wooden Hive Stand

6 ea. Cinder Block W/ 2 ea. 10'Ft Painted Wooden 4X4 (Holds Three Hives +)

1 ea. Varroa Check Shaker

77 ea. Medium Frame (Some With Drawn Comb)

134 ea. Deep Frame (Some Unused)

7 ea. Wooden Entrance Reducers

4 ea. Metal Adjustable Entrance Reducers

7 ea 10 Frame Inner And Telescoping Cover

2 ea. 5 Gallon Food Grade Bucket w/ Twist Lid

2 ea. Pollen Feeder

1 Pair small Gloves/ Used

1 Pair Large Gloves / Used

1 Small Bee Suit W/ Round Veil- Used Like New

1 Small Round Veil & Jacket – Used Like New

1 XXL Bee Suit/ Used

1 XXL Bee Jacket & Veil/ Used

1 4X7 Smoker/Used

2 ea. EZ Nuc Box/ Used

2 ea, 3 Lb. Bee Package Box w/ Queen Cage/ Used

2 ea. Opened Near Full Super Bee Sim Pollen

2 ea. Apiguard Unopened Tub

1 ea. Never Used Queen Marker

!ea. Partial used Hive Alive

1 ea. Lemongrass 100% Pure Essential Oil (Food Grade)

1 ea. Queen Clip

1 ea. Queen Trap

1 ea. Frame Clip

1 ea. Bee brush

1 ea. Hive Tool I ea. Torch & Bottle

1 ea. Lyson Extractor 4 Frame Deep/Medium New/Never Used

1 ea. Honey Gate

1 ea. External Tub Feeder 28.6” in W x 19.6”in L x 15”in H – 27 gallon tote

2 ea. 5 Gallon inverted External Feeder

What we have are seven complete hives with some bees. All of the equipment is what's included in the list. Anyone who is interested and sincere can contact us via pm. This is a package deal! $5000 firm.

NOTE: PICTURE IS FOR GRABBING ATTENTION. NOT THEIR ACTUAL BEEHIVES.

07/30/2024

Backyard animal people...
The heat here in Colorado is over the top right now. Near 100°. During this time chickens can die and rabbits can go sterile and/or die.
These honest tea bottles are perfect for filling with water and freezing. The plastic they're made of holds up really well and doesn't break when it's frozen. We buy ours on Amazon in a 8 pack. 59 oz each. When they're empty we clean them out, peel the labels off and try and scrub the glue a little bit. Seal them up and freeze them. Then throw them into the rabbit hutch or near the chickens for them to have a place to stand and cool down.

07/28/2024

It's time to start growing your own food! You can start simple. Buckets are containers. You'll become addicted. You can grow your own food and preserve it in a hundred different ways. Until then support other local backyard farmers by buying from them and hitting farmers markets. Just make sure at farmers markets that the food was grown locally and not just bought from a local grocery store. It happens!

07/26/2024

Is your state on this map?

Homesteading is a lifestyle choice focusing on self-sufficiency and sustainable living.

07/21/2024

So cute!

Address

710 E Cucharras Street *Open By Appointment Only
Colorado Springs, CO
80903

Telephone

+17193620165

Website

http://homegrownandhappiness.com/, https://linktr.ee/homegrownandhappiness

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Videos

Elderberry Syrup "FORTIFIED" For Sale! (taking pre-orders) COLD AND FLU SEASON IS COMING FAST! BE READY!!! Homegrown and Happiness will be producing another batch of our FAMOUS Elderberry Syrup. We have produced AND sold over 50 gallons last year! 16 OZ bottles - $30 each - (cash only please) If you are interested, MESSAGE US with: - quantity of bottles you want - full name - CELL PHONE NUMBER * I will message you for pick up time * Local pick up only! No shipping Ingriendents: Wildcrafted Elderberries, Organic Raw Ginger Root, Raw/Unfiltered Local Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Black Pepper OUR PROPRIETARY HERB BLEND: Echinacea Root, Echinacea Purpurea Aerial Part Extract, Peppermint Leaf, Lemongrass, Licorice Root, Spearmint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Cardamom, Rose Hip, Burdock Root, Mullein Leaf, Clove Bud, Stevia Leaf

Farm to table!

Working hard on beehives this spring! Loving all the activity! . . . . . . . . #beehive #coloradosprings #localfarmers #localbusiness #organicfood #realfood #localhoney #beekeeping #backyardgarden #backyardfarming #backyardhomestead

Swarm capture... Here's a short video showing what happens when the queen is inside of the box. I wasn't sure until I saw this. Truly amazing!

Had a conversation with some great folks today on our front porch about raw milk. Here's a little bit of history on how raw milk became illegal. And yes you can double check this for yourself.

Elderberry Syrup "FORTIFIED" For Sale! FALL PRODCUTION ROUND - #4 TAKING ORDERS NOW!!! Homegrown and Happiness is ready to produce more of our FAMOUS Elderberry Syrup. It goes out the door very fast to very satisfied customers. We have produced AND sold over 23 gallons total so far this year! 16 OZ bottles - $30 each - (cash only please) If you are interested, MESSAGE US with: - quantity of bottles you want - full name - CELL PHONE NUMBER * I will message you for pick up time * Local pick up only! No shipping Ingriendents: Wildcrafted Elderberries, Organic Raw Ginger Root, Raw/Unfiltered Local Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Black Pepper, Echinacea Root, Echinacea Purpurea Aerial Part Extract, Peppermint Leaf, Lemongrass, Licorice Root, Spearmint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Cardamom, Rose Hip, Burdock Root, Mullein Leaf, Clove Bud, Stevia Leaf

STORY TIME: Farm Theft Happens! A couple years ago, we were finishing watching a movie one evening. As I stood up, I noticed thru our dining room window that our backyard motion light was on. Expecting to find the usual racoons, I headed to the backdoor to peek out. What I found were 2 teenagers who had entered my yard thru our back gate who were actively opening our chicken coop to steal a chicken. (we know this becuase they had tried before) Well, I chased them off but I had enough. I went and bought cameras. These rechargeable Google Nest Cameras are awesome. Easy to mount and set up. Easy to move where ever you need them. Even set up notices for movement thru the Home App. The 2 pack is on sale right now for 21% off. I have and use these! Buy thru our link and we get a little kickback! https://amzn.to/3NzfOHI

Truth! - the farm husband

In addition to the last video of our newest babies, this second video is of Summer's babies to give you an idea of how fast they grow. They are a week old today. Sadly, we did lose her little runt so she only has five now. Fun to watch them grow!

So our last mama just gave birth! Holly had 9 babies! So exciting. One is a little bit of a runt so we'll have to watch that one.

Colorado today!

ELDERBERRY SYRUP FOR SALE!

How our Elderberry Syrup is different than store bought. We have "Elderberry Syrup For Sale!" Homegrown and Happiness is ready for our fall production runs of our famous Elderberry Syrup. We just produced our 11th Gallon so far this season. 16 OZ bottles - $30 each - (cash only please) If you are interested, MESSAGE US with: - quantity of bottles you want - full name - CELL PHONE NUMBER * I will message you for pick up time * Local pick up only! No shipping Ingriendents: Wildcrafted Elderberries, Organic Raw Ginger Root, Raw/Unfiltered Local Honey, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Turmeric, Black Pepper, Echinacea Root, Echinacea Purpurea Aerial Part Extract, Peppermint Leaf, Lemongrass, Licorice Root, Spearmint Leaf, Fennel Seed, Cardamom, Rose Hip, Burdock Root, Mullein Leaf, Clove Bud, Stevia

"Growing BIG in Small Spaces" with Kellie Dodson

Shortcuts

Who is Homegrown and Happiness™?

A small Urban Backyard Farm in the downtown area of Colorado Springs, Colorado. We are working hard to grow as much food on our small 3750 sq ft lot as we possibly can. Food to can, preserve, eat, share and sell. We are constantly working on new projects to increase our growing space and increase our food sources. We currently have a flock of chickens, ducks and bee’s in our little peace of Heaven on Earth.

What is our Mission?

To create a self sufficient (GMO free) Urban Backyard Farm to feed our family, make a little money and bless those around us with good, organically grown food. (our chickens are truly organically raised as well) We also desire to educate others on how they can live a similar life and provide REAL FOOD for their families. We are beginning a big journey this year to expand our teaching and education for all. We are recording instructional video so we can teach others our methods and process. We work in conjunction with a growing (no pun intended) community of Urban Backyard Farmers in the Colorado Springs Area.

*SIDE NOTE: Though our name may lead you to think we grow pot, we don’t… nor will we entertain comments or discussions on the subject! If that’s your thing…fine. It’s not ours. We are here about growing large amounts of food in small spaces. PEACE!!!!