About Me

by Renee Wilkinson on Jan 6, 2009 • 8:02 pm 20 Comments

In a Nutshell

HipChickDigs is an online community for modern homesteaders launched by Renee Wilkinson in 2007. Content is dedicated to homesteading, edible landscape design, and sustainable living. Wilkinson is also the author of Modern Homestead, covering everything you ever wanted to know about growing your own produce, keeping urban livestock and preserving the harvest.

With garden spade in hand, Wilkinson is completing a graduate degree in landscape architecture and continues to inspire urbanites everywhere to get their hands dirty in their own city homesteads. She lives on a tenth of an acre city lot in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, new baby daughter, three chickens and four ducks.

About Renee

As a sixth generation Oregon homesteader, I have a fascination with watching things grow and getting my hands dirty. My time is spent drawing up landscape designs, volunteering at neighborhood farms, and tending my own modern homestead in Portland. Wherever you find me, there will likely be dirt under my fingernails, chicken bedding on my shoes and a grin from ear to ear. Hopefully my book and website inspire you to dig in to your own urban slice of heaven.

The goal of my writing is to share stories about the life of a modern homesteader, in all its triumphs and failures. We can celebrate together the first seedlings and collecting that first egg from our backyard flocks. But I also fall on my face occasionally out here! That is when I rely on my homesteading community – my local farming friends or my homesteading grandparents – to get me through the head scratching moments. (I’ll be sure to pass along their wisdom as well)

If you have questions or comments, email me here: hipchickdigs@gmail.com Hopefully we can learn from my mistakes together, celebrate the harvest, and share homesteading knowledge that will make our little urban plots that much more successful. Now go get those hands dirty!

-Renee

20 comments

japattison says:

Jan 16, 2009

Your “newspaper seed pots lik is broken, what happened?

admin says:

Jan 17, 2009

Hopefully it’s working now!

Susan Hill Newton says:

Feb 8, 2009

Have you ever written a book? If not, would you ever consider it?

I’m a book editor with Fulcrum Publishing/Speck Press. I came across your site when doing some research on modern approaches to gardening (I actually Googled “Hip Gardening”). I’d welcome the chance to talk with you more, if you’re interested.

Best,
Susan Hill Newton
susan@speckpress.com
http://www.speckpress.com
http://www.fulcrumbooks.com

David says:

May 13, 2009

I really like the urban gardening that you have been doing for the past few years. If more people treated a small section of their yards like you, they would get to experience fresh, local food. Living on a farm I can appreciate fresh food and I applaud you for setting an example to others!!!

Tracy says:

May 9, 2010

I enjoy your blog. In some very unique way I found solace in your discussion on chickens. We just introduced our children to harvesting our broilers and I found it helpful to read a similar viewpoint. We have the luxury of property (65 acres near Spokane) but your blogs have given us some great ideas on how to maximize the results from our work–thanks!

Jennifer says:

Jul 28, 2010

I love your blog. I’m horrible at gardening, but you provide detailed information that could help someone as clueless as myself.

Jalene Littlejohn says:

Jan 20, 2011

I am working on an engagement process for the Lents EcoDistrict over the next year. I would love to talk with you more about your project. -Jalene

Karen says:

Feb 3, 2011

I am glad Ifound your pages.

Gretchen says:

Apr 18, 2011

Hi Renee,

I work for Garden Partners in Portland, OR and we are developing an urban farm concept (see website for concept drawing: http://www.gardenpartners.org ) for seniors, veterans and at-risk youth. I would love to talk to you about what we are doing and see if there is some way we can collaborate.

Congratulations on your book by the way. I just found you, so unfortunately missed your book signing yesterday at Powell’s.

I’d love to talk to you if you have time and interest.

Thanks,

Gretchen Fogelstrom
Executive Director
Garden Partners
http://www.gardenpartners.org
http://www.crowdrise.com/gardenpartners2011
Twitter: @GardenPtners

Garden Girl says:

Jul 8, 2011

Just wanted to say that I read your book from cover-to-cover, and it’s wonderful! You have some wonderful ideas. My family has about a quarter acre in North Columbus (OH), and we started a more intensive garden plan to be more self-sufficient. I can’t wait to try out several of your ideas – and I may even make some of my own cleaners and beauty supplies. Anyway, I thought you should know that you have inspired somebody across the country and that your book is a true gem!

John says:

Sep 21, 2011

I just bought your book because, hey why not! I thought it was so cool you had blog and someone contacted you about a book and you ended up doing it. I’m a writer myself (although screenwriter). Plus, I’d love to advance my urban gardening (I had a moderately successful inagural effort in the gardening, but my pear wine/cider is looking great. Best.

Debbie says:

Oct 25, 2011

Hi Renee ~ so nice to find your blog. It is right up my alley. I discovered you while looking up information on the cost of a 1/4 cow…grass fed. I think that post you wrote was 2008…but it was helpful. We’ve just discovered a local farm who is about to harvest their herd and I can hardly wait to get my hands on some of that meat. We already eat only organic beef (all meat, in fact)…but not sure it’s all grass-fed.

Your life looks lovely and I look forward to reading me. We are homesteaders too…well we try. If only our city by-law would allow for chickens. Sigh.

Cheers,
Debbie

Bill Thorness says:

Feb 2, 2012

Hi Renee,
I came across your book on the “New Releases” shelf at the library of the Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle recently, and loved it. Very nicely done!

Do you do winter gardening? I’m a Seattle author working on a new book, Cool-Season Gardening, and looking for people around the maritime Northwest who grow food all year. I’d like to see innovative techniques, quirky cloches, and hot cold frames.

I’ll be in Portland speaking at the Yard, Garden & Patio Show in a couple of weeks (my topic: Your Best Tomato Year Yet, 2/17 @ 2 p.m.) and am planning some garden tours to get input on cool-weather growing. Want to meet?

Organically,
Bill
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill Thorness
Author, “Edible Heirlooms: Heritage Vegetables for the Maritime Garden”

Dan says:

Feb 23, 2012

I like your blog. I’m just starting a blog about “small living” called Hip Diggs. Its about small houses. Keep up you good work.

shelley says:

Feb 28, 2012

I am so glad I found your website! We just bought an old house in the middle of town and I was bummed that I couldn’t do chickens or a garden, but now I see that it’s still possible! Great work, very inspiring!

Tara says:

Mar 12, 2012

Hello,
I live here in Portland and came across your posts on Runner ducks. I have been trying to find someone with experience keeping them as well as chickens. If you have a moment I wanted to ask your advice…
Do you let the ducks into your yard during the rainy season? If so, do they tear it up? Are they a lot messier than chickens…require more cleaning?
Are they as friendly as chickens? I have 3 children who would love them, but not sure if the ducks will want to be held or want to interact with the children when they are full grown (the ducks that is:). Thank you for your time.

Renee Wilkinson says:

Mar 14, 2012

Tara, I will email you as well. Yes, we let the ducks free-range often and they are far less destructive than chickens since they do not have claws. They prefer protein, so they go for the bugs rather than our veggies. Their poop is bigger and they get their run messier from splashing in the water. They require a bigger coop/run area than chickens and we clean it once a week. Although we raised them from ducklings, they are more skittish around us than the chickens. Hope that’s helpful!

MoNeika says:

Apr 16, 2012

Hi,

I have just started my first garden (15 days ago). My husband and I are so excited to see the seeds grow into little plants. I have just finished reading your book and enjoyed how personal it reads. I feel like I can do everything shared on the pages. Thanks, Renee, for making gardening not-so scary.

Grateful.