The Rhythm of Urban Homesteads
Finding connection and purpose
In the cool hush of a Skagit morning, a chorus of hens rises from a backyard in Mount Vernon. Beyond the garden beds—now blanketed in straw and fallen maple leaves—the soft chatter of chickens drifts through the mist. One announces her egg with proud, staccato clucks. Another scrapes the soil for worms. Their sounds mingle with the distant rumble of a train crossing the Skagit River bridge, a reminder that even in our towns and cities, life still hums with rural rhythm.
Across Snohomish County, scenes like this repeat themselves—in backyards near the Centennial Trail, along the quiet streets of old Arlington, and in community gardens tucked behind homes in Everett. A few hens, a compost bin, perhaps a small shed turned coop—these small choices transform city lots into living systems. Each chicken becomes part of a cycle of nourishment: food, fertility, and connection.
There’s something grounding about caring for small livestock in our urban landscapes. The steady rhythm of feeding, the earthy scent of straw and manure, the satisfaction of collecting still-warm eggs—each act ties us closer to the pulse of the land. Even in the rainiest corners of the Pacific Northwest, where the sky hangs low and silver for weeks at a time, these humble routines remind us of abundance.
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to share your garden with a few hens or a pair of ducks? To weave food and fiber into your landscape? Before taking the leap, take time to listen—to your space, your neighbors, and your daily rhythm. Could your yard sustain a small coop tucked beneath an apple tree? Is there a sunny corner where a few raised beds and a water catchment barrel could connect to a more holistic system?
Urban livestock keeping isn’t just about eggs or manure—it’s about designing relationships between living things. Chickens scratch and turn the soil, aerating compost piles and reducing pests. Their manure, when composted, becomes rich fertilizer. Ducks offer natural slug control. Rabbits create soft, easy-to-use manure. Bees pollinate your garden and the neighborhood beyond. Each creature brings its own role in the ecological story.
At Eco-Restore, we help people imagine these connections—creating gardens that work with nature, not against it. Whether you’re exploring ways to fold chickens into your permaculture design, set up a safe composting system, or grow the forage plants that will nourish your animals and pollinators alike, we can help you plan and begin simply.
This month, as you rake leaves or mulch your beds, take a moment to pause. Notice the subtle hum of the season—the crows calling across the flats, the soft rain on cedar branches, the scent of damp earth. In these small acts of care, we find our connection to place and purpose.
November Garden Tasks
Add 4–6 inches of mulch (not compost) on carrots, leeks, and potatoes stored in the ground as frost protection
Divide perennials
Harvest kiwi and hawthorn berries
Harvest winter squash and pumpkins
Leave some perennial herb seed heads for winter forage for birds
Plan for your perennials, berries, and bare-root plants
Finish planting garlic
Protect metal tool heads with a thin coating of vegetable oil
Put away hoses and tools
Sand wooden tool handles and preserve with linseed oil
Secure cloches against high winds
Sow rye and fava beans as cover crops
As the rain deepens and the garden slows, consider what small, steady rhythms you’d like to invite into your landscape this winter. Sometimes, the simplest sound—a hen’s morning cluck or the drip of rain on the coop roof—is all it takes to remember we’re part of a much larger pattern.
