HobbyFarms?

I am sorry, but this is a world of discovery for me. All of you have probably hit this site and seen the great information it has. Everything I am trying to do wrapped up in a neat little magazine. And now, Urban Farms? - How cool does it get? I am dizzy from excitement. Having been raised with an entreprenuer mind-set and "control -issues"... I rail against authority - mainly government intervention. I loathe it, find it to be the most fruitless form of transactional relationship anywhere in the world. I digress, Urban Farm is more my speed, as I am trying to turn my lawn into a place where we as a family can forage. I know, we'll be competing with the chickens and possibly other neighbors, but that is why I've purchased a shotgun.

A couple of tips in these sites -

1. Great chicken description pages in HobbyFarm.

2. Great ideas on gardens in both; including composting, seed starting...etc.

3. Great ideas on "Out-Buildings"... every home needs one. I built the Simpson Strong-Tie shed, using it's plans and connectors, yet added some of my own features - windows, dutch doors and evetually, water and electricity - Man's Got To Have Some Peace!

Check these out... very nice sites.

Coming Soon "Le Coop" Cam

OK.. so I am going to do it... I need to find a deal on this thing first, but I am going to install a coop cam.

This will enable all to pan, tilt, zoom the camera from the web and even hear them clucking. The nice thing is; you will be able to control - one at a time, but it will enable you to have some fun. I need to run my CAT5 cable to the router, as I am NOT going wireless, too spotty and a long way from the router...with a lot of house in the way. Wireless technology likes "line of site", so this cam will not be line of site to the coop. I am going to mount it about 10 ft up on our chimney so you will have a nice perspective. So... hang in there... The Chick Cam is coming!!!!!

Coop Maintenance - June 20, 2009

OK, so I did not post earlier because I was at Alamo Feed today buying some straw and some new bedding material.

So, with family in tow we traveled down to Alamo Hay and Grain. As I have mentioned before this is really an awesome feed store... You actually drive "through" the store. Ducks, chickens, rabbits, geese, pidgeons and every kind of hay, straw, bedding and feed is available. I need to take a picture and post it, which I will. Not only is this a feed store, it is in a very tawny neighborhood, which is weird since this place is a throw-back to 1920... with the fake horse on the roof and all.

Anyway, we grabbed a bale of straw and two bags of some stuff I was recommended to buy called ABM bedding. We let the chickens out to roam and they were like ducks out of water... (hmmm let me think about the analogy) anywho.. they roamed about freaking over the raking sound in the coop. I guess it is like us hearing a table saw in the house... loud, sawdust, destruction, mess. I raked it all up, dumped in the wheelbarrow and then replaced it with this ABM material.

http://eaglevalleyabm.com/advantage.html Please check this stuff out. I strongly recommend this. As you can see from the picture above the consistency is awesome, the smell incredible and its components allow for healthier environment for your chickens. I put some in our kids bedrooms and the family room, figured it couldn't hurt. I paid $8.95 for one cubic foot. This ended up being a very easy clean and by using this material I can use a stall rake and pick up the "swollen" pellets , which bond with poop and urine and then throw another bag on as needed. Wooo-Hooooo.

Flock Update - June 19, 2009

I love having these birds (famous last words). They are becoming very friendly, very curious, seemingly happy, but who would know... I don't even know if they know their happy. Honestly, if this was the case celebrities with chickens would need to spend their money on chicken counselors and chicken play days and some other insane regime for the birds and for them to spend their money. I will research this and find out what celebrities do with their chickens, maybe I can get a guest interview...! Maybe not.

I still need to order the Never Auto Wata... which I have neglected to do. I need to finish painting the coop and putting on some new cedar shakes. I also need to build a little stop on the upper nesting shelf, since the hay and shavings I put up their get's scratched down.

I also am scheduled for some trips to Sweden and Denmark for business and I will make chicken farmers a focus, so I can make this an international blog. Pretty important stuff here.

(Hoot (Arcauna) is pictured above with Millie (Rhode Island Red) in the background)

More to follow - we have big day tomorrow... chickens are going to roam free while I clean and alter the interior of the coop.

Friends!!!?

So now that buddies know I am keeping chickens, they find humor in chicken jokes...

Chicken, Gardens and Agrarianism

While deciding to become and egg harvester and chicken babysitter, I decided to get back into gardening. I have taken a 10 year hiatus while I turned my house into the Winchester Mystery House. I really can't help myself as I love gardening, am enjoying this chicken craze and will soon be hand-augering a well in my backyard so I can irrigate everything. I have a small piece of property it is 100 x 100 and 35% is house another 20% is driveway and lawn. So I am not a land-barron and don't want anyone feeling inhibited by a perception of money... negative tower.... no money here. Which leads me to my next point.

My desire is to get off the grid; solar on the house, eggs in the coop, veggies in the garden and water in the well. In as much as I can tell this is neo-agrarianism. Since we don't live in villages where someone is stomping out wine or kneeding bread or pressing olives or making some shoes. The best we can do is; water, sun, wind, dirt, seeds and chickens, unless you have land and ordinances that let you slaughter - then meat..I don't and wouldn't anyway, unless I had to.

I have read enough to know, our economy will never be the bloated self it was from 2002-2006. That was 4 years of Fantasy Island. I also know from my years studying and applying economics in business, that we are in for lean times. As the government turns on the printing presses, our money will buy less. This begs the need to keep it in your pocket and food being one of our larger monthly expenses, why not provide it for yourself - no matter the size of lot you have.

Above are kaliedescope carrots. These are offered by Cook Gardens. I have bought many seeds from Cook over the past 20 years and they have been the best - by far. They are awesome to eat, beautiful to look at, kids like them and they "sell". Many local gardeners can make money selling to neighbors or at Farmers Markets, but more importantly you can provide for yourself.

So, while I am tending to my chickens, I will be harvesting some veggies too. If your not doing it, give it a try. Neo-Agrarianism is coming to a street near you.

Le Coop du Jour T-Shirts coming soon.

Orpingtons

What a great breed of chicken....

(splash, blue and buff)

Carmel Valley and Chickens Part 2

As you ramble down Carmel Valley road it becomes clear you have moved from the well-to-do retirees to well-to-do wineries like Bernardus, Chateau Julian, Talbott among many others. The landscape is stunning and as you drive the valley seems to narrow with oak studded mountains becoming closer and closer.

Is it any wonder why celebrities and dignitaries call this place home; Doris Day, Betty White, Clint Eastwood, Earth, Wind and Fire (at one time), Merv Griffin, Leon Panetta, Charles Schultz (Peanuts), Charles Schwab, The Kohler Family, The Firestone Family to name a scant few.


Once deeper into the Valley you come upon the Village. Once a cowboy hitching post has now become a village of great restaurants, unique shops and artisans. The newest and one of the more lively is the Volcano Grill owned by Billy Quon Lee. Mr. Lee made a name for himself back in the 80's by opening a string of successful restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula. His success seems to continue.


http://www.volcano-grill.com/



If you dig a little deeper there are great spots to stop and take in the view, the Carmel River and even go for a horseback ride through the foothills and wineries at Holman Ranch.

http://www.holmanranch.com/



My point to this travel tip is; ranches and farms are everywhere. Chickens meander about along with wild turkey, quail and jack rabbits. Horse stables abound and discoveries are awaiting.

This is getting too sappy...

Carmel Valley and Chickens

Carmel, CA


OK, when most of us think of Carmel we think of Clint Eastwood, golf, quaint shops, incredible beach and a storied history and tradition. How many of us, know or realize there is much more to this area than the aforementioned? This place has it all. As Robert Louis Stevenson said - "It is the greatest meeting of land and sea and chickens and sustainable living in the world" OK, RLS did not say this, but if he was living today, he might have.

Having grown up on the Monterey Peninsula, I have had the chance to explore, learn and grow to love it. There is not place I have ever been which brings such an incredible peace. I am feeling very vulnerable right now and need to cry for a moment... OK I am over it. Really this is a wonderful place and should be visited by all. Just make sure I am not there and not all at once.

So, off the beaten path you head south on Hwy 1 to Carmel Valley Road making a left you are now heading southeast. Essentially this road, Carmel Valley Road, is a treasure trove of fun. Not to turn this into a travel site, I wanted to focus the imagery on sustainability and travel, inspiration and, of course, chickens - really this is what it is all about. As you head out you have "The Barnyard" a group of shops set right at the mouth of the Valley... in a, well, barn-ish setting. The irony is thick here, as The Barnyard (pictured to the left) telegraphs the Valley's true character.

As you meander through the pines, oaks and homes, you will also begin noticing fields, horse-ranches and wineries. Dotted in between, there are nurseries, golf courses and FEED STORES!!!! Yeah.... The coolest one I've come across is Hacienda Hay and Feed at 7180 Carmel Valley Road.

This place, situated due east of Quail Lodge and the Wagon Wheel restaurant (Good Breakfast Spot). This is essentially a working feed store, providing all the essentials to many working ranches and horse stables, but is a wonderful garden center and, yes, even petting zoo. Although one time we were there and there was a peacock roaming around and it freaked us out as it followed us, step for step, mocking us... we'd stop, he'd stop, we walked, he walked, we ran, he ran - utterly unnerving. This is a place to stop, eat at the local restaurants, visit the stores and take in some memories. Oh yeah and some killer chickens. More to come on Carmel Valley.