2011 was the first year we officially tracked everything that was produced on our property. We purchased a small kitchen scale, weighed and wrote down every carrot, bean, tomato and piece of kale that came in the door. We also counted every single egg and counted our very first (accidental) honey harvest from our brand new top bar hive of bees. Here’s how the harvests broke down:
Fruits & Veggies
Apples = 6lb
Beans
- Bush = 10lb 10oz
- Pole = 3oz
Beets = 8lb 13oz
Bell Pepper = 9oz
Broccoli = 1lb 4oz
Carrots = 5lb 2oz
Corn (Blue) = 6lb 7oz
Cucumbers (Lemon) = 9lb 14oz
Garlic = 1lb
Jalapenos = 15oz
Kale = 10lbs 6oz
Lettuce = 3 pounds
Onions = 3 pounds
Potatoes
- Red = 2lb 10oz
- German Butterball = 8lb 1oz
Pumpkin (Pie) = 2lb 6oz
Radishes = 2oz
Rhubarb = 1oz
Shallots = 12oz
Snap Peas = 1lb 2oz
Spinach = 6lb 8oz
Sprouts = 5oz
Squash
Summer = 2lb 6oz
Acorn = 6lb 15oz
Butternut = 7lb 8oz
Honey Boat = 1lb 10oz
Tomatoes = 70 lb 13 oz
Total = 181 lbs
Herbs & teas
Basil = 7.5 oz
Mint = 1lb 3.5oz
Total = 1 lb 11 oz
Total fruits and veggies harvested = 182 pounds, 7 ounces
Honey
This was an accidental harvest, but it was absolutely delicious!
Total Harvested = 1 pound 4 ounces
Chickens & Eggs
Approximate # of eggs collected from 7 Ameraucanas (5 born in the Spring of 2010, 2 born in the Spring of 2011)
Aug 2010-March 27, 2011 = 525
Exact number of eggs collected weekly from said Ameraucanas:
March 28 – April 30 = 122
(Average of 24/week)
May 1 – May 28 = 86
(Average of 21/week)
May 29 – June 25 = 87
(Average of 22/week)
June 26 – July 30 = 104
(Average of 21/week)
July 31 – Aug 27 = 115
(Average of 29/week)
Aug 28 – Sept 24 = 112
(Average of 28/week)
Sept 25 – Oct 29 = 110
beginning first molt
(Average of 22/week)
Oct 30 -Nov 26 = 44
(Average of 11/week)
Nov 27 – Dec 24 = 19
(Average of 5/week)
Dec 25 – Jan 31 = 2
Total number of eggs harvested = 1326
Do Our Chickens Pay for Themselves?
Feed & Scratch Purchased:
8/13/11 – 180# = $125.92
Factoring:
$4.50/dozen organic eggs
Goal: Break even before the food runs out!
December 10, 2011:
+$1.58
340 – eggs collected
We did it!!! The chickens officially pay for themselves! You can read more about the details of this little experiment here and here.