• Chickens

    The Early (Chicken) Gets the Worm

    You know that compost overhaul I talked about a couple of days ago?   Well, apparently there was a wealth of worms living in one of the bales of straw.  When I went into the coop to freshen up the Ladies water a couple of days after putting the bales in their run, one of the Ladies had her head…

  • DIY,  Grow

    Compost Overhaul

    Compost is one of those magical things that I read about (and pin about) and participate in all the time, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t fully believe that it will do it’s job.  Do you ever feel like that?  I mean, really…You set up a spot, toss some worms in there and fill it with kitchen waste,…

  • Chickens

    Bumpy Eggs

    What do you get when you keep your own chickens? Sweet imperfections and great diversity.  Extra calcium (deposits) included. I find that, despite keeping backyard laying hens for the past few years, I am continually amazed by how beautiful and how different each individual egg is.  The colors, the shapes, the funkiness of the occasional egg simply amaze me.  And…

  • DIY

    "Survival Kit" Gift DIY

    As the Program Manager for a very intentional, very busy Summer Camp, I am constantly looking for new ways to show our Facilitators how much we appreciate all of the work they do with our campers.  Luckily, we have established a few “old stand-bys” that seem to find their way into the fold each year regardless of what else gets…

  • Chickens

    Chicken Feed & Egg Sales

    One of the details we didn’t really think through when we first got our laying hens a few years ago was what they would eat, how much it would really cost and whether or not we would always have the option of organic chicken feed for the Ladies.  Luckily, our local Feed Bin carries Ranch Way products and luckily, Ranch…

  • broody chicken
    Chickens

    Broody Australorp

    Well, it looks like Spring brings broody chickens.   A few weeks ago, one of our Black Australorps went broody on us. She even plucked her  belly feathers to help incubate her unfertilized eggs.  Luckily, she’s been much more docile than our broody Ameraucana last spring and there have been no attacks or bloody toes!  We’ve removed her from the…