|
Demolishing begins in earnest! First with the tunnel (since I've got rows of tulips and daffodils next to it that may decide to come up early with the mild temps of winter so far) and with the garage. The sunny days make it easy to get out and get things done with the darker, cooler times spent planning the structural improvements that will be needed for the tunnel so I can sleep easy the next time I hear a gust of wind. The sun and melting ground also meant the hens got to have an outing! In February! And Hella helped me to seed the first flats for this season. Mainly she meowed and sun bathed in the 60+F Dragon Dome greenhouse while I individualized tiny, tiny flower seeds! I'll be back this Friday for the egg delivery! No micros yet, but a new batch is sprouting up now so you won't have to wait too much longer! Me and the eggs will be in the Fireman's Park parking lot tomorrow, Feb 14th from 12-1230pm!  The tunnel wreckage has been taken apart and the soil-protective tarps are back in place and all those tunnel pieces are good at adding weight to keep the tarps down!.  A big pile of future scrap posts and things that I feel like I should keep and do something cool with but that will probably just sit there in the long grass and stare at me for years to come.  The wind was strong enough to bend the rebar that anchored each post into the ground. From the debris I surmised that one side was lifted up a few feet (those posts were pulled straight out) and then the wind bent it over on the other side (those posts were all bent like this one) since it was anchored too well to do a full 'mary poppins'.  Who let the hens out? Me! It's sunny. It's warm. It's melty ground with grasses and mud. All things hens enjoy!  Even the barn hens got to stretch their wings! Just needed to move the twisted wire and hoops outta the way and then their off! They've been cooped up, literally, for the past week and will be for at least another while I get busy with rebuilding their run. The wood is in the barn and it's only waiting on me to make space in my living room so I can seal & stain it all in a place that's not below freezing.  While the sun's out the greenhouse dome gets nice and snuggly warm, even when the wind picks up in the afternoon, it is still a nice place to work and stay cozy at the same time. Hella agrees even if the 'work' part isn't in her job description! What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze!
0 Comments
What a week! While I was driving home, the big wind storm hit the area and destroyed almost 4 structures. No chickies were harmed as it hit during the night when they are all locked up tight and snug! But one of my poor high tunnels which I was so looking forward to using this year is gone, as is one chicken run, the storage garage, and the old shed roof became some flying metal panels. I had to hold back from starting to clean up and break down the rubble so the insurance agent can get a good look. It's amazing to see how easily metal pipes were bent in two and rebar was flung out of 2' deep anchors. The power was out so my weather station wasn't receiving but we estimate 70mph gusts through our little valley. Glad to say the 100 year old cabin and 60 year old barn are looking good and holding strong (the new carport probably helps hold the barn down). After planning and re-assessing this weekend, the clean up will begin! And I already have plans for modifying the high tunnel construction so it can withstand this kind of onslaught, especially if it happens when there are precious crops inside so I don't lose both tunnel and crops. Most people know or talk about how much farmers are at the mercy of mother nature, and until you watch as a 10 second downpour washes away 100 freshly planted seedlings, or rush around while getting pelted by gravel-sized hail and 30mph winds to rescue potted up transplants, or watch as a wind gust flattens a stand of wheat it can be hard to explain. People may wonder why I often stop and watch the sky or the tree tops or how a bird is flying on thermals or listen to see if the birds stop singing or if the deer are eating lazily in the field but all these things and more help me learn, understand, and predict mother natures patterns. It's not mother natures fault for being harsh, as a former climate geologist, I know just how much of a hard time she's had the last 100+ years. It's my job as a farmer to stay on her good side and know when to play in the sunshine and when to duck and cover. There will still be eggs this week as nothing gets my girls down! Stop by Fireman's Park parking lot Friday, February 7th from 12-1230pm to pick up some yummy rainbow chicken eggs or big squatty duck eggs!  Just a pile of rubble. At first I thought a good portion might be salvageable but on a closer look only a few pieces are and not enough to justify it.  The uncovered tunnel survived just fine, but it (and the replacement for the other one) will need to be converted to a different style that can hold up to higher winds. In winter it means the loss of a tunnel, in summer it means the loss of a tunnel and crops.  The original shed also got hit and lost half of one side of the roof. The extra light in side is nice since it was always very dark, but I don't think I want this large of a skylight. Note the Dragon Dome™ is completely unscathed. Yay!   The barn run also got the flattening treatment as it is more turned into the wind than the other runs. No chickies were harmed!!! The storm was forecast for saturday afternoon but struck us friday night/saturday morning so all hens, and roosters, and drakes were safe in their huts which were built and designed to withstand a lion attack which I guess also counts as 70mph winds. The sawhorse was inside the run as a daytime perch and the run lifted straight over it! The rainbow hut row is safely locked in position thanks to t-posts with rope going over all in the row, otherwise they probably would ALL look like the barn run. The hens don't seem to know what hit em and are happily beggin for food and treats at all times. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze! After the farm conference was over, I got to book it north back toward San Fran, and the real vacay begins! A day playing tourist in The City, a few days hiking around the hills and open space of the North Bay (aka Marin County), next will be going to the beach and a little further up the coast to Napa and Sonoma (aka Wine Country) where this small regenerative farmer can scowl at giant mono-cropped vineyards. I return to the north country this weekend and will relieve my dad of his chicken tender duties. He had a visit from the wolves a few nights ago which gave him a jump, but all the feathered and furry friends slept right through undisturbed. The warm weather has been great for the birds as they've been laying eggs left and right! Be sure to get some tomorrow, January 31st from 12-1230pm at Fireman's Park parking lot in Libby!  You could say the north side of the Golden Gate is my ancestral home and passing over the bridge with The City behind me an all the open space of Marin ahead is always a happy site!   Just some Blue Macaws napping in the rainforest as you walk up the spiral causeway that winds up the dome!   A big tropical catfish, like 4+feet long, just chilling by the elevator as you leave the rainforest  A fav photo op is in the giant walk through tunnel under the rainforest river where the fish swim over and around you. Those bigins are over 8 feet long and will swim right over and behind you! My older sister works for Industrial Lights & Magic (ILM), aka makers of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, the Mandalorian, E.T., and on and on and she took us on a tour of what visitors are allowed to see and I'm not normally a big photo op person but I had to get some with my favs! FYI, my sister has a Science and Technology Academy Award for her work at ILM and she's one of the names you'll see in movie credits! I've been returning to some of my old haunts that used to be my way to escape from the traffic and chaos of humanity and walk amongst some trees. Everyone thinks of the warm sunny California summers but winter can be just a cool since it's when the rains come, the moss gets juicy and green, and all the flowers prepare to work their magic come march, april, and may! Then the grasses turn 'gold' (the origin of the name Golden Gate) and the heat begins! But for now the woods and meadows are green and the little newts and frogs and salmon make their way down to the rivers and reservoirs to make more newts and frogs and salmon! What's available this week?
After three years on the farm and working everyday to grow and build, I get a chance to step away, learn new things, and visit the ocean. This week I'm attending the EcoFarm Conference in Monterey, CA, right on the ocean and will get to go to 2.5 days of talks and workshops and seed swaps and meet a lot of interesting and diverse farmers from all over! The chickens remain in good hands with my dad and are all are enjoying the mild weather! Be sure to stop in and get some eggs from him this Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park parking lot! There won't be any microgreens until after I return but the clucks and quackers are laying well and my Dad can't eat them alone! Please bring cash or check as I didn't want to bother my dad with installing the card app on his phone!  The ocean! I definitely recommend visiting in winter to avoid crowds and still enjoy the California weather! After a long few days of driving it's nice to put feet to the earth and rest.   The first day of the organic farming conference was a bus tour to three farms. This was the only one that grew flowers as well as veg & strawberries. And yes, the anemones were blooming, the artichokes were up, some strawberries were ripe, and lots of lettuce growing. Around Monterey crops can be grown year round!  A quick stopover at my parent's house before continuing to the conference meant I got to check out their Meyer lemon crop. This is just one of 5 trees and each fruit can get to be softball size! yum yum! (Sorry for the sideways photo, editing in a hotel room has its challenges)  What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze! The carport has been finished just in time for the snow to fall and for me to shove everything underneath it! The wind likes to put the snow wherever it decides it should go, so I go and move it again as the paths emerge from the field. The chickens soak up any sunshine they can get as it is few and far between! And Hella explores the new jungle gym that has been built just for her (or so she thinks!) There will be eggs and microgreens tomorrow in Libby at the Fireman's Park parking lot from 12-1230pm. It will be the last microgreens available for the next 3 weeks since I will be gone. But the eggs (both chicken and duck) will be available while I'm gone since my Dad is here to watch over them and bring you the yummy yolks! He'll be with me tomorrow so stop by to say Hi! (look for a dark red Ford Ranger instead of my usual black truck as I will be driving it down to the conference)  Snow in sunshine helps to brighten up a winter day! And helps show off the completely finished carport helping to anchor the barn in place, not that is was gonna float away, but it certainly helps!  It has also become the new fav hangout of Hella, when she actually wants to go outside. She can sit atop the stored wood and watch over her kingdom!   With the snow keeping the chickens inside, the old sawhorses step up and become perches so the hens can get up in the sunshine and get their feet outta the cold snow!  The ducks and drakes also decided to enjoy the sun with a little splashy bath time in their heated bowls! Scrub a dub duck! What's available this week?
With the coming cold, it seems like the snow might finally stay this time. This also means the hens stay inside as more than a dusting of snow is not to be trusted by them and they prefer their covered runs & huts with warm heat lamps and tasty treats. The carport is also done in time for the snow and the next few days I'll be able to fill it up with all the gear for washing veggies and prepping flowers, as well a car or two and a tiny tractor. More and more inside work gets done as seed ordering and planting plans get prepped and labels and packaging gets completed for the upcoming year. It's filled with many new varieties of flowers and some favorite veggies! As usual I'll be in Libby on Friday from 12-1230 with eggs & microgreens at the Fireman's Park parking lot. Pick up some before the storm come and really brings the snow!  Only the metal roof remains to be finished, but the rest of the carport was finished yesterday as the snow really started blowing!  I moved the bones of the new veggie washing and prepping area right away to see how the layout would work in the new area!    Even though the roosters are now sequestered in their bachelor space, the hens like to come over and say Hi as Bae and Elvis share a moment through the gate. Even if the poor roosters have become jail birds, the hens are better looking and less stressed for it.  The next week will see this all covered in snow hopefully soon to be followed by some ski tracks going round and round the field.  Hella has her favorite bow on the couch that she likes to curl up in and sometimes, very naughtily just as I step away to take a break, she steals the shuttle from my weaving to use as a pillow requiring me to very carefully remove it from her possession. What's available this week?
Welcome to 2020! With rain, more rain, some hail, and a distinct lack of snow. The hens are tolerating it well, mainly since no snow pack means they still get out for recess so they can find those spots of green grass and the wet soggy soil means a lot of bugs and grubs are trying to escape upwards out of the deluge (if they aren't frozen in lower down). At least the microgreens grow happily in their inside lighted suite, unbothered by the cool or damp. You can get them and some eggs this Friday between 12-1230 at Fireman's Park parking lot to help celebrate the new year and help you with any resolutions you might be trying to keep! Nothing like fresh, local veg and eggs packed with good for you nutrients and good for you taste!  Wet, soggy runs means a layer of straw to help keep chicky feet dry and also so I don't slide into a muddy mess.   The hens get into everything. Anywhere I am, they soon follow. This isn't a problem in winter since I'm not in such a hurry as spring or summer. Here Shirley helps me loosen up some straw for the ducks, even if it is only to get to some grass underneath.  The ducks are the messiest there are. With their big feet that squishes the dirt and mud, and their bills that slap in the water bowls and splash it all out, they always create a muddy (and eventually frozen) mess. A little straw goes a long way, even if it doesn't last for long, in making the mud navigable. I do have to admit that I am to blame as well since I give them extra water bowls to splash and play in but they could just splash it into the bowl and not out. Just sayin'.  Laverne, (Shirley's other half), help RiRi, in her hen saddle, find yummy grass and grubs amid the muck and mud. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze! It's hard to know what to get chickens for the holidays. They get treats regularly. They don't care if I redecorate their huts. And they can't play video games. The main thing they covet is freedom! So, out they come while I wander and dither with things outside since they get a little too focused on yummy grubs and aren't great at keeping an eye out for danger, so I am that eye. Soon it will be a new year and hopefully it will bring some snow to shield the ground from frigid temps. Even so, the hens are still laying and the microgreens are still growing, plants and animals don't take a day off or understand holidays. Stop by tomorrow from 12-1230 in Libby at Fireman's Park to pick some up!  A day out on the pasture! It's a little damp, a little chilly, but there is still green grass!  The best place for the hens to find fresh grass is the past footprints of their own huts!  The hardest part about getting good pictures of the hens in that they know that I equate food, so the closer I get the more they all come running for handfed yummies!   Santa always brings me tools and equipment. The latest addition is a new portable work table with lots of cool features! As you get older, Santa gets more and more practical. #adulting  Hella also enjoys her outings, even if she tolerates the damp even less than the chickens and follows me back inside as soon as possible. What's available this week?
For the most part chickens don't mind winter. As long as there isn't too much snow, too much cold, and too much darkness. Yep, they are a goldilocks animal. Luckily all those things are easily mitigated with some heat lamps, lights, and a roof. If they are kept happy, like goldilocks, they keep laying their plump eggs until something gets too extreme. In winter this is usually the cold, as keeping them warm enough to lay when it is well below zero can be hard as they also need plenty of fresh air. And actually, the first sign that something is too extreme for them is that they slow down laying eggs. Then I adjust and try to keep them as near to the goldilocks zone as possible. So far they are happy and laying up a storm! So don't forget to stop by tomorrow in Libby at noon to get all the eggs and micros you need for the holidays! P.S. Duck eggs make delicious baked yummies! Even if you don't wanna make 'em, give some to someone who does (or who you would like to) so you can have yummy holiday treats!  Dust bathing is important for hen health and comfort. It's their daily shower and salon sesh and it gets rid of icky mites (the bird version of lice), and keeps their feathers clean (which is integral to keeping them warm and dry). They have a few favorite spots that are super dusty and stay super dry! Once those spots aren't accessible from heavy snowfall, I take those blue and gray totes, fill them with nice soft dirt and place them in their runs to provide fun group bathing opportunities all winter long!   The best is when you are the top hen and get a pile all to yourself!  Either a baby T-Rex of a couple of big fluffy hens stomped through here.  The only time of year the field is devoid of Elk is hunting season. As soon as it's over, they return. #theyrenodummies  What's available this week?
A few weeks ago I went to bed just as 30mph winds picked up in my valley and lasted through the night. I didn't sleep well knowing that I might find a mess in the morning. Winds aren't uncommon in my valley but sustained speeds that high are unusual (I can track this now thanks to my fancy shmancy weather station). Upon waking the hens, who all made it through just fine, I found a few scattered pots and a squished in corner on my temporary garage/storage shed. The most disheartening was that the one high tunnel plastic that was up had broken a rope and slipped down. The upside was that I found and developed a way to get it up and over by myself and had some great friends willing to come out to help me tie it down. Of course, there will be eggs and microgreens available this Friday at the weekly winter egg/microgreen delivery from 12-1230!  The aftermath doesn't look like too much since the top ropes keep the plastic from completely flying away but it needs to be lifted back over. Not usually an easy or fun job but less easy and fun when it is cold, wet, and frozen. The ground covering tarps were scattered about as well but that is nothing new. The first step of lifting the plastic by myself was to tie it up like a long burrito. Next I used the side curtain clips (which help to raise & hold the sides up to ventilate) as an elevator to lift the entire roll about ¾ of the way up. Next I started to pull one side up and over the peak, clipping the ties as I went. Since the plastic was held by the clips and ties, I was able to wait for an absolute 0 wind day to unfurl it all! I continued down lifting the edge up and over the ridge as far as I could reach from the ladder until it was all over. Then walked that side and pulled it all the way to the ground. I adjusted to make sure it was pretty squared up before releasing the side curtain clips to bring down the original side.   The key to holding it in place is the wiggle wire channels. They go on the ends and lock the plastic from slipping or lifting.These weren't in place originally as it was a breezy day when the plastic was put on then and we had to tie it down quick. But with this in place it ain't goin anywhere!  The chickens don't mind the damp chilliness as long as there is dirt to scratch and things to peck at.   A handful of microgreens atop leftover meat sauce and a soft boiled duck egg is a warm and filling meal on a cold mushy day! Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. |
AuthorI'm Farmer Megan with a life full of cackles, clucks, quacks, weeds, crazy kitten, and one tiny, senior, blind dog. Archives
November 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed
