Dwelling

Apartment dwelling is getting better. I didn't realize how depressed I was for a few weeks. I think I'm just so used to having yard work during the spring/summer and the lack of yard work has gotten me down. There isn't anything to get me outside in the morning when it is a little cooler, get my body moving and my blood flowing. There is just something about gardening that is good for my soul, and I'm just not getting it. It would also get my kids up and out of the house in the morning as they would follow me out to pull a few weeks and water. I feel like we are all just sluggish in the mornings. Next year will be a great garden year, I will be all refreshed and revitalized and will really appreciate the garden.

~marisa

Chicken Question

Audra:
My chickens are three years old now.  I originally had thirteen, but got rid of eight.  About a year and a half later, two of my chickens were murdered by what I think was weasels.  A couple months after that, my chickens started acting weird.  Two of the hens stay in one little cubical side by side or on top of each other.  I don't think that they are eating or drinking any water.  Every time I go in to check on them, I try to move them, but they nip at me.  I'm not sure what to do.  Can you please help?

Marisa:
Ohh...those pesky weasels! I hope it didn't kill your favorites, the pests somehow know which ones are the owners favorites. Anyways...I have a question for you, are the girls sitting on eggs? There is a possibility that they have gotten broody, meaning they want to become a mama and are sitting on eggs. They tend to get very snippy and protective of their eggs when they are broody. Let me know, if that isn't it, we will investigate further!

Audra:
I lifted them up today and there were no eggs.  I tried to get them to move around a bit because they haven't been eating and they just went right back down to where they were before.

Marisa:
They can still get broody, even if they aren't sitting on eggs. It is her motherly instinct kicking in and they want to be mamas. Hens can get very mean (mama bear mean) when they are are broody which would explain why they nip at you when you try to move them.  Broody hens tend to eat and drink vigorously, and race back to the nest. Is there a way for your to discourage them from sitting in the nest? Could you block off their nesting boxes in the late afternoon and all night? Forcing them to get out of their nesting boxes should help them snap out of it.

Readers, what do you think? Are her girls broody? Is there something else it could be? If you think they are broody, what do you suggest she do?

A Gardening Philosophy

By Jennifer

My relative Kyle, an enthusiastic, friendly man with as many funny stories as minutes in the day, is really quite bashful when it comes to his vegetable garden. ("Take my picture? Are you sure?")

Oh, he'll guide you through the bursting, healthy rows. He'll fill grocery sack after grocery sack for you to take home. He'll bring out a salt shaker and knife so you can try turnips on spot. 

What he won't do is take any of the credit for this amazing garden. He was mightily embarrassed when his wife Paula entered some of last year's crops into the county fair. Oh, the indignation when they won cash prizes and blue ribbons! ("Fine," she laughed. "I'll keep the money.")

You always feel good after a visit to Kyle, like you're an important part of his day. Which, when it comes to his gardening philosophy, is the truth.

"Plant.

Pray.

Give half away."

Giveaway-Bubble and Bee Organic

As a gift, my friend Veronica (aka Easy V) gave me some products from Bubble and Bee Organic. I really liked the products so I started looking into the company. Stephanie, the founder started out just making products for herself, family, and friends. She was committed to making products free of "bad stuff".  With a background in chemistry she knew there were many hidden chemicals in the products she was using each day and that they were the root of some of her health issues.  Through a lot of trial and error, she has come up with an amazing line of natural/organic products.  To top it all off, they are actually affordable.

Bubble and Bee Organic have many great products, but I wanted to feature just a few. First, the ever popular topic of deodorant. They sell natural deodorant!!! It is free of synthetic fragrances, preservatives, and fillers. Get this,  they never use toxic chemicals in their facility, and the facility will soon be certified organic. Did you even know that was possible? Now you do.

They are so committed to helping their customers make the switch to natural deodorant that if the type of deodorant you ordered doesn't work for you, they will send you a different type to try. If that one doesn't work, they will see if another type does. Now that is what I call customer service!

I have what they call a lotion stick. The great thing about it is that it doesn't contain water so it doesn't evaporate. Since it is a solid, it doesn't need preservatives or emulsifiers. Don't worry, it is still very creamy and absorbs into the skin just great.

Lastly, I will tell you about their lip balm. It is 100% organic, even the beeswax is organic. Organic beeswax must come from a hive with a four mile radius of organic crops, the wax is darker in color and has more nutrients. This lip balm also features the ever growing in popularity Stevia.

Alright, I will quit blabbing and get to the really exciting part. Bubble and Bee Organic is giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky Backyard Farming Reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on this article. Simple as that. We will randomly choose a winner Monday July 19th at midnight. The winner will be announced Tuesday July 20th.

Good luck!

Mother of All First Aid Kits - week 1

by Marisa

Two weeks ago we were at the park with some friends, Reece was riding his scooter down a grassy hill and fell off. He came and told me that his arm was really hurting. He laid down next to me and told me he wanted to go home. I kindly told him that his arm would hurt whether we were at home or if we were at the park (I'm sure I will never live those words down).  A few more minutes passed and I could tell that he was really getting uncomfortable. When I looked at his arm I could tell that it was starting to swell. I told my lady friends and asked them what I should do. They all came over to inspect it and give their opinion, except my friend Jackie. She asked me if I wanted her to get a first aid kit from the car. I politely told her it wouldn't be necessary. She asked again, and I told her I didn't think we needed it. She asked a third time and I was thinking, what good is a bandaid and some neosporin going to do?!??! But told her "yes, go get the first aid kit".  She didn't come back with a sad little first aid kit like I have in my car. This was the MOTHER OF ALL FIRST AID KITS. She whipped out a cold pack to help with swelling and a triangle bandage to make a sling. 

Reece did end up breaking his arm, and thank goodness for water proof casts!!!

So this experience got me thinking about how unprepared I was. Jackie's first aid kit gave Reece immediate comfort and protection from further damage. We know that as we are prepared, we don't need to stress or fear. And we don't need any more stress or fear in our lives, am I right?

I've decided to make Monday's here at Backyard Farming P-Days standing for Preparedness Day. Each Monday we will have instructions on how to get more prepared. We will start with "The Mother of All First Aid Kits". Each week I will give you a list of everything you need to purchase for the week, all items will total $10 or less. We all have tight budgets, but I think that $10 is something we can sacrifice to be more prepared. I will be making my purchases from Walmart and basing everything off of their prices (I know many of you feel that Walmart is the Anti-Christ) but they are available to almost everyone reading this blog. Feel free to get your supplies from your favorite store.

THE MOTHER OF ALL FIRST AID KITS- WEEK 1 GROCERY LIST

Container to hold items - $3.45
Gauze - $1.44
Bandaids - $.96
1 box instant cold pack (2 in box) $1.54
Peroxide $.52

Total -$7.91

Now, go write this down on your grocery list, your planner, iphone, hand, bathroom stall,  where ever, just make sure you write it down so you don't forget. What are you doing still sitting here? Get moving, go write it down.

Don't you already feel the release of fear and stress?

Kiva

Have you heard of Kiva? 

 Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

In a nut shell, it connects people like you and I to less fortunate entrepreneurs across the globe. The minimum amount one can loan is $25, which makes this so easy for just about anyone to loan their money.  You can read the bio on each entrepreneur, see how much their loan request is for, and see how much more they need. As soon as your loan is paid back, you can collect your $25, or you can turn around and reloan the money to someone else, this is what I choose to do. I'm now on my 4th loan.

• People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.
• The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity.
• By connecting people we can create relationships beyond financial transactions, and build a global community expressing support and encouragement of one another.

• Dignity:   Kiva encourages partnership relationships as opposed to benefactor relationships. Partnership relationships are characterized by mutual dignity and respect.
• Accountability:   Loans encourage more accountability than donations where repayment is not expected.

As of November 2009, Kiva has facilitated over $100 million in loans.

This month my 3rd loan was paid back in full which meant it was time for me to search the database for my next loan. It is always exciting to me to read the information on each entrepreneur and decide who I will loan money to next. I decided I would loan to Concepcion, who is 55 and wants to start saving for her old age. Because of economic conditions, she knows that she won't be able to rely on her family to support her and her husband. She hopes that she can help support her family as well as provide a better future for her grandchildren. 


Concepcion never looses hope that one day her family will be out from under the umbrella of poverty. She raises pigs, and the loan she is going to receive will help make the operation larger.

Whodunnit?

By Jennifer

If I get a worthwhile harvest from my garden this year, it will be a miracle. 

I am baffled by the new crime scenes I find every morning. The season started with entire pepper plants -- root ball and all -- pulled up and left on the ground. Some plants survived the replanting, thank goodness. Now, all of a sudden, the offenses have escalated to trampling and chewing and other maddening insults to my little plot of land.

My first glimpse at an empty pea pod still on the vine made me laugh that my kids were just that lazy ... but now after seeing the carnage to the rest of the patch, I know I have a perpetrator on my hands.

But who?

I present to you the shredded evidence:

 

And this one today, the most infuriating of all, a jalapeno pepper plant (my one and only!) broken at the stem:

In early spring when my seedlings were uprooted I suspected raccoons seeking water. (I've seen signs of their digging before.) This damage, although devastating to me, is still a bit delicate to be their calling card. And it's a little much for birds.

That leaves me to suspect squirrels. Or, as I like to call them, rats with bushy tails. They're just cute enough that my neighbor Karen likes to leave walnuts out for them, and coo and talk to them when they come close. (She doesn't know I was on the other side of the fence working in my garden!)

What do you think? Am I dealing with squirrels? Know any remedies? I thought of sprinkling cayenne pepper to deter them, but wonder if this would have an adverse affect on the tender veggies. Please help!

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