Regina's Backyard Adventure

Here at Backyard Farming, we love to hear from our readers! Regina has sent us some pictures of her backyard farm and her adorable girls, (chicken and human).

Regina has had a desire for chickens for about 6 years, this spring, she took the plunge, and ordered 16 chicks.

Regina says:

"I started with 16 chicks, and we now have seven. We lost the first 4 to a cat, and 11 to either coyotes or dogs. Since April we have purchased 3 extras, and after the big loss of 11, a dear friend brought me over 4 of her hens. One big lesson I have learned is that no matter how well fed, watered, and cared for, they still maintain a pecking order. I have learned to fit time into my schedule to just watch their behaviors to see how well they are getting along and who needs to be with who in which particular run. The hens are fun to watch. And hold when you can catch them. ;) All (4) of our children help me with them and they have proven to be a super adventure that I hope lasts years to come."



"I had seen enclosed runs in "A Slice of Organic Life" and so when they are not in their house, they are in two runs. My brother-in-law constructed them so I can drag them to where ever I want to put the chickens for the day. I needed an enclosed space because we have neighbor dogs that are loose a lot of the time. (They managed to get 11 in one day while we were away.)"

For the hen house they revamped an old shed that was full of manure and in need of some love and care. Her mother-in-law helped dig out layers and layers of manure, eventually they found the foundation. Her and her husband were able to fix up the roof, and with the help of a brother-in-law they were able to fix the floor and installed a door.

I love this picture as the sun is illuminating the grass and some cute tail feathers.




Thanks Regina for sharing your backyard adventure with us!

You can check out more of Regina's adventures on her blogs:
http://fresheggsandlavender.blogspot.com/
http://www.casnerfamily.com/blog/

If you would like to share your backyard adventure, please email your photos and any information to backyardfarmingblog(at)gmail(dot)com.

Book Review: Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots

This is a must read for anyone who loves to garden and wants to get their kids or grandkids interested in gardening, or maybe you just want to rediscover the magic of gardening for yourself. The book includes lots of ideas for theme gardens such as pizza gardens, night time gardens, giant gardens and container gardens. It just makes me want to move to acres of land and have all the different magical gardens described in the book. With only about 150 pages, lots of pictures, and larger print, it is a very fast read. It is a perfect book for snuggle up with those kids and browse through together. I will be purchasing this book, it is so chalk full of good ideas that my kids would love, ideas that I really love too.


Some fun ideas to try from the book:

• Use your fingernail to slit the spur of a nasturtium bloom. Look inside for its hidden cargo of syrup. Sip some. Do you see why hummingbirds love it?
• Nibble lovage's leafy tops. They are a great substitute for celery in soups or salads. Snit a tall stem at the node and look inside. You will see why they make a perfect straw.
  
• Save all the extra flowers from your borage, nasturtium, Johnny-jump-up, and radish plants. Rinse then spread them on paper towels to dry. Place them in a pretty bottle to use as a rainbow-colored salad topping.
• A snowy tree cricket can help you measure the temperature. Using a wristwatch with a second hand, count the number of times the cricket chirps in 15 seconds and add 40. The total equals the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Compare your cricket calculations to the reading on the real thermometer.
• You and your child can make necklaces or bracelets from jewel-toned Indian corn kernels. Pick hardened seeds out of dried corncobs. Soak the seeds in warm water for at least twelve hours. Use a thick, heavy duty needle to pierce each softened kernel and string it onto heavy thread or dental floss. Tie a knot to form a circle.
  

~marisa

CNN : Eco Solutions : Vertical farming

What do you guys think about this? Is it a viable option? It is outrageous? Is it brilliant? Leave a comment, let us know what you think!

Marisa's CSA Week #2

This week was the same produce as last week, with the exception of a mystery bag. If you remember my friend Tressa and I are splitting the share, and neither of us knew what the mystery 'green leafy thing' was. Last week we got a handy dandy note telling us what was included, but this week, nothing. The mystery 'green' will just be thrown in wherever you would throw in green leafies, I guess.

Tressa used the recipe below last week to use up her Tatsoi, she said her kids just kept eating it and eating it, so apparently it is kid approved, and since it is fresh, green and healthy, it is mother approved as well. I will have to try it out on my kids because Tressa's kids are exceptional when it comes to eating healthy. Get this! Instead of an Easter Egg Hunt each Easter, her kids go on a canned fruit hunt, and they love it. My kids will put this recipe to the test and I will let you know how it is recived.

Browned Butter Pasta with Tatsoi
Serves 2

Your pasta of choice, preferably curved or with ridges
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Leaves of 2 to 3 bunches of tatsoi, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped sage
Freshly grated parmesan
Lemon wedges, optional

Cook pasta to al dente in salted water.

When pasta almost done done, melt butter in a skillet. Swirl the butter in the pan as it foams. (At this point, remove pasta from the heat and drain well in a colander.) When butter begins to brown, toss in pasta and mix to coat with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tatsoi and sage and cook until slightly wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plate and serve immediately with grated parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.

Daddy, where does meat come from?

Sitting at the dinner table with my small children, I discovered that they thought that meat came from animals in much the same way as milk, cheese or eggs come from animals! One son was dismayed to hear that we had to kill animals for meat. A while later, he found a booklet I have on butchering hogs. He said “Look Dad, this book shows how to make meat out of pigs!” I believe omnivores have an obligation to teach their children about slaughtering animals for meat. My children now understand it from our experience in having our turkeys and broilers dressed out by a Mennonite family. Here is a short description of the process. If you are a little squeamish, consider that this is nothing compared to the blood and gore involving humans that you have seen in the movies!

We arrive at the Mennonite farm with our pickup load of broilers (see my earlier article). Each chicken is put into a killing cone. The head pokes through the small hole in the bottom of the cone. The jugular vein in the neck is cut and the chicken quickly bleeds to death (there is no running around with the head cut off). It is fairly painless and humane. When the chicken is dead, the head is removed and the body is dunked in a scalder - a cauldron of water heated to 140 degrees. The hot water loosens up the feathers so that they will come out easily. The chicken is then put into a picker. It is kind of like a washing machine with rubber fingers around the sides. As the chicken bounces around, the rubber fingers knock the feathers off. With the feathers off, the chicken is hung by its feet. A slit is made in the body and entrails are removed. The heart, liver, and gizzard are saved (we chop and add them to gravy). The feet are removed and the carcass is put into ice water to cool it down. The heart, liver, and gizzard are put back into the carcass and the carcass is packaged in a plastic bag. The bagged chickens go into Coleman coolers in the back of the pickup where the broilers were cackling just a few minutes before. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes per chicken. Industrial processors use similar methods, just more efficiently.

If you choose to be a vegetarian for whatever reason, I certainly am not going to argue about it. I was a vegetarian for one year because I wanted to have that experience. I am glad I did it and I think there are many merits to a vegetarian diet. If your family eats meat, I think there is value in understanding and accepting the slaughtering process. Note that I still have a Mennonite family dress my chickens and turkeys for me.

~Dale Maurice Johnson

Echinacea

Echinacea can also be called the purple coneflower. I just love it's dramatic look and it's vibrant pink hue. I just got my first bloom on my echinacea plant and I can't wait for the others to bloom. When the bloom is more mature, the color will be more vibrant, the petals will drop so they are pointing down, and the center of the flower will form a nice round spiky mound. Echinacea does really well in areas that don't get much water. Since I don't have a sprinkling system, I like plants that are drought tolerant.

Echinacea has also been known to help the immune system fighting off infection such as colds. I have never dug up the roots and tried it, but I have taken Echinacea in pill form when I feel a cold coming on.

~marisa

Snips, Snails and Grasshopper Tales

Here’s a picture to get the brain cells ticking . . .

Q: Which insect on this pink zinnia could succumb in a cloud of bug spray – the fuzzy, pollinating bumblebee, or the destructive grasshopper?

A: BOTH!

How important it is, then, to be mindful of the entire ecosystem when dealing with pests in our backyard farms. A healthy landscape’s stage has room for all sorts of players. Even the pesky bugs have a role as food for songbirds (or chickens!). Yet when pests become divas, demanding center stage and literally chewing the scenery, it’s time for a new direction.

Sarah already shared some great non-toxic bug blasters , and Michael gave us the recipe for a homemade bug spray. Here are some more ideas for protecting your plants.

SLUGS AND SNAILS

Shiny, silvery trails are the snail’s calling card. Since these critters prefer cool, moist areas, it’s often just a matter of altering the garden’s habitat. Remove any fallen, dead leaves, or similar “litter” from the base of your plants that may shelter the snails and their eggs.

Provide barriers. Make collars out of paper tubes, paper cups or tin cans opened on both ends and slip these around your plants at ground level to keep snails from crawling to the main stem. Similarly, keep berry and vegetable foliage off of the ground so snails can’t climb aboard.

Trap the slimy things in slightly damp rolls of newspaper strategically placed in your garden. They’ll go inside during the day for respite from the heat.

Remove slugs and snails by (gloved) hand whenever you see them. Note I didn’t say kill them by hand. (Please use a shovel or shoe!) I’m not a fan of that snail shell crunch, if you know what I mean. As much as I dislike snails for how quickly they can decimate a garden, I once included them in a brief, but heartfelt, burst of empathy for all creatures. So I carried them to the birdfeeder instead! Let nature take its course. Alternately, never underestimate that lost shaker of salt.

GRASSHOPPERS

Cilantro and calendula are said to keep grasshoppers at bay, so try planting them next to your vegetables.

You can spray grasshoppers directly with a 1:8 mixture of black strap molasses and water. This blocks their pores, smothering them. Or, lure them to a drowning death by putting the same mixture inside jars or cans buried so the open top is at ground level. Replace mixture as needed. These ideas come from Golden Harvest Organics, www.ghorganics.com.

Birds and cats are fierce grasshopper predators. I hope, this summer, that my children will be too. I figure that paying them a penny for each grasshopper they catch will be a win-win situation. The children will get exercise, boredom will be abated, and plants will be protected. Sounds great! All I’ll need to do is discreetly dispose of the jar.

Jennifer