A life less ordinary

From the suburbs to the country in Independence Township, this is our journey. We are two suburban yuppies who always had a dream to leave it all behind and become country dweller's. Now we are on part two of this adventure. We just bought our Historical farm. We have six acres, a barn, some outbuildings, three excited kids, three dogs, one cat, a tortoise and us, the wonderstruck parents who are beyond thrilled and a little bit clueless about what the next chapter has in store for us!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

It's baby chick season!

I ordered our baby chicks yesterday and I am so excited to get them in the mail. I ordered them through www.mypetchicken.com and I got all the breeds that I wanted. Our delivery date is May 23rd. That's the day that the post office calls and tells you that your "live" order is in! It's so much fun picking them up because all of the curious customers love to find out what's in the box. I always get a few questions and it's fun to talk about the mysterious peeping box with strangers. The chicks usually all travel well, and then need to go right home and put into the brooder box that we have set up for them. Just some water, some heat, some chick starter and we're good to go. Last year we had the brooder box in the office, but it got pretty dusty, so this year it's down to the laundry room.
I ordered 2 Easter Eggers(green and blue eggs), 2 Exchequer Leghorns (white eggs), 2 Salmon Faverolles(light brown and cream eggs) and 2 silver Cuckoo Marans (they lay chocolate brown eggs!) So, I am adding wonderful stock to my flock of 5 that we have had since last year. They all survived the long, cold winter and I am so happy that we still have them. So the kids will have new chicks to name and raise and play with and the ladies out at Hentennial will have some new family members later this summer.
We haven't done any work out there lately, just visiting the hens and keeping them fat and happy. But this Spring we plan to tackle the kitchen and bath and finally get it all done.
I am so ready for Spring. Spring time at the farm is almost as majical as Fall! And this year we will plant flowers and landscape and plant a vegetable garden. Nothing better than working in the garden with lots of chickens pecking around you! And chicken poop is the best organic fertilizer there is, it's garden gold!

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Inspiration that helped me get here.

Food for thought

The increase in U.S. food prices from 1982 to 2009 rose 128%.In the same period, prices paid to farmers rose only 34%.

1 in 3 Americans born in 2000 is expected to develop diabetes in his or her lifetime.

Jargon-food sovereignty: the right of peoples to eat healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.

(from the declaration of Nyeleni, 2007)

32 hours, 50 minutes- The amount of on-screen media, including television, videos and video games that American children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old consume each week, according to the Nielsen Company.

Chicken-ism

I loved this so much that I had to post it. I cannot take credit, I found it on the web.

All I need to know I learned from my chickens.

Wake up early, stay busy, but always stay alert.

Visit your favorite places every day.

Scratch out a living.

Routine is good.

Plump is good.

Don't ponder your pupose in life, your brain is too small.

Accept the pecking order and you know your enemies.

Weed your garden.

Protect your children fiercely, sit on them if you need to.

Take them for walks, show them the little things, and talk constantly.

Brag on your accomplishments.

Don't count your chicks before they hatch.

Protect your nest egg.

Test your wings once in a while.

Squawk when necessary.

As you age, demand respect.

Leave a little something for those who care about you.

Chase butterflies.