Daily update

Beautiful day!  66

Three eggs shared with a talkative neighbor. He approached with a kind word about our changes to the property and was given the grand, albeit short, tour of the farm.  He enjoyed the tour, and we enjoyed his visit.   :) 

My favorite!

Green beans!  

Let's hope our harvest this year is better than last year.  We ate plenty and froze two gallon bags of beans.  It may be tough to beat, but my fingers are crossed! 

Daily update

65, three eggs. 

Looking for clean fill dirt.  Please contact us if you know of a source! Thank you! 

CAPTION CONTEST!

Here is a the greatest find on our farm so far!  We couldn't believe it when we saw it.  Now is your chance to come up with the best caption for this fantastic picture!  "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb", "Two for One", "Double or Nothin' " and "Follow the Leader" just didn't seem to capture the rarity of what we accomplished today!  Please feel free to leave a comment on the blog or submit them through email by 5pm Friday. The winner will receive a half dozen eggs!! 

"Last time I go on a dinner date with you!" -Tim & Robin Smith 

JUSTIN'S NIGHTMARE :)  -Sarah Leggett

That's what you get for kissing his a$$!! -James Washington

"Two for the road," "Two for one," "Rats!," and "Get one. Get one free!" -Bill & Carol Swails

"Dumb and Dumber" -Bill & Carol Swails

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Having an urban farm has many benefits, but it also attracts many, MANY multiplying drawbacks.  Luckily, we feel that we have been staying ahead of the problem.  

Daily update

59, three eggs, good day. 

Our first dozen.

Rabbit hutch

This weekend was a busy one. Aside from setting in our boxes out front and processing the chickens, we were able to raise the rabbit hutch off the ground. It is pretty tall now. You may remember that it was sitting on the chicken tractor, then on the ground, now it is on stilts!  The picture isn't the finished product. It was taken in progress, but I assure you that it is finished and looks great!  We will not move it back until the watering system is finally installed. It's coming along. 

Daily update

High of 63 both yesterday and today. 

Three eggs each day, and still no bunnies. Eve is nesting, so I'm sure it'll be soon. 

Still trying to tackle the rats. :( Five between last night and this evening. 

Yikes!  

Hard work pays off.

I took a short break this week since I sent a few extras on Saturday.  I'm back now! 

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Evan helped to clean up the front parking strip. We needed to prep the area so we can set in our new boxes. She worked really hard and was happy to do it, believe it or not.  She loves contributing, but I'm not sure if she volunteered because its fun or because it will soon house corn stalks! Whatever her motive, we appreciate her and her hardwork! 

RIP Betsy, Betsy, Betsy, and Betsy--CAUTION!! Photos may not be suitable for all viewers!

Today marked eight weeks for our beloved Betsy's.  As you can see in the first photo, these birds were dragging their bellies and were ready for our dinner plates!  I still can't believe how fast they grew!  Andy did a great job butchering all of the chickens. Every bird was easier and easier. I helped finish cleaning them and packaging them for our freezer. 

11.5 pounds of skinless, boneless breasts, wings, and leg quarters were processed this afternoon, and Evan and Matilde seemed just fine with it!  They said their goodbyes and then asked for baby chickies. Evan watched the processing, well, all but the actual "act."  I think she understands completely now exactly why we do what we do. 

I am very excited to get new birds and start the process all over again. What an experience! 

Daily update

61 rain sun mix. 

Two eggs.  I grabbed it while it was hot!  

I purchased a new nesting box for Eve, so now both Eve and Mary both are ready for when the time comes. Eve was pulling tummy fur this morning. I think she will kindle new kits soon!  I can feel it! 

I spy...

I spy with my little eye something RED! 

Daily update

57 and very blustery. Thunderstorms are predicted for this evening. 

Two eggs.  

Pray for peas.

This is another good sign. I can't wait to see the peas cascading over the front wall! I hope they survive this crazy weather. 

Daily update

57 and very rainy. 

Three eggs. I don't know what's going on with the Russian Orloff. She still isn't laying. I suggested to her that she better start or she'll be meeting my stew pot sooner than later! 

Salad anyone?

These greens are coming in terrifically. I may need to make a salad soon! 

Who's hungry?!

Some great advice from Auntie Carol:

Your greens look yummy.....  Uncle Al planted ours in old whiskey barrels and we have been eating from them for a couple of weeks now.  Just keep picking the outside leaves and they will continue to produce.
Love,  Auntie Carol

Two more boxes

I came home to see these wonderful boxes out front on the parking strip.  I think these will be great additions to our garden.  They are huge and beautiful!  Now to fill them....

Daily update

Two eggs. Lovely day. 

All are content. 

So thirsty!

This Betsy was so thirsty!  I was having too much fun watching her try to keep all of the water in her mouth. She kept drooling. Eventually, she realized her thirst had been quenched and gave up. All of the Cornish Cross hens drink a lot more water than the egg layers.  I'm not exactly sure why. (I'm pretty sure I'll be looking that up soon.)

Daily update

Yesterday we gathered three eggs. 

Our Easter Egger may not be laying the largest eggs, but she is a very consistent layer. 

One of the gals

Daily update

63 sun, rain, clouds. 

Three eggs. 

You get what you pay for.

We feel that our fresh eggs are far better than that of our store bought counterparts.  Our beautiful eggs range from shades of brown to green. These eggs are very rich in flavor and have delicious and gorgeous orange yolks!  You really cannot pass them up. 

 

Aside from our hens being able to roam free throughout the day, they have access to fresh water, plenty of healthy feed, fresh fruits and veggies, and of course, grubs, bugs, and worms. We take care of our Donnas and feel that their yummy eggs are worth every penny!

Daily update

70 today, three eggs.

Yesterday was rainier, four eggs, bred both rabbits.  I hope Adam got the job done! 

Chicken Leg

Err...foot.  I love their cute little feet. I just want to paint their tiny toes, but that's where Andy draws the line!  

The Betsy's

These girls really do just enjoy sitting and eating. That's all I ever see them do! They're getting bigger and bigger everyday. I cannot believe how fast they are changing. 

Behind a few days...

Just the essentials. 

Meaty birds! 

Five of eight. 

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is a method of using worms to transform organic waste into a soil rich in nutrients.  Our red wiggler worms work hard to eat and cast (poop) our refuse into a healthy soil to be used in our garden.  Matilde learned to love worms from her big sis, Evan, so she was very excited to help me set up our Can-O-Worms vermicomposter. 

Every farm needs a tractor!

Ours just happens to be a chicken tractor! This is just a fancy way to say portable chicken coop. We can move it all around the yard. The hens seem to like it and our Easter Egger prefers to lay her eggs in that coop instead of the indoor coop. Our Australorp prefers to lay in the bag of feed, but that's a story for another day!

Daily update

77 today. A lot like yesterday. Cloudy, yet warm and bright in the afternoon.

3 eggs.

Basking in the sun

All of our pears must have tired our Donna out! I caught her stretching out in the sun after her feast.

Daily update

77 today. Cloudy and warm for most of the day. Very confusing weather we're having.
Three eggs. One giant green egg!
Everyone is happy and healthy.

El Gallo Blanco Farms

We have chosen a name!
A little bit about us:
We are a rural family just trying to make the most of urban living. Growing up in the Yakima Valley with farmer and farm worker grandparents, we have decided to continue to cultivate the land. We are growing and caring for our gardens and animals together as a family. Our two daughters, ages 11 and 3, are learning the importance of knowing where our food is coming from. What better way to teach that lesson than to grow it ourselves! They are very involved in the process. We have given them daily jobs to allow for them to contribute to our family's way of life, and they are loving the responsibility. We are trying to make the most out of our small piece of land. Which is why we have chosen container gardens and planter boxes, espalier trees and grapes, even chickens and rabbits. Each of the facets of our gardening and growing brings us one step closer to sustainability and one less trip to the grocery store. Our Delridge neighborhood is considered a food desert, so not having a grocery store closer than 1.5-3 miles from our home has also proven to be a great motivator.

Daily update

79 degrees, such a nice day
three eggs

Mason Bee House

This is our homemade mason bee house. Mason bees are small, non-stinging bees and are incredible pollinators! They are invited into our garden to pollinate our trees and plants any day! This cute little house is mounted on our fence post between our fruit trees. I hope they find it and make use of it soon!

Daily update

84 degrees, three eggs
Gave the eggs to Jaci, Dagoh's mama. She was missing the taste of fresh eggs. She will be kind and share her tamales with me in return! Even better!!
Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day!

The Trellis

Here is a trellis that I suggested Andy build for us. This is one of the many ideas he will eventually claim as his own!
We initially saw it while "doing the Puyallup." It was in the WSU Pierce County booth. It is made specifically for large vine plants and little gardening space. When you have limited space, like us, the only way left to grow is up! Pictured are our cucumbers. As they start to grow, we will attach twine of some sort to the plant and use the pulley system to raise it off the ground. The vines usually take over the garden, but by growing them vertically, we will save space and it will be yet another great visual piece to our beautiful garden.
(Don't worry, I will post another picture as our cukes begin to grow!)

Daily update

81! It was a fabulous day!
Three eggs. All is well.

No Anjou!

Looks like the Donnas feasted this week! Seems as though we may not be enjoying Anjou or Bartlett pears this year. I suppose that is another lesson to be learned...Do not procrastinate when it comes to protecting your crops with netting. This could have been prevented. I think our apples may have a little bit if life left, but we need to hustle to protect those too!
Sly little birds!

Update

Two eggs yesterday. Three eggs today.

The younger Easter egger Donna is regularly laying. I hope the more sunshine changes her schedule.

Nosy neighbor

Paved paradise and put in a parking lot.

Then they took out the parking lot and put in a house that is a mere 14 ft wide. Here is the view from that monstrosity's back deck.

Daily update

70! Really nice to have the warm sunshine back. Still chilly in the morning, but nice and cool in the evenings.

Two eggs.

The Indoor Coop

Here is our double indoor coop. The coop above houses the Betsy's at night. They spend their days in the sun in the chicken tractor. The lower coop houses the older Donnas. The small square door goes directly into the nesting box. It is the perfect height for Tilly to collect their eggs. Collecting eggs is her responsibility, and she takes it very seriously! Evan is responsible for letting the Donnas out, moving the Betsy's, and feeding all of the animals in the mornings before school. She doesn't complain much, and is really enjoying her time with her farm friends in the morning.

Daily update

High 61. Beautiful! Sun and more sun. Still needed a sweater in the shade, but it was nice in the sunshine.

2 eggs. One was cracked like it had been pecked at. We will need to keep an eye on that behavior. The other took a spill on the way inside the house. Tilly was pretty upset, but I reassured her that I knew where we could find more. ;)

The Meaty Betsy's

The Betsy's are just hanging out and having some fun in the sun while exploring the chicken tractor.

Yesterday's update

Three eggs.
Chilly day, high 56.

Sworn enemies

Here is my arch nemesis, the lilac.