Falling Back......

CO-OP UPDATES:

EGG-OP

Sorry about the delay with this, since it’s been about a month since the last post.

The ladies are starting to pick up their production a bit and we’re averaging about 16-18 eggs a day.

We are just under 4,300 eggs.  I don’t think we’ll hit the 5,000 mark for a year – the first egg was laid Oct 22, 2010 – but we’ll be damn close.  Not bad considering the great Chicken theft of 2010.

Before the last re-up we were down to $3.15 for a dozen.  I assume by the next re-up we will be down below that $3 mark that has of yet eluded us.

The next re-up (I’m not sure when that will be) I’ll probably ask for $30 or $35 dollars.  This is because it is easier for me to get a bunch of layer mash (what they call chicken food) and stock up before the snow flies.

Also, if we want to continue this egg-op, next spring we should order another 10 or so birds.  This will continue every year for now on to replace loss of ladies and the ladies that stop producing. 

And on that note, I need a vote on this since all shares are equal.  We won’t have to do it for a while yet, but there are 3 options on the ladies that stop laying;

1)      Allow them to live out their existence in perpetuity at the Blue Farmhouse.

2)      Have the Amish butcher them at a cost of about $3 per bird.  We wouldn’t do this until we have 9 ladies that have stopped laying, however.

3)      Butcher them ourselves.  No cost to us other than the gas to get up here.  The only shares that would receive birds would be the shares that help out on ‘Butcher Day’.

Think about it and let me know.  I am all for the 3^rd option so long as I get help with it all.  It’s a messy process, but would go quickly with even just 5 or 6 people.  And you may think I’m cruel, but there is something to be said for knowing where your meat comes from and where it’s been.

Later.

GRO-OP

The garden is finally weed free.  Too bad the frosts we had about 3 weeks ago killed just about everything off.

If you haven’t heard about the corn, it was destroyed by raccoons when the Dejongs left for a little vacation for a few days.  In fact, the Dejongs got about 8 ears of corn out of everything they planted.  Amazingly enough, ours we planted was never touched by any animal and was distributed evenly.  We’ll have to decide if it was worth doing a separate corn garden next year.

Pumpkins – I counted 24.  That allows for 2 per family share and 1 per single share.  I need to know;

1)      Do you want your pumpkin/s?  And,

2)      Do you want me to deliver them or do you want to come up and get them?

Please let me know so I can plan accordingly.  I will distribute unclaimed pumpkins to the shares that want them.

The only thing left out there is Brussel Sprouts, Horseradish and the second planting of Peas.  The Brussel Sprouts are usually not harvested until after several hard frosts (I would assume in the next 2 to 3 weeks).

The peas, if they don’t die before it gets real cold, will go to the Hartman’s, Smagacz’s and Holly.  All three of those shares were short one bag this year – because our garden sucked.

The Horseradish (if this is okay with everyone) - I plan on replanting all of the roots for next year so we can develop a larger Horseradish garden.  I would say that we could buy more roots next year, but at $12 for 10 roots, I figured this replanting would be a heck of a lot cheaper.

If this doesn’t work for you, please let me know.

Also, I still have many produce bags.  If you want your’s back let me know.  If not, I will keep them for next year.

Finally, we do plan on doing a garden next year.  I hope you will join us.  We had to purchase extra supplies this year, and have stuff left over, so it should be a little cheaper next year if you want to do it.  Also, let me know if you want to plant something next year that we didn’t do this year.  Now is the time to let me know since it is still fresh in your mind.

If I planned our dates off right, Plant Day will be on May 26, 2012 – the Saturday of Memorial Weekend.

I want to thank everyone for your work this year…I know it’s a pain to get up here and I appreciate your support, especially with a par (or sub-par) year.

Later all,

Haus

Eh....C+ is better than an F.

EGG-OP

We are just shy of 4,000 eggs.  All chickens accounted for.  Truvy is still MIA.  Henry now believes she was killed by the Raccoons.  I concur with his assessment.

We have 2 ½ bags of feed left from the last re-up from 7/11/11.  So, with that good news, it must be time for another re-up.  Yeeeehhh!

I know, the re-ups suck.  Please have $25 to me by Monday September 29.

GRO-OP

Most average garden ever.  It gets a solid ‘C+’ if I were rating it.  Way worse than last year, better than the year before (that year we got zero tomatoes, a handful of peas and beans, and a couple of hot and bell peppers).

At least we’re not the only ones.  Lafave can chime in at any point here since his garden is in Hooterville (Hudsonville), but it sounds like every garden is a C+ this year.  Good thing for Dejong’s corn garden.

From what I’ve been hearing, and from what I know of gardening (which is not much) most of the issues have to do with the 10+ days of extremely hot temps in July along with the 4 huge rainfall amounts (4+ inches, with one at 7 inches).  The plants like about an inch of water a week.  Too much water is as bad as too much anything.

On top of the weather, the weeds got out of control early on us.  This was partially to blame on the weather and partially on our lack of diligence.  Next year, we have to decide as a group if we want a smaller garden, or if you are willing to extend your ‘person’ hours for the month to keep up with the weeds - if they get out of control on us like they did this year.

I don’t know how to say this other than to be blunt.  I want this garden co-op to be fun and have people to have fun doing it, but there have been some shares that have not quite pulled their weight this year in the weeding department, while others have gone out there and just tore it up.  I have tried to compensate for this by correlating the hours spent and the actual amount of weeding that has been done, with the amount of produce in your bags.  That may not be fair, but it’s the only way I know how to try to keep it fair for all the shares. 

Normally, I would have suspended the weeding by now, and we would only be harvesting.  As there are still weeds out there, I have not stopped the weeding weeks.  Even though the produce is slowing down, if we let the weeds go to seed, we will even have worse problems next year.

So unless you have a different idea on how to do this, please let me know sometime if you are willing to put the extra effort in next year for the same sized garden, or if you would like to do a smaller garden that can be controlled better with the same, or shorter, amount of ‘person’ hours/effort spent up in the H.C.

Some of you may not have received produce at all this week/week and a half.  This is because some of the shares are way ahead and some are way behind (due to vacations, when I see you, what is ready, etc).  I’d like to tell you in advance when you are getting stuff, but this average garden this year has made it next to impossible to do.

Last year, everyone had tons of stuff for canning and salsa.  This is not going to be the case this year.  Our tomatoes are very low in number and our bell peppers are non-existent.  If you want to do salsa, you’ll have to go out and buy the stuff, if you can find it.  We went to Nelson’s Farm Market in Grant this weekend – there was a couple small ½ bu baskets for sale.  The few that are out there are getting bought quick, so if you see them someplace and want to do salsa, I’d buy them.

The corn on the other hand, is going great.  You should expect a lot more corn, even from our ‘sacrificial deer’ row we planted this year - the same row that the deer decided not to eat.  Yet.

Okay, that’s all I have.  I’m done being the mean guy – for now.  If you have any questions on any of this, let me know. 

Later all,

Haus

"there is no such thing as natural beauty." --truvy jones

UPDATE ON THE LADIES

The Co-Op mourns the loss of two Ladies in the past two weeks (but not really…)

Both I and Tom had issues with getting the birds back into the coop.  I had two go Rogue on us, and then Tom, who was up at their Cottage on Hess Lake, had one do the same to him.  This is no big loss really, and I’ll tell ya’ all why. (Please note that Emily's comments are in blue)

Of the two of mine that decided to not go in (and by not going in, I mean no matter how hard you chase them, what you throw at them, or how many times you crank rounds off in their direction – kidding; they absolutely refuse to go in) one was Cybil.  That was the one that went off the Reservation on us last fall for several weeks.  She was always a pain in the butt to get to go back in anyway, and she always seemed to have several companions that wanted to follow her by not going back in.  Needless to say, I discovered a pile of feathers in the yard the other day that matched her description on the run-a-away report.  Chalk her up to the Raccoons or Opossums – the former of which are the most devil creatures to ever walk this Earth, but I’ll tell you why I think that some other time…

Needless to say the other Lady, perhaps witness to attack on Cybil, came back into the coop the very next day.  Lesson learned I’d say.

Tom’s rogue Lady was the white Polish crack-head (I believe crack head is a bit harsh, ecentric is a more appropriate description)that Emily named Truvy, after some character Dolly Parton played in some movie; Emily will have to fill you in on this later. (only the best charachter in the history of charachters:  Truvy Jones, owner of Truvy's Beauty Parlor in Chiquapin Parish in only the best chick flick in the history of chick flicks:  Steel Magnolias) .  Truvy  Anyway, she is MIA and assumed KIA.  Although I know many of you thought she was the best (Jon, Jay, Emily, et cetera) she was the one that laid that little white pigeon eggs you’d get in the dozen every now and then.  Small chicken, small white egg, small loss. (I disagree with husband's ridiculous statements....more like small chicken, big personality, irreplaceable loss. Truvy, if you are out there - in chicken heaven.... you will be missed.  I am convinced, if our little red chicken coop was Ciquapin Parish, you'd have yourself a little hen beauty shop... fixing up the ladies feathers...fluffing and makin' everybody pretty. Enjoy your chicken beauty parlor in the sky!) 

If you are wondering why the eggs are slowing a bit, we are only averaging about 10-12 eggs a day now.  The Ladies do not like the heat and are showing it in their egg production.  I assume this will pick up again sometime in August, but depending on the heat, it may not be until September when we get back up to our 18 eggs a day average we were getting.

GARDEN UPDATE

And speaking of heat, man did Patty and Erin pick the wrong week to weed.  Stay hydrated this week when you are out there, and you can always join Henry, Liam and I in the AC for a break as we look out at you from the slider.

Weeds are the name of the game right now.  Tons and tons of weeds.  Heat + Water = Weeds.  I was going to ask everyone to do a little extra duty when they are up to get things under control, but then Patrick came up to do his part, and he is an absolute weeding Machine! It's amazing how many weeds get pulled when you're not gardening in a suit and wingtips!!!  ;)  A huge thanks to him and his effort.

Everyone has their first small amount of produce.  This week will be another bigger bag, and in about two to three weeks we should be in full peak.  Everything is doing well except for the cold crops.  Cold crops no likey Heat! 

So don’t expect a lot of Peas, Broccoli, or much salad stuff at all.  Erin replanted the salad stuff that the Skunk got into, but it’s having a hard time growing because it’s so hot.  I have an idea on the salad stuff for next year, especially because this is two years in a row the salad stuff has sucked.  But we will get to that this fall when I try a little experiment…

Hopefully you like Zukes, Summer Squash, Beans, Onions, Hot Peppers and Potatoes.  These are coming on like a wild fire.   

PLEASE NOTE:

ONION:  please dry them in the kitchen for 7 days.

PEAS:  these are snow and snap and you eat both IN the pod.

PEPPERS – if you get peppers that appear to be Hot Peppers – they are.  If you get Hot Peppers in a plastic bag, they are not – they are actually mild Banana Peppers.  So plastic bag = mild.  Anything lose = Devil’s spit fire from Hell.

The Tomatoes and Bell Peppers are poor right now, but they thrive in the heat.  This week should turn them into the bumper crop we all want and are hoping for.

So that’s the update.  Just like the previous years, we have stuff doing great and stuff that sucks, but that’s farming and that’s why everyone doesn’t do it.

Later all.

EGG-OP UPDATE 6/21/11

As of last night we are at 3,226 eggs.  That’s the salvageable ones.  I’m not keeping track of the cracked or throw-a-ways.

The good news – congrats!  We are below break-even point of Meijer organic eggs; priced at $3.36 a dozen.  Our cost right now is $3.33 and we still have two and half bags of food left from the last re-up.

The bad news – it’s time for another re-up.  $25 when you can get it to me please.  I’m back to work this week and am done with my vacations until the end of the summer, so the egg drops should become more regular again.  Patrick, you are exempt from this as you already paid us, and Holly/Amanda you are +$15 on this re-up so you only owe us $10.

On a side note; this would be the time to drop out of the Egg Co-Op if you want to.  I’d call it a success to this point, considering the rough start with the Great Chicken Theft of 2010.  If you want to drop, just let me know.  I don’t expect everyone to stay in it forever, so the drop goes from any point on.  If you wish to drop out just let me know and we’ll get someone else to take your share.

GRO-OP UPDATE

The garden looks good and the Potatoes and Onions are weed free – thanks Patrick and Holly!

potatoes/onions before

potatoes/onions after

We had a slight skunk/skunks issue with digging in the garden.  I replanted the Pepper plants it/they dug up, but the lettuce and carrots are pretty much MIA.  We’ll have to replant these along with the slicing Cukes, which only four plants came up.  Either it was bad seed or someone just drank too much of Ploeg’s home-brew, got the munchies and ate them.  I’m going with the bad seed option.

The cold crops are doing great (peas, broccoli, cabbage), the hot crops (tomatoes, peppers, zukes) are average.  They need some heat to start developing bigger, but I’d say we’re right on track for the season.  The Broccoli has started forming heads so I’d say that will be the first crop we’ll get; probably later next week.

Now that weeding has started - Emily will be sending reminders that it is your week to weed on Sunday nights.  Please reply back to her with the day that you plan to come to the farm.  This helps with planning for weeding and especially harvesting and also makes it easier on our family life so that we know when to expect visitors!  Thanks for your help in this.

Important Note!  When you get a chance, I need two bags from each share for the Harvest Runs.  The bags that work best are the heavy recycle type bags from the grocery stores.  Please label them with your name so I know who’s are who’s.

Later all.

BIG benefits

So....what's the benefit to pastured organic eggs?

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat

• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E

• 7 times more beta carotene

Worth every extra penny!!!  (AND our hens are treated humanely - an added bonus)

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx#ixzz1LtuJJGn3

Mother Earth News is a great resource for information on modern homesteading. 

A little long winded.....

APRIL 2^nd

A mighty fine coop thanks to the Lafave.

Yes, the Lafave. 

Plural.  Said singular.

Henry is still working on this.  But the way he says it; it’s like he already knows.  That the Lafaves are combined into one astonishing/chaotic cosmic event that mimics the white dwarf going Supernova. 

Anyway, the Lafave (Tiki, Alec, Ian and friend Kyle) came up and mucked out the coop today.  It was dreary, cold and rainy.  Unfortunately I was stuck inside with a sick Liam, while Emily was out grocery shopping – amazing how that worked.

Regardless of the weather, every time I looked out, the boys seemed to have a smile on their faces.  It wasn’t nearly as big as mine as the ladies’ coop was getting mucked out for us, but they couldn’t see inside like I could outside.

Anyway, after about 2 hours and about 15 trips to the garden with the lawn tractor and wagon, the coop looked as clean as it did when I first put it together. 

Way to go the Lafaves, err Lafave, well whatever.  The Co-Op and the Ladies thank you!

May 1^st

Another big Egg Co-Op thanks goes out to Matt (Squid), Tom (Egghead), Jon (Jon) and Holly; who by the way was our official work crew supervisor for the fence build day.

I can’t thank you guys enough for coming up and helping me with that.  It would have taken forever without your help.

For those of you who missed it, the fence build took about 4 hours with a little beer and white chicken chili thrown in for good measure.  And thanks Tom for bringing your delicious, thirst satisfying home-brew. 

There were only a few minor issues.

One, getting the fence square.  This was resolved in the typical Ensley Township fashion when the diagonal lines for the corners just didn’t add up.  A motion, second, and virtually no discussion took place when the men said, “Screw it.  This thing is getting the eyeball square test.”  Man, did that work out great.  The only problem is, now the fence is more square than anything on my property…

Two, Squid got cut.  It was minor.  To the arm by the fence.  AMR and GRFD were disregarded, but later recalled to the scene for the drunk in the front yard.  P.S.:  There was no drunk in the front yard, but only because we ran out of beer.

Three, Henry buried my measuring tape.  Luckily Jon was on the ball, and observed my little rap-scallion burying it.   Good thing too, because it was just about out of sight.  Good eye on that Jon.

So the only thing that needs to be done yet is to build the door for the fence.  I will get this completed when I have my upcoming time off in May.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the fence is just there so the birds can go out and play in the fresh air when I’m not there or when we are there for only part of the day.  On my days off, the ladies will be the free range, pastured, organic Ladies we still love and admire – well, at least for their eggs.  And their meat when they stop laying. 

Thanks again for the help guys!

May 7^th

Plant Day!

Man, is that coming up quick.  

Saturday, May 28^th, 2011.  1PM.  The Blue Farmhouse with a perfectly square chicken fence.

Rain date will be Sunday, May 29^th.  Same time.

If you can’t make it on one or either of these days, I know that it’s Memorial weekend, then get a hold of me and we’ll have you come up sometime the week after and plant some stuff.

Emily and I will provide Dogs, Burgers, soda and water.  If you could, please provide a dish to pass.  I think Tom is planning on bring some more of his home brew, so lock up the kids, because the Belgium Triple always does me in.

Feel free to bring the kids; you can stay as long as the bon-fire lasts.  Even longer, so long as you’re gone by the time I wake up the next afternoon.  I put this in here so Emily knows that she has to get up with the kids the next day.

Bring work clothes – for Patrick this will be a button up oxford shirt and dress slacks.  Yes, I just said slacks.

If you have them, bring a hand trowel for planting.
 

I am actually off from May 18^th to May 31^st, so if you have any questions, send me an e-mail or call me.

Other Garden Stuff

Also a big welcome to Jay and Ashley, our new Garden Co-Opers this year.  For you GRPD types, they are friends of Erin, Amy and Emily.  They do not know the initiation rites yet, so let’s keep that on the Q/T until they get up there.

Because of the way we split the shares this year, we will still have 7 family shares, however, several of the family shares have been split into single shares.  A family share is 4 hours of work per month, a single share is two hours per month with half the produce of the family share.

I will get out the sign up sheets in the next week or so, so you can begin planning ahead.  Also, please bring a check with you to Plant Day so we can get the money thing figured out.  I assume it will be between $40 and $45 for a family share this year and half that for a single share.

And since Emily has posted this to the blog, maybe everyone can post what they want to bring for a side and we can get it figured out that way.

Lafave(s) and Garcias, you guys are also invited since you are in the Egg Co-Op.  Your mission that day will be to count all the feathers on the Ladies and let us know how many there are.

Thanks all,

Haus

 

She was a good lady....She will be missed.

Egg-Opers
We had a loss this week. 

One of the New Hampshire Reds ladies.  She was not looking good, lethargic and not eating.  I dipped her beak in the water several times and she drank so I was hopeful, but as things went along, she just got worse.  Before the time of euthanasia on Saturday evening, she died.

So now our flock count is 28 ladies and two fellas (Foghorn and Egghead).  I think the lady who passed might have taken one for the team for Tom – because you gotta think, any guy that sorts his M&M’s by colors before he eats them, has to hate odd numbers. 

Still, I am impressed that we only lost one so far this winter.  I expected to lose between 3 and 5 just because of the weather and hard conditions.  All the others are looking very healthy.

The egg production lately has gone down, if you are wondering why the eggs aren’t coming as fast and furious as they were.  I assume the ladies are sick of the cold weather.  They have threatened to strike and take over the Capitol Rotunda, but I settled them back down by agreeing to not take away their Collective Bargaining.  Last night we had 21 eggs again. I must have appeased them and I assume the warm weather will get them laying heavy again.

Egg Cartons.  We are getting low on them, so if you have any saved please return them at your convenience.

Gro-Opers
So it’s nearing the time that we order seeds to get the early bird discounts.

I need to know a couple of things with the next week.  7 days.  Please respond.

Or for you work people I’ll put it like Frenchy does in his e-mails:

READ                 READ                   READ
1 – Who is taking what type of share?  Emily posted last time about Single Shares and Family Shares.  I need to know what type of share you want.  Ordering seeds is dependent on how many Family Shares/Single Shares we have.

2 – Is there anything you don’t want or want more of?  We will order accordingly based upon the majority response.  If I receive no response, then I will order about the same as last year.

3 – Matt and I have discussed planting corn at the Co-op South location (aka:  his house).  He has a fenced garden, and the deer here just won’t leave the corn alone.  If we moved the corn to the South location - it would add on a slight charge because Matt will have to rent a tiller to till up his soil for the garden.  This would be divided amongst the shares.  Some of the DeJong's time would then be spent working the corn garden.  Is this something that people would want to do?  Let me know.  We’ll go on the majority responses on this.

That is all.  I have nothing else.  There’s way too much snow on the ground yet to think much more about gardening.  Please reply to Emily on the above 3 points.  bluefarmhousetrade@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Later all,
Haus