nearly done

So here I am. On the very last week of my internship.

I arrived at Side by Side in the fog and found Devin surveying places where the chickens could be moved. He settled on a spot across the fields, behind the greenhouse and just beyond the corn. While he rolled the chicken tractors over, I harvested fennel. After a brief nibble at the raspberry bushes, we set up the fences in a wide oval (or something like an oval). The nomad chickens now have a new large area filled with insects and fresh ground. It should be a feast for them, and yet they stood starring at us, pleading for their food barrel. Devin and I harvested peppers, okra, and eggplants for the share tomorrow, then planted two flats of lettuce.

And as I left for the day, the sun came out.

the birds

There are quite a few winged things running (and flying) about at Side by Side Farm. 

Chickens, mainly. I believe Devin gave me an estimate of 50 or 60 total.

There are two communities of hens and roosters. One is nomadic; they get move about to different locations in the fields so that they can pick and prepare the ground. Back in the beginning of June, Devin and I did just that.

Then there is group that lives in what is affectionally called Guantanamo (above). They are let out to roam free during the day. The clan consists of full size chickens and bantams.

Right now there are lots of new little peeps. My favorites are the grey ones.

Then there are the rather elusive guinea hens. I'm not sure of their numbers; maybe a dozen or so.

The turkeys are a new addition. When I started my internship they lived in a little hutch inside the house. They were tiny, white, fluffy, somewhat adorable and chicken-like looking. Now they have come into their true turkey form: they are ugly.

And there are many kinds of wild birds too: blue birds, orioles, indigo buntings (which use the stars to migrate at night). I've seen a hawk or two and Devin tells me that crows sit in the dead mulberry tree and keep an eye on the chickens, guarding them from hawks.


In other bird-like news, I've started to tweet.

lemongrass and sad news

Today we filled in the empty row in the upstairs greenhouse - previously occupied by pea vines - with lemongrass plants. There were three of us - Devin, a new helper and I.

The rest of the day was spent plodding along in the rain, preparing for the CSA share tomorrow. Beets and celery are ready and waiting to be packed up.

And I have some very sad news. Do you remember these little dears? I wrote about them last Thursday.
I'm very sorry to say, they are no more. Something - possibly a rat - slipped into the chicken tractor and ate them up.


























Terribly, terribly sad.

moving the chickens

There are two broods of chickens on the farm: one affectionally called Guantanamo and another whose area is moved around the fields. Nomad chickens who prepare the ground and eat wild things. Today, Devin and I shifted the nomads several yards over, to a new patch of turf.

At night, the chickens are tucked up in house carts (above). So transporting them was fairly straight forward. We took down the temporary fencing, moved it, and then moved the two carts. But in the process, four little brand-spanking new peeps escaped. We gathered them up in Devin's hat while the momma hen went berzerk. 

Everything was put back in order, the chickens were let out, and the peeps reunited with their mother. 

Along with dreaming of a garden, I dream of having a brood of my own chickens. Just a couple, enough for eggs for myself and my family. Already I have a few names picked out: Penelope, Odetta, Maude, Scarlett, Honoria...