Today is Yarn Along over at
small things and as usual, I am joining in even though the knitting is sparse.
I have finally finished knitting slipper #2 for S's birthday. I just need to sew up the seams, add the crocheted border and add the Argos symbol. Even though there is not much to show, I wanted to come along today to share this book. Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter. I am seriously enjoying this book. She gardens in an abandoned city lot next to her apartment in what she calls the ghetto in Oakland. But she doesn't just garden...she farms. She shares her experiences with chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbit, and finally pigs. All of her experiences. Even figuring out how to "harvest" her animals. It's not for the squeamish or for reading while eating your lunch in some parts, but I figure if you are going to eat meat (which I do) then you have to face it. Plus, I am trying to convince my husband that we could raise some birds for eggs and meat, so I will (hopefully) need to figure out how to "harvest" them too, if that is actually going to happen.
Incidentally, our city code says that we may raise miniature chickens or bantem chickens but no other chickens, (no ducks, no quinea hens, no turkeys) and only if they are housed in indoor cages with no outdoor pens or runs. I do not understand that at all! What would be the point. Having said that, someone on our street has recently acquired some chickens, which do in fact have an outdoor run. The city told me on the phone that they only will come look if someone lodges a complaint (I was asking about the rules for quail --- to be determined, as they are on neither the "allowed" list nor the "prohibited" list). Lucky for the guy on our street who has a great relationship with his neighbours. Not so lucky for me, but that is another story entirely.
Anyways...I'm off to the farmers market again (we now have TWO markets for the summer, one on Wednesdays and Saturday, and one on Sundays) to see if I can't find another little something to fit in between by
newly acquired blueberry bushes until they fill in a little bit.
Have a great day.
We are allowed 6 hens in my town, but the chicken coop has to be "hidden behind bushes or fencing." My husband is building ours like a shed, so maybe they won't notice it is a chicken coop...as far as harvesting...well I am not sure my hubby would be too happy with doing that, so we will probably bring them to the local ummm harvester when the time comes :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting...we live in the totally crowded suburbs, and I haven't a clue as to our town's code, but our neighbors have chickens in their yard, and they are perfectly behaved. Wouldn't know they were there. The chickens, I mean.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are such an inspiration when it comes to creating for boys...nicely done!
Good luck with the chickens. Right now our town bans them totally. A neighbor was actually forced to get rid of their chickens even though they were so quiet. I don't get it. Dogs make more noise and mess. People seem fine with them.
ReplyDeleteSome rules don't make any sense... when we lived in town, we could have one goat, not two. If you know anything about goats, you know you can not have only one goat. It was a very long night and she went back to the farm the next day. Fortunately they were friends of ours and were happy to have her back.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds really interesting.