Backyard Chicken Coop Raising Day 1

New backyard chicken coop going up.

Mickey and I were able to get started on the new chicken coop Saturday afternoon. Thank you sunshine! I think it took longer for us to bring the parts to the backyard than it did for us to get this much together. This baby is heavy. I couldn't even lift a corner of the floor with legs attached, so we had to get a friend of Mickey's to come over and help with that. But I was able to help carry the walls, roof, and other parts, and to hold the walls firm while Mickey attached them.

The girls stayed interested the whole 3 hours we were out there with very little fuss and seemed to know to stay a safe distance away. I think they realize it's theirs and must approve of their new abode because they walked over several times as if to check out our progress and murmured softly as if to say, "Good job, Mom and Dad. We like it."

Read more...

New Farmer's Market in Hollywood

I'm probably a little slow in getting the local news. I rarely watch it. But I just found out there's a new farmer's market opening in Hollywood on Sunday, October 3rd. It's open 3 days a week: Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. I'm hoping this is a real farmer's market where the vendors are selling homegrown local produce and other homemade items. From looking at the website, specifically at the vendor information page, it's clear that they will have resellers, meaning people not selling their own goods, so we have to be careful and ask a lot of questions to be sure we know what we're buying. I definitely plan on checking it out because it could be a wonderful source for supplementing what I grow here on the urban homestead.

If any of you take the time to visit, please write back and let me know what you think. Even better, would any of you like to meet me there? I'm sure I'll go more than once, but for starters I'll plan on being there on opening day.

Yellow Green Farmer's Market

1940 N. 30th Road (intersection of Taft and 30th Road)

Hollywood, FL 33021

954-513-3990

When: Sunday, October 3rd, 7 a.m.

Hope to see some of you there.

Read more...

September 2010: Tropical Depression on the Urban Homestead

Is it possible to delete a month from the calendar? That's what I feel like doing. Getting rid of the month of September 2010. To most gardeners around the country, September is a great month. A month of harvesting and planting. A month of getting in a late summer planting and an early fall planting. Down here in south Florida, this September has been a bust. It has rained just about every single day. Not just a little rain. So much rain that if one were to plant anything, it would wash away within 24 hours.

And what does an urban homesteader like me do? Well, I suppose I could have cleaned the house and caught up on projects that long needed to be done like most people probably did. I could have worked on a long list of blogposts I've meaning to write. I could have planned out where I wanted what in the garden once I'm able to plant. I could have done lots of things. I could have knitted and I could have done some reading. I didn't do any of those things, though. Instead I fell into the hypnotic cycle of the rain. I got up and did my job every day as I always do (thank goodness for this because bills still have to be paid when it rains), fed the chickens, paid attention to the dogs and my husband, cooked dinner--all the things that have to be done every day. And then I complained, whined, and felt sorry for myself the rest of the time, taking leisurely afternoon naps and watching TV shows I forgot existed. I think I've aptly named the month of September 2010 my tropical depression, double entendre intended.

So here's to the almost end of September. May October be a sunnier month for this urban homesteader. Need I mention that it's pouring down rain right now?

Read more...