Three little orange ones, three little gray ones....Henrietta will be a busy girl!
Monday, May 18, 2009
What's on your plate?
So I just finished a book called The 100-Mile Diet - A Year of Local Eating. Two journalists from British Columbia challenged themselves to eat only food that originated within 100 miles of Vancouver. Other than not being able to find flour they could make into bread, pancakes, etc., and having to eat a lot of potatoes until they lined up their local sources, they did amazingly well. I'm not sure if I could be that disciplined, however.....I just finished dinner, and looking at my plate, I did okay. I mean, I could have been eating McDonald's, after all.
My asparagus came from a grower down the road, and the salsa I used for my potato I made myself last summer, using my own garden fresh tomatoes and peppers. But, the potato was from PEI and the pork chop? Who knows?
I've been getting more and more interested over the last couple of years in food politics, and I credit Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation with giving me a whole new perspective. I was always into eating real food when at all possible, but the 100-Mile Diet makes you realize how disconnected we are from our food, and how you don't think about what it really means when you choose the $1.29/lb tomatoes in January from thousands of miles away versus the $1.69/lb local tomatoes (even though they are greenhouse grown and not in season anyway).
It makes me wonder if I can forego the imported red leaf lettuce all winter long. Something to think about!
My asparagus came from a grower down the road, and the salsa I used for my potato I made myself last summer, using my own garden fresh tomatoes and peppers. But, the potato was from PEI and the pork chop? Who knows?
I've been getting more and more interested over the last couple of years in food politics, and I credit Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation with giving me a whole new perspective. I was always into eating real food when at all possible, but the 100-Mile Diet makes you realize how disconnected we are from our food, and how you don't think about what it really means when you choose the $1.29/lb tomatoes in January from thousands of miles away versus the $1.69/lb local tomatoes (even though they are greenhouse grown and not in season anyway).
It makes me wonder if I can forego the imported red leaf lettuce all winter long. Something to think about!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
All Is Well With the World
This is one of those evenings where things are so lovely, I couldn't picture living anywhere else. The sun is low in the sky, the temperature is mild, and I just finished planting more perennials here there and everywhere. It's the kind of late spring evening that completely eradicates the harsh memories of winter.
It looks as if, after laying a grand total of 18 eggs, my duck hen Beaner might have finally decided to try hatching. She just settled herself in about an hour ago, and is completely covering the eggs with her body and her wings. I'm a little worried about her safety at night, however. Of course, she didn't lay where I wanted her to where it was more sheltered from the elements and potential critters, but I guess I'll let nature take its course and hope mother duck knows best. Besides, I guess the flapping of those large, strong wings can be quite fearsome.
Finally, the chicken enclosure is complete with the installation of the gate today. The hostas, which they have eaten as if they are lettuce, are safe! I love the look of my flock wandering around the place - it's so pastoral - but man, can they be murder on the gardens! I can't even count how many times I've had to rake the wood chip mulch back into the beds after some vigorous scratching by the girls. I still plan on letting them out just before sunset so they can still get in a good wander under my watchful eye, but their enclosure is very large and has all the things chickens need to be happy - dirt for dust bathing, sunshine and lots of greens to peck at. Speaking of that, I'd better go close the gate for the night.
It looks as if, after laying a grand total of 18 eggs, my duck hen Beaner might have finally decided to try hatching. She just settled herself in about an hour ago, and is completely covering the eggs with her body and her wings. I'm a little worried about her safety at night, however. Of course, she didn't lay where I wanted her to where it was more sheltered from the elements and potential critters, but I guess I'll let nature take its course and hope mother duck knows best. Besides, I guess the flapping of those large, strong wings can be quite fearsome.
Finally, the chicken enclosure is complete with the installation of the gate today. The hostas, which they have eaten as if they are lettuce, are safe! I love the look of my flock wandering around the place - it's so pastoral - but man, can they be murder on the gardens! I can't even count how many times I've had to rake the wood chip mulch back into the beds after some vigorous scratching by the girls. I still plan on letting them out just before sunset so they can still get in a good wander under my watchful eye, but their enclosure is very large and has all the things chickens need to be happy - dirt for dust bathing, sunshine and lots of greens to peck at. Speaking of that, I'd better go close the gate for the night.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Duckling Watch Is On!
My sister in law asked me recently if my duck had started laying eggs. I'd been casually looking around, but hadn't seen any at all. Beaner, my duck hen, is only eight months old so I knew nature would take its course at some point.
Just a few days ago, I was on my porch when something caught my eye. There they were! Eight large, waxy white duck eggs in the basement window well! So, I ran to my trusty copy of Barnyard in your Backyard to see if I needed to do anything next. Aside from perhaps covering the window well up a little more, Beaner seems to have everything under control, and today's count is 11 eggs....she will lay from 12 to 18 before setting, says the book.
I will be ridiculously excited if she hatches out ducklings!!
Just a few days ago, I was on my porch when something caught my eye. There they were! Eight large, waxy white duck eggs in the basement window well! So, I ran to my trusty copy of Barnyard in your Backyard to see if I needed to do anything next. Aside from perhaps covering the window well up a little more, Beaner seems to have everything under control, and today's count is 11 eggs....she will lay from 12 to 18 before setting, says the book.
I will be ridiculously excited if she hatches out ducklings!!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Salad of the Future
Because I didn't grow up with gardening parents or really any exposure to farming, I was truly amazed last spring when I planted lettuce and spinach seeds and they turned into - gasp!- lettuce and spinach! There is something about seeds that has me convinced I will put them in the ground and nothing will happen.
I had never eaten garden fresh lettuce. It was incredible, so delicious and delicate that I even ate salad for breakfast. All winter long I've been dutifully choking down salads, made with store bought lettuce, dreaming about the day when I look at my little tiny seedlings and see salad in my future. Lots and lots of salad....
Since last year I had no faith in my ability to grow things, I didn't plant much lettuce or spinach as I suppose I didn't want to be disappointed. But this year....expansion! And a good plan to sow a new row every couple of weeks.
I had never eaten garden fresh lettuce. It was incredible, so delicious and delicate that I even ate salad for breakfast. All winter long I've been dutifully choking down salads, made with store bought lettuce, dreaming about the day when I look at my little tiny seedlings and see salad in my future. Lots and lots of salad....
Since last year I had no faith in my ability to grow things, I didn't plant much lettuce or spinach as I suppose I didn't want to be disappointed. But this year....expansion! And a good plan to sow a new row every couple of weeks.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)